Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Gabriel HardmanSCORCHED EARTH FINALE! Bruce Banner has found the key to stopping the Intelligencia’s assault… and it’s going to require RED HULK to team up with the one partner he never thought he would… THE HULK! With the wounds between them still fresh, the two big brutes of the Marvel Universe must bring their incredible power together or it all ends here. ! But was there an even bigger development hidden behind this master plan? Meanwhile on Stage 2- The A-BOMB takes a break from fighting really big monsters, so that he can get killed dead by the mysterious murdering alien-looking dudes!!!
Parker’s first arc of the Hulk book closes as Scorched Earth is defeated and the Rulk is given his first check for his “Hero” card. But is this an After School Special? Did the Rulk learn something today? And if he did, was it anything good?
Find out after the cut.
Remember when Parker took over the Hulk book after Loeb finished his two year Rulk story, and the main thing he said was that he just wanted people to give it an honest chance? Hulk #29 is the culmination of that idea, and for those of you that have been reading, you were rewarded with an issue that so singularly defines Rulk as a character and his home in the Marvel U that no matter where you stood on Loeb’s Hulk run, you’d be hard pressed not to find Rulk a pretty enjoyable character now.
In a nutshell, this issue wraps up the two storylines that had been running through Hulk: on the one hand, you have Rulk doing increasingly awkward team-ups with people who hate him in order to combat Scorched Earth (a program set by Leader and MODOK to destroy the planet if they were defeated), and on the other you have A-Bomb battling against the same thing. The two met up with the apex of the previous issue, and now that they’re stuck on an island with monsters ready to eat them both, it seems all hope is lost… or not quite. Parker has literally filled this issue (and indeed, the storyline) with deus ex machina moments for our heroes, but all of which actually feel quite natural to the nature of the story, and that’s the best part. At it’s heart, Rulk’s story has been about lies and deception, about mystery and withholding large amounts of information, and that’s what comes to light here. While the Rulk had gone two years with this idea, now all of that is being used against him, and as much as watching Thor, Iron Man, and Namor kick the crap out of Rulk is somewhat cathartic, it’s also 100% justified to the nature of this story. Rulk is a liar, and now he is getting what’s coming to him in an effort to a) make him a hero and b) give him some humility.
Ross is a great character to go against the Hulk, and Parker understands this. This particular issue really brings the battle between Ross v Banner/Rulk v Hulk to a head, but not in the literal fisticuff way. Banner’s manipulation of the Rulk is what fuels the catalyst between the characters, and by the time the issue ends there is a new standard between the characters. Rulk had been kept under careful eye by Banner to the extent that Banner is allowed to come in and help at the end without it seeming too out of place (especially considering what’s going on in Incredible Hulks). It’s actually quite fitting that as this initial storyline comes to a close, it’s actually the Hulk/Bruce Banner who is able to change things around like this. This is what Parker is good at: he makes us care about characters that are basically villains, whether it’s the Atlas group and their anti-heroic nature or the Thunderbolts. The Rulk’s story is no different. After two years of having a character who essentially felt like a two-dimensional tool for fighting and annoyance, the Rulk is now a much more three-dimensional character with the knowledge of Ross in his inherent character origin helping to bring the character out beyond that of a mustache-losing punch machine.
Continued belowParker and Hardman go great together. while the loss of their work on Atlas is still felt, it’s nice to see the duo still collaborating on an anti-hero type story. Parker’s There are several fantastic scenes in this issue alone, especially Rulk’s line “Always about you, isn’t it?” towards Bruce, which is the most hypocritical statement ever and arguably the most perfect line Parker could ever give him. The Hulk’s science and the Rulk’s army background end up melding into quite the adventure, and the entire arc ends up being quite a great four issue story. Meanwhile, Hardman’s art is just absolutely cinematic. When the “true Big Bad” is revealed during the end, it’s one of those moments that just breathes it’s mood. This is absolutely the best scene of the title, because not only does it re-introduce a villain for the rest of the story, but it’s just an absolutely fluid sequence rendered wonderfully by Hardman in a true tribute to the potential of the sequential art format. You’ll literally be able to hear the “klunking” on the ground as the scene progresses (and obviously, this will make more sense when you read the title).
The only real downfall of the book would be the back-up, which doesn’t fit as evenly into the story as everything else in the book. The first back-up eventually tied into the main storyline, featuring A-Bomb’s involvement in Scorched Earth, and while the new back-up will assumedly have a pay-off, it feels less organic. Parker’s follow up to Loeb’s work was honestly the best possible way to do so, but the new story feels quite odd, actually changing one of the inherent qualities about the Watcher to fit a scene that, admittedly was stupid, but “made sense” in a ridiculous way. To try and clarify that scene just serves to be kind of confusing with a lot of quasi-science. The back-up also serves to jack up the price point to an extra dollar, and I’d rather see the title lose the back-up and simply have the ongoing story perhaps a few pages longer.
Ultimately, Hulk has become a much better book since Parker and Hardman took over. They’ve essentially proved that there really is no such thing as a bad character, because as someone who oft derided the Rulk I’ve now find quite a bit to like the more three dimensional he becomes. Hopefully the book continues the upward direction it’s headed in, as Parker clearly proved his storytelling abilities by now with Thunderbolts. Hulk can be the next best thing.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
