Hulk #8 (Vol. 3) A Ranty Review.

Ok, so Hulk once upon a time would easily be considered one of (if not totally) my favorite heroes in all of the comic book industry. Like many thin geeky kids with slight anger issues, I always related to (and envied?) Bruce Banner. The idea that if he lost his cool he could hurt those around him, those he cared for. Yet at the same time, the idea that he did have to lose control to also save those he cared about. Truly it is one of the greatest comic book ideas of all time. So naturally now that I have finally resettled into my life, and I've started my reservations up again, The Incredible Hulk was one of the first ones I picked. Issue #7 Vol.3 being the first I managed to grab.

Issue #7 was great. I mean it is a little hard going for people like myself, who have been out of the loop a while. It does however cover a lot and brings new and returning readers up to date (mostly). So Banner and Hulk were separated, and Banner went mad. Becoming a archetypal mad scientist, Banner started to hunt the Hulk. So naturally big green hunts him down and, wait, he kills him?! Ok that I do not like. I am not totally opposed to character deaths. Except I have always maintained that at his heart the Hulk is gentle. He would not kill. Also, killing Banner seems, well, redundant. Especially in the over the top gory way they do it. Either way this issue isn't too awful and the art is amazingly well drawn. Too bad that it doesn't continue that way.

Check out that cover! Banner's dead, Punisher fighting the Hulk, Hulk looks pissed and the title "Stay Angry" can only mean good things! Too bad the title is a lie. The art suddenly changes from Portacio's artistic and realistic pencilings to Dillon's child like cartoon style. Hulk is bald, which he was in #7, but previously it was implied to be due to the Gamma explosion. In this Hulk barely is bigger than a man, he looks dumb with the bald head thanks to the art, and it gets worse. He does not fight the Punisher. In fact, this is a team up. What makes it worse is that the Punisher should definitely not be drawn in a cartoony style. Especially if you're going to have him torture some one.

To make matters worse, killing Banner off was entirely pointless and it hasn't been more than an issue yet! No Banner is alive and just as evil as ever (apparently remember that last time I got to read any he was still the good guy), and is some how part of Hulk again. "Stay Angry" relates to the switch around, no longer is Banner trying to not be Hulk, it is Hulk trying to not be Banner. I would say that is original, except that we know that Hulk always tried to stay as the Hulk once he was out. They always have been separate people. So this isn't original it's just back tracking. 

The closest we get to this cover is when Punisher shoots Hulk several times in the face, at Hulks request, after they've already teamed up for most of the issue. Yeah, the cover is a lie. The art makes it tacky, the story line is boring, and kind of insulting. If anything it makes the previous issue totally worthless. Why bother to kill Banner off in a gory, hideous way (designed only to shock of course) if you are only going to have him continue to be Hulk's big villain?

Overall this issue has put me off reading the Incredible Hulk. I may return to him one day in the future, but for now I am going to settle for reading the (surprisingly for me) better Red Hulk comics. I suggest that everyone do the same. Let us hope that one day the Incredible Hulk will return!