Hulk #25

Red Hulk has been captured, but not forgotten as Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers have greater plans for him. Sadly, not all of Earth's Mightiest Heroes realize that Red Hulk is working for the good guys now.
 

The Good

The Loeb era Rulk is over and the Jeff Parker era begins. I've heard time and time again that people (not me though) just didn't enjoy Loeb's run on the book. Now, we have Jeff Parker writing the book, who is a solid writer and he writes books that are just plain fun to read, especially the back-up in this issue, featuring A-Bomb. There are some interesting character developments in this issue that seem like they'll be driving the series for a while. Rulk can't go back to being Thunderbolt Ross because Ross is dead. His old life is gone for now, so he must stay powered up until it's straightened out. And as we find out, as much as he tries to be a hero, not every real hero is down with that, or even believes him. This will hopefully be the focus of this book because it's really interesting stuff.
 

The Bad

As much as I enjoyed the art in this issue, it didn't fit the writing. Maybe it's because when I think about Jeff Parker's work, I go to the New Exiles book, which only ran 6 issues. His writing, mixed with a more cartoony style, may just be what I'm used to, so putting him together with Gabriel Hardman, who is a great artist, is something that will take some time to get used to. There's a lot of set-up in this issue, since it's the beginning of a new story arc, so be prepared.
 

The Verdict 3.5/5

It is a solid book. It's very good, but if you're a Jeff Parker fan, things are going to feel a little foreign. It will take time to become adjusted, not only to the Parker and Hardman team-up, but the fact that Loeb isn't writing the book anymore. I have a great feeling that this will become a serious and very good run under Parker and Hardman.