AUTHOR-Roy Thomas,Bill Mantlo,Steve Gerber and others
FORMAT-Trade paperback
FIRST TIME READING-No
COST-$12
Back when I was a pre-teen the library in Moss Point had a comic book trade. You traded one issue for 1 issue. I would get any comic I could for free. So I would have stuff to trade. Quickly I became a fan of Marvel 2 in 1. Which was a monthly team up series. Most issues have the Thing teaming up with another hero or team of heroes.
When Instocktrades opened the above pictured trade was in my first order. I hadn't read these early issues of 2 in 1 in over 20 years. After reading 4 or 5 issues I was hooked again. And have been slowly building a complete reading set.
This trade reprints,in black and white,issues 1-20,22-25 and annual #1 of 2 in 1. Issue 21 isn't reprinted in here. Because it has Thing teaming up with Doc Savage. When the issue came out Marvel had the comic publishing rights to Doc Savage. Since then they have lost the rights. The trade also reprints the following.
Marvel Feature 11 and 12-This is where 2 in 1 started. And until I got this trade I had never read them.
Marvel Team Up #47-Which had the same premise as this title. But instead of the Thing it was Spiderman teaming up with another hero each issue.
Fantastic Four Annual #11
One thing I realized is while lots of the time the artwork is average,the stories are normally really good. Steve Gerber,who is one of my favorite comic writers,has a nice long run in this trade. And so does Bill Mantlo.
As for stand out issues in this trade you got...
The two Marvel Feature issues. The first of which has Thing teaming with Hulk and the other has Thing tagging up with Iron Man.
Issue #1 Thing finds out about Man-Thing. And travels down to the Everglades "Cause there can only be one hero with thing in their name!" Yeah I know it is goofy. But Gerber wrote it and Gil Kane drew it.
Issue #7 Where Thing meets up with longtime Defenders member Valkyrie. She is my favorite female Marvel superhero. And one I wish was used more often.
Issue #8 A X-mas issue. Thing teams up with the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider. And they fight the old Fantastic Four villain the Miracle Man.
Issue #14 Thing teams up with the Son of Satan and they fight a twister loaded with ghosts.
And the final issue in this trade,Issue #25. Where Thing and Iron Fist team up.
Sometimes the stories are a bit cliche. And the art rarely raises above average. But a combination of nostalgia,good writing and the oddball team ups makes me love this title.
Essential Marvel 2 in 1 volume 1 gets a 4.00 outta 5.