“It happens.” – The Hulk
This issue opens with Bruce Banner being welcomed back to the below place. In addition to the welcome, he sees a woman from his past. He’s startled. This is a good psychological mind probe, to put it as politely as I can. Then we cut to the Hulk taking on another ugly baddie as only he can. A great contrast in personalities from Bruce to the monster he became and an amusing way to open this issue. One of the title’s Marvel is getting so right nowadays is this take on their jolly green giant.
The Creative Team:
Al Ewing wants to take us on a journey into the mind of Bruce Banner and the monster that he helped create with the testing of a gamma radiation bomb all those years ago. A female reporter named McGee, an obvious homage to the CBS TV series of the late ’70s and early ’80s, is questioning the behemoth as to what happened to Mrs. Banner in California. But this interview is being interrupted by an attack from the military. I really loved the Hulk buster tales of the original title from the ’60s and ’70s and Ewing is doing an excellent job of bringing us that feel and yet keeping the story ideas fresh and contemporary. As we’ve seen with so many failed adaptations, it’s not easy to please fans of an almost 60-year-old title with an update aimed at bringing new fans to the book, but it’s being done here to the best of this author’s ability. The Hulk is somewhat more intelligent here than his “Hulk Smash” days but not the passive creature that was Professor Hulk (a persona I never personally cared for.) I’m enjoying this new found personality as he seems completely separated from any of Banner’s moral fiber. Great stuff includes the transformations of Hulks supporting cast members and the Hulk’s seeming indifference to Jone’s fate.
Bennett, Jose, Brabo and Deering bring us some lively panels and action-infused illustrations which extol this tale of otherworldly dimensions and barbaric transformations. Some clever pages bring the house down, literally, both in this dimension and the next as our heroes and anti-heroes both want to solve the problems they face in a charismatic way. I really enjoy how the Hulk is being drawn in this title. It brings back the look of the barbaric monster we’ve come to fear and his visage is terrifying. Highlights include the first appearance of the military and the final splash page.
In Conclusion:
Just when you think that the Hulk couldn’t get any better, here is the ultimate translation of the creature we feel helpless next to. Is he friend or foe? The Hulk goes to great lengths to save a reporter he barely knows but then causes massive chaos and destruction which could endanger those that Bruce Banner loves successfully bringing back his days of unpredictability. I love not knowing what the Hulk is going to do next. It’s what kept me invested in the character all those years of collecting his comics, and now, Marvel has succeeded in making it fun to collect this title again. **** (8.8 rating)
Writer – Al Ewing
Art – Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Marc Deering
Colors – Paul Mounts
Letters – VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher – Marvel
Author Profile
- Kevin Given has studied with “ Longridge Writers Group †and “ Writer’s Boot Camp †a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the “ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter †franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of “ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter †# 1 and “ Files of Karl Vincent †# 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series “ Dracula Rising †(working title) and developing “ Foul Blood †into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given
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