Jason Aaron’s ‘Hulk vs. Banner’ comes to a smashing conclusion. Or, well, not really.
Find out what happens when you throw a punch in the wrong direction after the cut. As a note, there are no spoilers for “one of the most exciting comics of the year.”
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Whilce Portacio– We Dare Not Reveal More! We Wouldn’t Want To Spoil What Is Sure To Be One Of The Most Exciting Comics Of The Year!
Jason Aaron is one of the best writers Marvel has.
I start this review with that statement if only to share an inherent truth. When you look at all of the talent Marvel has in its “stable,” Aaron is a name that repeatedly impresses. Looking over his body of work at Marvel, it’s easy to recognize: he helped bring Ghost Rider back to the forefront, he made Wolverine incredibly interesting again, and his “PunisherMAX” is fantastic, among others. Heck, his issue of “Avengers vs X-Men” (out this week) gave me hope for the entire event. There’s a reason this guy is one of the men in charge of the future of the entire Marvel Universe.
What is it, then, that is missing from “Incredible Hulk?”
I can’t fully put my finger on it, truthfully. While I always actively try never to use the word “I” in a review and to remain objective throughout, this time it seems actively impossible. Aaron’s writing has often spoken to me; his honest view of the world is reflected in his comics frequently, and that sense of gravity he delivers is part of the reason his work is so interesting and entertaining. His sense of storytelling is sharp, and the man knows how to deliver a story that packs an emotional wallop, whether it be his various Wolverine stories or something larger like “Scalped” (and anyone who has been reading “Scalped”, especially that last arc, should know what I’m talking about).
Yet, despite all this praise I have to give him, none of this present in “Incredible Hulk.” There’s nothing personal here to help us connect with the story, but rather the vapid tale of a titan and his former master duking it out. While Aaron isn’t a stranger to balls-to-the-wall violence in his storytelling, “Incredible Hulk” lacks any discernible core to it that makes the story compelling. The story of Banner and the Hulk has always been an interesting one to explore, but the idea that Banner is the “true monster” isn’t that interesting of a story, especially since a) they had just been “getting along” in Greg Pak’s story and, more importantly, b) this kind of thing has been done before to a much more tragic extent.
Perhaps that’s the problem. Perhaps the reason Aaron has nothing interesting to say about this story is because there is nothing interesting to say about this story. Banner and the Hulk parting ways truthfully isn’t too exciting, because what is exciting is the way the two of them compliment themselves. Banners brains, but Hulks brawn — two incredibly powerful weapons that can’t seem to ever easily meet in the middle! It’s a classic dichotomy that mixes aspects of both, say, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh mixed with the occasional Abbott and Costello routine (think about it). Breaking up the band only goes so far, and more often than not just leads to a rather dull solo career (or Skrillex).
That’s not to say it isn’t entertaining on some level. The comic certainly has its moments, such as the female Doom’s use for the rescued manbeasts. Those moments are few and far between, however, and when they do arrive they are not much more than a brief chuckle amidst an otherwise disappointing read from a comic creator that is usually firing on all cylinders and then some.
The other detrimental aspect to the book is its confusing output. The book has been critiqued on other websites covering more issues of the book than us for its shifting and excessively expansive art team, and this issue does nothing to change that. Portacio inexplicably took the art duties from Silvestri after only three issues and is now joined by two inkers, a finisher and three colorists, and the whole thing just looks like an inconsistent mess. While Portacio is an understandable follow-up to Silvestri, the inconsistency of the entire book is a major visual drawback, and the uneven characters and scope of the book detracts more often than it conceivably should. One could imagine that this is why the next arc has different artists per issue as opposed to one ongoing artist.
I, personally, really want to love Jason Aaron’s “Incredible Hulk” story. Aaron’s work has never let me down in the past and he’s one of the few creators who I would happily buy anything from if his name was on the cover, even a comic co-written and illustrated by Shia LaBeouf. Yet despite my willingness to go that far, so far no emotions stir by the end of the first arc. Often times, you can tell if you’re going to like the entirety of a run based on the first story in it, and if this is what the title has to offer then I’m not sure its worth revisiting. The next arc focuses on Hulk staying angry, traveling and getting into shenanigans (with multiple illustrators at the helm) which could be fun, but the comic has a long uphill road ahead of it. Right now the book is not much more than a big angry, veiny beast — thematically fitting, I suppose, but not not very entertaining.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Hey, you can always go grab the latest “Wolverine and the X-Men”
