Comicbook.com (10/10)
Immortal Hulk #33
I love reading The Immortal Hulk for how it showcases Joe Bennett’s storytelling, even when he is paired with one of many talented guest artists to date. His layouts continue ratcheting up tension with each turn of the page. A slow descent from Bruce’s entire face into his iris is madness-inducing. Both the paneling and how these panels frame characters together build a sense of claustrophobia that makes each moment of explosively unleashed violence a far greater release. Bennett is unleashed in a number of spreads, including one very impressive extra-sized display, to demonstrate how he can deliver power as a visceral force strafed by tightly bunched pencils and inks, subtly twisted, and rich with detail. These pages are nothing short of appropriately terrifying. -- Chase Magnett
https://comicbook.com/comics/2020/03...arvel-image/#5
Okay, right off the bat, I'm gonna say it again... I LOVED IMMORTAL HULK #33!
Everything about this issue was perfect! Joe Bennett killed it on the art! The man is an Elite powerhouse, outdoing himself in every way!
I even loved the artwork of our guest artist! It was different, but it meshed so well with the story and Bennett's own illustrations.
I love Al Ewing. Yes, I cannot say that enough. He perfectly portrayed the Green Scar as a protector and unstoppable powerhouse when unleashed. He cares about Banner and Savage, has contempt for Fixit, and loathes Devil. It's going to be very interesting where the relationships with the various alters/personas will go from this point.
By the way, does anyone else love the fact that when Green Scar emerged that spikes erupted from Hulk's arm like organic armor as if to represent his gladiator armor from his time on Sakaar?
Green Scar is not to be f**ked with! He killed a powerhouse like Xemnu with a single blow! Scary and epic!
Speaking of Xemnu, am I the only one who's terrified of him? Al Ewing totally reinvented Xemnu and made him into an ultra powerful and terrifying villain. We seen what Xemnu did to Agger, who fought against Thor & Weapon H.
Speaking of Dario Agger... I was horrified and surprised to what happened to him! That was brutal and horrific as f**k! He really f**ked up by underestimating Xemnu. I almost felt bad for him... almost.
Then there's that gruesome transformation sequence! Holy sh**balls! That and the fate of Agger made my stomach turn a bit. Really gnarly and graphic! Yet all of these severely grotesque scenes were also awesome!
Then there is the ending... The Leader using his vast knowledge to kill Brian Banner, the avatar/pawn of The One Below All! I did not see that coming! And him controlling Rick Jones? Wicked! I immediately thought of their connection in PAD's run!
Did anyone else?
All in all, this was a phenomenal issue! More comics need to be like this! The Immortal Hulk is the Strongest Comic There is!!!!
I have never enjoyed Hulk as much as in this run, and I LOVED Planet Hulk.
Im an 80’s kid, so I’m loving the body horror angle, and I adore the cosmic horror stuff that comes with it even more!! It’s not really something I recall seeing before (though I admit to not being terribly familiar with Hulk’s minutiae), but it works so well. That last page had my jaw literally dropped, and me going back to look at previous issues to hunt down clues I missed.
Excellent issue!
Best review I've seen so far.
So do I, being a kid from the 80s too!
About the body horror, it's something that, when we analyse, has been part of the character since his first issues! We've seen some grotesque stuff happening during (the short lived Al Migrom's run) and during PAD's: some grotesque scenes with the Hulk ripping parts of his body and a variation of the transformation we saw in Immortal Hulk #33, for example. It also happens in Jenkins'run. And if you search Hulk's history, you'll probably find more.
But, of course, Ewing and Bennett are taking this to the next level!
Maybe you already knows this, but I'll detail anyway. During Peter David's run, Banner was physically separated from the Hulk and, some time later, they had to be merged again because both were dying. To do so, the Gamma Base developed a nutrient bath where both Banner and Hulk would be submerged. An accident happened (General Ross tried to sabotage the process) and Rick Jones fell into the bath too.
As a result, Banner turned into the original Grey Hulk and Rick became a green, much weaker, Hulk. Some issues later, we learn that Samuel Sterns had gradually lost his Gamma intelligence, becoming an ordinary human. He was disguising himself as coroner's assistant in New Mexico to get close to the Gamma Base . To his surprise, he was asked to help on a job at Gamma Base, to retrieve the body of General Ross (He died during the incident). There He followed Bruce Banner, who was on his way to one of his old hidden labs.
He arrived there too late to save the gamma-ray equipment that the Hulk destroyed after manipulating Banner into using it on himself. He then promised the Hulk that he could permanently get rid of Banner if he helped get Rick Jones' version of Hulk's gamma radiation into Sterns' body. Using the knowledge in the Banner part of his brain to construct a new gamma-ray machine the Hulk also managed to subdue the Jones-Hulk and strap him into it. The experiment infused the gamma radiation into Sterns' body but also destroyed the lab, causing Hulk and Jones to believe The Leader had perished. He escaped and stole Ross' body, making his way to one of his own labs. That's when He mutated into that second form with the "brain-like" head. Due to the Gamma experiment He developed a mental connection to Rick Jones and can access his knowledge.
That's, probably, what is happening here, considering his connection with Jones and now the control of the green door.
.... so I take it Dario Agger is not a threat anymore? who are the next villains on the horizon, besides the Leader?
Ultimately TOBA is the main baddie of the run. Everyone else is a mask.
Main difference is that Sterns is the first person to seek it out.
IMMORTAL HULK #33 was one of the best comics I've read during the past twenty years 4 out of 5 stars (and I seldom give a rating above 3 stars), easily.
This legendary run rolls on. Dare I say it, is this the best run of Hulk ever? If not, it has to be in the top five or even three.
Last edited by Celgress; 03-27-2020 at 12:15 PM.
"So you've come to the end now alive but dead inside."