Aunt Petunia, who's troubles cropped up two issues back, has arrived at the Baxter Building encountering not only a member of the Fantastic Four but Reed's propensity to automate and robotize everything.
Well, I was wrong from last issue. Ben isn't upset at Reed's failure to restore him to being human. Reed on the other hand is NOT taking things in stride.
It can't be the scientist in him. Science thrives on failure, it's a trial-and-error kind of thing. This is Reed, the best friend of one Ben Grimm.
A note about the Thing: as he evolved from the original lumpy form to his latest angular brick form he has also grown stronger. Now that he has reverted back to the original form it is expected that he's weaker as well. That is not the case.
Ah, the meeting I've been waiting for:
I love Reed's comment about Aunt Petunia.
A short backgrounder and the nature of the visit.
Here it is, the first outing of the Fantastic Five.
When they finally get to the town of Benson it feels like a ghost town.
Now the meeting between Ben and his blood relation, Jake Grimm.
Hmmm, check this out.
Reed isn't a doctor but he's capable enough to double-check a doctor and the doctors are allowing it. You know how science is these days right? Specialized. Each scientist being recognized as having expertise and authority in his or her field. There is no more proof of Reed's massive genius than the fact that he can go across scientific boundaries and be respected by the specialist of each of those fields.
Somebody named Ruth Efford drops in and suddenly we have direction.
Once again, Reed going through scientific boundaries with ease.
A brief break to look into Attilan, in the Himalayas, and the troubles of the Inhumans in general, and of Quicksilver and Crystal in particular.
Uh-oh, somebody's going to to find things literally too hot to handle.
How frustrating.
Why are these people in the Benson Hotel? Doesn't Ruth have a field office? One of my pet peeves is using a bed as a desk (although admittedly, it seems to be just me that's bothered by it).
I love Byrne's wordplay here 'a dry thunderstorm stalks across the desert on legs of lightning'.
For Wendy, a fateful - and correct - decision.
Wendy is surrounded by strange forces and something happens to Ben.
It turns out it is happening to the rest of the FF too.
The next day finds the town devastated and people leaving.
This is definitely an FF fail. I wish I could blame the dark forces entirely but in an effort to douse a fire the Thing totaled the water tower. Effectively destroying the town's water supply. And you know what they say: better no electricity than no water.
This is what happened.
As the story concludes we find out that Wendy has always been in contact with the forces that have run rampant through the town.
So Ben you went to your Aunt Petunia's town and it imploded. What the heck?
