Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Hulk #1
Marvel Comics
Loeb, McGuinness, Vines & Keith

Well I sure didn’t see this story coming over like this. The first issue of the red Hulk is odd and doesn’t fit in with what you might expect. It’s entertaining despite the fact that pieces within it might not add up the way you want them to or the way you’d figure them too.

First off, this review spoils things. Secondly, this issue doesn’t contain the red Hulk on one single panel or page other than the cover. Find that nugget strange? I know I did. I would have thought it would have been a major disappointment and it wasn’t. Go figure.

We begin the issue with She-Hulk and Doc Samson investigating Abomination’s death in Russia. They do this with some witty banter while role-playing the encounter, fight and ultimate death. The murder was committed by a Hulk-sized gun. What? I know it doesn’t make any sense. While reenacting the battle we get panel for panel switching between She-Hulk/Samson and Green Hulk/Abomination. Beyond this, no Hulk (of any color) even appears in the issue.

While examining the body we find that with She-Hulk and Doc Samson are Iron Man and General Ross. You’d expect this seeing as how they were a major part of the World War Hulk thing and probably wouldn’t want to hear that the Hulk is rampaging through Russia without being involved in some way.

Before we get to the bottom of the investigation the Winter Guard show up and battle Iron Man and company. I like a little action in a comic, but this fight seemed way too forced. Are the Winter Guard in that bad of a need of publicity that they show up in Hulk #1 and start up with Iron Man?

General Ross restores order. I know, it sounds crazy because it is crazy.

Next we see Rick Jones in tattered clothes wandering in the snow of Alaska. Take a wild guess as to who might be the new Hulk. Just one guess now.

Finally, we conclude with Samson and Ross returning the Gamma Base to talk things over with Bruce Banner. Yes, Banner is awake and looking quite well.

See what I mean? A strange issue. At the very least this issue kept me off balance. I was entertained and enjoyed and that’s what you want. Oh sure, the story was a little goofy, but it wasn’t totally farfetched. You’d think the big Hulk guns would be involved and they were, for the most part. Of course, not knowing how Rick Jones became the Red Hulk or how Banner woke up already are nagging questions, but that’s ok too. We have ourselves a solid story that opens the doors to the next Hulk without killing off the first one. You know, I kind of thought Betty Ross would be the Red Hulk. Oh well.

The artwork was good. When you consider that the Red Hulk isn’t in the issue at all I’d say judgment can’t be passed on one issue. I liked what I saw though and the story flowed nicely with the art presented.

I’d think this is the start of a decent story arc. I hope the arc doesn’t run circles around the Red Hulk identity cause that could get real old, real fast. I’m pleased with the start here though.

4 out of 5 geek goggles.


Hulk #1

DF Hulk #1 DF Exc Variant Cover DF Exc Variant Cover