The Incredible Hulk [2023] #27 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 27, September 2025

Starting with a seriously sedentary opening which features Bruce Banner’s alter-ego disconcertingly dozing under a woodland tree whilst a young boy noisily plays with a self-made wooden sword at his feet, many a bibliophile probably couldn’t be blamed for wondering what on Earth writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson was thinking when he penned this comic’s somewhat ponderous narrative. Sure, the happy-go-lucky youngster’s father is almost immediately shown to have something of a short-fused temper. But there’s absolutely no suggestion of the genuinely shocking tragedy which has actually already befallen poor Petey when he’s subsequently shown skipping back towards his home; “Daddy builds stuff. But sometimes he gets angry, and we gotta leave again.”

Instead, the American author just slowly starts to add layers to the dynamics of the kid’s dysfunctional, ever-erratic life on board a travelling bus, and the increasingly worrying criminal lifestyle of Henry Lang – who evidently enjoys dealing in stolen goods after work. In addition, the titular character himself is shown as having some serious self-doubts as to whether he truly wants to be left alone after all, and actually appears to be slowly warming up to the notion that perhaps instead of being a monster, the Hulk could become a force for good once again. 

Shockingly though, this dream of redemption is suddenly brought crashing down around the founding Avenger’s ears when he overhears Petey’s dad telling his wife they have to leave Tennessee immediately following a gun-fight with the local Police. Initially, this scene suggests that the boy will simply be left behind to his fate in the forest. However, it soon becomes crystal clear that things are far more sinister than mere abandonment, and that partially buried under “the Falling-Down Tree” is a dark secret infinitely worse than any creature from the kid’s vivid imagination.

Sadly what isn’t as successful as this book’s cataclysmic conclusion is debatably its drawing, with Kev Walker’s pencils proving rather disappointing when it comes to the look of this ongoing series’ titular character. The British illustrator does a first-rate job in depicting the disagreeable violence Henry is willing to subject his poor, ever-loyal spouse to, and resultantly should make the fellow utterly despicable in the eyes of this publication’s audience. Yet the artist's sketches of a long-haired, chisel-chinned Hulk is perplexing at best, and simply doesn’t portray the heavily-conflicted brute all that well – at least until the gamma mutate decides to take revenge upon poor Petey’s unrepentant murderer.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #27 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #26 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 26, August 2025

For any bibliophiles eagerly anticipating a pulse-pounding punch-up between this comic’s titular character and Bucky Barnes, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s storyline for Issue twenty Six of “Incredible Hulk” will probably prove downright discouraging. In fact, the Winter Soldier debatably barely contributes to this book’s overall narrative much at all, thanks to his battle being brought to an infuriatingly short end by Charlie Tidwell’s well-meaning intervention; “You’re… my hero, Bucky. You and Cap were my actual heroes. I wanted to be you since I was a little kid.”

Instead, the American author suddenly imbues the Green Goliath’s sidekick with the convenient ability to somehow enter the apocalyptic-looking Hulkscape in order to visit Bruce Banner’s heavily imprisoned persona. This quite lengthy sequence is debatably as uninteresting as the wilful adolescent’s new found ability is immensely opportune, and disappointingly doesn’t even show what manner of dreadful fate has actually befallen the gamma radiologist’s tortured identity.

What this apparently truly terrifying revelation is supposed to cause though, is for the “stalwart teenage companion” to inadvertently stick half her face into a roaring campfire in the real world, and then transform back into the winged werewolf form she acquired from the mother of all Skinwalkers, Lycana. Little of this frantic action arguably makes much sense, apart from the “kid” clearly not wishing to be a murderous monster, and may well leave many a reader gazing up into space dumbfounded by what they’ve seen – just as an utterly bemused Hulk does when Tidwell dramatically flies off into the night’s sky at this comic’s end.

Quite possibly also adding to much of this twenty-page periodical’s disappointing dullness are some of the layouts drawn by Kev Walker. The GLAAD Media Award-nominee’s pencilling really seems to be stretched beyond breaking point by this book’s script, thanks largely to the British illustrator apparently struggling to come to grips with a long-haired Hulk who doesn’t look plain dumb. Indeed, this publication would likely have proved far more pleasant to the eyes if the style used for the aforementioned Hulkscape segment, which appears to have been possibly painted rather than drawn, had been used throughout, rather than the harsh, somewhat cartoony visuals, which the artist is better known for.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #26 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #25 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 25, July 2025

Loudly lauded by its New York City-based publisher as the “most epic rematch in Marvel history”, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s oversized, thirty-page plot for Issue Twenty-Five of “Incredible Hulk” certainly had an awful lot of expectations to live up to. And delightfully, this brutal battering between two of the Avengers’ founding members delivers precisely that. Indeed, for those bibliophiles who enjoy an all-out slugfest, this comic’s sole disappointment is that the pulse-pounding pugilism stops dead in its tracks just as it looks as if the Green Goliath is going to continue clobbering the Warriors Three straight into next month's instalment too; “Perhaps… I was hasty. Perhaps it is not the beast I face of old.”

Almost as entertaining as this book’s central thread though has to be the backstory to Thor’s first confrontation with Lycana, which is dramatically penned by the American author as if it were an old Asgardian myth. Quite beautifully pencilled/coloured by Nic Klein, this sub-story smacks of the distrust a village of aging veterans would have when approached by a young, unknown warrior who is stalking a shape-shifting killer, and resultantly provides this tome with a strongly contrasting pace to all the aforementioned punches, kicks and blows, as the God of Thunder carefully investigates old Arne’s trembling testimony.

