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

Werewolf By Night: Red Band #1 - Marvel Comics

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: RED BAND No. 1, October 2024

Billed by “Marvel Worldwide” as so intense that it requires both a Parental Advisory and polybag “to keep those weak of heart from experiencing it”, Jason Loo’s script for Issue One of “Werewolf By Night: Red Band” probably didn’t strike its audience as being anywhere near as vicious or gruesome as its New York City-based publisher had hoped. In fact, arguably this thirty-page periodical’s greatest horror is found in the comic’s pacing, as the author abruptly breaks up a somewhat charming insight into Jack Russel’s life as a low-key ferryman with what turns out to be an ill-fitting advertisement for the now finished “Blood Hunt” mini-series.

This clunky double-splash genuinely must have been overlooked by a many a reader as it literally leaps out of nowhere with a close-up of the Moon God Khonshu, before widening its scope to show Captain Marvel and some other human mutates, seriously cleaning the clocks of a horde of understandably disgruntled vampires. Resultantly some bibliophiles were probably wondering just why the titular character is one minute stoically trying to safely dock his boat due to day suddenly becoming night, and in the next lying semi-naked near to a hole in his castle’s wall which was previously seen when Mike Ploog’s co-creation encountered a trespassing ‘YouTuber’.

Of course, for those bibliophiles willing to persevere with the publication – either by repeated re-reads or luckily spying a few pieces of text which ineffectively point at the passage of time, the sequence of events does eventually become a little clearer. However, the damage has debatably already been done to the point where few will properly enjoy this comic’s highlight of Elsa Bloodstone paying her old friend a visit, only to find him unable to control his savage hunger; “You’ve been a busy wolf. And not in the nicest way. There’s a trail of maulings that led me right back here.”

This book’s sole success can surely therefore only be found in the lavish layouts of Sergio Davila, who appears to be at the very top of his game when pencilling the likes of Ghost Ryoshi foolishly disturbing Jack whilst he’s busy cleaning up his high-walled home in the Rockies, Colorado. Furthermore, even during this comic’s more sedentary scenes, such as Russell transporting his passengers up river, or The Hood acquiring Count Dracula's "old crib", there is always plenty of detail in every panel to momentarily hold the eye and add a little bit more interest to what is going on.

The regular cover art to "WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: RED BAND" #1 by E.M. Gist

Werewolf By Night: Blood Hunt #1 - Marvel Comics

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: BLOOD HUNT No. 1, September 2024

Apparently spinning out of “the bloodiest event in Marvel history” Jason Loo’s narrative for Issue One of “Werewolf By Night: Blood Hunt” would certainly seem to live up to its publisher’s promise of providing the audience with an incarnation of the titular character “unlike any you have seen or known before!” But whilst a ferociously fanged shapeshifter is arguably always going to play an anti-heroic role in any comic book storyline, it’s debatably difficult to rally together any support whatsoever for a fiend who ends up quite literally eating his old school friends along with the vampire police officers he was trying to protect them from.

Furthermore, the entire premise of this publication’s plot, apart from allowing the Eisner Award-winner to “flex a dark, macabre writing muscle than my usual fare”, appears to be bemusingly based upon a group of feckless teenagers somehow summoning the demonically damned soul of Uncle Duke Jensen using a load of mumbo jumbo, a chalk circle and a coin. Just how the adolescent sorcerer Sam is able to achieve any of this wizardry is frustratingly never explained, with the Canadian author actually implying that the ‘kids’ were simply trying to hold a séance as opposed to rousing a full-blown, death-dealing devil.

Lastly, for those bibliophiles who are well-versed in the “Blood Hunt” crossover event, this twenty-five page periodical’s passage of time appears to veer badly off-track just as soon as Jake Gomez enters the Wild Dino Adventure Park whilst the sun is still setting – presumably therefore occurring before the Dark Dimension’s Darkforce blankets the planet in eternal night and allows the undead to rise from their crypts. The entire unholy ritual then only seems to take a matter of minutes to succeed in resurrecting Jensen. Yet it’s clear from the dialogue of the blood-drinking patrolmen who are drawn to Uncle Duke’s subsequent murder spree inside a now flaming fun factory, that they have been feasting upon the living for some considerable time (perhaps even days)..?

Quite possibly this “teen-horror” grindhouse’s greatest asset therefore lies in the layouts of Adam Gorham, who does a proficient job pencilling all the gratuitous, bodily mutilation which occurs within this comic. Indeed, whether it be the new Werewolf By Night waking up to find himself cuddling a severed leg, or Trevor’s ghostly relative incinerating a hapless stooge, it’s crystal clear from the artwork just why Loo would state beforehand that “you’ll need permission from your parent/guardian” to read this book.

