"The End" Week: Human Torch #12!

How many issues does a series have to have, to be considered a proper series with a last issue and everything? Well, I guess we've looked at series that died younger than this, anyway. From 2004, Human Torch #12, "Here There Be Dragons!" Written by Karl Kesel, pencils by Paco Medina, inks by Juan Vlasco.

This series seemed to fall into a trap another book we might see later did: it began with a relatively good get of an artist, in this case Skottie Young. By issue #8 or so, either the sales had dipped to the point he couldn't stay on, or he got another gig or something, and was down to just doing the covers. Kesel's the interesting one here though, since he had done some Fantastic Four work I liked, and this issue guest-stars the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing! He's the idol of millions, particularly at his alma mater State U. Still, Johnny might be the school's most famous dropout, so that's something, right? Right?

Johnny is wondering why he bothered to go to the State/Empire game, when Ben reminds him: "Cheer. Leaders." Ben is agitated when someone runs onto the field during the game, but they were being chased by Dragon Man! Ben and Johnny drive the artificial creature off, and rescue his creator, Professor Gilbert. Gilbert had never been able to control Dragon Man, but now it seemed to be becoming dangerous. More dangerous. I'm sure that thing set a ton of fires. Ben feels like it was alive, not something that could be "de-activated," and Johnny suggests a compromise: give Dragon Man to him. Johnny seems to argue it's not an animal, but also like he's going to keep it like a pet, and I don't know if you can have it both ways. Well, it's not like the poor dope finished college, which is what's been bugging him. Ben charitably doesn't bag on him for it: Sue didn't either (since she was basically raising Johnny--and he turned out like that?) and while it seems like Ben "fit in" to university life, he suggests that's only because they made a space for him as a star athlete. His degree was just for him to show he was more than the football field.

After Dragon Man knocks Ben out of the building, which Johnny has to admit is pretty funny; Professor Gilbert attacks with a new android, Zzord. But 'Gilbert' was really a Skrull, although his scheme seems a little iffy: kidnap Gilbert, frame Dragon Man as a threat, build an android...profit? Maybe he had to steal the real professor's research. Johnny knocks out the Skrull and finds Gilbert trapped at his house. Dragon Man had sniffed out the fake, but had no problem with his creator, who understood that when caged the android could only think of escaping, and while free was harmless and friendly. Johnny sees that as a metaphor for college, and he may have something there. In the end, the dean offers Johnny an honorary diploma, but he declines, suggesting he may try again someday.