The Good
Like it or not, AGE OF ULTRON'S ending is flooding into various titles and it cannot be stopped. Playing around with time-related issues and such is a dangerous move and runs the risk of feeling convoluted and being filled with technobabble. And then there's the continuity nightmares it can generate. Needless to say, it's not an easy subject to tackle. Mark Waid, though? He welcomes the crazy aftermath of AGE OF ULTRON with open arms and instead turns it into something totally wacky and fun.
The premise is simple: to repair time, S.H.I.E.L.D. needs someone capable of surviving the ridiculous environment they'd be forced into. Well, if there's one thing Hulk is good at (aside from smashing), it's being able to endure the unsurvivable. "Hold up. Hulk -- HULK -- is going to fix time... with his fists? Get out. Seriously, leave now and never come back." WAIT! Waid realizes this is a laughable concept and he handles it more than appropriately! Hell, Banner even laugh off the idea at first. However, it's not long before Waid adds a new element or two which makes the mission far more understandable and rational. In the process, we're treated to some big laughs which gives artist Matteo Scalera a lot of fun ideas to work with.
Oh, and remember that time I praised Matteo Scalera a whole lot in the reviews for the past two issues? Yeah, all of those compliments still remain. I adore this man's art and the beyond energetic vibe he brings to Waid's sharp script. His detailed style fills every scene with Hulk with so much intensity. And even when things aren't moving at a million miles per hour, his more than able amount of detail gives each character enough depth to make every scene look solid.
The Bad
Honestly, I have no major complaints.
The Verdict
On the surface, the premise seems pretty complex, but Waid simplifies it and clearly turns it into something hilarious and super entertaining. The ending is a real attention grabber and I can't wait to see all of the crazy fun Waid is going to have with this story. If you previously told me AGE OF ULTRON was going to take over numerous titles I would be pretty bummed out. However, Waid manages to spin a negative into a positive and it totally works. Thrown in Scalera's brilliant illustrations and you have yet another issue of INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK which is definitely worthy of five-stars.
13 Comments