Writer: Peter David
Art: German Peralta, Jesus Aburtov, Jason Keith, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Dale Keown
Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 23rd, 2020
The world as he knows it is destroyed all thanks to the puny Humans! And now, the Hulk must choose whether to save it or doom it forever. Peter David’s amazing epic continues with another action-packed anecdote of devastation! Let’s smash into MAESTRO #2 by Peter David to see what’s next on Hulk’s agenda as he discovers this brand new world… or at least what’s left of it.
If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned below, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy.
I don’t know what it is about “Else World” stories, but I love the heck out of them. Think about what’s spawned out of INCREDIBLE HULK: FUTURE IMPERFECT? We’ve received stories like OLD MAN LOGAN, OLD MAN HAWKEYE, and even recent titles like AVENGERS OF THE WASTELAND. Heck, Maestro has even made an appearance in SECRET WARS by Jonathan Hickman. My point is; the universe/ timeline is totally malleable for the writer to go nuts without consequences of continuity or incredibly angry fans going ape$&@$ about some of their favorites being written out of context or character. Well, Peter David created an entire universe center on the Hulk ruling over almost everything and we now get to see its machinations. However, I simply love how the story isn’t what you’d expect.
I’m sure many expected a Hulk raging on everyone, destroying the world, and becoming this evil dictator since that’s what was surmised in INCREDIBLE HULK: FUTURE IMPERFECT. But readers, David is showing us that there are two sides to every story and it’s fantastic. Maybe the Hulk really isn’t the villain after all? Just like MAESTRO #1, there are a handful of twists and turns in this issue that will surprise you along with some outstanding art by Germán Peralta and Dale Keown that elevates this series to a must-buy for any diehard INCREDIBLE HULK fan, especially for Peter David fans. Additionally, there is a small side story that’s going to continue through the remaining issues that “may” eventually set up another mini-series down the line. Who knows?! Right now, I hope this series doesn’t end!
FINAL THOUGHTS
MAESTRO #2 isn’t what you expect but it’s still so so good. David’s story is surprisingly different than what this reviewer thought it would be, however, it’s so much more creative than anticipated. Peter David has made this story easy for all readers to follow, regardless of their knowledge of the Hulk, and has attached so much extra emotion to the narrative. This story is extremely well written, nostalgic, wildly intriguing, original, and gets the reader involved from the beginning. Peralta’s art fits the tone of the story perfectly and adds an extra layer to the story that draws readers deeper into the story. Readers, I truly can’t wait to see where this goes and hope this series leads into so much more from our soon to be MAESTRO. Grab this issue and put this series on your pull list immediately!