Immortal Hulk vol. 2: The Green Door

I talked about the first volume of this series in the “On Horror” podcast.  The short version is that while this horror-infused “Hulk” title isn’t scary, writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennett are still doing great, creative work best evidenced by one of its key revelations towards the end.  That would be the fact that some evil Gamma-related force has it in for the Hulk and Bruce Banner, and it’s doing it with the face of Banner’s abusive father. What does it want? Banner isn’t sure yet, but he does have an idea of where to go next:  home to where the Hulk was born. The problem is that there are lots of people who want to see the Green Goliath either in custody for his own protection or in custody for their own purposes. It’s a list that includes the Avengers, the new Gamma Flight team, and the Shadow Base team of military men, scientists, Bushwhacker, and Absorbing Man.

Does this mean that there’s a lot of fighting going on in this volume?  Yes it does and it really allows Bennett to show how he can really deliver some impressive carnage.  The Avengers brawl is first among equals here and it’s a satisfying rumble not just for the action, but for the way this new Hulk gets into the heads of his former teammates.  Especially in the case of Jennifer Walters as his encounter with her represents the first worthwhile thing I’ve seen done with her new “savage” She-Hulk persona. The setup involving Gamma Flight isn’t that interesting, so it’s a good thing that the business involving Shadow Base makes up for it.  From their unique method of Hulk containment, to how the character crosses a line in his escape, to the brief history of Absorbing Man and his horrific and tragic transformation, it’s clear that these antagonists are as interesting as they are worthy. Then you’ve got the business with the Green Door which closes out the volume and sets up a promisingly creepy storyline for the next volume — in Hell.