Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Incredible Hulks #620Incredible Hulks #620
Marvel Comics
Pak, Pelletier, Miki & Mounts

The Chaos War wraps up its tie-in to the Hulk(s) with this issue as the Hulk battles the undead, monstered-up, incarnation of his father. As you might guess the issue is heavy on the action and displays it with some amazing artwork. The issue has some interesting character work and gives a good window into the overall point of the Chaos War mini event. It's a fun issue all around.

On the surface the issue is mostly a physical fight between the Hulk and his father, but the issue's dialogue deals more with the mental problems that the character Bruce Banner holds because of the abuse suffered at the hands of his father as a kid. It's a good twist on the battle but the hook is that the undead father draws strength from the Hulk's anger. This makes for a creative way to resolve the fight.

While this battle rages on, the others in the Hulk clan try to help out in various ways, such as trying to free Doc Strange from the demon Zom's possession or by trying to protect Marlo from the Abomination and Zom's plans. There are a ton of characters in the issue and they all get a little moment in spotlight.

Perhaps the best interaction is that of Jarella. The Hulk has had a few wives in his day and Pak takes a stab at adding to the relationship with Jarella, although short lived. It is clear Pak has a fondness for the characters and the creator that brought her into the fold because he adds another brick to the foundation of the relationship.

The issue contains a backup about the Hulk's recruitment of the stone man, Korg. The story is good except the context escapes me. If Korg traveled to Earth with the Hulk then at what point does the Hulk need to retest his trust or ability? It wasn't clear to me, though a decent story but this is the problem with eight page backup stories.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe artwork puts the issue over the top. At times, Pelletier reminds me of Romita Jr and that probably says how much I enjoyed the art. Amazingly, the issue isn't overloaded with splash pages. However, the panels, though smaller, where the fighting occurs are extremely detailed and packed with everything you want from a Hulk battle.

This comic was a good test to see if a tie-in for an event is lost on a reader that isn't following the event. The comic book passed because I was able to follow the story and was interested in the material despite not having the foggiest idea of what the Chaos War is. This was a good issue and is worth a read if you have any interest in the Hulk or his supporting cast or if you just like some big creatures beating each other up.

3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles