Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artists: Nic Klein & Kev Walker
Color Artist: Matthew Wilson
Cover Artist: Nic Klein
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
The Infernal Hulk has arrived and has started a new Age of Monsters! Of course, now Eldest has to find and awaken all of their slumbering monster-kin. But not all monsters will bow so easily to them. Dive into Infernal Hulk #2 to see an undersea battle between two fearsome monsters.
Review:
Alright, so Infernal Hulk is here and ready to start the “Age of Monsters.” The world knows about this new hulk, but we’ve yet to see any responses. Some groups of heroes, like the current crop of “New Avengers” led by Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier and Black Widow alert Namor the Sub-Mariner about the developments with Hulk who’s heading toward Atlantis. Namor’s not entirely listening and for good reason since he’s sympathized with the Hulk and his complicated relationship with the others. But something awakens, one of Eldest’s monster siblings, Ngathil, and meets with the new Infernal Hulk.
Eldest talks with his “little” brother Ngathil who is not pleased to be awakened without their Mother of Horrors. Eldest informs him about their mother and how they’ve taken the lead in starting their new age. But Ngathil is not obeying them believing that only the strongest should lead, and proceeds to eat the Infernal Hulk. Of course, any Hull fan knows this is a recipe for disaster for the giant monster.
Now, naturally we get a cool fight sequence thanks to Nic Klein’s art. Both before and after Hulk gets eaten by Ngathil, the action and art look great. The fight within Ngathil is cool and illustrated to emphasize that Hulk is fighting inside a giant creature, even the panels reflect this. The interaction also highlighted that while the Infernal Hulk is powerful, even other Monsters from Eldest’s own family might not just immediately join them in their mission. So, future issues could tap into this angle.
Of course, there’s also the matter of Bruce Banner and Betty – what about them? The comic reveals that they’re out and about, going by different names, as expected. Their short portion in the comic is even illustrated by a different artist which was a bit of a shock and it visually feels off, but it matches the almost happy go-lucky tone the two have here.
It’s clear setup for the next issue which will tackle what happened to Bruce, Betty and probably the other Gamma Mutates in the Requiem Plain. And hopefully Johnson does something interesting with them beyond just running away from it all.
Final Thoughts:
Infernal Hulk #2 has Eldest dive into Atlantis to reunite with a member of their monstrous kin – Ngathil the God-Eater. But things turn sour for Ngathil believes only the strongest should lead, and the battle ensues. Nic Klein’s art delivers another great visual treat with Infernal Hulk under the sea. The comic is well paced, the dialogue is fine for both monsters, and the story sets things up for the next issue centering on Bruce Banner.