Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound
Marvel Comics
Pak, Kirk & Sandoval

Another series devoted to the leftovers of the World War Hulk series. This one focuses on the aliens that Hulk returned to Earth with: the Warbound. Or at least, what’s left of them. This issue is okay. I found the beginning to be fairly bad, but in the end things picked up and left me with an overall feeling of “blah”. Knowing it is only a five issue series I may stick it out. However, I will be leafing through the second issue very carefully before buying it.

We begin with a SHIELD agent trying to track down the Warbound in the sewers. The first question is: How is it that only a couple of humans are searching for them? The SHIELD agent finds them and the Warbound save her life from some alligators. The Warbound bicker about the usefulness of the human for a bit. Ultimately, they drag her along. But only until they are teleported to the desert.

Hiroim is separated from the others. The others find him quickly, hooked up to a machine that is using his old strong power to create a Gammaworld. The Warbound are confronted with one of the Hulk’s old enemies in this new Gammaworld.

The last few pages of the issue offer up something called, “Tales of the Warbound”. This would be lame, except we discover that Miek is alive and working with a SHIELD agent to reveal weaknesses in the Warbound. This issue focuses on Elloe and how, as a child, she led her people to one of Miek’s hives to have his “people” enslaved. Although only a few pages, this story was excellent and basically saved this issue. This backup section also explains why so few SHIELD agents or even superheroes are going after the Warbound.

To recap, this issue was average as a whole. Hopefully the remaining issue will pick up some steam. This issue didn’t contain much action. The only plot movement we have was getting the Warbound out of New York and into Gammaworld. To me, this was not that exciting. We also barely get any character development between the Warbound. How many times are they going to say, “we are warbound”?

The artwork was good. It was right on the level of the Incredible Hulk title throughout the Planet Hulk series. The backup story’s art was particular good when it was displaying Miek.

For me, this issue had two good parts and they both happened at the end of the issue. Miek being alive and Miek working with SHIELD. The Gammaworld thing has some potential, but it is way too early to tell where this is all going. I’ll give it another issue, but the Warbound are kinda losers without the Hulk, at least in the early going here.

2.5 out of 5 geek goggles.


World War Hulk Aftersmash Warbound #1

World War Hulk Aftersmash Warbound #2

World War Hulk Aftersmash Warbound #3