Encouragingly, at least for those readers who wish to see some redeeming features exist within the titular character's adolescent travelling companion, this comic also shows Charlie Tidwell demonstrating some uncharacteristic common sense during her time with Odinson. Rather than angrily transform into the mother of all skinwalkers as she ordinarily does whenever things don't pan out precisely as she naively wants them to, the young girl actually tries to rationalise with her super-strong would-be abductor, and quite disconcertingly appears to be the only member of the book’s cast to exhibit any real sound judgement throughout the incredibly tense situation.

By far this publication’s biggest hook however, has to be the incredible artwork of its German illustrator, who produces some absolutely astonishing masterpieces throughout this tome. Of particular note is the huge sunken sea vessel with which the Hulk whacks Thor straight back up to the Rainbow Bridge. But this is just one of several colossal blows which quite literally leap off of the printed page, and makes all onlookers genuinely feel the physical, bone-shaking impact of each colossal connection.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #25 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #24 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 24, June 2025

Initially appearing to tell a tense, claustrophobic tale as to how Charlie Tidwell might be able to finally control “the pelt of the mother of all skinwalkers” which she now tragically wears, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s narrative for Issue Twenty Four of “Incredible Hulk” is certainly packed full of surprises, and should definitely catch a fair few within its audience on their back foot. Sure, the twenty-page periodical’s plot doesn’t live up to its early promise of depicting Clea Strange guiding the headstrong adolescent through some sort of magical ritual so as to rid the girl of her occasional disagreeable lust for human flesh. But its various twists and turns should still provide most bibliophiles with a thoroughly entertaining trip down into the depth of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Furthermore, when the House of Lycana’s werewolves do eventually launch their ambush, it comes completely out of the blue, and many a reader will doubtless feel a little bit upset for Bruce Banner as the good Doctor suddenly faces a truly grisly death, rather than the peaceful hour of quiet away from his super-strong alter-ego which he had been hoping for. Indeed, the American Eisner-nominated author genuinely makes the scientist’s plight palpably pathetic, and resultantly creates a lot more dynamic energy for this comic’s storyline when the titular character finally emerges to seek his revenge much later on in the book; “Idiots! You were not to consume him!!! Even dismembered the Fractured Son cannot die!”

Quite possibly this yarn’s sole disappointment therefore lies in there being no actual coverage of Stephen Strange’s wife fighting off Lycana’s ferocious minions prior to Tidwell’s visit. Of course, such an insight would clearly ruin the sheer shock suffered later on when it becomes clear that the Clea Charlie is talking to is really a demonic cultist. However, once this startling revelation has occurred there arguably would have been little harm in showing the sorceress unsuccessfully battling her home’s invaders by way of a flashback sequence or two, rather than simply have one of the devils verbally recount the Faltine hybrid’s defeat..?

Just as slightly irritating is some of Kev Walker’s artwork too, which seems to slightly ‘go off the rails’ for the odd panel showing the Hulk’s grotesque transformation back from a pile of gory, previously consumed entrails. This entire scene is understandably not for the faint-hearted, so the British illustrator’s occasional pencilling mishap when it comes to the Founding Avenger’s cartoony facial expression somewhat jars with the overall seriousness of the situation.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #24 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #23 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 23, May 2025

Penning a physically unrecognisable Charlie Tidwell ‘innocently’ playing basketball with a group of friendly local people, Phillip Kennedy Johnson certainly seems intent on making this comic’s audience increasingly nervous as to whether any of the hapless homesteaders surrounding the shapeshifter will actually survive the ball game or not. In fact, once their happy little run-around is interrupted by the horrifying appearance of a winged servant of Eldest, the sense of danger to these pleasantly portrayed citizens is truly palpable, and may well cause the odd bibliophile to momentarily pause before turning the page to see which residents escape with their lives.

Furthermore, there is something truly troubling about watching the Hulk’s sidekick enjoying herself whilst wearing the face and body of a beautiful blonde who the young girl has previously eaten alive, and subsequently hidden the bloody, disgorged human remains. Of course, the adolescent’s need for camaraderie, amusement and social interaction is very understandable considering how lonely “Becky” must be whilst continuously walking alongside the giant green goliath for days on end. But these sequences still prove mighty unsettling as she continues to lie to the honest inhabitants, and then savagely lashes out at the wide-eyed goblin who brings her pleasant sports session to an abrupt end.

Slightly less successful however, is arguably the American author’s handling of Norgul, who steals Charlie’s skin and then attempts to fool Bruce Banner’s alter-ego by unnervingly wearing the ill-fitting disguise. Such a ploy was never going to work. Yet “the demonic thief” appears to be completely bemused that his ill-conceived plan fails miserably, and even gets more cross with Stan Lee’s co-creation when the Hulk reacts violently to the fiend scratching a huge chunk of flesh from his cheek; “Why do you attack? Am I not like you now?”

Interestingly, despite all this book’s brutal body blows, gory mutilation and disturbing physical transformations, it is artist Nic Klein’s pencilling of Charlie’s basketball game which probably remains most in the mind’s eye. The panels contain a real sense of guiltless joy, exuberance and fellowship, which is then so starkly destroyed by the presence of a misshapen, flying creature crouched upon a car and claiming to be “only a pretty human child, like you.”

