The Incredible Hulk #1
- Writer:
- Phillip Kennedy Johnson
- Artist:
- Nic Klein
- Letterer:
- Cory Petit
- Cover Artist:
- Nic Klein
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $4.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-06-21
- Colorist:
- Matt Wilson
When genius scientist Bruce Banner got exposed to gamma radiation, he transformed into the Hulk, a jade giant capable of massive destruction. What others saw as a monster was actually the manifestation of his inner rage that acted to protect Banner from the harsh realities of the world, like a coping mechanism. However, with their strained relationship now beyond repair, an enraged Hulk wants complete control over Banner's body. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with artwork from Nic Klein and Matthew Wilson and lettering by VC's Cory Petit, The Incredible Hulk #1 from Marvel Comics opens a new chapter in the Green Goliath's life. With the Green Door shut, monsters have come out to play.
The Incredible Hulk #1 opens with a flashback one year in the past in an archeological site in Iraq. A group of archeologists enters the location to steal valuables, only to come across deformed cadavers. Before they make off with the goods, one of their own turns into a grotesque monster and kills everyone. The primordial beings in the place have finally found an escape. With the Green Door closed, the Eldest wants to establish its own kingdom on Earth. Only one being stands in their way; faraway, in Kentucky, Bruce Banner is running from his own devilish persona. The Hulk isn't done with him, and is getting increasingly aggressive each day.
The Incredible Hulk #1 plays out in three distinctive acts. The first act introduces the big bad of this arc. The second follows a harrowed and lonely Banner as well-inserted jump scares test him psychologically. The third and final act allows Hulk to take his anger out on anything and everything. The age-old dynamic of Banner and Hulk gets an updated look as writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson tries to tackle the paranoia that the protagonist is going through while balancing it with his softer side. Bruce is more afraid of letting Hulk take over because of the damage he can do to innocent people. Once the green beast gets going, he becomes the magnet that pulls all the fomenting narratives in his direction, along with a young girl named Charlene who gets swept in the currents.
Nic Klein's artwork perfectly fits the absolute carnage in the book, like a missing piece to a zigsaw puzzle. His swathes of ink bring out the foul and gore aspects of the monstrosities, while his hatching lines shroud the panels in a degree of grittiness that only darkness can conjure. It's the perfect canvas for the psychological horrors Bruce faces to come out and play. Hulk is the perfect mix of power and dread, with one splash page depicting Banner's transformation in all its glory. Colorist Matthew Wilson uses secondary colors like magenta and green to create striking panels, with letterer Cory Petit using green and black speech balloons with jagged edges to show the mental state of the Hulk. But mostly, it is the popping of joints and cracking of ribs that conveys the sinisterness.
The Incredible Hulk #1 declares war on Hulk as every unnatural being on this sacred Earth answers the call of the villainous Eldest and joins in on the bounty hunt. The debut is off to an enthralling start, throwing caution to the wind. There is a definite whiff of Immortal Hulk in everything, from the visuals to the intensity that pay homage to Ewing's run. While the plot is far from convoluted, the narratives seem detached from each other not in tone but in subject. Although Charlene's life seems to be on a similar track as Banner, mirroring his relationship with his abusive father. And their chance meeting may suspiciously go down the lone wolf and cub trope, giving the Hulk something different to adjust to.