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Review: Hulk #30.1

By | March 18th, 2011
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Gabriel Hardman

Special POINT ONE issue. START READING with this Point One issue. For years, General Thunderbolt Ross chased the Hulk across the planet, hoping to capture and defeat the Jade Giant. Now, Ross himself is a gamma-irradiated force of nature and a new enemy emerges to fill the general’s army boots. His name is Fortean. His mission: to enact vengeance on the beast that took the life of Thunderbolt Ross. Little does he know that the beast and the man are one and the same! Prepare for the birth of the next great Hulk villain!

I’ve made absolutely no secret that I really enjoy Jeff Parker’s Hulk run. But as far as Marvel’s Point One initiative goes, we at Multiversity have not been overtly impressed so far, aside from a few fun one-shots – and these are also all titles that we regularly enjoy!

However, folks who follow yours truly on Twitter might have noticed I tweeted about Hulk before I sat down to write the review.

So what could that possibly mean? Let’s find out after the cut, shall we?

Marvel’s Point One initiative is a very bold one. The idea here is specifically for new readers looking for an entry point into books. With the various Point One’s that we’ve seen so far, most of them have essentially just been one-shots within the realm of the universe, with Spider-Man being the exception as it stood as a prelude to the Venom book. So far, none of the books with a Point One have really a) picked a place for new readers to hop in and/or b) did something with the storyline that is introductory while still being rewarding for long-term readers towards the ongoing story.

That is, until Hulk came along. With Hulk #29, we had the end of an arc as Scorched Earth came to a close and #30 was a hilarious one-shot story at 40 pages. It was essentially the perfect point for a Point One issue, as everything was wide open for Parker to do as he pleases. Essentially, this issue really is the 32nd, but having it as a Point One allows Parker to take a new approach to the beginning of his next arc. It had been teased before that Rulk was getting his own Rogue’s gallery with the next “arc”, and as the story kicks off not only does the Rulk get his first solo villain, but we also get a legitimate shift to the continuing story of the Rulk with the last page. Talk about legit bang for your buck!

This issue starts by very quickly recapping what came before, bringing new readers up to speed that the Rulk was defeated and is now working – by force, of course – for the US Government and Steve Rogers. Without wasting a minute, though, the book introduces us to Reginald “Reggie” Fortean, the first member of the Rulk’s new rogues gallery. Reggie is a two-star General currently taking up his own vendetta against the Red Hulk. Why? For the murder of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross back in Hulk #600. See, Bruce Banner’s famous foil was always a General who was obsessed with taking down the Hulk, but had decided to try and take the Hulk on in his own field by becoming the Red Hulk at the end of World War Hulks. This is something that we – the audience – knows. However, what the general population of the Marvel 616 doesn’t know is that Ross is not actually dead. So for one of Ross’ proteges to pop up and decide to take on the Rulk, it actually makes essentially the perfect new villain for Rulk to have. In fact, after reading this story it’s the kind of plot that you’d think was the obvious thread to work with – yet it wasn’t, and Parker found it anyway and brought it to life.

I suppose to put it simply would be to say that Jeff Parker is absolutely rocking the Hulk book right now. The book has gone from one of the most polarizing titles for fans to easily one of the most entertaining anti-hero book that Marvel is currently publishing. Parker has an understanding of “villains” and characters seeking redemption that he has shown now through his work in Thunderbolts and even Atlas. His treatment of Rulk is no different, and it continues to impress as the story goes on. The introduction of Reggie as Rulk’s antagonist is literally the perfect foil character, because it shows just how deep down the rabbit hole Ross put himself. He has literally become everything he hates, and as much as he may try to fix his world and even help Reggie, it’s all in vain. Just like Empire Strikes Back ended with the defeat of our heroes, Hulk #30.1 ends with a new status shift for the Rulk as he slowly marches off into the desert (perhaps to some sad piano music).

Continued below

Having Gabriel Hardman on art detail is pretty much pitch perfect for the title. The loss of Atlas was sad for Parker/Hardman fans, but having Hardman move over to Hulk is a godsend. Hardman draws a wonderful Rulk, and the tone that he brings to the title and the character wonderfully illustrates the darkness still resonante in the character. Having Tom Palmer do finishes for the issue still brings out Hardman’s recognizable style, but with a bit of a Romita flair to it. And although colorists remain some of the unsung heroes of the comic book world, Jim Charalampidis truly brings the comic to life. As much as Hardman and Palmer are here to bring Parker’s words alive, it’s Charalampidis’ perfect coloring that truly makes this comic as gorgeous to look at. The book has a sharp edge to it with the combination of the three, giving the tale a very dark and gritty tone. The title has taken a very sharp new direction in comparison to where it began with Ed McGuiness’ more goofy style, and the Hardman tone is just what Parker’s scripts need (with the exception of issue #30).

The issue is a rather poetic tale for Ross, and it’s about as good a Point One issue as you’re going to get. Not only is it incredibly open for new readers to jump in and understand who the Rulk is and how he’s gotten to where he is, but it also begins the next stage of life for the Rulk. This might not be a traditional first issue to an arc, but it does everything that the Point One originally promised that it was. People that did not give Parker’s Hulk a chance when the story first began would be rather remiss to not hop in now, because not only is the door wide open but it is beckoning rather earnestly. If you like Thunderbolts even remotely, then you really need to get into Hulk #30.1, because while the first Hulk arc under Parker and Hardman’s watch featured the Rulk getting a much needed asskicking, I can assure you beyond assuring that this next arc is going to be ten times better.

Final Verdict: 9.7 – Buy


Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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