Bruce Banner is in serious trouble, and Mark Waid calls in the Avengers in the thrilling and surprisingly emotional “Hulk” #3.
Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Mark Bagley“BANNER D.O.A” GETS READY TO TAKE YOU INTO A NEW TWIST IN HULK HISTORY! BANNER goes to a dark place and could take the AVENGERS with him, Only HULK can save Banner…but will he? After last issue’s surprise resurrection, a new threat enters the scene.
Given the fact that Mark Waid and Mark Bagley (henceforth referred to as Mark²) are two of the biggest and most respected names at Marvel, their “Hulk” series seems to be flying a bit under the radar. Waid’s current run on “Daredevil” is one of the most acclaimed books coming out of any publisher currently, but everyone’s favorite green rage-aholic just seems to get lost in the mix like sloppy seconds. Fortunately, this latest issue is filled with enough action and character moments to get any fan’s attentions.
After receiving a gunshot to the head, Bruce Banner received horrific brain damage and was relocated to a S.H.E.I.L.D. controlled small town in hopes he can recover. Maria Hill herself is trying to protect Banner, and is doing quite a terrible job at it considering how often he still Hulks-out. A mysterious enemy is targeting Banner and has sent a zombiefied Abomination to destroy him, and the town as collateral damage. Realizing her plan to keep Banner safe and hidden has failed miserably, Hill calls in the reinforcements. Soon Captain America, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel swoop in to save the day, but there are some surprises in store for the Avengers and their big green friend.
Mark Waid is an old pro at combining bombastic action with fulfilling character moments, so it should come as no surprise that this issue is filled with both. Waid’s decision to rob Banner of his intellect has opened up new character possibilities and fleshed out his supporting cast. The presence of Hill and a trio of Avengers feels completely organic and not shoehorned in for attention. Waid had been working to ingrate Banner into S.H.E.I.L.D. as an ally (he can only wander sadly for so long. after all) and this inversion of the classic dynamic makes the Hulk into someone his fellow heroes care for instead of fearing.
The way that Waid deals with the inevitable return to the status quo is quite ingenious. Hulk has an established healing factor, so when Banner has been transforming his green persona has been slowly repairing the damage to his brain. While the physical damage can be fixed, Banner’s mind is still fractured, and the constant switching to the green personality is not helping him make sense of things. The one story point that falls a little flat is the reveal that the Abomination has been made radioactive. The fact that the Abomination has been modified is hyped early in the issue, but surely the Avengers can handle a little radiation. That’s the reason half of them even exist.
Mark Bagley has penciled the entire Marvel Universe. In fact, he’s penciled more than one Marvel Universe, so he is more than capable of handling a good old fashioned Hulk smash-down. From the first page, every image is crisp and clear and vividly detailed. The opening scene with Maria Hill looks like it could be its own awesome espionage series, and is just as exciting as any superpowered fights that occur later.
The Hulk vs Abomination fight has already started, so Bagley gets the chance to throw the reader right into the thick of it with a gorgeous splash page. As the behemoths wail on each other the backgrounds fade away into monochrome blurs. While this is sometimes a trick to rush art along, here Bagley uses it highlight the detail in the foreground, and it lends real power to their blows. Bagley manages to make the fight visceral without getting graphic, with enough blood to establish danger but not enough to be gross.
The arrival of the Avengers is thrilling and heroic looking, a real crowd pleasing moment. They swoop in and start blasting away with powers, and everything looks great. The level of detail is very impressive; Iron Man has all his bolts, Captain America has his determined jaw clenched in every panel. During the last four pages, the Hulk jumps back into the fray and the images get even bigger and more hard-hitting. Just when it seems like things are getting bad for Hulk, Bagley closes the issue with an image that looks nothing less than iconic. Seriously, if this image doesn’t make the reader run back to the comic store to wait for the next issue, they just don’t deserve nice things.
It was recently announced that Mark Waid’s time writing “Hulk” would end with the currant arc. Although the series has flown under the radar, it seems like Waid and the always stellar Mark Bagley are readying a thrilling conclusion.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy. Mark² are saving the best for last.
