“The Immortal Hulk” #3

As the saga of “The Immortal Hulk” continues, this special issue showcases four civilians who have each come across the creature known as the Hulk. Readers are treated to an array of artistic styles as each survivor tells of their differing encounter with the Hulk and Bruce Banner. Mild Spoilers Ahead

Cover by Alex Ross

Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Joe Bennett, Leonardo Romero, Paul Hornschemeier, Marguerite Sauvage, Garry Brown
Colored by Paul Mounts, Paul Hornschemeier, Marguerite Sauvage, Garry Brown, Ruy José
Lettered by Cory Petit, Paul Hornschemeier

The third issue titled, ‘Point of View,’ continues the main narrative, but puts a spin on the storytelling that readers will not see coming after finishing the first two issues. This series has been a horror tale, through and through; a call back to classic monster films. This is where The Hulk got his start and it is interesting to see the character return to the shadows and enacting some questionable punishments against his enemies.

With how much lovable/do-gooder Hulk we have gotten on screen in recent years it can be easy to forget the more monstrous iterations and just how much he and Banner dislike each other. Al Ewing has done a superb job of making readers feel mildly uncomfortable rooting for “the other guy” with this book. We get plenty of needed levity here, but don’t worry there are still plenty of horrific and disturbing moments to keep this book on its current track. This chapter has Ewing delving into the themes of resurrection (for obvious reasons) and forgiveness. There is no subtext here with the focal point of the story being set in a church, but that’s OK. It is not needed in this story. Subtlety is thrown out the window as Ewing lets the four narrators spoon feed us exactly what they saw, or think they saw. With more sightings of Bruce Banner and the Hulk being reported, ambitious reporter Jackie McGee sets out to discuss the most recent, with an incident involving the villain Louis Lembert aka Hotshot and the Hulk at the old church on Mercer Avenue. Joe Bennett continues his work as the main artist on the book handling the introduction and conclusion of this issue. His work keeps the book planted in its reality as we are pulled into the recollections and imaginations of the witnesses. For this, he hands the reins over to a team of artists.

Our first version of the story comes from a local policeman. Drawn by Leonardo Romero, we quickly come to understand this cop’s little world. He is a retro-style character made up of heavy colors and dark shades that would make Darwyn Cooke proud. We are immediately thrust into a Silver Age homage, the likes of which will take long-time “Hulk” readers to the days of Jack Kirby or Gil Kane. The solid, yet muted colors of the narrative and yellowed, aging borders done by Paul Mounts knocks these pages out of the park. In these pages, good guys are good, bad guys – bad. The Hulk is a hero through and through, with a villain Hotshot to take care of, plain and simple. You almost expect Hulk to bellow an Adam West-esque “old chum!” It’s a tale to astonish, so to speak.

Paul Hornschemeier pulls a hat trick covering the illustrations, colors, and lettering on his story involving a bartender who gets into a heated confrontation with a disheveled Banner not realizing until much later who he almost came to blows with. His meeting with Bruce takes places just moments before the Hulk storms off to battle Hotshot. Big fights (as well as the Hulk) are missing from these pages. Instead we get a simple character piece showing two men that immediately dislike one another. Hornschemeier’s art is pulled from the world of grungy, cartoon-ish indie comics. Something akin to “Lumberjanes” thrown in a blender with Harvey Pekar’s “American Splendor” or David Lapham’s “Stray Bullets.” This style is strikingly different from the others used here and feels the most out of place in that regard, but it carries its part in exactly the right way; keeping things grimy and uncomfortable.

Sauvage’s beautiful, clean lines and bright colors might not be the first style choice that comes to mind when telling the story from the perspective of an old woman, but her work on the new “Archie” and DC’s “Bombshells” makes her the perfect candidate. What we get is a bright fantasy world with references, some direct – others implied, to James Dean and Saturday Night Fever. She even envisions the Hulk in a sort of cutesy manner, even when shouting out that he is a monster. It is all very tongue-in-cheek while still clearly showing the reader what was really happening behind the glitzy “Josie and the Pussycats” daydream.

Our final version of the story comes from the priest at the church, and his vision of the events is the scariest of them all. Getting the sense that Hotshot is coming to him for forgiveness for something he has done, the priest attempts to talk to him; to get through to him someway. He sees him as a sympathetic creature looking for help. So when Hulk shows up to fight his former foe, he sees him as a demon or even the devil himself risen up from the bowels of the underworld to claim the life of poor Lembert. Artist Garry Brown goes full horror comic with this. Even with most characters standing still, the shadows around them bring a movement that is discordant and unnerving. The colors and inks give his art a mass that weighs on you. His story has some of the most disturbing panels in the issue. They remind us what book we have in our hands.

As the story closes out, we learn of someone from the Hulk’s past reaching out to Ms. McGee as a means to assist in their own search of Banner and the Hulk.

“The Immortal Hulk” #3 is a wonderful issue that is already slightly changing the series’s M.O. to keep things fresh. It is still sticking to its promise of being a horror tale mashed into a superhero series and should keep fans of both those genres, and everything in between, very happy. Clearly inspired by Kurosawa’s Rashomon or the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Legends of the Dark Knight,” it shakes things up in the best way possible. It is still baffling when such a big creative crew can come together on something small like a 20-something page comic and come together in perfect harmony. Hopefully the series continues these types of experiments for as long as it works for them. This is one series that Marvel and “Hulk” fans should continue to look out for. And of course, Alex Ross’s stunning covers are an added bonus.

Final Verdict: 9.0 –  An excellent addition to “The Immortal Hulk” with a story motif that can change the medium when used so well.