Fanatstic Four #321, page 13 (1988) - The Hulk Vs. The Thing

In the world of superheroes, misunderstandings have often led to epic clashes between two powerful personalities. Yet, none have ever reached the heights of popularity and notoriety as the longstanding grudge between Marvel's two most monstrous powerhouses: the Hulk and the Thing!

Despite the many changes both these characters have been through over the decades, their seething animosity towards each other has always remained a constant, brimming just beneath the surface, every time they find themselves brought together by circumstances. And when they come together, the one thing you can count on is for the world to shake. This iteration of them, in their 80's forms, is my favorite. Not just because of my nostalgic love for pretty much all things 80's, but because it reflects part of where their deep-seated grudge stems from. The Thing is constantly haunted by his monstrous form, even as he is heralded as a hero. The kind of adoration the Hulk has never really gotten. Meanwhile, the Hulk is hounded as a menace to humanity, yet has never longed to be anything other than left alone. He's comfortable in his own identity, in a way The Thing has never been. The dichotomy of these two being flip-sides of the same coin has always added lots of great subtext whenever they have come to blows. Add to this, that this is not only the only time artist Ron Lim got to do a classic Hulk vs. Thing battle, but is the ONLY page in which he was able to do so, and you can see why this page stands out as something special for me. (Interesting sidenote: Do you notice the coloring mistake made in the published version, between panels 2 and 3, which the black and white original makes apparent? It's funny, too, as it's something I never noticed until I got this page. The things you can learn from original art never cease to amaze.)

Within all of comicdom, there are few personal duels that dominate the attention of comic fans, quite like the one these two have does. Any true lover of comic art and superhero comics, would always find it an honor to have a piece of one of their many brawls as a part of their personal collection. And I am no different in that regard!