REVIEW: Hulk vs. Thor: Banner of War Alpha No.1

Thor has been going at it with the Hulk , just as long (if not longer) than The Thing. With both of their 60th anniversaries being celebrated at this time, it makes sense for the two of them to clash in another battle of epic proportions with Danny Cates at the helm of their latest head-to-head.

Now I never believed Thor to be worthy of Mjlonir (I’d leave that to Beta Ray Bill), so there’s no way that I have been tuned into what’s been going on across the Rainbow Bridge. Hell, I thought Jason Aaron was still penning the thunder god! And while Cates on Hulk is entertaining, the book has been incredibly hard to follow and understand, given all the new concepts Cates has introduced into the Hulk Universe after Ewing’s landmark run. So while not mandatory reading, the re-caps at the start of this latest chapter fix these issues, and put this “Banner of War” arc in a placeholder spot that would be excellent to introduce reader’s to the writing style of Cates and the two 60 year old titans, if they’ve been living under a rock for their whole lives.

Coccolo is able to concoct some of the most humorous asides into some of the most blood drenched work to ever touch a Hulk or Thor title to date. Page twelve’s arcade-fighter splash is a thing of beauty, while opening the book and finding the Watcher staring at you with a bucket of popcorn in his hands is one of the most unnerving sequences that even the people who created these characters have had yet to put to paper. Simple inclusions like the bucket of popcorn and the health bars set this start to “Banner of War” in a class of itself in comparison to past Hulk/Thor matchups. Selecting Gary Frank to do the main covers for the whole series is another special treat, as incredible as watching the Hulk pull himself up through Mjolnir (see page 18-19 to believe it)!

With Thor and Hulk rampaging through some make-shift Candyland, to these two both dealing with the ghosts of their pasts the similarities and differences of two of Marvel’s strongest will prove to be an entertaining tale, and Cates and Coccolo can be trusted to deliver this since they have came out swinging here at the opening bell.

Score : 4/5

(W) Donny Cates (A) Martin Coccolo (CA) Gary Frank