Cover for #42 is a reference to a right wing of The Garden of Earthly Delights tryptych.
OnOVl13l.jpg
The demonic look is, in a certain way, generic. I guess it's only another representation of TOBA, inspired by the painting. As a character, like most of the gods, he's too low to present any big threat to the Hulk, specially taking the scope of what Hulk's facing in the book.
Also, his latest showing was pathetic (getting owned together with Perun, by She-Hulk alone).
IH #41 has huge spoilers. I guess it's that simple.Don't think so, why would they skip the middle in such case?
Has Ewing said anything about using the Maestro? He's used him before in the past
Yep, 41's absence is particularly telling.
Especially given the status shift from 40 to 42. Earth (on the run) Hell (dead?)
Keep in mind, the series ends at 50 as well. It's even conceivable that it's already "ended".. Ross has covers already painted for 42.. Bennett is similarly ahead as seen by his Instagram teasers.. Ewing's recent interviews have him walking a fine line for spoilers -- I think he even mentioned at the time of the interview being on a mid 40s issue. (As an aside, I like how he said Rick's return was changed once he decided on the direction they're in now)
#36 is coming out next week.. Ross and Bennett are at least six months ahead, which would necessitate the writer being even further. I'm pretty sure I remember Ewing said he knows exactly how he's going to end it.
Long story short, we've got about a year left folks.. Brace yourselves!
If double ships the rest of the run from October on, then 50 hits in April. With the shutdown its possible they can pull off double shipping with only 1-2 guest artists if they want. Cuz Bennett is pretty fast for as detailed as he is. And I dont think he’s doing any DC work like he was doing during his Immortal Hulk run.
RE: The Garden of Earthly Delights
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ga...rthly_Delights
The right panel (220 × 97.5 cm, 87 × 38.4 in) illustrates Hell, the setting of a number of Bosch paintings. Bosch depicts a world in which humans have succumbed to temptations that lead to evil and reap eternal damnation.
[..]
(this isn't shown on 42, but is interesting..)
The focal point of the scene is the "Tree-Man", whose cavernous torso is supported by what could be contorted arms or rotting tree trunks.
(kinda like a Hulk, eh?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Judgment
Some Christian denominations consider the Second Coming of Christ to be the final and infinite judgment by God of the people in every nation [..]
(Perhaps this is a return to Metatron returning and Bruce being judged)
[..] Christian Futurists believe it will take place after the Resurrection of the Dead and the Second Coming of Christ while Full Preterists believe it has already occurred.
(Thematic.. I'm not expecting everyone to be resurrected, but it's an interesting thing that jumped out at me.. basically a lot of interesting immortal soul/resurrection links here)
[..]
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.
(Hello there Leader!)
[..] I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
(He who controls the Green Door..)
There are so many aspects to be explored here. And maybe you're onto something...Or Ewing is giving false hints to fool us. LOL.
Anyway I particularly liked: Some Christian denominations consider the Second Coming of Christ to be the final and infinite judgment by God of the people in every nation [..]
(Perhaps this is a return to Metatron returning and Bruce being judged)
Now, from the other forum. What do you think?
Poster1:It seems that Joe and Savage will be driving the story in #40, and we will learn more about Reader's (LOL) plans in #42. It would be interesting if part of his endgame is to control all the abstract concepts that have been referenced in IH so far (Heaven, Hell, Mephisto's realm)--perhaps he wants to unite with (consume would be a better descriptor) the First Firmament and become the only being in existence?
Me: Good question. Considering that TOBA is the direct opposite/the dark mirror of TOAA, it's been always present in the multiverse, and at least as a concept it's above (or below, lol) the First Firmament (or Eternity and Infinity, for example).
Ewing mentioned, more or less, once that beings like TOBA and TOAA don't "interfere" directly with the events that happen in the universe. That's why it was so smart to keep TOBA somewhat confined to the Below Place. I don't know if He/It would go back to consume everything that was in the previous iterations of the universe.
What I think is that, being for the first time out free in the MU, it will use the Hulk to consume everything that is and that will be. He did it (or could do) with the eighth cosmos and was doing with the 9th. I don't see him stopping, unless that, due to what he's doing, there will be no more iterations of the Multiverse.
Note that the Tree-Man is empty and hollowed out, similar to the etymology of "Hulk" that Ewing has referenced numerous times and turned into a key plot point. In addition, some believe Tree-Man is a self portrait of Bosch, meaning the cover may be from the Leader's perspective. Might be a reach, but it's the sort of thing that comes up when discussing "In the Garden of Earthly Delights" enough that an artist like Ross has probably heard it.
There is a theme about something being a shell of itself or hollow, in fact Ewing has explained that Hulk basically means something empty, gutted, a shell.
So there are a lot of the same themes being repeated throughout the series.