The Immortal Hulk #30 // Review
The story of Bruce Banner’s attempt to destroy (and rebuild?) the world rampages forward with The Immortal Hulk #30, written by Al Ewing, with pencils by Joe Bennett, inks by Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, and Cam Smith, and colors by Paul Mounts. Previously, Banner and his multitude of personalities came to the conclusion that humanity, as it is, needed to be upended. An unprecedented alliance led to Bruce/Hulk(s) taking over a top-secret government shadow base, and declaring their intentions publicly. Their first target? Former enemy of Thor, Dario Agger, the monstrous Minotaur, who also happens to be CEO of the Roxxon Corporation. Not one to take a challenge lying down, Agger launched an anti-Hulk campaign, intending to out-strategize an enemy that can’t be out-muscled. Dario has now released four monsters on a helpless Phoenix, Arizona, in hopes of drawing out Banner and his crew.
Ewing continues to find new, and terrifying horrors to throw at the Hulk, that not only pose a threat but are compelling in their own right. That’s not an easy task, considering the titular star of the book is considered by most to be “the strongest there is”. Nevertheless, Ewing doesn’t seem to be showing signs of slowing down. Agger, Banner’s latest big bad, is borrowed from Jason Aaron’s Thor run, but he’s a perfect fit for the Big Green One’s rogues gallery. Being roughly in the same strength class as Hulk helps. Still, the fact that he’s an accomplished calculating and murderous businessman makes him a kind of “best of both worlds” enemy for the familiar raging green monster.
There’s not much in the way of character development this issue, but the readers are treated to a spectacular monster battle with Hulk and friends all getting a bit of spotlight. Betty and Rick, particularly, get to flex their gamma muscles in some impressive ways. Hulk, on the other hand, does one somewhat surprising thing: he reverts to his Savage personality at a time when he would most be needed. It’s a fun way to show how this new alliance between all of Banner’s personalities is going to work, and it gives readers a chance to see an old favorite iteration of the Hulk in action.
Bennett, Jose, and Mounts do their usual amazing job on the art, with an assist from inkers Brabo and Smith, but with all the punches being thrown, and monsters flying in every direction, some of the action comes across as confusing, and hard to follow this issue. Regardless, the creature designs themselves, are inspired. If there’s one thing this art team can do better than, perhaps, any other in the history of comics, it’s horror and monsters. This issue was a shining achievement in what they can accomplish in design and a reminder that they have earned their place on the list of all-time Marvel greats.
Overall, if you’re a fan of this series, it’s still firing on all cylinders, and this issue won’t disappoint. If you haven’t been reading, what are you waiting for? Haven’t you heard people singing the praises of this book yet? Go out and pick up the Immortal Hulk immediately.
