The Infernal Hulk has brought plenty of monster action, kaiju-sized fights, and has firmly established Eldest’s possession of Hulk is the scariest thing Earth has faced yet. Now in issue #3, the story turns to Bruce Banner and why he’s living a fake life in suburban America. It’s an enlightening issue that establishes Bruce may run from the monster, but he can never escape it.
And now for something completely different. While the first two issues offered up monster action with punching and screaming, now the horror lies in the mind. Phillip Kennedy Johnson writes a strong issue, opening on a key moment when Bruce and Betty escaped thanks to Skaar, and now we see how they’re trying to be normal for once.
Like any good suburban horror, the scares lie just underneath the surface. Bruce’s rage is tamped down, but still flashes in his mind, while Betty’s life as a red harpy haunts her. Or is it her human form that’s truly haunting her? Johnson plucks at what lies at the surface of both, showing they aren’t the same, even if they were both super-strong beasts at one time.
Just a normal regular life.
Credit: Marvel
Much of this issue is drawn by Kev Walker, with Nic Klein drawing the opening and closing pages. Since the story focuses on Bruce’s suburban life, the change in style isn’t jarring. Walker does a good job making the mundane look interesting, thanks to the deep emotions Betty and Bruce go through, subduing your expectations so that when horror strikes on the page, it’s like a good jump scare. Bruce is also well drawn, with a super thin frame and mostly sad face, as if he’s hiding from the life he deserves and truly wants.
Outside of Bruce, this issue moves the plot forward with a key meeting between heroes. It’s fascinating how Johnson writes these other heroes, who are practically mean and bullying of Bruce. They certainly aren’t friends, even if Hulk was once an Avenger. The setup that Bruce must save the Hulk is a good one, with wrinkles of monster cities and Skaar making things particularly complex.
The Infernal Hulk #3 proves the series isn’t just about monstrous scale, but also emotional depth. By shifting the horror inward, the series reveals that Bruce Banner’s greatest battle isn’t against possession or kaiju-sized threats, but the impossible task of living a normal life while knowing the monster is inseparable from who he is. The suburban calm, strained relationships, and cruel judgment of fellow heroes all reinforce the central truth: Bruce can hide from the Hulk, but he can never outrun it. It’s a quieter issue, but one that deepens the series in meaningful and unsettling ways.
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