“The green door is shut,” and with those ominous words, a new era for the Incredible Hulk begins. This new title relaunch pairs writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artists Nic Klein, Travel Forman and Matthew Wilson to kick off the Age of Monsters. After Bruce Banner’s ill-fated attempt to lock Hulk’s psyche away and pilot his body like the Starship Enterprise (see Cates and Ottley’s Hulk series), the jade giant is out to wreck his other half’s life. This new status quo pays its respects to the past few years of Hulk stories and takes the book back to its more classic roots. With fresh threats lurking in the shadows and his other half out to get him, it’s a bad time to be Bruce Banner. It’s a great time, however, to be a Hulk reader.
Part of what makes this new status quo so compelling is the dynamic between Hulk and Banner. As a result of Banner’s treatment, Hulk is as much a terror to Banner as he usually is to his villains. Any connection, any relationship, anything Banner touches Hulk will wreck as soon as he emerges. This has driven Banner away from his allies and family and we find him hitchhiking through rural Kentucky. What our hero does not know is that there’s a new villain out for him. The “Eldest” of the mother of horrors has put the call out for the Hulk’s head. As he’s hunted through the woods, his path crosses with Charlene. A teenager on the run from her abusive father, Charlene sees her rage mirrored in the Hulk’s and the two form a tenuous friendship. After a phenomenal first issue that queues up the series’ status quo, cast, and the encroaching threats that will make up the coming arcs; the subsequent issues deliver solid 2-part stories that have Hulk and Charlene encountering the horrors arrayed against them.
“That Old-Time Religion” encompasses issues #2-3 and gives us a Southern Gothic tale of a zombie-infested mining town with an evil presence lurking deep within the earth. My favorite moment in this arc happens as Banner is captured and being led to an altar by the undead townsfolk. As he struggles against his captors, Banner cries out for Hulk to take over, but in the glint of the ceremonial knife, a monstrous green visage refuses to take action. It’s the way this is depicted that makes it so effective. Across the page we see Banner’s rapid heartbeat underlining the panels, followed by a flatline as he’s seemingly killed, the flatline continues as we pan back to the zombies, only for it to be interrupted by an ominous green “BOOM”, then another, then multiple, as the heart rate line radiates green and Hulk resurrects within banner. It’s such a creative visual moment that exemplifies some of the best aspects of this book.
Credit: Marvel Comics
The latter two issues see Hulk and Charlene make it to the Florida coast and encounter a hidden evil lurking in a swamp. Here, Hulk encounters another fellow monster, Man-Thing. He warns Hulk of the monsters searching for him and it makes for a fun team-up issue when they unite against a common threat. The artwork does change hands here with a style that matches the book tonally but is a clear visual shift from the initial issues. The colors help smooth the transition as the moody palette works well across the differing styles. One thing is for sure, both artists can draw chilling monstrosities and gruesome transformations.
If I had one critique of the book, it would mainly lie with the Eldest’s nebulous motivations. She’s arrayed a whole host of monsters against the Hulk but we don’t know why or really to what end. Beyond giving Hulk stuff to smash each issue, which is great fun, the overarching threat is unclear. With such big stakes set up from the outset, it feels like we should know more than we do by the end of the collection.
Credit: Marvel Comics
Rounding out the volume are some supplemental materials. Hulk Annual #1 is included here. It’s a one-off, found footage-style adventure that functions as a prologue to the main series. While it’s good that this issue is included here, what’s perplexing is that it’s placed at the very end of the collection. Chronologically, the annual should come first with its final pages leading us into the main series, which is how the single issues were released. Unfortunately, the release order was not reproduced and might leave some readers confused. There are also two mock-obituary/info pages on some of the monsters Hulk encounters here. These make for a nice touch of worldbuilding and are good additions.
The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1: Age of Monsters has a lot to like. The opening issue establishes the new status quo and lurking threats, followed by two mini-arcs within the said new status. If you’re intrigued by the premise, this volume gives you enough to know if this series will be for you. It effectively leans into the horror style the book has found popular the past few years while finding new ways to up the tension. The artwork is great across the board, filling each issue with monsters and visceral smashing galore. While the larger threats remain unclear, the issue-to-issue plots are solid and entertaining. This is definitely one to check out for both new and returning readers.
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