The Incredible Hulk, gladiator, space warlord, avenging hero… back to fighting tanks like he has for 40 years. The Hulk is just not interesting to me. It’s only when writers do something radically different with him that I get interested. Well, this month, Thunderbolt Ross spends several pages recapping how Hulk has been seen as both a hero and a villain all these years, but he always becomes a monster again, Ross has always known the truth. Then the military starts in with the bullets and missiles and things that have never stopped the Hulk despite 40 years of trying.
So now Strange is in Hulk’s mindscape, and in the real world, Hulk is just standing there, flailing at nothing, so the army keeps up its futile attack.
Hulk breaks Dr. Strange’s hands. That guy’s hands can’t catch a break. Back in the real world, it’s game on again, as Hulk spends several gonzo John Romita, Jr. pages tearing up the military, but it’s still just more of the same, no matter how good Romita is. If you’ve seen Hulk smash a tank once, you’ve seen it a thousand times. Maybe never better than here, but it’s still just Hulk smashing tanks. Then he leaps up into Ross’s helicopter, drags him out, and they crash to the ground. Meanwhile…
This entire event is just waiting for the Sentry to get it together, when everyone involved seems to know he’s their only hope, but chose not to deploy him first.
While that’s going on, Hulk’s other goons have arrived at Dr. Strange’s house to find Rick Jones trying to get in. Then Iron Fist, Ronin and Echo emerge to fight, but are soundly thrashed by these no-name lames. The heroes get dragged back to that arena Hulk’s people are making, but Rick is left behind with the magic bad guy. For no obvious reason.
How did Rick get back there so fast? There’s a lot of talk about justice between Rick and the alien bug, and then someone else shows up.
Whatever. I remembered not liking this, but I didn’t really remember how unengaging and hollow it is. Also I thought it had more Spider-Man, but he’s kinda wandered out of the narrative. Will he be back? I don’t remember. We’re just spending 4 issues waiting on Sentry to show up. More waiting next time.