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #23 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #22 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 22, April 2025

Heavily focusing upon Charlie Tidwell’s increasing loss of control of “her skinwalker alter-ego Lycana”, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s storyline for Issue Twenty Two of “Incredible Hulk” probably disappointed a fair few of the comic’s fans, thanks largely to the Eisner-nominated writer penning the orphan as an angry, disagreeable killer rather than the vulnerable, somewhat sympathetic sidekick she has arguably been in the past. Indeed, the fact that the young girl refuses to accept she is responsible for brutally murdering and then scoffing a pair of hapless teenage tearaways is disconcerting at best, and genuinely makes the adolescent’s character extremely unlikeable when she later attempts to take the moral high-road with her giant, green-hued travelling companion; “Okay cool, we’ll just go wherever you want and I can’t say #%$&, huh? Great!”

Similarly as perturbing though is debatably this twenty-page periodical’s surprisingly sedentary pace. Sure, the book opens up fast enough, with the aforementioned doomed adolescents racing along a road at high-speed only to then have a hungry werewolf purposely crash into the side of their car. But once the plot moves on to Charlie waking up from her bloody nocturnal activities, things just seem to plod along with a series of word-heavy, dialogue driven conversational pieces which do little to actually move events that much further forward.

Disappointingly, even the Hulk and Tidwell’s relationship appears to have hit rock bottom, due to the pair clashing over the founding Avenger locking up Bruce Banner’s persona deep inside his brain. Ordinarily the majority of the audience would surely be supportive of the monster’s friend as she rebukes him for treating the scientist in precisely the same manner as the gamma radiologist once handled him. However, many readers will now doubtless find it difficult to take a side in an argument between two highly unpleasant personalities, and simply want them to get on with the current adventure – something which doesn’t really happen for the remainder of the publication.

Regular artist Nic Klein also appears to be somewhat uninspired by the American author’s script, and rather desperate to inject any dynamism he can muster into an almost endless series of panels in which the characters just shout at one another. Luckily, the German illustrator can always be relied upon to pencil some truly disturbing body horror when the opportunity arises. Though the severed head and half-chewed human remains filling up a log cabin’s bathroom might prove a bit much even for a T+ rated comic book.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #22 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #21 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 21, March 2025

Whilst most Hulk-heads probably felt rather misled by this comic’s solicitation synopsis in which its New York City-based publisher promised a team-up between the titular character and Werewolf By Night “against the immortal wolf-demon Varcolac", it’s highly doubtful many still harboured a grudge after reading the entire twenty-page periodical. True, Bruce Banner’s super-strong alter-ego actually goes it alone against the heavily-fanged spawn of Chthon. But such is the sheer, utterly enthralling intensity of the one-on-one fracas that the vast majority of onlookers would argue the brutal battle didn’t need any more combatants.

In addition, Phillip Kennedy Johnson is far too busy penning a fast-paced sub-plot for Jack Russell’s wolf-form anyway. This fight involving a winged Charlie Tidwell and the former Legion Of Monsters member is just as exciting as this comic’s main event, and despite making the Green Goliath’s young sidekick disagreeably arrogant at times, rather nicely holds the audience’s attention throughout a series of painful bites and vicious-looking claw attacks; “This is not the fight you want, girl. Poor lost child. Don’t even know your own power yet, do you?”

However, alongside all these punches, kicks and thunderous smack-downs, the “American Eisner-nominated” author adds an emotionally-charged moment by having the founding Avenger’s companion risk everything so as to save him from the clutches of Varcolac’s werewolf-infested domain. So daring a move may well capture the odd bibliophile completely off-guard at its spontaneity – especially when it appears that Werewolf By Night has already stopped the adolescent from following her friend to his doom - as well as upset them when the Hulk subsequently lies to his foolhardy rescuer as to what horrible fate he now knows she faces.

Fortuitously, both the frantically-fast scuffles and desperate drop into the fiery chasms of Hell are magnificently pencilled by Danny Earls, whose layouts are arguably at the pinnacle of his profession throughout this book. Of particular note though has to be the unbridled savagery which is on show during the wolf-demon’s conflict against an increasingly angry former Defender. The physicality of this encounter resonates right off of the printed page, to the point where many a bibliophile will surely be able to smell the sweat, blood and tears pooling around the participants’ feet.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #21 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #20 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 20, February 2025

Having previously penned “Banner and Charlie’s dramatic escape from Las Vegas” in this ongoing series’ last issue, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s narrative for “Wolves Of The Old World” certainly seems to walk a delicate tight-rope between making young Tidwell a tragically doomed supporting character whose enthusiasm for her freshly found super-powers has blinded her to their bloody cost, or a highly dislikeable brat who suddenly seems to want to break and bully everything around her. Indeed, there were probably a fair few Hulk-heads within this publication’s audience who by the end of its twenty-page plot were left hoping Jack Russell’s furry alter-ego absolutely cleans the arrogant teenager’s clock; “Oh no… A monster… Whatever will I do.? I’m just a kid, right.? Poor… helpless… little ol’… me.”

Of course, having been threatened and assaulted all her short life by those who should have actually been busy protecting her from such harm, it is pretty clear just why this “scrappy teenager” quickly becomes all that she previously despised - especially when the child can now pummel a hapless ‘pumpjack’ to pieces with her bare hands, and simultaneously garner the praise of the walking Jade Giant which she so unwisely hero-worships. But this sudden strength doesn’t debatably excuse the sheer destructive glee seen in Charlie’s eyes as she’s busy trashing the “puny oil… thing”, or her haughty reaction to Werewolf By Night’s advice by immediately going on the offensive against him.