The regular cover art to "WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: BLOOD HUNT" #1 by Davide Paratore

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

Moon Knight [2021] Annual #1 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL No. 1, December 2022

Undeniably containing plenty of spooky shenanigans, courtesy of a script which is chock-full of Werewolves, Vampires and super-heroes, Jed MacKay’s penmanship for this annual must have pleased the vast majority of its audience upon its release in October 2022. But whilst the Canadian writer does a sterling job in setting up a seemingly no-win situation for the titular character as he faces arch-nemesis Jack Russell in a supposed battle for Diatrice Alraune’s life, some of the contrivances which need to occur for the Darkhold’s prophecy to occur and subsequently fail are a little hard to believe; “I’ve come a long way from Malibu, Marc. I realised that this curse wasn’t about me.”

For openers, Marlene’s accusation that her daughter’s abduction at the hands of the original Werewolf by Night is all Moon Knight’s fault is a bit far-fetched, considering she is the person who bought the young girl back to America from the safety of France because “I thought we would be okay.” Sure, the adolescent was kidnapped by lycanthropes in order to impel the Fist of Khonshu into a ‘final’ showdown with the Legion of Monsters member. But none of the events depicted within this thirty-page tome would ever have taken place if the woman hadn’t unwisely chosen to attend her ex-husband’s funeral and brought Diatrice with her.

Furthermore, if all the former West Coast Avenger had to do was wait until “the terrestrial alignment or whatever is over” for Russell’s plan to fail, then why didn’t he do just that once Yehya Badr informed him about the prediction’s crucial planetary orientation.? Instead, this publication’s protagonists recklessly smash a silver-laden automobile straight through the front door of Jack’s hideout, violently wade into a pack of werewolves and resultantly repeatedly risk the girl’s life before she testily admonishes them herself once the configuration is over.

Happily however, those bibliophiles able to overlook these quibbles should still find this comic to be a rather enjoyable, pulse-pounding publication, largely thanks to some prodigious pencilling by Federico Sabbatini. Indeed, the Italian illustrator’s ability to sketch Spector’s shrouded alter-ego smacking both Russell and his fur-covered cronies about is one of the highlights of this book, alongside Khonshu’s evil-looking shadow as the Egyptian deity urges Hunter’s Moon to cold-bloodedly kill Diatrice once he finds her.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Federico Sabbatini, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Crypt Of Shadows #1 [Part One] - Marvel Comics

CRYPT OF SHADOWS No. 1, December 2022

Despite being described by its New York City-based publishers as “an anthology comic packed with some of the spookiest characters the Marvel Universe has to offer”, the vast majority of readers who forked out the cover price for this forty-page periodical probably felt they had been tricked, not treated. For whilst Issue One of “Crypt Of Shadows” boasts a scintillating selection of creators for its celebration of All Hallows’ Eve, the poor quality of this book's narratives arguably shows it to simply be little more than a disappointing cash grab, rather than a respectful nod to Stan Lee’s old Seventies horror series from which it takes its name from.

Opening this supposed fright-fest is the utterly bizarre “Neither Big Nor Bad” by Danny Lore, which focuses upon Brielle Brooks just happening upon a pair of amateur ghost-hunters who are apparently restraining a spirit in Atlanta, Georgia “for magic experiments.” Proficiently pencilled by Karen S. Darboe, this tale tries to wrong-foot its readers by having the highly disagreeable Ravenette and Vince turn out to be the true monsters, and their demonic victim simply a dead husband who is patiently waiting for his beloved wife to die and join him in the Afterlife.

Far more intriguing, though just as quick to finish with still numerous questions unanswered, is Rebecca Roanhorse’s “Werewolf By Moon Knight”. Absolutely crammed with all sorts of disconcerting contrivances, such as just how the mysterious owner of a Bates Motel lookalike happens to know Jake Gomez is secretly a lycanthrope, or who told Marc Spector’s alter-ego that the sinister location happened to contain “two travellers in need of my protection”, this exhilarating tale still succeeds due to its awesome wolfman verses wolfman action; “Dammit. You were supposed to entertain the boy until I could persuade him to join us. Not challenge him!”

Furthermore, Geoff Shaw’s dynamically drawn panels are absolutely first-rate when it comes to depicting the sudden transformation of both this plot’s villainous butler and its young Mexican protagonist into frighteningly furry creatures. The impact of the pair’s blows against one another genuinely leap off of the printed page with their eye-winching savagery, and even the illustrator’s final picture, showing an infuriated mastermind vengefully watching the Fist of Khonshu detain his “second-in-command” is captivating, despite the shadow-shrouded figure simply standing silhouetted in one of his home’s upper storey windows.

Writers: Al Ewing, Danny Lore & Rebecca Roanhorse, and Artists: Ramon Bachs, Karen S. Darboe & Geoff Shaw