Movie synergy aside, Red Hulk #1 is an intriguing new series largely because the character has been absent from the comics. It’s also written by Benjamin Percy, who has written his fair share of horror-tinged comics of late. Combining his love of gore and violence with Red Hulk seems like a no-brainer to bring this character to a brutal new level, and in Red Hulk #1, the tone is certainly on point.
Red Hulk #1 opens in one of the boldest sequences I’ve read in a comic for some time. General Ross is on a passenger plane over the Yellow Sea. His watch notifies him to get up, and soon, he’s in the bathroom, hulking out. The plane soon bursts open from within, as the passengers are flung out of the plane and Hulk rushes down to a North Korean nuclear power plant facility. It’s a frightening sequence that ends in a possible world war, and it shows how brutal and monstrous Red Hulk can be.
The story then smash-cuts to a cell where Doctor Doom imprisons Thunderbolt Ross. We realize everything that happened was imagined and a test from Doctor Doom, of sorts. So begins a story of Ross and other familiar Marvel characters needing to break out, or die forever jailed by Doctor Doom.
Nice montage page.
Credit: Marvel
Much of this issue is a prison story not unlike Shawshank Redemption. Characters like Deathlok are there for Doom’s use, but what Doom seems to not realize is together, they can be stronger. Percy gets into Ross’ head with well written captions in a story that’s leaning towards a breakout well worth reading.
Art by Geoff Shaw is great, with good storytelling amongst the layouts and panels. The opening sequence is stellar with good action and thrilling drama. Much of the rest of the issue is solitary with characters stuck in prison, and yet you’re right there with them invested in their stories. What he accomplishes here isn’t easy to do, and while more action could spruce up the entertainment, it’s amazing this comic isn’t boring.
By the end of Red Hulk #1, you’ll be invested in the motley crew that makes up Doom’s prisoners. You’ll want to see how they might break out and how they’ll interact since they’re largely stuck in their own cells. Benjamin Percy’s gritty, horror-tinged storytelling and Geoff Shaw’s kinetic artwork converge to transform confinement into a crucible for rebellion, where every panel pulses with the promise of imminent chaos.
You must be logged in to post a comment.