Best of the Decade: 2018 // Best of the Year

You may ask yourself how a character such as the Hulk, who has existed in the pages of Marvel Comics since 1962, finds his book being lauded as the best of 2018. It’s a fair question. That’s the Hulk’s secret, though: he’s always changing. That constant change allows for every Hulk writer to come along and make it their own, and it allows for the character to be reinvented and reinvigorated, over and over again in the eyes of the readers. To the average person, the Hulk is a frail scientist named Bruce Banner, who turns into a big, green “rage-monster” whenever he gets angry. To his fans, though, the Hulk is many things, with many names. There has been a Savage Hulk, a Professor Hulk, a gray Hulk that insisted on being called Joe, a World Breaker Hulk, a Devil Hulk, and even Hulks that weren’t Bruce Banner at all. They’re not all winners, of course. In fact, readers sometimes go vast spans of time without seeing a particularly inspired take on the character. But, when a writer comes along with that ever-important inspiration, it’s usually history-making gold for comic fans. Peter David was one such writer. Greg Pak was another. And Al Ewing, writer of The Immortal Hulk, is undeniably, the latest to achieve that feat. 

From issue one, it was evident that the readers were in for something different. Ewing’s big pitch was that he was turning Hulk into a horror comic. Gone was the mindless brute who smashed things out of anger. He had been replaced by a grinning monster, with beady eyes, and questionable motives. He liked to hurt people, and he had a distaste for humans, but he also wasn’t without a heroic side. This was a Hulk that protected Banner at all costs but only came out at night. Readers had seen some of these characteristics in their hero before, but never in such an eerie, unsettling combination. 

As Ewing established his new tone, winning more and more fans over with each issue, he began subtly uncovering his real plans for the character. The Immortal Hulk was billed as a horror comic, but what its writer really had up his sleeve was an intense character piece, building expertly upon the history of his subject, and digging deep into the psyche of Banner and his myriad of alter egos. Horror gave way to a psychological suspense thriller, which begat one of the most intense, disturbing, and rewarding takes on the Hulk in the entire history of character.

It would be criminal not to talk about the art team of this book, as well. There have been quite a few artists that have worked on the title so far. But in a rare move by Marvel, the powers-that-be decided to keep a mostly permanent team throughout this run. Luckily, that team was comprised of a group of people who were, quite simply, born to work on the Hulk. The pencils of Joe Bennett are the most inspired visuals readers have seen for this character since Dale Keown’s classic run decades ago. His Hulk is entirely unique in appearance, with his large brown, tiny, glowing eyes, and bone-chilling smile. And never before has any artist drawn Banner’s transformation into the Hulk so blood-curdlingly terrifying as Bennett. All of this is bolstered by the colors and inks of Paul Mounts and Ruy Jose, respectively. They are the perfect compliment to Bennet’s superstar pencils, lending simultaneous darkness, and gamma-irradiated green light to each page, compounding the frightful visuals exponentially.

You don’t have to be a Hulk fan to read this book. You don’t have to be a comic book fan, either. This is simply excellent writing and fantastic art, coming together to create one of the most compelling character pieces of the decade. Ewing has pulled off a balancing act that will have you in fear of the Hulk one moment and cheering for him the next. The Immortal Hulk is a must-read story for anyone who likes horror, suspense, thrillers, superheroes, or character-intense dramas, which is why it is absolutely the best comic of 2018.

Honorable Mentions
Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles
Berlin: City of Light
Eternity Girl
Royal City