Battling Beneath Everything In Immortal Hulk #13
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
The One Beneath All is unleashing its demonic hordes into the realm that was once Los Diablos. The Hulk is more than willing to fight these monsters, and he receives the help of this husk of Rick Jones, which turns into a creature resembling A-Bomb. Meanwhile, Puck and Absorbing Man have found Bruce Banner’s father, and, despite his history as a villain, Crusher wants to set things right–even if it means giving the Hulk back his full power.
Immortal Hulk #13 brings this tale of demons, monsters, and hells to and–at least for now.
A battle is waged between the One Beneath All and the Hulk and his allies. Brian Banner tries to coax Absorbing Man into a one-on-one fight, Hulk rages ever onward against the endless hordes, and we are made to wonder if Rick Jones can come back.
This one is hard to talk about without giving away some of the surprises, and it isn’t helped that this entire issue is in itself a finale, a climax, and a conclusion (yes I know those are technically synonyms).
What can be said without giving too much away is that Al Ewing continues to blow the reader away with his poignancy and skill. Immortal Hulk isn’t just one of the most compelling of the current Marvel roster; it’s also one of the smartest. He takes the 50 years of Hulk history on the table and questions what all of it means, both for Bruce Banner and for the audience.
Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose (with Belardino Brabo and Rafael Fonteriz), and Paul Mounts continue their streak of gorgeous comics that are equal parts superhero grandeur and haunting body horror. The forms are incredible, the inking is tight and effective, and the color work is brilliant.
Immortal Hulk #13 is another mind-blowing chapter in Ewing, Bennett, and company’s Hulk saga. We see how the Hulk struggle against a vast evil tied to his very being, and we see why he and Banner continue to reunite over and over. This one gets a strong recommendation. Give it a read.
Immortal Hulk #13 comes to us from writer Al Ewing, artist Joe Bennett, inkers Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, and Rafael Fonteriz, color artist Paul Mounts, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, cover artist Alex Ross, and variant cover artist Chris Stevens with Morry Hollowell.
