Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6

Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6 (of 6)
Marvel Comics
Lindelof, Yu & McCaig

Years in the making, the mini series finally wraps up. It’s impossible to separate the frustration of the wait from the anticipation of where issue two left off three years ago but I will make every attempt to evaluate this issue on its on. To be brief, what we see is Wolverine using his brain instead of his claws as he battles Bruce Banner, not the Hulk.

This issue has some very good moments and much of it is in the dialogue. Banner and Wolverine have some funny moments as they are trapped on a plane together and they discuss fighting each other. There are also some very clever conversations involving Fury and Betty with Wolverine. The comic captures the humor and whit in the moment very well.

This is also the downfall of the comic. There is virtually no action. Remember how Wolverine was ripped in half by Hulk? My first thought was: How can they top that for round two? Well, it turns out there was no round two. Round two was fought with words, and while there is a certain level of creativity involved with it, I can’t help but feel slightly cheated. Can you have an interesting series where all the good action sequences occur in the beginning and the series lands slowly and silently? I wasn’t thrilled with it.

The issue has Wolverine track down Betty. They do fight a little bit and it’s got some fun moments. Then the issue takes a strange turn as Wolverine tracks down Banner. He finds himself sitting next to Banner on a plane. They discuss how they want to fight. Banner, sensing his hand being inferior, changes the game by forcing Wolverine to decide to be cruel or show compassion.

Here’s where the comic reaches. The ending is reliant on the belief that Wolverine really only wants the Hulk dead and not Bruce Banner. It’s a scenario that just doesn’t make a lot of sense. The two die no matter which one you kill so why would it make a difference if Wolverine kills the Hulk or Banner? I just wasn’t convinced of the reaction Wolverine gives. Though, the twist to get there was very unique.

The artwork is a success yet again. We see tons of boob-shots, as usual, but there is a lot to see in terms of faces and reactions as well. The humor and quick dialogue is enhanced greatly when you see the delivery on the faces of the characters.

I’m glad Marvel had the guts to complete this series. I’m not thrilled that a) the creator(s) never addressed the gap between issues and b) the series never had a second round of fighting. However, both the Hulk and Wolverine were well represented and the series held my interest. I can’t say it’s the definitive Hulk versus Wolverine but it was fun nonetheless.

3 out of 5 geek goggles