by Greg Pak & Scott Reed (writers), Tom Raney & Brian Ching (artists)
The Story: The Hulks enjoy a family barbecue at the beach as Bruce Banner confronts his newly resurrected wife Betty in regards to their marriage. This being a Hulk book, that equals Green Hulk vs. Red She-Hulk action! Meanwhile, lost son of the Hulk, Hiro-Kala (Who’s going to be pretty peeved when he finds out everyone else in his family can turn into a Hulk except him. What a gyp!) travels through space as he suffers revolt from his followers on all sides.
What’s Good: I admire what Pak is attempting to do with this title. The acclaimed writer has been put into a position where he not only has one Hulk at his disposal, but six, and he’s milking that storytelling opportunity for all it’s worth. The title change, going from Incredible Hulk to Incredible HulkS, is more than just a gimmick. Pak’s exploration of the concept of family and relationships continues here from his previous work on the Hulk titles. If anything, that theme is stronger than ever thanks to so many actual members of Bruce Banner’s genetic family being present. The Hulk’s Warbound in Planet Hulk and World War Hulk and the relationship between Skaar and Banner during the lead up to Fall of the Hulks were all studies in family dynamics and this new iteration of the title seems to be bringing that examination to a head. If there were any doubt about Pak’s intentions, he even has the Hulk family enjoying a beach barbecue for crissakes! That decision, and Banner’s relationship problems with his estranged ex-wife Betty (which of course turn into a Hulk vs. Hulk smackdown) both do a nice job of showing the positives and negatives to being surrounded by those you consider family. I’m intrigued by the direction this title is taking, and while there’s always the danger that we’ll journey into Fantastic Four territory (I’ve never been a fan of the “family of super-heroes” concept), I trust Pak to take the tale of a clan of aggressive, super-strong Hulks to its logical conclusion. Oh, and Tom Raney’s artwork? Perfect for this new direction. The man knows how to draw him some Hulks. Nuff said.
What’s Not So Good: Well, there are two chapters of “Dark Son” to be found within this issue, and while that equals 30 pages of new content, I just couldn’t bring myself to care very much about the second story by Scott Reed, centering on Hulk’s “lost” offspring, Hiro Kala. I’ve tried very hard to keep abreast of the goings-on of the character ever since he took over the Son of Hulk title after Skaar moved over to Incredible Hulk. Alas, the cosmic plots and detached personality of the character and his supporting players, such as Axeman Bone, never managed to pique my interest enough for me to stick with it. This short tale, which will apparently set the odd protagonist on a collision course with his dysfunctional family, seemed to be more of the same as Hiro Kala argued with the Worldmind of a planet that he’s hijacked out of the Microverse. It’s all just too… abstract for my tastes. And while that is certainly not a bad thing, it’s not what I’m looking for when I pick up a comic book with Hulk in the title. I’d imagine it’s much like picking up a book called “The Incredible Cowboys” and then finding a story within about Victorian scientists or something.
Also, as much as I enjoyed the first chapter showcasing the 1st annual Hulk family picnic, it did seem a strange choice as the first chapter of the next story arc. It read much more as an epilogue to World War Hulks, and readers picking this up expecting to jump in to the next big thing might find themselves disappointed.
Conclusion: While Pak will never get me to like the ridiculousness that is A-Bomb, he has put forth some interesting story beats with his Hulks storyline. Unfortunately, Reed’s approaching tale of Hiro-Kala that threatens to intersect with Pak’s does dampen my excitement quite a bit. But if anyone can pull a good story out of questionable material, it’s Pak.
Grade: B
-Joe Lopez
Filed under: Marvel Comics Tagged: | Brian Ching, Comic Book Reviews, Greg Pak, Hulk, Incredible Hulk, Incredible Hulk #612, Incredible Hulk #612 review, Incredible Hulk Dark Son, Incredible Hulks, Incredible Hulks #612, Incredible Hulks #612 review, Red Hulk, Scott Reed, She Hulk, Tom Raney, Weekly Comic Book Review
Hey Joe…..I finally got around to reading this and I completely agree. The first story was lots of fun, but I could barely bring myself to finish the Hiro story. My first exposure to him was with that tie-in during Realm of Kings and I just thought he stunk as a character. You summed it up: I just don’t care and find all the dealing with the microverse, old power, etc. to be incredibly boring.