For when my rants on the forums just aren’t enough: https://thevindicativevordan.tumblr.com/
Finished reading Thor #25.
Yeah, it was a fairly straightforward, exposition-heavy issue.
In some respects, I was surprised by Odin's level of interest in what was going on in Banner's head and the events in El Paso. These days, he doesn't come across as someone who'd have the patience to play bartender in this scenario. It also reminded me that after watching Legion, mindscape confrontations in comics come across as downright pedestrian by comparison.
The events in El Paso feel like a nod to The Kingsman. We'll see where they go with this down the line.
Well, I guess it's a good thing Banner has a built-in autopilot. Odin seemed to be pretty impressed with Banner's mind palace, which makes me wonder what high-end help he had to have created it.
I was surprised "Betty" didn't put in an appearance though. I honestly thought she'd be the one to show Odin the door. Maybe afraid Odin would recognize her?
And it wraps up with a good look at the Celestial Hulkbuster. I like the design, and it looks like it'll be a good popcorn bout next week.
Last edited by Kolwyr; 05-18-2022 at 10:17 PM.
It won't happen, but I wouldn't mind Nightmare having something to do with all of this. Especially given how he's appeared numerous times in his life to cause major problems/status quo changes.
I could see him being responsible for the current mindscape, given that you can do almost anything in dreams and he is pretty powerful but it doesn't fit the magical criteria. Hulk's "simulation" functions a lot like a dream and Bruce is worried that he doesn't know he's in a simulation which sounds like a way to describe someone acting out while they're dreaming.
Similarly, taking control of Bruce's body seems something akin to sleepwalking or sleep paralysis (the awake but unable to control things part).
Ewing himself compared TOBA to Knull during the IH absolute Carnage tie in. Spider-Man basically was filling Bruce in on what's happening, calling Knull "A Cosmic Satan". With a picture of TOBA behind him in the panel, Bruce goes "Hmm...you don't say."
It was a pretty cool tie-in and I'm pretty sure it was the first IH media to show what Joe and Devil looked like in the mindscape-Banner with a mustache, sunglasses and Tony Montana style clothes; and Devil as a somewhat beefier version of the Jenkins yellow reptile.
Banner and Savage look their normal selves though.
chrism227.wordpress.com Info and opinions on a variety of interests.
https://twitter.com/chrisprtsmouth
I kinda miss Devil Hulk...
I thought he was a refreshingly cold take on the Hulk.
We are the Dora Milaje. We are the daughters of the 18 tribes of Wakanda. We are the teeth of the Panther God. Out of 10,000 years of sweat and bloodshed and battle are we born. We are the women of this ancient land. Deadliest of the species. And our time has come!
HULK #10
DONNY CATES (W) • RYAN OTTLEY (A/C)
BEYOND AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VARIANT COVER BY EJ SU
“HULK PLANET” PART TWO!
Starship Hulk has found what should be the ultimate paradise – an entire planet of Hulk-like creatures thriving under the heat of a gamma star. But Bruce can’t shake thoughts of the past or the nagging suspicion that Monolith isn’t being totally honest about what she wants from the Hulk. And then there’s the matter of the planet’s “welcoming committee”…
NEW FANTASTIC FOUR #4 (OF 5)
Peter David (W) • ALAN ROBINSON (A/C)
BEYOND AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VARIANT COVER BY PAOLO RIVERA
The New Fantastic Four’s battle with the demonically possessed Human Torch continues — and if Wolverine can’t control his berserker rage, the Torch is toast! When the villainous mastermind behind all this chaos is uncovered, it’s going to take some extra firepower to turn the tide. And what in the world is…syzygy?!
SHE-HULK #6
RAINBOW ROWELL (W) • LUCA MARESCA (A)
Cover by JEN BARTEL
Variant Cover by EJIWA "EDGE" EBENEBE
HOW MANY MILES DOES IT TAKE…TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE?!
