Incredible Hulks #616

Hiro-Kala and Hulk come face-to-face! Will father fight son? Will Hiro-Kala destroy Earth?Will Hulk destroy Hiro?
 

The Good

This feels like the third act of the Planet Hulk series. (Act One being Planet Hulk and Act Two being the Son of Hulk series) Although Planet Hulk is my favorite of all Hulk stories, this one is coming in a close second place. The art, done by Barry Kitson and Scott Hanna is very solid and is complimentary to the writing. It's a great fit. I'm hating Hiro-Kala in this book. He's a dweeb, but that's what makes him a great character. I'm a huge Korg, Hulk, and Skaar fan, but other than that, I really don't care too much for the other Hulks in this book. This issue is mainly focused on Hulk and Hiro, so you don't get too much of the other Hulks, but at the same time, the Hulk-team is focused on a singular goal and these characters, whether you like them or not, really work great together on the page.
 

The Bad

Old Power confuses me. It's in the planet, and its people, but it can destroy everyone. It's one of those concepts that's a bit over my head. That's going to be something that new readers will struggle with more than anything. It was recommended to me a few weeks ago to read the back-up issues before the main story, and I completely forgot to do so this week. When I got to the back-up this month, I really didn't care for it. I enjoyed the Hiro-Kala back-ups prior to this, but it added to the current storyline. This issue's back-up was very lackluster for me.
 

The Verdict 4/5 Recommended

I'm loving the overall story arc, and I can't wait to read it in its entirety in the next few weeks when part six comes out. Greg Pak's run on Hulk has been fun and he's introduced a lot of characters that I'm sure we'll see around for years. This is not the place to start reading though; however, these issues are coming out twice a month, so you should be able to find the rest of the story at your local shop. Finally, this book is back on track and a great read once again.