There’s a lot to appreciate about Al Ewing’s work but something that I like in particular is that the guy writes a great tie-in comic. Sometimes in a tie-in, an ongoing story established in previous issues will be completely derailed for the crossover’s sake. Sometimes, they are completely forgettable and add nothing to the story. Ewing however has a talent for making the most of his tie-ins, never losing the forward momentum of the ongoing story while engaging with the larger crossover storyline. Over his fourteen issue “Mighty Avengers” run for example, eight were tie-ins of some sort. The first three were ‘Infinity’ tie-ins, the following two were under the ‘Inhumanity’ banner and then there were three ‘Original Sin’ tie-in issues near the very end. Still Ewing told a cohesive story and stuck the landing. The latest tie-in from the writer is “Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk” #1.
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Filipe Andrade
Lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham
Colored by Chris O’Halloran
Before his untimely death, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was the Red Hulk and, for a time, bonded to the Venom symbiote alongside Alejandra Jones and Laura Kinney. Now, Ross’ corpse has been unearthed, though why and by whom remain shrouded in mystery. With the gamma material in Ross’ body possibly in nefarious hands, that’s just what Bruce Banner intends to find out – one way or another!
I have to say, this is an interesting pick for me. On one hand, I love “Immortal Hulk”. I’m pretty indifferent to ol’ Jade Jaws outside of Pak’s run and I don’t do horror at all but I still love this run. On the other hand, I haven’t been following “Absolute Carnage” or even “Venom” that closely. Truth be told, Marvel’s symbiote craze really snuck up on me. These guys have a god now apparently? God of the Void, like with the Sentry? I have no idea but this still proved to be a great tie-in.
In the prerequisite “Absolute Carnage” #3, the whole ‘Venom-Hulk’ ending feels pretty gimmicky. Bruce was just there to give exposition and Hulk feels like a prop, there to make Venom more ‘extreme’ or whatever. This comic makes it abundantly clear that Hulk isn’t just a prop. As we see events unfold from Bruce’s perspective, we learn that Venom didn’t take over. Bruce and his alters make the conscious decision to let him in and help the symbiote out against Carnage.
The ‘Venom-Hulk’ pairing feels pretty random at first as well. However, Banner/Hulk actually have a solid reason to get involved. It’s impressive how well it connects Hulk’s world with Venom’s. Furthermore, the characters have some significant similarities. Venom is the combination of a symbiote and its host, two different beings sharing one form. Hulk has multiple personalities, or ‘alters’, sharing one form. Once Bruce begins to compare and contrast their experiences, the pairing feels obvious and maybe even overdue.
The highlight of this tie-in is the different Hulk personalities. I’ve always found Hulk to be the most interesting when writers analyze how his mind works. After all, there’s a reason that one of his main supporting characters is his psychiatrist. Ewing treats readers to a closer look at the ‘system’ that they have going for them and the role that each alter plays in their grand scheme. Furthermore, in Bruce’s mind, these personalities actually interact with one another as they debate what to do with Venom. In “Immortal Hulk”, ‘Devil Hulk’ has led and manipulated Bruce but I don’t believe we’ve seen them all together like this. Well, all together minus two dormant alters. That’s an intriguing throwaway line. Who’s missing? I think the ‘Green Scar’ from ‘Planet Hulk’ is its own personality but can’t be sure. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
The alters we are treated to here all have their own distinct voices. ‘Savage Hulk’ has a child-like grasp on things and while he is the most prone to anger, he’s also the most willing to help those he considers friends. Joe Fixit doesn’t take anything seriously and is mostly concerned with his own amusement, right down to the white Miami Vice suit. Still, he plays kind of a buffer role among the personalities. ‘Devil Hulk’ frequents the ‘driver seat’ the most besides Bruce and is clearly used to being in control. He’s the only one really pushing back against Bruce, subtly trying to sway him. Finally, Bruce is the most calm and level-headed. That’s why he’s the one to make first contact with Venom and talk with the other heroes. Banner is the obvious choice to act as their diplomat, their representative. It all makes for a fantastic glimpse at the Hulk’s inner workings.
Continued below“Immortal Hulk” typically features Joe Bennett on artwork. He’s great and has readers eager to see what new ways he can horrify or disgust them. In this issue, Filipe Andrade does a fantastic job too. One thing that’s immediately apparent is how all the Hulk alters face directly forward as if they’re looking into the camera or breaking the fourth wall. It’s a unique perspective and helps it feel like we’re really inside Hulk’s head. The expressions that Andrade draws all help make the characters even more distinctive. He clearly depicts Bruce’s earnest nature, Joe’s amusement, Savage Hulk’s childish rage and Devil Hulk’s frustration with the whole thing.
In true “Immortal” Hulk” fashion, Filipe Andrade delivers some pretty chilling moments. Hulk is a lumbering, brutish monster. Bruce’s smile at the end is truly unnerving. The panels contrasting Carnage with the One Below All are creepy and compliment each other well. Harpy casually killing Bruce and rolling him into a ball just so he’s easier to carry is the right kind of disgusting. His art works perfectly in tandem with colorist Chris O’Halloran’s use of shadow. The two are really at their peak when they depict the moment the entire issue revolves around, Venom embracing Bruce. That single panel shows Bruce shrouded in darkness, looking smaller than ever as he stares up in fear at Venom’s sharp fangs closing in. Now the two horrors are one. Now…we are Hulk.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – It’s scary to witness Hulk welcome Venom into the family.