Fortunately for those bibliophiles who struggle with Tidwell’s superciliousness, this comic also contains an intriguing secondary thread concerning Eldest’s surviving Skinwalkers reaching out to Varcolac, Father of the Wolf Lords, in an effort to take their revenge upon the Hulk. This storyline proves particularly successful, as it also depicts the founding Avenger conceitedly dismissing a lone werewolf who stands in his way, only to then find himself facing a seriously enraged spawn of Chthon who looks scarily able to carve Stan Lee’s co-creation into ruddy-coloured ribbons.

Definitely enabling Johnson to sell all these supernatural shenanigans are the layouts of Danny Earls, who absolutely nails the carousel of physical deformities taking place off-grid. Of particular note has to be the artist’s marvellous sketches showing both Russell and Charlie turning into their respective formidably-fanged wolf-forms, as well as the aforementioned Varcolac rising out of a fiery pit right in front of the incredible Hulk.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #20 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #19 - Marvel Comics [Part Two]

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 19, January 2025

Following on from Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s ‘main event’, Issue Nineteen of “Incredible Hulk” probably disappointed many of its customers due to "Marvel Worldwide" padding out the celebratory, super-sized special with a trio of arguably underwhelming side-shows. Sadly, none of these 'fillers' have been penned by this ongoing series’ guiding hand, and resultantly bear little relationship with the publication’s current “City Of Idols” storyline. Indeed, two of the “all-new tales” don’t even feature either the theoretical physicist or the Jade Giant at all, and instead frustratingly focus upon some minor exploits of She-Hulk and Thunderbolt Ross.

Leading the ‘charge’ is Greg Pak’s ten-page trek to some undisclosed American woodland, where Bruce Banner is suddenly attacked by a pack of peculiar-looking skeletons because “that’s what’s what these days.” Seemingly making little to no sense whatsoever, the long-haired scientist is unable to transform into his sensationally strong counter-part, and resultantly has to rely upon the ultra-convenient appearance of a laser-beam gun packing Amadeus Cho – who just happened to implausibly hear that his friend was being “hunted by ghosts and zombies…” Rather stiffly illustrated by Lan Medina, this tale is just plain odd, and rather shockingly ends with a smiling Banner mercilessly gunning down his would-be protector with Braun’s own wrist-mounted weapon.

Far more entertaining, largely on account of Torun Gronbekk’s tongue-in-cheek humour and Lynne Yoshii’s somewhat anime-like art style, is “Night Eternal”. Debatably emanating El Dorado vibes, this reasonably fast-paced little narrative hurls the reader to the mysterious frozen land of Henunder, and subsequently explores the distinctly dishonest behaviour of the late explorer Harold Dawson; “The family is convinced the items are cursed, which is why you’re tasked with figuring out what to do with them.”

Perhaps the best of the bunch though is Benjamin Percy’s “Prisons”, which within the space of just ten pages manages to quite beautifully encapsulate the cold-blooded, patriotic persona of disgraced American General Thunderbolt Ross. Admittedly, its plot is seemingly penned to be an enticing advertisement for the New York City-based publisher’s upcoming “Red Hulk” title. But alongside Geoff Shaw’s prodigious pencils, this covert penetration of a Russian penal colony makes for a truly mesmerising read.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #19 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #19 - Marvel Comics [Part One]

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 19, January 2025

For those fans anticipating something sensational from the pen of Phillip Kennedy Johnson for this celebratory eight hundredth “Hulk-size issue”, his twenty-four page script depicting “the newly resurrected Charlie Tidwell” as a winged werewolf was probably the last thing they expected. True, the subsequent battle between the runaway lycanthrope and all-powerful Eldest is certainly pulse-pounding. But considering the sheer girth of this publication it’s probably a good bet many readers were expecting a tad more than the titular character simply showing up at the last moment to beat the ancient antagonist with just a couple of blows; “Wretched little thief. My darling Lycana would never have chosen you as her --”

In addition, quite a few within this comic’s audience were probably scratching their heads in bewilderment at the American author’s bizarre opening, which has quite significantly moved events on from where the previous instalment finished. This ‘time jump’ is arguably partially explained in the writer’s summary of events at the very start of the book. However, his scribblings don’t really prepare any onlooker for the sight of Bruce Banner and his strangely emaciated, grey-hued alter-ego suddenly appearing as a sedentary, shrub-like gestalt entity – whose heart-shaped fruit is ferociously feasted upon by a gaggle of demonic Skinwalkers.

Possibly making matters even worse though is that the founding Avenger is largely not even seen in his own commemorative comic book. Instead, this publication’s Eisner-nominated writer relegates the “World-Breaker” to an impotent observer of his young side-kick’s rather painful-looking transformation into a fearsomely-fanged, furry fiend, and only finally intercedes on Charlie’s behalf when it becomes clear that the ‘wannabe heroine’ is badly outmatched by the towering demonic entity which she’s bravely battling.

Fortunately, all these monsters metamorphosing into even more ferocious creatures and then tearing great big gory chunks of flesh out of one another, is probably what artists Nic Klein and Danny Earls are best at pencilling. The creative duo are clearly doing their upmost with Johnson’s somewhat puzzling plot, and despite its disconcerting deficiencies, do a first-rate job of trying to immerse any perusing bibliophile with their mesmerising illustrations and mind-bogglingly good dynamically-charged double-splashes.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #19 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #18 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 18, December 2024

Starting with the recently deceased Charlie Tidwell suddenly being brought back to life from whatever foul dimension her sprit was sent to, and then subsequently showing the poor girl floundering inside a four-walled room somewhere deep beneath Las Vegas, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s opening to Issue Eighteen of “Incredible Hulk” probably caused a fair bit of confusion with its readers. Indeed, even for those bibliophiles wise enough to read the writer's story summary at the book's beginning, it arguably won’t be until Eldest personally spells it out to a heavily-chained Green Goliath that all the plot’s pieces will probably fall into place; “The Pactum Aeternus has been honoured. And now, a moment I’ve dreamt of for an age and an age.”

