Fantastic Four #361
"Miracle on Yancy Street"
February 1992
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Artist: Paul Ryan
We begin this story with the ever-lovin' Thing, Benjamin J. Grimm, getting fitted for an oversized cast on his arm by Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic. After the fitting, Ben gets a visit at the Baxter Building from a friend from the old neighborhood, William "Slugger" Sokolowski.
Slugger's got a problem: his son, Jimmy, might be on drugs. He's hoping a pep talk from the blue-eyed Benji will set him on the right path. Thing says he'll give it a shot and sets out for Yancy Street.
And speaking of, while Ben's on his way, we meet up with a kid on Yancy Street that just might be Jimmy. He's being followed by some weird dude, so he cuts into an alley to lose him, but is cut off. Up above the alley, a weird drummer guy starts playing the roof...
Ben makes it to the old neighborhood and is immediately assaulted with a snowball. He chases his attacker into an alley and stumbles upon a gang of ruffians: it's the new Yancy Street Gang! We've got the vocabulary hip, Dictionary Dawson. The big guy, Little Larry Lee. Smooth Manny Merengues, who is... smooth, I guess... and the rooftop drummer from before, Rhythm Ruiz. The self-described getaway driver, Lugwrench Lubowski and short tough gal, Two-Fisted Tommie Boyd round out the crew.
Very cheesy, but definitely an homage to the Simon and Kirby Newsboy Legion, so it's given a pass. Ben tells 'em he's looking for Jimmy and they eventually give up the info that Rhythm Ruiz saw him being kidnapped. The Yancy Street Gang, along with Thing, take off for an abandoned warehouse where they think Jimmy's being held.
They're confronted by the same guys Jimmy was kidnapped by and during a short battle it's revealed they're robots! It's not long before the big bad reveals himself:
Slugger's got a problem: his son, Jimmy, might be on drugs. He's hoping a pep talk from the blue-eyed Benji will set him on the right path. Thing says he'll give it a shot and sets out for Yancy Street.
Ben makes it to the old neighborhood and is immediately assaulted with a snowball. He chases his attacker into an alley and stumbles upon a gang of ruffians: it's the new Yancy Street Gang! We've got the vocabulary hip, Dictionary Dawson. The big guy, Little Larry Lee. Smooth Manny Merengues, who is... smooth, I guess... and the rooftop drummer from before, Rhythm Ruiz. The self-described getaway driver, Lugwrench Lubowski and short tough gal, Two-Fisted Tommie Boyd round out the crew.
Very cheesy, but definitely an homage to the Simon and Kirby Newsboy Legion, so it's given a pass. Ben tells 'em he's looking for Jimmy and they eventually give up the info that Rhythm Ruiz saw him being kidnapped. The Yancy Street Gang, along with Thing, take off for an abandoned warehouse where they think Jimmy's being held.
They're confronted by the same guys Jimmy was kidnapped by and during a short battle it's revealed they're robots! It's not long before the big bad reveals himself:
It's really not a surprise since he's on the cover and I REALLY love the cover, but it could have been a surprise. Anyway, Doctor Doom reveals he's actually trying to cure drug dependance, which sounds great, but it turns out some of the people he's tried to cure have died as a result. Jimmy Sokolowski's his most recent addition, though still alive, but Ben and the Yancy Street Gang's interference has cause Doom to lose interest in this endeavor. So, he outright blames Ben for what could have been a great cure and just leaves.
Doom, being Doom, rigs the warehouse to explode, but our gang makes it out just in time.
"Slugger" Sokolowski shows up and Ben hands Jimmy over to him. After a heartwarming reunion, Ben tells the Yancy Street Gang they're all right. Of course, they pull a little something...
Ben makes it back to the Baxter Building in a foul mood after finding the sign taped to his back. Fortunately, this being a family book, the rest of the FF and Alicia, his former girlfriend, bring Ben around to the Christmas spirit and the book ends on a humorous and fun note.
I liked this story and, like many of the writers that have graced this countdown, I'm a big fan of Tom DeFalco. Unfortunately, his and Paul Ryan's run on this book is generally not favored by fans. It has its ups and downs like any run, but I'm a fan. It's worth a look if you've not read it before. Also, pretty easy to come by, which makes it cheap and I love that.
Until tomorrow!
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