Comic Info
Comic Name: The Immortal Hulk
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Joe Bennett
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2019
The Immortal Hulk #18
Reprints The Immortal Hulk #16-20 (June 2019-September 2019). The death of Rick Jones hangs heavy on Bruce Banner, but much like the Hulk, people in Bruce’s life don’t always stay dead. Fortean has some new plans for Banner, and if the Bushwacker can’t nail him, the new and improved Abomination might. Banner is also continuing to deal with changes as his body is casually loaned out and his old friend Joe Fixit makes a return.
Written by Al Ewing, The Immortal Hulk Volume 4: Abomination is a Marvel Comics superhero comic book collection. Following The Immortal Hulk 3: Hulk in Hell, the collection features art by Joe Bennett. Issues in the collection were also collected as part of The Immortal Hulk—Volume 2.
It took a bit for me to get on-board with The Immortal Hulk…not just reading, but also enjoying. The series isn’t like many other Hulk runs and that is either a plus for some or a negative. For me, the negative is seeing all the horrible things happen to characters I like; the plus is that I’m never sure where The Immortal Hulk will go next.
The Immortal Hulk #20
This collection almost divides into two parts. The first part involves Hulk’s feelings over Rick Jones’ death and his disappearance which leads to a showdown with Bushwacker. Bushwacker was always a strange character from back in his premiere in Daredevil (1) #248 (November 1987). He was kind of lame despite his dangerous nature, but the concept of Bushwacker (a guy who can mold his plastic-synthetic body into weapons is straight in line with The Immortal Hulk which plays heavily with the body horror of transformation. Bushwacker in the big picture seems like an odd choice, but he really makes sense (plus the fact that he chose this life…a choice that Bruce didn’t necessarily have).
The second half involves the return of Rick Jones and in the form of Hulk’s long term enemy the Abomination. The Abomination was always one of my favorite Marvel villains (though I like the traditional design) and this, like the Hulk, hangs heavily on the body-horror design. He is a powerful, corrosive acid filled monster that only goal is to kill Hulk. It also demonstrates the level that Fortean is willing to go to in his efforts to eliminate the Hulk…no matter who is killed in the process.
The Immortal Hulk continues to weave and strike. The series still has room for improvement (I’d like the story tightened a bit with less seemingly random events and how the split persona aspect works cemented more), but largely it is better than most Hulk runs in recent years. The Immortal Hulk has a long life (literally) and I look forward to seeing where it is headed in the future. The Immortal Hulk 4: Abomination is followed by The Immortal Hulk 5: Breaker of Worlds.
Related Links:
The Immortal Hulk 1: Or Is He Both?
The Immortal Hulk 2: The Green Door
The Immortal Hulk 3: Hulk in Hell
The Immortal Hulk 5: Breaker of Worlds
