Hulk is all about transformation, and he reaches a brand new, more terrifying transformation in The Infernal Hulk. The new series launches this week, Hulk couldn’t be more terrifying as Bruce Banner, his inner conscience, has been torn away, with the Hulk’s body taken by Eldest. The Infernal Hulk #1 is all about what pure evil can do with the power of Hulk, setting up a story that everyone should be seated for.
Once you realize the implication of The Infernal Hulk #1, you realize how brilliant Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s story is here. For nearly the entirety of Hulk’s existence, Bruce has tried to escape the beast, or at least live with it. The fact that he’s finally free but must see his creation used for evil sets up an uphill battle for the scientist to save everyone or live with the guilt of what he’s done. Throw in the fact that the Eldest and the mythical lore tied to monsters mean even more horror-tinged weirdness, and we have a winner of a story.
Oh, and the art is mind-rippingly good.
Nic Klein puts in his best work yet here, showcasing the Hulk’s strength and size breathtakingly. Witness Hulk smash a helicopter down like it’s a Wiffle Ball bat, or see him do his hand slap to turn a man’s brains into liquid. By the end of the issue, it’s clear Johnson and Klein have tapped into a new way of depicting Hulk, since he’s pure evil, allowing the usual moves to be shown in a far darker, more disturbed way.
So big he barely fits on the page.
Credit: Marvel
Aside from the incredible action and violence, Klein also wows with worldbuilding through a location revealed later in the issue. Hulk himself looks rad, with a split down the middle and a river of toxic green goo dribbling from his body. It’s almost too bad this issue wasn’t released on Halloween, as it would have easily made people’s top horror picks.
Outside of action and table setting, Johnson smartly humanizes and introduces a few soldiers who are armed and ready for Hulk. It’s a clever play since we don’t have much of Bruce in the issue, but we do have a few good men trying their best. Their best isn’t close to good enough, and they even know it since Johnson has them hoping for a hero to show up. Without these soldier characters, this issue would have easily been lots of pointless action, but instead, you actually care for these unfortunate men in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Infernal Hulk #1 delivers a ferocious reinvention of Marvel’s mightiest monster, pairing Johnson’s emotionally sharp, lore-rich horror storytelling with Klein’s career-best, nightmare-fueled visuals. It’s bold, bloody, smart, and instantly gripping—precisely the kind of transformation story Hulk fans will be talking about for years to come.
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