The Immortal Hulk #16 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 16, June 2019

Incredibly increasing its monthly circulation by almost forty thousand copies so as to become the fourth best-selling comic book in April 2019, Al Ewing’s storyline for Issue Sixteen of “The Immortal Hulk” must have debatably had many of its 90,305 readers scratching their heads in puzzlement as to just what the fuss surrounding this ongoing series was all about. Sure the twenty-page periodical contains a pulse-pounding bout of pugilism between its titular character and a pack of gamma-mutated zoo animals, but the heavily-fanged giant green gorilla, demonic hound and vampire bat are all soon battered to death without Bruce Banner’s murderous alter-ego even breaking into a sweat; “Wanna play Fido? Play dead.”

Instead, this comic predominantly focuses upon Rick Jones’ current fate within the Marvel Universe, and how, having recently had his corpse “exhumed by literal Men in Black with official clearance” the Hulk’s former sidekick is at the centre of some despicably dubious experiment by General Fortean at Shadow Base Site B. These intermittent sequences are arguably however, the highlight of this book, as the Whisperer’s emaciated body is slowly cocooned in a treacle-like luminous green bile and disconcertingly begins to take on the appearance of some sort of reptilian abomination.

Similarly as shocking though, is the former “2000 A.D.” writer’s ability to once again throw his audience a startling curve ball at the very end of this publication with the brusque reappearance of the Bushwacker and even more abrupt demise of Doc Samson, courtesy of a single shot to the head. Doubtless many a “Hulk-Head” gasped at the sheer suddenness of Leonard’s cold-blooded murder, yet immediately then shuddered further as Agent Carl Burbank transforms his right hand into a small firearm and blasts the aghast Banner through the stomach an instant later.

All of these twists and turns are marvellously visualised by penciler Joe Bennett, whose tooth-breaking illustrations of the Green Goliath smashing a hairy primate straight in the chops genuinely brings tears to the eyes. Whether it be the aforementioned Jones’ lifeless body being dripped in sticky irradiated goo, Jackie McGee’s haunted memory of her sightless dead father, or a sneak peek at Betty Ross-Banner as the feather-covered Harpy spying upon a Californian detective investigating her sudden disappearance, all of the Brazilian illustrator’s numerous panels are absolutely packed full of animated life and emotion.

‘First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" No. 16 by Alex Ross