Happily though, once the penny does drop and it becomes clear that despite Bruce Banner’s betrayal of his super-strong alter-ego, the firstborn of the Mother of Horrors still won’t be able to access the founding Avenger’s great power, this twenty-page periodical becomes unputdownable. True, the swift treachery of skinwalker Katie does debatably lead to some scenes of bodily mutilation which appear as irrelevant as they are highly gratuitous. But the rest of the yarn cracks along at an enthralling pace, with danger seemingly lurking behind every dark corner for the wholly discombobulated Tidwell.

Furthermore, the Eisner-nominated author does a first-rate job in providing this publication’s primary antagonist with a quite memorable side-kick in the guise of the dog-like Teelget. This almost quite literal walking (and talking) bag of bones with a terrifying horned skull appears to be a serious threat to poor Charlie’s wellbeing, and the fact the demonic creature states its disagreeably depraved intentions right in front of the Hulk doesn’t bode well for the non-furry fiend’s future. 

Possibly only increasing the audience’s confusion at the start of this comic is the decision to have both Nic Klein and Danny Earls repeatedly swap back and forth as the book’s artist. This notion is perfectly acceptable when the focus is either exclusively on Stan Lee’s co-creation or the emerald-hued monster's young female friend. However, once the aforementioned Katie starts dipping into both illustrator’s panels, things start to get a bit visually bewildering – to the point where the odd bibliophile may well find themselves momentarily ‘thrown out’ of the tale, and annoyingly have to re-read whatever event has just taken place again.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #18 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #17 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 17, November 2024

Described by its New York City-based publisher as beginning ‘the crescendo to Legacy Issue Nine Hundred of Incredible Hulk’, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s opening for “City Of The Idols” certainly should have utterly enthralled any Hulk-heads with a genuinely touching tale of two girls being lured to a truly unpleasant fate in Las Vegas. But whilst the destiny of the wannabe actresses easily holds the attention, especially once its revealed that they’ve inadvertently walked straight into the heart of an underground vampire coven, the rest of this twenty-page periodical’s plot is arguably far less surprising; “I knew you nearly four thousand years ago. We died together. Our bones were entombed together.”

For starters the titular character simply just walks straight through “the Entertainment Capital of the World” without so much as batting an eye, right up to the entranceway of Lycana’s subterranean temple, and is then rather disappointingly just invited down to meet Eldest. Such matter-of-fact penmanship undoubtedly allows the central antagonists to lock horns as quickly as possible. However, it must surely have made some readers feel the American author had missed a trick not to show the founding Avenger facing off against some of the foul fanged-fiends which he had just established litter the dark streets of the gambling metropolis.

Likewise, the actual battle between Bruce Banner’s alter-ego and his regrettably ordinary-looking female foe may strike some as being a rather ‘fight-by-numbers’ affair, seeing as it’s already been established in past instalments, and then reinforced in this actual publication, that the Hulk cannot physically hurt his opponent. This knowledge, driven home by Eldest’s disagreeable haughtiness, always points to the anti-hero’s human side caving in to her demands to sacrifice the Green Goliath so as to save poor Charlie Tidwell, and resultantly this book's narrative delivers no shock whatsoever when the gamma scientist does just that.

What does strike home though are Nic Klein’s layouts, which try to hold the audience’s eyes with a staggering buffet of physical horror, emotional despair, and bold-faced brutality. Indeed, in many ways it’s a pity the illustrator didn’t stick to showing Eldest in her more Lovecraftian-manifestation, rather than return to pencilling her as a simply smartly-dressed individual whose hands just happen to transform into pointy tentacles similar to James Cameron’s mimetic polyalloy T-1000 shapeshifting assassin.

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein, and Color Artists: Matthew Wilson with Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #16 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 16, November 2024

Containing a somewhat anti-climactic conclusion to “Lament For A Fallen Crown”, in that Eldest is simply bested by the One Below All by ill-advisedly coming within his sight, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s narrative for Issue Sixteen of “Incredible Hulk” still arguably manages to hold its audience’s attention due to the readers’ desire to witness just how the firstborn of the Mother of Horrors is going to get her well-deserved comeuppance. In fact, the sheer unadulterated hubris of the “most powerful of Earth’s ancient demigods” is utterly enthralling, especially once the deceptively potent young girl somehow manages to push Enkidu’s personality into a dark corner of his mind, and arrogantly unlocks the Green Door in the guise of the first Hulk; “Awaken little brothers. This is a day most joyous. Open the way to our mother’s prison for I now hold the key.”

Equally as intriguing though, is the way the fallen city of Nineveh is depicted by the “American Eisner-nominated comic book writer”, with the ancient metropolis’ once beautifully adorned, bustling streets now writhing with a mass of ill-looking demonic entities. The Bull-Man of Akkadia’s grim exploration of this municipal is powerfully-paced, and also does a good job in showing just how strongly settled Eldest’s malign influence was some 3,600 years ago – something which is particularly noteworthy once the wicked wrongdoer’s hold is no more, and humanity quickly recovers its unchallenged sovereignty so as to adorn the brave Tammuz’s tomb with the various bones of the God Child’s devilish disciples.

