Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl #1: Review

Oct 2005
Steven Niles, Duncan Fegredo

Loading cover...

Story Name:

Good Monsters!

Review & Comments

Rating:
3 stars

Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl #1 Review by (April 9, 2010)
About "Good Monsters!". Among the guest behemoths are Tragg, Groot, Taboo, Grottu, Vandoom (no relation to anyone you know), Gargantus, Rommbu, Grogg, Droom, and Fin Fang Foom. Story appears to be set in the early 1970s: Thing mentions Blythe Danner, not well-known before 1970, on the other hand, Beast isn't hairy yet, and would not become so until March 1972. Review: Nice to see the giant monsters that were Marvel’s stock in trade in the pre-superhero day making a comeback—and a none-too-serious one at that. Fun and entertaining, unlike a lot of what goes on in the comics these days.

About "We Found the Ninth Wonder of the World!": Reprinted from TALES TO ASTONISH #1 (January 1959). May have been Jack Kirby’s first story upon returning to Marvel in 1958. And you know who the “Eighth Wonder of the World” was, as did the unidentified writer of this story, obviously.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl #1 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Whatever happened to the giant monsters that once regularly terrorized major cities? Here we learn that the Collector keeps them in his secret museum. When the Mole Man attacks the Collector’s base, the monsters are inadvertently set free… Meanwhile, a derelict Bruce Banner arrives at the Baxter Building to seek the help of the Fantastic Four. The Thing, there alone monitoring Reed’s trip to the Negative Zone, admits Bruce and gives him a meal. While they are eating, news comes on the TV that giant monsters are rampaging through New York. Knowing that both the Avengers and the X-Men are unavailable, Thing recruits Bruce for the mission—by “doiking” his nose until the anger turns him into the Hulk. Thing tries to talk Hulk into fighting monsters, but Hulk reasonably points out they are monsters too. So Ben persuades his fellow “good monsters” to go clobber the “bad monsters” and they're off. 

After mixing up with their oversized opponents, Thing realizes they may be outnumbered. Luckily, Giant Man and the Beast arrive to join the fray. With some teamwork (Hulk firing Thing like a missile through the slimy Taboo; Giant Man wrestling Gargantus to the ground, etc.), the heroes defeat their massive foes. As Ben ponders what to do with their vanquished foes, Beast reveals that he has been in contact with Reed Richards, trapped in the Negative Zone, and together they have created a temporary entrance to the Zone. Hulk lifts the pile of unconscious monsters and tosses them into the Zone, as Reed pops through the other way, a bit miffed with Ben for forgetting about him. The Thing offers to treat Hulk to some six-foot party subs.


Story #2

We Found the Ninth Wonder of the World!

Writer: ?. Penciler: Jack Kirby. Inker: Christopher Rule.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

A giant lobster attacks a ship in a remote part of the ocean. It is easily killed by Captain Kane, who informs the expedition leader Professor Briggs. They are searching for Doctor Parker, whose ship vanished in these waters ten years ago. The ship is wrecked on a large stonelike island; Kane and Briggs make it to the shore of another more hospitable island. There, they are captured by natives and bound to stakes with Parker before a massive wall. The lost scientist explains that his experiments with growth hormones have angered the natives by causing major problems with the local fauna. The gates are opened and Parker’s Experiment 247—a giant turtle—emerges! Kane manages to free himself and his companions and they run for it. Kane dreams of returning to civilization with this “Ninth Wonder of the World” but soon realizes it would cause havoc in a major city. The trio manages to reach Parker’s boat and speed away. Parker explains he had an earlier experiment—XYZ—a turtle now twice the size of 247: it was the “island” that sank the ship!

Loading cover...

Barberoids 1 cover original artwork on ebay

Duncan Fegredo
Duncan Fegredo
Moose Baumann
Eric Powell (Cover Penciler)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Beast
Beast

(Hank McCoy)
Hulk
Hulk

(Bruce Banner)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)
Thing
Thing

(Ben Grimm)

Plus: Giant-Man (Scott Lang).

> Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl: Book info and issue index

Share This Page


Elektra