REVIEW: KING IN BLACK IMMORTAL HULK #1

Where does a 1400 LB Hulk get allowed to play? Anywhere he dog gone wants! In the KING IN BLACK IMMORTAL HULK #1 “Black Christmas, we get another piece of the big Knull invasion event. Half Christmas Special, half Venom inspired horror, this was a long-awaited matchup between Venom and Hulk.

This issue is particularly interesting, because in the resto f the series, while the superheroes are busy failing against the threat or find lame excuses to sideline the younger heroes, this is Hulk by himself. Without the benefit of being all powerful as normal (I call him El Flacco), but just as deadly. Using nothing but his brains must step up against an undying and unflinching enemy in the Klyntar.

Here though you will not find any of the normal exposition organic to Al Ewing. As this is a totally silent issue. I mean, not even the normal shrieks from the symbiotes, and notably Hulk is silent as well.

As for the art by Aaron Kuder, does it really need to be said that in an issue without dialogue, the faces places and panels need to emote a certain type of emotions. Kuder does that very well, often transition the Hulk from elation, to fear to, anger on one page, with believable context. I will however be needing a Director’s cut to explain what the whole Greg Lake- I Believe in Father Christmas, bit was about. Also, I was expecting more of the Al Ewing hidden symbology Magic, but instead we got Easter Eggs, but nothing that I could detect of significance.

SCORE: 4 out of 5 a great issue on its own, and not required reading for the King in Black Event.

There are three covers for KING IN BLACK IMMORTAL HULK #1: Including the Cover A by Aaron Kuder; Cover B by Joe BENNETT VAR; and then there is the Cover C KUDER SANTA CLAUS VAR in which retailers were able to order 1 variant for every 50 copies purchased between the combined total of any King In Black Immortal Hulk #1 covers

(W) Al Ewing
(A) Aaron Kuder
(CA) FRANK MARTIN & ERICK ARCINIEGA
(L) VC’s CORY PETIT

Published by: Marvel Comics