Thoughts on Man-Thing

[dr chimp]

For the past several weeks I've wanted to start a thread called "Things on Man-Thought," but I don't know what it would be about.

be a devil and give it a go - i am no seer, no prophet but i am guessing it will slowly fill up with the usual nonsense

[verslibre]

Well, I picked up and have read issue #1 of the Infernal Man-Thing, the one with Kevin Nowlan's "controversial" portrayal of the eponymous muck-monster.

I have to say its vintage Gerber, and for that altogether quite wonderful.

Gerber, comic's great iconoclast, made it his mission in his strange trip through comics to explore life's absurdity, quest for authenticity, and perhaps to find the calm beneath the noise that has ever bothered the human condition. Its poignant, powerful and trenchant stuff from a master who left the field all too soon.

It's only the opening chapter, but I'll be there for the rest. I know the reason for skepticism here, but if Man-Thing fans give it a try, they might find its more familiar than strange after all.

A word on the art. Once you get past the mental mountain that is the hump of this particular Man-Thing rendition, Nowlan's paintings are rather beautiful to behold. I admit to getting head and hump confused at times... but the utter freakishness of this pathetic but enigmatic creature actually works to advantage of the storytelling. Additionally, in keeping with the original Gerber Man-Thing, the creature at the centre of the book is actually just a side-player to the human drama that Gerber weaves.

I picked it up, too. Nowland's interpretation of M-T is oddball, but overall the art's great. I need to reread it. Cool wacky Gerberosity. I like that the story this is one is a sequel to is reprinted in the back pages.

[FanboyStranger]

Really? I thought it was an old script from the 70s. Either way, I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. Won't be the first time I've put up with artwork I don't particularly like for a writer I do.

No, it's a script that Gerber wrote in the late '90s. Ralf Macchio gives the background on a text page that starts the issue.