Despite being a founding member of The Avengers, the record of The Incredible Hulk as a hero is mixed. The fractured psyche of Bruce Banner has given birth to many Hulks of varying temperaments. Some have been noble monsters, who just wanted to be left alone. Others just wish to break the world. However, the new monster at the heart of Infernal Hulk #1 has nothing to do with Banner, and it may just be the most dangerous Hulk yet.
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, with art by Nic Klein, Infernal Hulk #1 picks up where the previous Incredible Hulk series ended. The title page explains the story so far, and how Hulk’s body was possessed by a demonic creature called the Eldest. After the Eldest devoured its own mother while within Hulk’s body, it absorbed the power of both beings. The end result was the new Infernal Hulk.
Most of Infernal Hulk #1 shows the titular monster fighting an unfortunate army battalion. They go into battle thinking they are facing an enraged Bruce Banner. However, it soon becomes apparent this new monster is something else entirely. Something capable of corrupting those around it into disturbing aberrations. It also raises an ancient metropolis, reminiscent of the lost cities of H.P. Lovecraft, with the intention of building an army of monsters.
Infernal Hulk packed with action, but little else
Infernal Hulk #1 is something of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is full of gruesome action, and Nic Klein vividly illustrates every bit of viscera. However, there is little to this first issue apart from that. There is also nothing in the narrative to explain the new monster’s demonic origin. That’s something of a problem given how easy it is to overlook the summary on the title page. Presumably this new #1 was intended to bring in new readers, but there’s nothing in the actual text to explain the otherworldly origins of the new Hulk.
This is an odd oversight, given how Phillip Kennedy Johnson is usually on the ball when it comes to explaining continuity simply and smoothly. Then again, even his narrative abilities might be taxed trying to explain the last few years of Incredible Hulk lore. This involves a convoluted means of making all gamma-powered Mutates effectively immortal and the creation of the One Below All.
The good news is that Infernal Hulk seems to be working to restore the status quo and get to a point where we can ignore that gamma radiation was ever canonically the power of Hell. The bad news is that, based on this first issue, it will be a simmering storyline that will read better as a trade paperback than from month to month. It isn’t bad, but it seems more likely to confuse new readers than excite them.
Grade: 6/10
Infernal Hulk #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
