Ewing And Bennett Hit Another Home Run With Immortal Hulk #11
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
It seems that Hulk, Jackie McGee, Gamma Flight, Absorbing Man, and everyone around them have been dragged down into Hell itself. The area that surrounds them, once Los Diablos and the birthplace of the Incredible Hulk, is now a charred wasteland with cracked ground and red skies. Hulk and Jackie wander the landscape together, and Jackie tries to understand more about how Hulk gets to be angry. Elsewhere, Puck has found the true Crusher Creel, and the two try to grapple with what seems to have happened to them.
Immortal Hulk #11 is another absolutely phenomenal issue in what has easily solidified itself as Marvel’s best comic currently on the stands. It’s in contention for the best issue of Immortal Hulk yet.
This comic is, in part, a meditation on what Hell would even be. In a universe and even multiverse where individuals have trod upon realms of brimstone and fire and come back unscathed, what would true Hell even look like?
Immortal Hulk doesn’t seek to necessarily answer that here, and some of its tricks have been used by other Marvel comics. That said, the mixture of Al Ewing’s writing and Joe Bennett’s art makes for a uniquely haunting experience. That which haunts Hulk, Jackie, and the others is capable of unnerving the reader.
Among the more interesting conversations in the comic is the dialogue between Jackie and Hulk about anger and all that the Hulk has wrought. Jackie points out that Hulk has killed many and destroyed countless homes, but he’s been invited back onto the Avengers, forgiven, and excused. He ruined Jackie’s life. If Jackie or others did half as much as Hulk, they would have likely been outright executed by now, especially a black woman like Jackie. The comic doesn’t really have an answer or excuse for this, and what could one say to that anyway? Jackie is far from wrong.
As previously implied and stated in prior reviews, Joe Bennett’s artwork continues to astonish, haunt, and excel. This series has had numerous memorable pages, and the visions of the shrunken husk of the Hulk wandering this hellscape measures among those. That’s not counting the subtler moments, such as the disquieting excitement in Puck’s face as he talks about this Hell and his own adventures. The work of inker Ruy Jose and color artist Paul Mounts can not be overstated either; this book is a triumph of all creators involved. The inking boldens and defines the shapes in a striking manner, and the color work enhances the foreboding atmosphere of this Hell world we visit.
Immortal Hulk #11 is the kind of comic I live for. It’s sharp, unnerving, engaging, and has characters, artwork, and plot progression that leave the reader dying for more. This one gets a strong recommendation. Give this book a read.
Immortal Hulk #11 comes to us from writer Al Ewing, artist Joe Bennett, inker Ruy Jose, color artist Paul Mounts, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, cover artist Alex Ross, and variant cover artist Phil Noto.
