The Hulk Island of Dr. Moreau
What They Say:
The Hulk and Bruce Banner are now separate entities but still at odds with one another. The Hulk has been assigned to take Banner down…but Bruce isn’t going without a fight.
The Review:
Starting out with a flashback to a few weeks prior to issue #1, we see Bruce Banner and Betty Ross relaxing on a beach. At this point in time Bruce and the Hulk have already split apart and it is inferred that this has been bothering Bruce. This whole segment of the issue is back story to where Bruce is currently located, why he is there, and what he is trying to do. At the end of the first issue we just saw Bruce in an island jungle mutating animals and obviously suffering from psychosis. Here we are given a more well rounded picture of what is going on with Bruce that allows us to re-empathize with him and not just view him as a crackpot; although he has clearly lost his marbles.
The second half of the issue has the Hulk landing on an aircraft carrier with Amanda Von Doom (no relation). Here we are introduced to the Mad Squad. OK, cool, I got it; there has to be a reason for connecting Bruce, the Hulk, and the government secret squad together so that we can generate a plot and move the story forward. But really? A secret government squad consisting of three people (Amanda, Mister Gor (who is Igor no mistaking), and a flying brain) whose SOLE purpose is to hunt down and kill mad scientists; is that REALLY necessary? I don’t know if this team has been introduced into the Marvel Universe previously but it just seems like too much of a stretch and someone was really hard up for ideas. If it was a subsection of S.H.I.E.L.D. or something…OK. But is there really a severe enough mad scientist problem that a new team had to be assembled?
Regardless, Amanda explains to the Hulk why she is trying to recruit him when they are suddenly attacked by some of Bruce’s mutations…big green sharks! The fight is only two pages with one awesome full page shot of the Hulk smashing and then it’s back to talking. Hulk says no. Plain and simple. Just like the last issue, this book is very light on action and more about atmosphere and establishing the Hulk in his new frame of mind. I really like this Hulk for now. He’s become Buddhist Monk Hulk and is content and wishes not to bothered with things that aren’t his problem, like Bruce. Well, the end of the issue makes things HIS problem so we’ll get to see the Hulk finally go into action next issue and with all this meditation on character, new outlook on life Hulk…I’m ready for some action but I am still really enjoying just spending some time with the character and who he is now. And the beard….can’t forget the beard.
In Summary:
It’s time I came clean and exposed myself to comic book fandom for the fraud I am….I really like Ang Lee’s Hulk film. I loved the fact that it spent practically all it’s time on the character’s and developing them than it was about Hulk Smash. That may be why I am two issues into the new Hulk and loving the crap out of it. It’s all story and mood. Nobody broods like the Hulk is brooding here and the little action they have included is good but brief and just enough to keep momentum on the story. I have no doubt that the smash quotient will rise greatly over the next couple of issues so hang in there is you aren’t digging the big green mood man. Perfect in doing what it aims to do but maybe not for everyone at this point.
Grade: B+
Readers Rating: [ratings]
