Average Hulk Story Lacks Consistent Characterization
This is a thoroughly average episode of the ongoing Tales to Astonish Hulk series. The Hulk has been captured by the U.S. Army, but a spy, known as the Chameleon, is interested in recruiting him as an ally for The Leader. This Hulk series is definitely pretty lightweight, it feels kind of like a series of daily newspaper strips strung together.
Unfortunately, it's plagued by a few weaknesses of story and art that undermine it. For one thing, Steve Ditko's art, while great for all the supporting cast, continues to portray the Hulk himself as a sort of muscled version of Frankenstein's monster, rather than the unique looking behemoth that Jack Kirby first established.
But the larger problem here is the inconsistency of characters. Rick Jones for example lets Captain America know he must leave to help the Hulk, but Cap (who as a member of the Avengers is supposed to be interested in the whereabouts of the Hulk) doesn't offer to help. The army when searching for someone just take Rick Jones' word for things instead of investigating the room he stands in front of, and the Hulk who sometimes is portrayed as having intelligence barely above the most basic, comes up with plans that seem a little beyond his capacity.
Still, The Hulk series was one of the best ongoing Marvel sagas of the mid-1960s.
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