Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Kev Walker
Color Artist: Matthew Wilson
Cover Artist: Nic Klein
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
Bruce and Charlie have hit the road but this time with a destination: Dr. Stephen Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. While Charlie has adapted well to her new monster form and powers, the side effects are already kicking in as she blacks out and ends up eating/murdering random people. On top of that, Lycana’s cultists haven’t stopped hunting Charlie and the Hulk. So, they need to do something to help Charlie get control of her new powers before they turn her truly into a monster. Read Incredible Hulk #24 to see what mysteries and menaces await Bruce and Charlie at the home of Dr. Strange.
Review:
Alright, so the story takes Bruce and Charlie to the Sanctum Sanctorum where Bruce hopes Dr. Strange will help with the Lycana situation. Of course, due to line-wide event shenanigans courtesy of the One World Under Doom event and the weird and flawed logic of Dr. Strange thinking he needs to go to Asgard for some reason while it’s all going down in Dr. Strange of Asgard, Stephen’s not in. But his wife Clea is there to help.
So, while they’re getting through the introductions and get right to business, Charlie actually bonds with Bruce for a little bit. Have to give Phillip Kennedy Johnson for actually doing something with Bruce and Charlie here that shows there’s some connection between the two. However, just when things feel like they’re going their way, it turns sour real quick and the action starts.
Turns out Lycana’s cult got there first and even got Clea somehow, they never show or explain exactly how they did it other than it took too many people to beat her. But right when they think victory is their’s, the Hulk comes out. Once the Hulk emerges, the battle shifts right back into his favor and we see him cut loose on the cultists and the cultist who has taken the form of Clea. Admittedly, it was a little disappointing to learn how the cultists beat Clea and just what they do with her power is similarly underwhelming. But getting to see Hulk put the smackdown was still great. However, the confrontation the comic sets up with another prominent Marvel character is both exciting and confusing.
Now, the comic has some flaws, namely the lackluster manner of how Clea was taken down considering how powerful she is, and the art going from good to weird in some panels & pages. But that’s as far as the serious flaws go for me. The rest of the comic is solid action, emotional character moments, and the art does work when the action starts and when Hulk emerges in a new body horror transformation. And right when it seems like it’s all over, the ending cliffhanger revs things up for the next issue.
Final Thoughts:
The Incredible Hulk #24 starts the next phase of the journey as Bruce and Charlie meet up with Clea Strange to help with Charlie’s monstrous powers. Thankfully, the comic avoids the overdone “misunderstanding hero fight” trope and gets straight to the meat of the matter. And it’s not long before the action starts in a more natural manner, which lets the art and characters shine in the comic. And the excitement doesn’t stop as the ending sets up more action to come next issue.