The new Fantastic 4 animated series on Cartoon Network is really starting to impress me, and with episodes like “Hard Knocks” it’s obvious that Marvel is trying to once again become a contender in the realm of animated TV.
“Hard Knocks” features a showdown between the two ultimate powerhouses of the Marvel Universe in the ever lovin’ blue-eyed Thing, and the Green Goliath himself, the Incredible Hulk.
Inside the Baxter Building the Thing, Human Torch, and Invisible Woman are all wondering why Reed has locked them out of his lab after the sudden appearance of his friend Bruce Banner. While Ben cooks some steaks, Johnny continues to try to persuade Sue into making the ceiling above them invisible so they can see what’s going on. Suddenly, an explosion rocks the building and the team discovers the lab in shambles, Reed unconscious and a large hulking figure coming towards them.
The remaining 3 members engage the monster, which results in both Ben and Hulk being knocked out of the building by each other and continuing their battle, which involves throwing cars, hot dog carts and everything else, in the middle of a busy NY city street.
Both Hulk and Thing exchange blows, and it becomes blatantly obvious that although Thing can hold his own, he’s no match for the Hulk’s power. Reed finally snaps to life and manages to revert Hulk back into Banner and take him back into the Baxter Building to continue his research on a cure.
Without having to recap the entire episode (do yourself a favor and just watch it) I can honestly say that this has been my favorite episode thus far. When it was first announced that the Hulk would be making an appearance on the new Fantastic 4 show I was immediately psyched because with the new animation this show boasts, there’s no telling what they could get away with once the two behemoths squared off.
This episode did not disappoint at all. Once the Hulk and Thing finally “got down to business” they literally used everything at their disposal. During the fight Thing got in a couple good shots, but it was obvious he was out matched by the much stronger, angrier Hulk.
Aside from the non-stop action, the most enjoyable aspect of the show for me was that once Ben had fought the Hulk once, he knew he was outmatched, yet when Hulk transformed back into Banner he (Ben) kept making excuses as to why Hulk managed to best him in their fight. Saying things like “you hit me with a lucky punch” or “I wasn’t paying attention” are some of the comedic excuses Ben managed to come up with. At one point he even dared Banner to turn back into Hulk because this time he (Ben) would be ready for him. Needless to say that the dialogue in this episode was solid.
The action in this episode was top notch. The end battle between Hulk, Thing and the black ops was amazing to watch, and really flexed the muscle of the show’s animation. Watching the Hulk and Thing battle using a combination of 2D and 3D animation is truly a sight to behold.
Once again I HIGHLY recommend that fans of The Fantastic 4, or fans of good animation in general tune in to catch this series as it continues to impress me every week.