Comic Review: Immortal Hulk #2

Immortal Hulk #2

Marvel Comics

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Joe Bennett

Bruce Banner is still alive and kickin’ with the Immortal Hulk series.

Last month’s issue saw him relegated to being a plot device instead of full-fledged character – he was a mystery to some, and terror to others. This issue takes a bit of a different approach as we see it unfold from Banner’s point of view.

The premise is simple – Banner goes from town to town, barely scraping a living. By day he is his own self, but by night his other self, his shadow, takes over. He is still trying to stay hidden and away from the eyes of someone with authority, but the events of the last issue (and this one) are making that harder and harder.

Eventually, Banner visits a bar and learns about some strange stuff going on in the town – a lot of people have been dying after their visit to the cemetery. The locals call it, fittingly, a chain of grief. Banner decides to look into it and see what’s really going on.

The plot might seem simple and kinda cliche, but it works really well and the story is thrilling. A good story is not necessary groundbreaking and overly complicated – the simple ones can be just as good.

The art is handled by Joe Bennett, while Alex Ross took care of the cover. And while we’re at it, I’d just like to take a second to admire the cover. It’s reminiscent of the 20th-century pulp horror magazines and it really suits the content inside. Just one look at it while giving you a good idea of what to expect from the book, which is exactly how a good cover should work.

Joe Bennett art is… fine. Nothing spectacular, but also nothing to scratch your head about. I’m not the fan of the faces, but the scenery is handled well and the Hulk is done really good. I particularly enjoyed the panels with Hulk’s reflection – they had a creepy vibe to it which I adored. The paneling is really simplistic and allows for a good flow of the story. Overall, Bennett did a decent job on his part, but the true hero of the art department was Paul Mounts who handled the colors. They are deep and vibrant and suit well with the overall pulpy feel of the book.

Ewing’s work on the Hulk has been really, really good so far. Removing Banner from his usual Avengers setting and giving Hulk a menacing, yet intelligent personality is proving to be a great move and it promises a ton of great and interesting stories. Hopefully, the book will deliver on that promise before the (inevitable) return to the Marvel status quo.