Hulk & Doctor Strange #1 // Review
Back in the early 1990s, writer Peter David had Bruce Banner take a deep dive with psychiatrist Doc. Samson in anticipation of The Hulk’s 30th anniversary. It was an exhaustive look at the history of The Hulk to that point which came-up with a surprisingly integrated look at the psyche of one of Marvel’s most enduring characters. Decades later, Banner returns to seek psychiatric attention in a much less ambitious work by writer J. Michael Straczynski: Hulk & Doctor Strange #1. Aiding Straczynski in his exploration of a Jekyll and Hyde psyche are artist German Peralta and the coloring work of Guru e-FX.
Bruce is a scientist. He’s reluctant to consult with a sorcerer of any kind...let alone the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth’s Dimension. But he DOES need some clarity and it’s not like he hasn’t seen a hell of a lot in his life that’s gone way beyond contemporary scientific understanding. And he DOES need clarity, so it’s totally understandable that he’s going to want to ask an old friend for a little bit of help with his psyche. It’s going to be a bit dangerous, but it’s absolutely essential for him. to understand what he is.
David’s exhaustive psychoanalysis of Hulk/Banner for te character’s 30th anniversary was impressive, but it was a bit big and ponderous for people not already familiar with everything that the character had been through over the course of his three decades in existence. Strasczynski’s far less ambitious approach to a psychoanalysis of The Hulk feels crisp and concise by contrast...but still more than a little weak. It’s ground that’s been pretty extensively explored elsewhere over the decades. Sraczynski’s work is not without its wit and charm. The cleverness of his writing can only go so far, though.
Peralta does an excellent job of bringing Strasczynski’s work to the page. There’s a sharply moody clarity that’s being brought to page and panel as the psychodrama progresses through its one-shot path from cover to cover. Peralta does a particularly good job with Banner himself. There have been so many different rednerings of the scientist over the years...so many different ways of visualizing a guy suffering from such powerful inner demons. Peralta manages to find a distinctive look for Banner that honors previous incarnations of the man while taking a relatively fresh approach to an old, familiar face.
It may not be terribly original, but it’s always cool to see old tropes explored by someone with decades of experience writing for every different conceivable kind of storytelling from page to screen and beyond. There’s no questioning that Straczinski is a very talented storyteller. Hulk and Doctor Strange is pretty far from being his best work, though. If he’s going to be able to offer a fresh look at Banner, he’s going to need to explore the psyche of the man from a completely different angle. That’s going to be really, really difficult for one of the most popular characters in Marvel’s long history.