Finally, despite the aforementioned lack of battle between the tale’s two central characters, this twenty-page periodical’s plot does include a brief glimpse of Enkidu's physical might, when the green-skinned monstrosity is told by an even larger purple-hued, multiple-fanged fiend that a group of caged humans are not for sale. This brutal slug-fest is sense-shatteringly savage due to some fearless pencilling by artist Danny Earls, and demonstrates just how the Hulk has managed to wander so far into the Assyrian capital without being previously challenged by one of its hellish inhabitants. In addition, the sequence quite cleverly starts the notion that a few mortals may well be already re-arming themselves against Eldest, as the Irish illustrator almost covertly sketches a handful of escaped slaves collecting fallen weapons and quietly following in the Bull-Man’s thunderous footsteps to the palace.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #16 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #15 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 15, October 2024

Apparently the thirtieth top-selling comic in August 2024, at least according to “ICv2.com”, it’s a fair bet that numerous readers of “Incredible Hulk” were initially a bit perplexed by Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s decision to side-line the titular character in favour of a flashback storyline dating back to Assyria, some 3,600 years ago. Indeed, many a bibliophile was probably rather disappointed that having finally brought Bruce Banner’s alter-ego within touching distance of poor Charlie Tidwell’s salvation on the outskirts of Las Vegas, the American author quite suddenly hurls his audience into a totally new and unexpected plot featuring Enkidu instead.

Happily however, once this initial disappointment, or at least surprise, has settled, this book’s two-part long “origin of Eldest” should quickly grab any onlooker by the throat, and due to its pulse-pounding pace, as well as a fair share of physical body horror, hold them utterly immobile until the twenty-page periodical’s dramatic end; “If one truly walks the Earth with the power of the Green Door… Could it be the enemy himself, come to punish us?”

In addition to witnessing “the first Hulk” in a genuinely eye-watering display of demonic mutilation, this publication also debatably does an excellent job of depicting an ancient civilisation ravaged by monstrous devils – where what few human inhabitants remain are merely seen as snacks. This barren, deadly wasteland proves particularly intriguing once it becomes clear that a few refugees from the King’s fallen city have still managed to eke out a meagre living amongst the rocks, and all that stands between them a truly ghastly fate is Tammuz’s monstrously-sized second self.

Impressively helping the “Eisner-nominated comic book writer” to sell “Lament For A Fallen Crown” is Danny Earls, whose readily recognisable, and rather quirky-looking art-style, quite marvellously adds to the inhuman nature of the dark domain the Bull-man of Akkadia knowingly wanders into. Of particular note is the Irish illustrator’s ability to imbue his figures with all the awkwardness one might expect from a race of ungodly, misshapen nightmares who clearly desire to imitate a bipedal existence. But he also does a solid job in highlighting the all-too human look of desperation on the faces of the pitifully emaciated family struggling to survive beyond the fallen city.

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Danny Earls, and Color Artist: Matthew Wilson

Hulk: Blood Hunt #1 - Marvel Comics

HULK: BLOOD HUNT No. 1, September 2024

Promising a “spine-chilling chapter of the Blood Hunt event”, this one-shot certainly should have pleased any Hulk-heads who picked the thirty-page periodical up from the spinner rack in the hope that it would both progress Bruce Banner’s quest to save poor Charlie Tidwell’s soul, as well as give them an insight into the Green Goliath’s adventures during the publisher’s vampire-filled crossover story-arc. Indeed, one of the narrative’s greatest strengths is arguably Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s ability to simply dip the audience’s toes into the undead blood-drinker’s worldwide invasion, without any of them needing to specifically own or encounter any of the numerous comic book’s covering the actual calamity; “Of course. The sun’s gone dark. They’re not trapped in the desert anymore, are they.?”

Much of this accessibility is undoubtedly due to the reader simply being able to witness the gamma scientist’s overnight stop at the Old West movie set of Old Tucson without any foreknowledge as to how he got there, and subsequently tremble at poor Miguel’s horrifying encounter with a coven of ghastly ghouls some fifty years earlier. This yarn, enthrallingly told by the somewhat elderly Mexican immigrant, is incredibly well-penned by the “Eisner-nominated writer”, and should genuinely tug upon the heart-strings of any one ‘hearing it’ for even the tenth time – especially when the poor boy’s mother sacrifices everything just so he has a chance to escape the Nosferatu’s underground lair.

Equally as enthralling as this book’s emotional journey though is the Hulk’s subsequent brutal battle against the vampires residing beneath the saloon’s creaking floorboards. Absolutely packed full of body horror, bone-breaking punches and innards-spilling slashes, this action-sequence is terrifically paced, with the founding Avenger desperately attempting to fend off his inhuman assailants with a pair of large, improvised wooden stakes.

Also throwing a well-stocked bucket full of grisly, internal organs into the mix is artist Danny Earls - who pencils some truly harrowing scenes of unwholesome slaughter. Foremost of these contributions is probably young Miguel’s terrifying escape from the hungry-horde who transform his entire family into the next generation of Arizona’s undead inhabitants. However, the Irish illustrator is just as proficient pencilling Banner’s initial fate at the hands of the Nosferatu, when they quite literally cut his belly wide open and witness Bruce’s alter-ego horrifically rise from the gory mess of his badly disfigured rib cage.

The regular cover art to "HULK: BLOOD HUNT" #1 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #14 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 14, September 2024

Basing an entire twenty-page periodical around Bruce Banner simply running through “the terrifying mindscape in which Hulk keeps him prisoner” is arguably something of a brave move on the part of Phillip Kennedy Johnson; especially as it results in a seemingly endless sequence of panels depicting the good doctor simply talking out loud. But whilst “The Hulkscape” is undeniably word-heavy, and debatably a bit tough-going in places, the narrative also throws up some interesting conundrums for the emaciated scientist which will surely have a major impact on future storylines to come.

