Well Played, Duggan
It feels like I've been waiting for this forever. Still, when awaiting a battle such as this, you do have specific expectations. First things first, whether you liked or disliked this issue, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be able to for see how things develop. I thought, no, I was sure that things would go down a very specific path, but Duggan really surprised and, to a certain degree, trolled me. Yes, you heard that right. Duggan had me going for quite a while. Judging by the score you can tell that I was by no means disappointed by this , in fact, despite a few gripes, I was actually really trilled.
Since we're already discussing the events that transpire here, we might as well start with the story, which, mind you, is fantastic. Duggan does a really good job of distributing just about every element within this comic. What I mean is that he gives the fans what they want (for the most part), while moving the plot forward. Basically, Duggan doesn't waste anyones time, and he's very efficient in how he unravels everything. There have been some pretty interesting developments in this issue, some of which are of particular interest to me, and I'm sure many hulk and non hulk fans would love to theories on what the hell is going to happen. It's funny how complicated everything became, at one point Doc Green mission was so simple, but now a lot of new seem to be involved.
Moreover, Duggan has been very consistent with the tone. Despite all the seriousness, he has great comedic timing and knows when and how to make you laugh. There are certain scenes in this book that I'm sure will make many people laugh. Personally,I really enjoy his style, since it always maintains the presence of fun.
I'm not sure what to think of one particular event, however. If you want to avoid spoilers do not read the following this particular paragraph - Anyways, Doc Green has been going on a hunt to eradicate all Hulks, but for intents and purposes, he lets Red Hulk off the hook for now, since it was revealed that Hulk was basically taking Ross's punches so he could analyze him for some unknown purpose. I know that Duggan will probably utilize this event well, but deep down I know that Marvel just didn't let him get rid of Red Hulk. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Ross, nor do I have any particular wish for him to lose all of his powers, but then a question comes up, why did the other Hulks get the short end of the stick? I mean, they all could be used in more meaningful ways, correct? I can understand turning Rick and Betty back into humans, since being "hulks" isn't such a huge part of their characters, but why the likes of Skaar? Who still has so much potential? I won't take away points for this, since what happens is yet to be seen, and since from the looks of it, Red Hulk isn't done with Doc Green just yet, but I can't help but wonder if there is any hope for the others.
Now that's out of the way, lets get back to the positive stuff. The characterization is absolutely brilliant. It's nice to see that despite Doc Green madman personality, he still knows when to keep his ego in check. It's very good to see him put his mind and endurance to use during an all out slugfest. And speaking of tactical minds, Red Hulk's portrayal was just as good, which made me especially happy, since I haven't liked how he has been characterized for the past few months (or last year, in this case). He seems show all the sings of growth, but still maintains some shred of pleasure in causing Banner pain. It was also great seeing Ross use some of his military tactics in battle, something we don't see to often.
Furthermore, the big brawl was absolutely brutal. Many sligfests these days, especially in Marvel, just involve two big guys just punching each other, which is absolutely fine, but it's so much cooler when the fight is more gory and personal. Mark Bagley does a fantastic job of making the reader feel every blow, scratch and slash inflicted on these characters. Saying the fight was "bone-crushing" would be an understatement.
In conclusion, I'm pretty sure that for 3/4 of the book most hulk fans would be fuming with rage, but bare through it, because it's absolutely worth it. Duggan is on a really great track right now, and I hope he keeps it up because I am having a lot of fun with this series. If you are looking for great characterization, an interesting story, and some awesome fights scenes, then I suggest you pick this up.