A review by tbr_the_unconquered
World War Hulk, by Greg Pak
2.0
The Hulk hasn’t been my idea of a hero. The onscreen portrayals by Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo of Bruce Banner have been very enjoyable in terms of the vulnerability that pushes them over to become the rampaging green monster. A slightly long look at the character makes him seem more of a fulfillment of a naive expectation of what a hero ought to be all about. This is a world where every problem is dealt a swift punch to the face until it’s teeth fall out. World War Hulk to me has been one of the weakest story arcs ever to come out of the Marvel stables. It is all posturing and very little stuff. A lot of smashing and bashing later, there isn’t anything even closely resembling a story to be pointed out.
The timeline is post-Civil War and Captain America is still dead when this story begins. As a prelude, the Illuminati comprising of Dr.Strange, Mr.Fantastic, Black Bolt and Iron Man successfully rid Earth of the menace of the Hulk by blasting him off to space. What follows the galactic travel of the Hulk forms the Planet Hulk storyline and it is Hulk's bloody return that is featured here. Maddened by rage and grief, the Hulk arrives to beat the living daylights out of those who crossed him. Arriving in Manhattan he gives a deadline to all civilians to clear the city after which he plans to wipe the floor with the heroes. What ensues is an all-out battle and the aftermath.
All very interesting except for a few bones of contention :
•The story is called World War Hulk and yet all the action is in New York. Typical to a lot of comics, it is the Americans who save the world in the end. An apt title would have been Hulk Smash : The fall of New York.
•The highlight of the overall story is a brutal showdown of Hulk against all the other heroes and yet most of the brawls are half baked. The much anticipated Iron Man V Hulk part is a damp one and how Hulk beats the Black Bolt is never explained.
•Thor, the nearest contender who can hold his own against the Hulk does not appear even once in the tale.
•Where the fish is Wolverine ?
•Spider-Man is shown on a few panels but he disappears as fast as he is shown and I am not entirely sure if I dreamt him up here.
•It all comes down finally to the Sentry whose reason for joining the fight is never fully explained and the grand finale makes you wonder what all the fuss was about.
There isn’t much to write home about this volume. It is probably Marvel’s homage to WWE’s Royal Rumble !
The timeline is post-Civil War and Captain America is still dead when this story begins. As a prelude, the Illuminati comprising of Dr.Strange, Mr.Fantastic, Black Bolt and Iron Man successfully rid Earth of the menace of the Hulk by blasting him off to space. What follows the galactic travel of the Hulk forms the Planet Hulk storyline and it is Hulk's bloody return that is featured here. Maddened by rage and grief, the Hulk arrives to beat the living daylights out of those who crossed him. Arriving in Manhattan he gives a deadline to all civilians to clear the city after which he plans to wipe the floor with the heroes. What ensues is an all-out battle and the aftermath.
All very interesting except for a few bones of contention :
•The story is called World War Hulk and yet all the action is in New York. Typical to a lot of comics, it is the Americans who save the world in the end. An apt title would have been Hulk Smash : The fall of New York.
•The highlight of the overall story is a brutal showdown of Hulk against all the other heroes and yet most of the brawls are half baked. The much anticipated Iron Man V Hulk part is a damp one and how Hulk beats the Black Bolt is never explained.
•Thor, the nearest contender who can hold his own against the Hulk does not appear even once in the tale.
•Where the fish is Wolverine ?
•Spider-Man is shown on a few panels but he disappears as fast as he is shown and I am not entirely sure if I dreamt him up here.
•It all comes down finally to the Sentry whose reason for joining the fight is never fully explained and the grand finale makes you wonder what all the fuss was about.
There isn’t much to write home about this volume. It is probably Marvel’s homage to WWE’s Royal Rumble !