For starters, the Green Goliath still appears seriously cross with his ‘puny self’, despite the pair agreeing that they would work together until poor Charlene Tidwell’s soul is once again inhabiting a human body. Such ferocious anger is perhaps a bit shocking at first - not least because it manifests itself as all sorts of physically disturbing monstrosities. However, the American author also utilises the founding Avenger’s frustration, hatred and pain as a good excuse to provide those bibliophiles not in the know as to some of the things Bruce has done to his ‘other self’ in the past so as to weaponize the anti-hero's super-strength; "How long did you lock me away.? How many betrayals? I won't give you that chance again."

These flashbacks should genuinely imbue the audience with a modicum of sympathy for the Hulk, and resultantly make them even more conflicted when Betty Ross appears before her ex-husband to offer him a chance of saving Charlie from the nightmare world the young girl’s spirit currently inhabits. This proposition to give up his gigantic jade-coloured alter-ego to Eldest in order to prevent the adolescent from an eternal “inhuman existence” appears an easy decision on the surface. Yet seeing how hideously Banner has also behaved, such as pigheadedly trying to cure the Harpy despite her not wanting to be free of her transformations, clearly throws a few notable spanners into the works. 

Selflessly picking up any slack from Johnson’s script by way of pencilling the likes of a truly awe-inspiring double-splash depicting some of the Hulkscape’s largest entities trading punches, alongside a number of terrifyingly close chase sequences, is Nic Klein. The German illustrator’s workload is particularly impressive during this comic’s opening as he single-handedly tells the story of Bruce being (purposely?) run over by a large truck whilst hitch-hiking at night without a single word of text being shown for a whopping ten panels.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #14 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #13 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 13, August 2024

Delivering a truly terrifying trip through the disconcertingly dark mind of Phillip Kennedy Johnson, this particular twenty-page periodical arguably contains so much outrageously grotesque imagery, most notably an upside down Portuguese person being eaten alive at the kneecaps by a gaggle of sightless demons, that many a Hulk-head will probably be surprised the comic isn’t actually part of the New York City-based publisher’s explicit content “Red Band” range, as opposed to simply sporting a “Rated T+” warning on its front cover.

Setting aside all these horrors and physical mutilation though, there’s also a darn good yarn taking place inside Issue Thirteen of “The Incredible Hulk”, largely due to Bruce Banner and his enormously strong alter-ego somehow joining forces inside Doctor Voodoo’s torturous soul cage. As many a bibliophile can probably imagine this relationship doesn’t start off well at first, with the Green Goliath attempting to immediately squash his puny host flat as a pancake. But once the pair have set aside their anger at one another so as to locate Sumungaru the Flesh-weaver and hopefully save Charlie Tidwell’s life, they actually appear to work surprisingly well together.

Furthermore, this book also contains a genuinely moving moment, when the gamma radiologist’s alter-ego suddenly realises that he is actually the one responsible for poor Charlie’s death, and not the emaciated doctor waving a sword at him. This cataclysmic comprehension clearly haunts the founding Avenger for the rest of the adventure, and for once allows the Eisner-nominated writer to show a vulnerability to the titular character which has rarely been explored since the Hulk was first published way back in March 1962; “You were the kid’s hero!!! You were supposed to protect her!!! But all you can do is break things!!!”

Equally as responsible for conjuring up this publication’s plethora of ghoulish, sanity-straining creatures condemned for all eternity is Nic Klein and colour artist Matthew Wilson - who together weave a visual nightmare for the reader which is absolutely packed full of multi-eyed mish-mashes, ferociously-fanged birds, and an evil sorcerer-turned-spider abomination that will truly haunt the younger portion of this comic’s audience in their dreams for weeks, if not months, to come.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #13 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #12 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 12, July 2024

Initially pitting an enraged Green Goliath against some of Strange Academy’s more cute-looking students, this opening instalment to Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s “Doctor Voodoo And The Soul Cage” storyline certainly seems to start with an enjoyable mix of pulse-pounding pugilism and tongue-in-cheek bravado. In fact, despite the genuine urgency in the Hulk’s mission to find the Master of the Mystic Arts and have him save poor Charlie Tidwell’s soul trapped within a Frozen Charlotte doll, it’s hard not to imagine the odd onlooker laughing out loud as Doyle Dormammu bravely stands before the founding Avenger in an act of insane determination, only to be effortlessly flicked aside by a swipe of the brute’s heavy hand; “Stupid kid.”

Unnervingly though, once Jericho Drumm impressively enters this publication’s proceedings the comic’s atmosphere immediately takes a distinctly dark turn, and not just because the “champion of the supernatural” quite shockingly manages to subdue Bruce Banner’s furious alter-ego with disconcerting ease either. Absolutely dripping in necromancy and adorned with numerous shrunken skulls, the Supreme Houngan appears to be the perfect foil for all the aforementioned frivolity, as he introduces the audience to an immortal flesh-weaver who is imprisoned for all eternity inside an ugly-looking idol as a result of his obscene wickedness.

Coupled with a decidedly deadly Jade Giant finally tearing himself free of Voodoo's restraints, and it quickly becomes clear that the titular character’s “one-way descent into an exorcist’s ancient prison” is not going to be one for any light-hearted reader. Indeed, such is the sudden seriousness of this twenty-page tome’s tone that by the time Banner is seen desperately clawing his way out of a wooden, dirt-filled coffin, few Hulk-heads will arguably even remember the glee generated by Dormammu’s young son trying to stop the thickly-muscled monster with an impotent spout of fire. 

