Maestro #5 - Marvel Comics

MAESTRO No. 5, February 2021

Crammed full of political manoeuvring, bare-faced treachery and some truly insane destruction, Issue Five of “Maestro” probably landed reasonably well with Hulk-heads everywhere when it was first published in December 2020. Admittedly, Peter David’s storyline for this seventeen-page concluding instalment perhaps somewhat disconcertingly shows just how precarious the titular character’s rise to the summit of post-apocalyptic power actually was. But it also intriguingly illustrates the palpable fear of becoming his abusive father this particular incarnation of the nuclear physicist carries deep inside of him as well.

Indeed, besides the truly shocking depiction of a badly-burnt Hercules rising from his funeral pyre to wreck his vengeance upon the Olympian deity’s utterly flabbergasted former-friend, arguably this book’s greatest highlight is the Eisner Award-winner’s ability to suddenly make the reader realise that the Hulk’s old travelling companion Rick Jones is entirely correct in his assertion that the human mutate’s decline down the path to utter madness closely mirrors that of his pater’s own mental regression; “No matter who you start out as. You eventually turn into your Dad. You’re not Bruce Banner anymore. You’re Brian Banner.”

Also adding enormously to this “final note in a symphony years in the making” are German Peralta’s layouts, which do a cracking job of depicting Maestro’s fragile psychological state as the tin pot tyrant’s duplicitous machinations are almost brought to a sticky end by both the aforementioned Prince of Power's return and one of Jones’ followers attempting to atomise the traitorous murderer using a gun previously built by Forge “to kill the Hulk!" Banner’s terrifyingly haunted eyes are especially well-pencilled in this regard, and really help convey the brute’s utter disbelief that his well-laid plans could potentially be going awry.

Interestingly however, this mini-series doesn’t end by focusing upon the Maestro finally taking his long sought after throne, but rather finishes upon an emotionally sad flashback to Captain America’s wheelchair-bound former sidekick saying a final goodbye to his underground lair before fleeing the wrath of the Hulk. Visited by the memories of the First Avenger, as well as “the one and only Captain Marvel”, the elderly survivor clearly misses the long-dead family of super-heroes and supporting cast members he shared his life with, including a fondly-remembered ‘heroic’ version of Banner’s alter-ego.

Writer: Peter David, Artist: German Peralta and Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov

Maestro #4 - Marvel Comics

MAESTRO No. 4, January 2021

Described by “Marvel Worldwide” as “a pivotal moment” in the mini-series as part of the New York-based publisher’s pre-print publicity, Peter David’s narrative for Issue Four of “Maestro” definitely delivers a surprisingly severe incarnation of Bruce Banner’s alter-ego which must have somewhat stunned the majority of this comic book’s audience. For whilst the nuclear physicist would appear to have lost none of his scientific savvy in creating an army of giant robotic dogs and accompanying cloned riders, the biochemist undoubtedly crosses the line from being a misunderstood anti-hero to that of a cold-hearted super-villain by nonchalantly murdering his fellow Avenger, Hercules, with “the main ingredient of arsenic”, arsine.

This successful assassination attempt, consummately carried out on the Hulk’s direct orders by the deadly U-Foe, Vapor, is marvellously penned by the American author, and whilst it is clear from the moment an all-too civil jade giant arrives at the Lion of Olympus’s luxurious palace that trouble is just around the corner, the sudden savagery of the Greek god’s death is as shocking as it is grisly. Indeed, the Prince of Power’s ending is arguably only overshadowed in its abruptness by Ann Darnell’s own termination at the hands of the titular character, who shatters her crystalline form into a thousand fragments courtesy of some freezing gun he found inside the nearby abandoned Alchemax facility; “Take all these pieces and bury them individually. All over the kingdom. Out in the plains. Make sure that they can never re-integrate.”

Of course, some Hulk-Heads would probably argue that despite turning Betty Ross’ former husband into a homicidal murderer, the Haxtur Award-winner’s biggest bombshell in this twenty-page periodical actually arrives far sooner than Hercules’ gruesomely painful passing, and comes during this comic’s opening sequence when Bruce is battling the “Hero Of All Heroes” for control of Dystopia. Dynamically pencilled by German Peralta, and packed full of some outrageously deafening punches, this bout of pugilism would debatably only go one way if the Hulk “were mindless”. But because “Banner’s brain is in control” the jade behemoth is easily outmatched in the strength department, and eventually has to meekly surrender before his immortal assailant beats him to death.

The regular cover art of "MAESTRO" No. 4 by Dale Keown & Jason Keith

Maestro #3 - Marvel Comics

MAESTRO No. 3, December 2020

There was clearly a lot for this comic’s 29,500 readers to enjoy whilst perusing this seventeen-page periodical, considering that Peter David’s plot involves a pulse-pounding bout of pugilism featuring Hercules Panhellenios, an initially moving reunion with an elderly Rick Jones, and an almost “Resident Evil” vibe permeating the balding Hulk’s exploration of the long-abandoned Alchemax central science facility. In fact, on paper Issue Three of “Maestro” would appear to contain everything the evil incarnation’s return to comics promised back when the limited series was first announced by the character’s Maryland-born creator in May 2020.

Disappointingly however, once Bruce Banner’s alter-ego gets his clock momentarily cleaned by the son of Zeus, the jade green Goliath’s personality arguably goes unconvincingly off-track and suddenly seems to degenerate into a downright malevolent psychopath who would rival Doctor Doom. Admittedly, this title's entire run is designed to portray the super-strong scientist’s pathway towards insane megalomania. But this book would suggest it occurs instantly, with the Hulk sharing an emotional meeting with his aged sidekick one moment, and then literally a beer later, angrily denouncing the ordinary people as sheep who need to be “ruled with an iron hand” because they destroyed the planet.

