The Hulk has always been a character that I’ve been iffy on. While I’ve enjoyed the acclaimed runs from Peter David and Greg Pak, they never fully got me onboard with the character. The truly horrifying nature of being turned into a rage-filled monster never hit home with me with in those runs.
Enter Al Ewing. I don’t know why I’ve never seen Hulk tackled from a horror perspective. It seems like the most obvious connection in the world, and that is exactly what Ewing manages to do with his debut issue on The Immortal Hulk. The sense of looming dread that hangs over this book feels more in line with an EC Comic than a traditional Marvel book. The Hulk truly feels like a scary otherworldly force that is here to judge humankind. He’s not just a dumb big brute but rather the best authority on the evils of the everyday person.
Joe Bennett makes the Hulk seem larger than life with his art. He’s always portrayed from weird angles and never contained to a single panel. The joy in his eyes while he critiques the criminal of the issue is really unnerving.
All in all, the combo of Ewing and Bennett make for a really interesting Hulk book. I’m pretty hooked after the first issue and can’t wait to see how this progresses.
The Institute of Idle Time 