Imbuing all these sense-shattering shenanigans with the prodigious pencilling they all deserve is Nic Klein, whose early layouts depicting the likes of poor Guslaug literally having a tooth knocked clean out of her mouth as the Hulk rampages through Strange’s special school for young sorcerers, is eye-wateringly good. Furthermore, the scent of decay and pure unadulterated rot reeking from the illustrator’s panels set within Sumanguru’s perpetual penitentiary is almost overwhelming, with plenty of multi-legged creepy crawlies scurrying around all over the place to help make the odd reader sickeningly squeamish.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #12 by Nic Klein

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #11 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 11, June 2024

There can surely be little doubt in the minds of any bibliophiles picking up this book that it’s publishing company’s solicitation strapline of Bruce Banner’s alter-ego smashing “Frozen Charlotte once and for all!” is definitely adhered to throughout Issue Eleven of “Incredible Hulk”. True, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script also depicts the horrific demon's origin story as she torments the hapless residents of New Orleans for literal centuries. But these chilling flashbacks are actually impressively intertwined with the founding Avenger’s ferocious fist-fight, so never last so long as to slow the bone-breaking slugfest down.

Quite possibly this twenty-page periodical’s most disturbing asset though, is how its Eisner-nominated writer repeatedly reminds the reader that the Hulk’s latest adversary genuinely feels aggrieved that she backed Lucifer Morningstar in his unsuccessful rebellion against God. The ghoul-like villain’s desperate need to hide from both angels and devils alike amongst “the straw of mortals” has clearly snapped the deluded creature’s mind, and seemingly causes her to whole-heartedly believe that trapping a youngster’s soul for all eternity within a sightless shell of bisque is somehow better than letting them lead a normal life.

So devout a conviction, no matter how monstrously misplaced, soon turns to violent indignation once Banner fails to recognise Nephele’s macabre mission as being a blessed mercy, and this resultantly should generate an even greater sense of satisfaction within this comic’s audience, when the Green Goliath goes on to give the spectre a seriously overdue fatal smackdown; “Shut up. Shut up. Stupid whatever you are. Don’t care about you. Came for the kid. And I’m taking her.”

Decidedly adding their own raw energy into all these proceedings is “guest artist” Danny Earls, whose distinctive style of sketching probably won’t be to everyone’s taste. However, for those who find his brusque bravura pleasing to the eye, there’s certainly plenty of limb-crunching punches to both captivate the mind and stimulate the imagination. Indeed, there’s a number of subtle touches to his layouts which can easily be missed, such as Frozen Charlotte’s hellfire slowly withering the right side of the Hulk towards the end of their fight, as well as the impressive attention to detail given to the tiny dolls representing a long-fallen flower girl holding a bouquet, and the facially-disfigured teenage runaway Charlie.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #11 by Nic Klein

Crypt Of Shadows #1 [2023] [Part Two] - Marvel Comics

CRYPT OF SHADOWS No. 1, December 2023

Penned by Declan Shalvey to “haunt new fans and long-time readers alike this Halloween season”, the second half of “Crypt Of Shadows” opens with a pulse-pounding piece depicting a heavily-fatigued Daredevil fending off a literal army of deadly ninjas in a long-abandoned subway system. Aptly entitled “…Without Fear”, the six-pager quite succinctly showcases both that there is much more to the blind crime-fighter than simply being a phenomenal acrobat, as well as taps into the horror of poor Doctor Ted Sallis’ never-ending existence as the lonely Man-Thing, after the desperate scientist injected himself with an experimental serum in order to save his life.

Also adding an incredible amount of bang for your buck to this tale is Alex Lins, who does a first-rate job in illustrating Matt Murdock’s ‘wear and tear’, along with the adrenalin-fuelled fighting’s frantic speed. Furthermore, the Eisner Award-nominee quite wonderfully captures the formidable, hulking presence of Horn-head’s plant-based fellow protagonist, imbuing the giant “marshy mass” with a sad, quiet presence which starkly contrasts with all the flames, death and destruction occurring around him; “Where some see devils, other see angels. And they should be guided toward heaven.”

Arguably swapping out a sizeable portion of petrifying plot for some good old-fashioned Marvel Team-up shenanigans is “A Soul Worth Hunting” by Sarah Gailey, which quickly pits Jack Russell and Bruce Banner’s unholy alter-egos up against the overconfident arrogance of (Last Son of) Kraven the Hunter. Played with all the hubris this anthology’s audience might expect of a Sergei Kravinoff clone, this yarn does a solid job in exploring another of the super-villains ostentatious hunts, only for it to ultimately fail because he’s underestimated the anger-fuelled rage of his opponent.

Extremely engaging to the eyes, courtesy of Eder Messias’ lavishly-pencilled layouts, the story never misses a beat, and is only debatably disappointing due to the ex-Sinister Six member being so quickly dispatched miles into the air by the incredible Hulk. Indeed, the adrenalin-fuelled action abruptly ends just as Werewolf By Night appears to be squaring up to Kraven for a memorable close combat clash in the woodland, and many a bibliophile was probably therefore drooling at the imminent scrap ahead – especially as the Wundagore Mountain-born warrior is armed with the seemingly deadly Empyrion blade!

Writers: Declan Shalvey & Sarah Gailey, and Artists: Alex Lins & Eder Messias