The Immortal Hulk #29 // Review
The Immortal Hulk #29, written by Al Ewing, with pencils by Joe Bennett, inks by Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, and Cam Smith, and colors by Paul Mounts, continues the Great Green One’s war on all that is wrong with humanity. Still, humanity isn’t going down without a fight. Previously, Banner and his alter egos reached a new level of understanding and started to work together. Their goal? End the world as we know it. In their eyes, that meant rooting out all of the worst things in the modern world and smashing them to bits. The first target? The monstrous minotaur, Dario Agger, and his Roxxon Corporation. Now, with Agger on the ropes, and a groundswell of support building for the Hulk, the man-bull must out-strategize his enemy, or lose everything in his empire.
Ewing, as always, does a wonderful job playing with Banner’s multiple personalities, keeping an air of mystery about the rules of it all, drawing the readers in deeper with every issue. In a scene where Doc Samson uses Bruce’s ex, Betty, as a sounding board, you see that even an experienced psychiatrist who has known the Hulk for years can’t keep up with his friend’s ever-shifting psyche. Ewing is excellent at hinting here and there at what makes Banner tick, but he never outright gives you an answer, which lends itself quite well to the overall “horror” tone he’s going for. A sense of not knowing nearly as much as you thought you knew about a character you’ve been reading for decades has led to the freshest, most original era of Hulk in years.
Dario Agger, on the other hand, is portrayed as a pretty flat character, almost cartoonish in his affinity for evil. He kills his employees for minor annoyances (who would work for this guy?), relishes destroying the world with his giant corporation, and sips wine in a fancy suit while plotting his enemy’s demise. You couldn’t conceive of a more cliche supervillain, lest he grow a mustache for twirling purposes. Those aren’t necessarily bad traits, though. Somehow, Ewing still makes Agger a character entirely, utterly entertaining, and compelling. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a large monster, or perhaps his two-dimensional foil to the multi-faceted Hulk just works by contrast. Either way, he’s the most fun addition to the Hulk’s rogues gallery in many years.
Bennett, mainstay penciler on this title, also contributes significantly to the entertainment factor of Agger. His take on the character is a lot more horrific and monstrous than previous ones in Thor. Monsters are what Bennett does best, of course, and it’s very obvious he’s having a spectacular time playing with his new toy. Jose, Belardino, Smith, and Mounts on inks and colors, provide their usual level of perfection for this book. The art team is half the reason for the success of this story, and they pair perfectly with Ewing’s vision. It’s truly a marriage of talent for the history books.
If you’ve been enjoying this story so far, Ewing and company aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, they seem to just be getting their second wind. Banner and the Hulks continue to evolve as one of the most complex and rich characters in the Marvel pantheon. It’s impossible to guess where Ewing is taking ol’ Jade Jaws, but you won’t want to miss the journey to get there.
