Juggernaut and the Hulk clash in Juggernaut #2, by writer Fabian Nicieza, artist Ron Garney, colorist Matt Milla, and letterer Joe Sabino. While this one has a big fight between Juggs and Hulk, it also does some great character work too, fleshing out the Juggernaut a little bit more.

This issue alternates between Hulk and Juggernaut fighting and flashbacks- D-Cel explains to Juggernaut the whole reason behind her idea for fighting the Hulk, but Damage Control is watching the whole exchange and preparing technology that can take down the Hulk. In the present, Hulk gets the best of Juggernaut as D-Cel live streams the whole battle, and the Damage Control agents set up their weapons. The story then flashbacks to a hospital in Chicago, where Juggernaut is convalescing after getting out of Limbo. Xavier is checking in on him by way of psychic projection and Juggernaut thinks it’s because he’s going to ask him to come to Krakoa but Charles says he’s not because Krakoa is for mutants but tells Juggernaut he believes in him. In the present, Hulk presses his advantage, throwing Juggs around and getting closer to D-Cel and the Damage Control team. D-Cel hits him with her powers, Damage Control hits him with a gamma radiation siphon and Juggs builds up some steam, hitting him the Hulk with all he’s got and taking him down. In flashback, Juggernaut is out of the hospital and in Budapest, where he is being shown to a place he’s been before, the temple of Cyttorak. IN the present, the Hulk is captured and confronted by the victims of his rampages. Juggernaut stands by the whole time and listens, the whole thing striking a chord with him. Hulk breaks free and says that most of the time, he wasn’t even in control of his actions… but Juggernaut was and he’s just as bad as the Hulk. Hulk escapes and Juggernaut realizes just how right Hulk was about him. He and D-Cel return to Manhattan, where Juggernaut is served with a twenty-five million dollar lawsuit.

Right off the bat, Nicieza plays with reader perception- as D-Cel is explaining to Juggernaut about the person who gave her the idea to go after the Hulk, Damage Control is watching. Does D-Cel work for them? Do they have some kind of ulterior motive for trying to make Juggernaut an Internet hero? This little thing kind of places a lot of what else readers thought they knew in question. Could Damage Control have given D-Cel her powers and planted her among the squatters? Did they engineer the whole confrontation between her and Juggernaut? Why else would they be so gung ho about going after the Hulk, which is a pretty dangerous endeavor? A few simple panels bring up a lot of really good questions.

The scene with the Hulk being confronted by his victims is extremely well done as well. It keeps cutting between the Hulk, the victims telling him their stories, and the Juggernaut himself internalizing those stories, thinking back on his own crimes. It really hits the reader with how the Juggernaut could just as well be in the Hulk’s position before the Hulk even brings it up himself. The fact that it affects Juggernaut so much shows how much the character has changed over the years- he never felt guilt before for his actions and the fact that he feels it now is a big deal.

Ron Garney turns in some amazing art in this issue. His Hulk is a massive engine of destruction, an almost demonic beast of fury. It’s a wonderful representation of the Jade Giant that works extremely well for this story. Later in the book, he captures the Juggernaut’s guilt and sorrow for his past actions wonderfully. Garney has long been one of the most underrated artists in comics and this issue is yet another example of that.

Juggernaut #2 was advertised as a fight between Juggernaut and the Hulk, which would have been fun, but what readers got is something way better. Nicieza uses the fight as set dressing to let readers in on how Juggernaut has changed over the years- he’s a man who knows how much he’s sinned and is trying to do something to make it all better. That seems to be the whole point of this mini-series and it’s working very well. Garney’s art is the icing on the cake- he nails the fight scenes and the quieter stuff perfectly and remains one of the best artists in comics. Juggernaut is shaping up to be more than it seemed on the outside and it’s wonderful.

Grade: A