The story of the Immortal Hulk continues in this fourth issue where we get a whole lot of Sasquatch and not much Hulk for our money.
The Immortal Hulk #4
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Joe Bennett and Ruy Jose
Colors by Paul Mounts
Published by Marvel Comics
Warning! Spoilers for The Immortal Hulk #4 are contained within. Proceed with caution.
The Hulk has been many things over the course of his long superhero career.
He has been Rampaging, Indestructible, Savage and now, thanks to writer Al Ewing, he is Immortal.
Unfortunately, in the fourth issue of his latest series, he is also nowhere to be found.
That’s right true believers. You will find no Hulk whatsoever in the pages of The Immortal Hulk #4. Sure, we get a couple glimpses in a few flashbacks and we do get some Bruce Banner in the last handful of pages. But the big green rampaging monster who this particular series is named after? Not so much.
Instead, we get the life and times of Walter Langowski, aka Sasquatch. For those who may be unfamiliar, Langowski attempted to replicate the accident that created the Hulk and instead became the giant orange member of Alpha Flight named Sasquatch. That was until it was revealed he was actually possessed by one of the Great Beasts of the North. Or something.
Do yourself a favor. Just buy Immortal Hulk #4 and it will fill you in on more about Sasquatch that you would ever want to know.
Which, if the book was named The Immortal Sasquatch, would be just fine and dandy. But considering this comic book is called The Immortal Hulk, you can be forgiven if I feel like the victim of a bait and switch here.
After finishing the issue, it’s obvious Ewing has some plans for Langowski in the pages of this series. He not so subtly infers that the Sasquatch and Hulk are both, in fact, immortal thanks to their interaction with gamma radiation. It’s quite a change for the character of Sasquatch and could lead to all kinds of interesting storylines in the future.
The problem is that I kept waiting for a payoff in the book only to get to the end and a “To be continued” box. The Immortal Hulk #4 seemed like an awful lot of filler for $4 and nothing that couldn’t have been covered in half as many pages.
That being said, I can forgive Ewing the indulgence when the book looks as gorgeous as it does here. Joe Bennett has been getting better and better with each issue of The Immortal Hulk and knocks it out of the park in issue #4. His organic, flowing style took some getting used to, but after just four issues this is easily one of the best looking books on the stands.
Ewing and Bennett have long been two of the most underrated talents currently working at Marvel. The Immortal Hulk has been flying under the radar since launch but that is deservedly beginning to change. No, issue #4 was not the best of the series, but when you factor in just how good those first three issues were, I’m more than willing to cut Ewing some slack and see where he is going with this.
More Comics: The Champions Are Heading To Weirdworld
My only hope for the future is that we get some of the Hulk’s old rogue’s gallery involved soon. I can’t be the only one wondering what The Pantheon or The Leader is up to these days, can I?
Of all the “Fresh Start” Marvel titles, The Immortal Hulk is by far the most enjoyable right now. I highly recommend it and if issue #4 is your fist, stay with the series. I’d be willing to bet issue #5 will make it worth it.
Leave a Reply