Similarly as bizarre is David’s suggestion that in order to rule Dystopia and the world beyond, Banner would need to create an army of giant cybernetic dogs so as to quell the city’s population. This formidable-looking state-of-the-art technological force, seemingly ridden by a horde of long-forgotten humanoid clones, debatably appears completely incongruous to the post-apocalyptic devastation previously depicted, and genuinely seems to smack of the American author struggling to create a plausible explanation as to how the Hulk could possibly replace Hercules as the decadent metropolis’ dictator; “There is a world beyond Dystopia. I have seen it. Strode across it. And now… I am ready to rule it.”

Luckily though, the writing for the three-page “Relics” appears a lot better, with a younger Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler stumbling across the adamantium skeleton of Wolverine amidst the destruction of World War Three. Short, punchy and surprisingly poignant, the pair’s confrontation with a couple of gun-toting scavengers is as well told as it is brief, and features some strong artwork from Canadian artist Dale Keown.

Writer: Peter David, Artist: German Peralta, and Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov

Maestro #2 - Marvel Comics

MAESTRO No. 2, November 2020

As origin stories go, especially one purported to cover that of the incredible Hulk’s greatest foe, Issue Two of “Maestro” probably left many within its 33,000 strong audience somewhat bemused and perturbed. True, Peter David’s seventeen-page plot features some excellent cameos from the likes of Machine Man, Rick Jones and Hercules. But such notable ‘guest appearances’ are arguably drowned out in a seemingly endless carousel of crater-filled new locations, instantly forgetful supporting cast characters and an utterly bizarre attack by a swarm of super-hungry cockroaches which apparently would’ve eaten Bruce Banner’s alter-ego alive if not for a conveniently placed sonic wave cannon.

Indeed, the vast majority of this comic’s narrative seems to simply depict the green giant aimlessly wandering from destitute underground complex to farming settlement on a continent surprisingly packed full of life for a country supposedly wiped out by both bombs and plague; “We call ourselves the Wasteland Survivalists. We are endeavouring to restore nutrients to the ground in order to grow crops.” Disappointingly, these rather choppily-written meanderings start off so well too, with a demoralised Hulk thoughtfully taking stock of his depressing situation upon a partially-destroyed Mount Rushmore before disconcertingly discovering Aaron Stack’s secret bunker hidden beneath the remnants of the nation’s capital.

Happily however, despite the somewhat haphazard nature of its storytelling, German Peralta’s pencilling undoubtedly helps lift this comic’s readability courtesy of some extraordinary landscapes and the aforementioned dynamically-drawn attack of the killer insects. Hoover Dam, Las Vegas and the Lincoln Memorial are all superbly sketched in various states of decay, and it’s resultantly easy to see just why David stated prior to the mini-series’ launch that he felt the artist had “the perfect style, very dark and post-apocalyptic.”

Perhaps this publication’s most intriguing element though, is the quite delightful three-page tale “Relics”, which is stuck at the very back of the book. Featuring an adolescent Janis Jones and Dakord, the ‘short’ depicts the diminutive duo locating Thor’s hammer amidst the wreckage of Avengers Mansion, and rather enjoyably demonstrates that much to an elderly Rick’s utter exasperation, one of the fledgling Anti-Maestro Freedom Fighters is actually worthy to wield Mjölnir.

The regular cover art of "MAESTRO" No. 2 by Dale Keown & Jason Keith

Maestro #1 - Marvel Comics

MAESTRO No. 1, October 2020

Billed by “Marvel Worldwide” as a story “you’ve waited decades for”, Peter David’s opening narrative explaining the origin of Maestro probably had a fair few of its readers rather worried when they were initially faced with Doctor Banner single-handedly whumping a party of Sentinels whilst the likes of Thor, Captain America and Wolverine impotently watched on. Indeed, the opening third of this thirty-page periodical arguably plays out like the worst sort of fan fiction, as a ‘house-trained’ Hulk sits at the dining table with his beloved wife and two playful children, talking about just how good life has become; “Thaddeus” Rick” Stop running and sit down! Dinner’s getting cold!”

Fortunately though, this comic’s plot takes a decidedly darker turn once Bruce deduces he’s actually in a computer life simulation, and angrily defeats the Avengers when they try to convince him that the super-villain Mysterio has somehow gotten into his mind. Fully-bearded, with long lank hair, a befuddled Hulk finds himself buried deep underground in an impoverished A.I.M. facility, and slowly starts to understand that he has been kept in suspended animation for several decades along with the likes of his old antagonists Vapor and the Abomination.

All these intriguing revelations are quite wonderfully drip-fed to the audience by the GLAAD Media Award winner as the titular character discovers them, and resultantly the plot pans out as if both the bibliophile and Banner were exploring their dilapidated surroundings together. Delightfully, this sense of a ‘shared experience’ is then subsequently increased when an elderly M.O.D.O.K. (Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) appears to explain that the subterranean shelter houses some of the sole survivors of a combined World War Three nuclear holocaust and genocidal terrorist campaign by the Black Scythe, who must wait another twenty seven years before the “radiation will decrease sufficiently…”

Adding enormously to this publication’s successful story-telling are artists Dale Keown and German Peralta, whose decidedly contrasting styles really help separate Banner’s simulated world of supposed marital bliss with that of the grim and disconcertingly destitute future. In fact, Peralta’s pencilling in particular proves incredibly effective in putting across both the grubbiness and decay of M.O.D.O.K.’s fast-failing facility, as well as the dawning horror of the Hulk’s real life predicament.

The regular cover art of "MAESTRO" No. 1 by Dale Keown & Jason Keith (After Kirby)