With the Hulked-Out Heroes taken care of, Bruce Banner must face the difficult prospect of absorbing an inordinate amount of energy and possibly becoming the Hulk again... all to save Betty's life.
The Good
I had no idea the Incredible Hulk could be this much of a blockbuster. I've been a fan of Pelletier's for years and he has seriously upped his game in this title. His work here is just flawless and D'Amarta's colors put a gold sheen on what is already phenomenal work. Seriously, the intensity never lets up until it reaches a jaw-dropping crescendo with the double-splash of the Hulk's ferocious return followed by Skaar's long-awaited bid at revenge. I've been following the news and previews relating to this storyline, and I thought it was getting a little too silly to have all these Hulks running around, but Pak's execution of the concept is truly thrilling. This really felt like some epic folk tale for the nuclear age, populated with a true menagerie of monstrous creatures and larger-than-life personalities. Also, having read the "Death of Betty Banner" storyline that capped off Peter David's legendary Hulk run, I was really glad to see plot threads from those issues finally tied up, here.
The Bad
While I did like the mythic tone to the Son of Hulk back-up feature, I felt that the art was a little under-detailed for my tastes, especially when put in comparison to Pelletier's phenomenal work in the feature.
The Verdict - 4.5/5
The Hulk seemed to be one of those characters whose story possibilities had been utterly exhausted, so I give respect to this creative team that's not only found a fresh angle, but also executed it in a way that's genuinely thrilling. This felt like a blockbuster. I'll say that a hundred times. Do yourself a favor and get this title - - you'll feel like you're on the ride for a spectacle of truly Earth-shattering stakes.