• The smash hit of 2022 rolls on with its best issue yet.
• Nightcrawler visits Book Law, but what does HE need legal defense for?
• And one of the greatest traditions in Marvel Comics history continues here!
So after the last issue (Banner's rage able to spread to others), it gives us a better idea of how this happened, and maybe a clue to the ending...
Good catch.
I wonder if Odin being inside Hulk is what allows him to pick up the hammer on that Thor cover.
Let's look at the solicits:
""BANNER OF WAR" PART 4 Thor and Hulk's epic rivalry continues in the fourth installment of the characters' 60th Anniversary crossover celebration! Thanks to Odin, Thor now realizes the gravity of Banner's situation - and its connection to that mysterious, violent incident in El Paso. But when Iron Man's interference causes more harm than good, our two rivals face shocking changes that change the stakes of the battle…for good."
In Thor 24, it's revealed that Valhalla is no longer there. And Thor's passed out on the cover of Thor 26. Maybe Odin shares what's going on and Thor tries to step in to save Hulk from Tony and gets knocked out/killed. And now Thor and Odin are trapped in the hammer leaving his body vulnerable to possession. This may be what the stakes are - a gamma fueled Thor possessed by whatever that spirit is.
"Then the time for victory comes at last in HULK #8. Marvel’s two heaviest hitters expend their rage on one final, brutal brawl that will answer once and for all which of these heroes is the strongest. But in a fight between gods, monsters and men, what becomes of the victor? The loser? And who really has the authority to decide? "
So, Cates gets to have his cake and eat it by having Thor defeated by a Celestial Iron Man which gets powered up via the Gamma Ghost to become a super threat. So beating that is like beating both Hulk and Thor. So they both "lose" in a way. Hulk fans get a "win" when he holds the hammer. Thor gets to see things from inside Bruce's POV and to feel the rage he experiences and takes a more forgiving/understanding stance towards him, maybe starting to form the beginnings of a friendship -- both realizing they're the only two who can stop each other if something like this happens again.
For when my rants on the forums just aren’t enough: https://thevindicativevordan.tumblr.com/
Given that Thor seems to be content to just watch Tony & Banner fight it out, I don't expect Thor to suddenly rush in (to help Banner anyway). From the preview, it looks like Titan is going to emerge again. Then I expect he'll rip apart the Celestial Hulkbuster, and since the Hulk doesn't know it's not a simulation, Thor will have to swoop in to save Tony before the Hulk kills him. I think Sif will give Tony a swift exit back to Earth, probably right back to the Avengers meeting he didn't attend, and wither under their collective gaze.
I think Titan's rage will then spread to Thor, which Hulks him out, which then turns everything into a glorious mess.
Haven't gotten the latest issue yet, but I think Hulk's rage spreading to others was a theme in Immortal, although never really followed through entirely. I think Cates did say that he was going to put in some connections to IH.
chrism227.wordpress.com Info and opinions on a variety of interests.
https://twitter.com/chrisprtsmouth
RYAN OTTLEY @RyanOttley
Megacon is over and now I’m back home and back to comic drawing. HULK! You will meet Monolith soon.
Hulk #7
Essentially, the opposite of the last issue as it's cover-to-cover action in this one. So it winds up being a rather quick read.
spoilers:end of spoilers
It played out fairly close to what I expected, although I wasn't expecting this much empathy from Odin towards Banner. Though again, I liked how being able to control Mjolnir gives him some additional agency.
And as expected, as the series goes on - the power levels go up. I was surprised we didn't get a full Titan transformation in this one, but I'm guessing they'll hold off on that as the trump card to face off against Thulk.
My guess... Titan will absorb the gamma out of Thor as he did to one of the other Hulks a little while back.
I didn't expect the Hulk to go "gamma bomb" though. Especially 3,000 gamma bombs worth? Alas, poor Celestial Hulkbuster, we barely knew ye...