The Immortal Hulk #4 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 4, October 2018

Focusing far more upon the shenanigans of the slightly too-smug Walter Langkowski as opposed to this comic’s titular character, or even the green-skinned Goliath’s “puny” alter-ego, Al Ewing’s narrative for “Time Of Death” nonetheless still provided its audience with plenty of intriguing exposition as to Banner’s Pennsylvania State University college days using the “lab facilities Desert State didn’t” have and media reporter Jacqueline McGee’s determined investigation into Bruce’s recent resurrection as a terrifying supernatural engine of vengeance who seems “attracted to other gamma-powered individuals.”

Indeed, considering that the British author’s twenty-page long script contains both the Alpha Flight member’s horrifically savage death at the hands of a murderously manic drunk and subsequent restoration as the orange-furred great beast, Sasquatch, it was probably easy for any unfamiliar bibliophile perusing this comic on the spinner rack to incorrectly believe that the former Green Bay Packer was “The Immortal Hulk” rather than the purple pant-wearing physicist, especially when so much of the plot’s backstory also seemingly expands upon Langkowski’s “mission to duplicate what happened to Bruce.” This insight into Walter’s motivation to squander his fortune and accept both the “funding and encouragement from Department H, the Canadian super hero monitoring agency” is wonderfully summarised by the former “2000 A.D.” writer, and arguably helps his story-line portray far more obvious parallels between the adventure’s two leading men than has previously been printed before.

Of course, once Jennifer Walters’ cousin nonchalantly sits himself down beside an emotional Jackie at the local hospital and spells out to her that the Howling Commando affiliate’s “gamma signature is just like mine” the similarities between the pair are as evident as the implied danger to all those dwelling within the medical centre should the badly-injured patient die and inadvertently transform; “And now the sun’s gone down. It’s night. And the night, is his time. We need to evacuate the hospital.” Yet the way in which this relationship is slowly revealed through the reporter’s interview with Langkowski is superbly penned and genuinely creates an increasingly palpable, dramatic tension which only reaches a crescendo with this comic’s cliff-hanger conclusion…

Joe Bennett’s terrific pencilling and ability to bring “Ewing’s scripts to the page with stark, frightening clarity” also helps imbue this particular issue with a captivating energy which makes it hard to put the comic down until it ends with an incredibly bestial-looking Sasquatch menacing his unsuccessful surgeons with a truly dangerous glint in his feral eyes. True, fans of the Hulk won’t find the human mutate receiving much ‘screen time’ within the Brazilian’s panels on this occasion, but his wonderfully lanky rendition of Walter, complete with yellow mutton-chops, more than makes up for this omission.

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" No. 4 by Alex Ross