The Hulk’s world gets turned upside down in The Immortal Hulk #36, written by Al Ewing, with pencils by Joe Bennett, inks by Ruy Jose, and colors by Matt Milla. If this issue isn’t proof that Bruce Banner is suffering under some sort of lifelong, bad luck “Thinner” curse, what else would it take to convince you? Previously, Banner’s longtime friend Rick Jones was returned to life under strange circumstances, and his new, ill-defined gamma powers compounded the weirdness of the situation. In the meantime, Bruce’s current main alter ego, Devil Hulk, went missing in his recent battle against the mind-altering space alien Xemnu, leaving the old fan favorite “Savage Hulk” in his place. Could things get worse? Yes, they could, because Rick Jones isn’t really Rick, he’s just Hulk’s enemy, the Leader, using Rick’s body as a disguise. Now, he’s working behind the scenes in Banner’s camp, manipulating the most impressionable Hulk there is. The results? A full-on Hulk-powered gamma explosion in the middle of a crowded city. Now, a horrified and confused Savage Hulk must defend himself against Gamma Flight, as they come to arrest him for being a danger to society.

There’s not much you can say about Ewing’s writing of the Hulk that hasn’t already been said at this point, but he is, quite simply, one of the best writers of this character of all time. He knows Banner/Hulk inside and out, he knows what to keep from previous incarnations of the character, and he knows what to ignore. Throughout his series, he has made use of his “Devil Hulk,” but even now, when he chooses to focus on the Savage Hulk or the times he’s made use of Mr. Fixit or the World Breaker, there has never been a sour note. The man just gets what makes Banner and his alter egos tick. His scenes in this issue, showing the childlike Hulk’s reaction to accidentally hurting people, knowing he’ll never be left alone (famously, what any Hulk wants), are heartbreaking and chilling and show a depth that few writers have ever gotten out of that version of the character. Even if he’s not your favorite, you won’t be able to help but feel for the Savage Hulk in this situation.

Gamma Flight finally gets a little bit more of the spotlight this issue, too, and they really don’t come out looking any better for it. Ewing has previously written them as good guys, and former criminals trying to track down the Hulk to keep him from harming more people. Characters like Absorbing Man and Titania, who are career criminals that have done unspeakable things in the past, had even been shown to be making an honest effort to turn over a new leaf. This chapter of Ewing’s story shows that despite their best efforts, they’re still hotheaded people prone to making bad decisions. Not that Puck, former member of the Canadian superhero group, Alpha Flight, end up looking all that heroic, either. He’s just as unwilling to listen to reporter Jackie McGee’s pleas for them to stand down, and equally responsible for escalating the situation to ridiculous levels. None of that is necessarily character betrayal in any way, though. Instead, Ewing is showing that the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions, and when you’re dealing with the Hulk, who just caused a massive gamma explosion, you’re probably going to want to take him down as quickly as possible.

Bennett, much like Ewing, is nigh-flawless when it comes to his rendition of the Hulk. There can’t be enough praise heaped upon him, or Ruy Jose, for their work on this book throughout its run. Equally, colorist Matt Milla, taking over duties from Paul Mounts, does amazing work, and you wouldn’t even notice that one of the members of this now-legendary art team is missing.

If you’ve been reading this book, you already know it’s great. If you haven’t been reading it, you have no idea what you’ve been missing. The Immortal Hulk is, possibly, the best book Marvel is publishing right now, with the arguable exception of Hickman’s X-men. Do yourself a favor, and start picking up the trades now, so you can catch up before Ewing ends his run with issue #50.

Grade: A+