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After their previous bout of exposition, the creative team of Hulk delivers on the vast majority of their plotlines in Hulk #4 (2022). Donny Cates (writer), Ryan Ottley (penciler), Cliff Rathburn (inker), Frank Martin (colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), and Wilson Moss (editor) continue their epic multiverse storyline for the Green Goliath with an exciting issue full of unexpected twists.
Action In The Alternate World
Hulk #4 picks up shortly after the end of the previous issue, with the alternate “Thunderbolt” Ross of Earth-122 being informed of the presence of his world’s Bruce Banner at a “specific mountain range.” It appears that the machine that brought Starship Hulk to Earth-122 emitted enough “gamma-energy” to give away Banner’s position. Ross orders the assistant to “send everything… and bring the boy” and insists on observing the battle himself– he “wants to see it.”
Back at the alternate Banner’s hideout, Starship Hulk goes through some historical files on his Earth-122 variant’s computer, learning that all of this dimension’s superheroes have already been slain by Ross and his forces. Just as this happens, Ross’s army arrives, and Starship Hulk rushes outside to fight them, connecting his computer systems to his variants so they can communicate while he does so. Starship Hulk leaps towards the approaching army, but he is blasted by their combined fire, causing “our” Bruce Banner to pull a lever on his control panel and increase the combative power of the illusions the original Hulk is battling in order to generate enough energy to make his creation a match for his foes.
We cut to the original Hulk turning to face illusory zombified versions of the Marvel superheroes– the Marvel Zombies as seen in their self-titled book. What follows is a bombastic fight scene in the classic Incredible Hulk tradition, as we cut from Starship Hulk’s fight against the army to the original Hulk’s fight against the Marvel Zombies and back again. As Starship Hulk decimates his opponents, we cut to the alternate Banner observing the scene in abject horror as Ross taps into his radio frequency to deliver a threatening message– tell his monster to stand down or else.
When Banner responds that he did not create Starship Hulk and can’t control him, Ross sends Banner’s “star pupil” into battle, kicking a chained-up boy off the dropship he’s standing on. The Bruce Banner variant contacts Starship Hulk, telling him that the boy’s name is Peter Parker and he was bitten by an irradiated spider– just as Parker hits the ground and transforms into a monstrous version of Spider-Man!
Banner And Ross Clash Once More
Cates returns to the heavily action-focused style of storytelling he began his run on Hulk with, producing a satisfying payoff for the previous three issues’ worth of setup. While some information is given in the form of the Banner variant’s computer’s historical records, most of the issue is taken up by the two Hulks’ fight scenes. Almost all of the ongoing plot threads are at least addressed in Hulk #4 — the alternate Banner’s past, Starship Hulk’s arrival on the alternate world, and Earth-122’s Ross being in control of the dimension. The only thread left untouched is the mysterious black-hued Hulk-like entity that kept appearing to both Bruce Banner and the original Hulk, though it is likely being saved for future issues.
As with previous issues, those who are looking for a more cerebral Hulk story similar to the previous Immortal Hulk run will not find it here. This issue, like most of the previous ones in this run, is focused almost entirely on providing a “cool” factor via extended fight scenes and copious splash pages. Any deeper meaning to the plot that might exist is clearly secondary to the mindless action in the author’s mind.
While the classic Incredible Hulk theme of the dangers of technology (as represented by Ross’s misuse of Banner’s gamma tech to build an empire) is present, Hulk #4 simply repeats the story beats of the original Cold War-era Incredible Hulk. Nothing Cates does with this central theme is novel. Even the use of an alternate dimension to illustrate it in ways impossible when working solely with main continuity has been done before, most notably in Peter David and George Perez’s well-known Hulk: Future Imperfect. Readers versed in the history of the Hulk might feel like this story is simply retreading old ground.
Cates’s Callbacks
The references to Marvel Comics history continue in this issue, with the most glaring reference being the Marvel Zombies. This isn’t as deep of a cut as the references that Cates made in Hulk #2 since those versions of the Marvel characters appear on copious amounts of Halloween merchandise as well as in the recent What If? television series. Casual Marvel fans will likely recognize them, something that can’t be said for issue #2’s obscure monster characters or DC Comics reference.
However, despite the artists’ terrific depiction of the Marvel Zombies, their inclusion represents nothing more than the latest in a long line of references. They don’t cause the Hulk to have any sort of realization or emotional development for his portion of the plot any further than being simply another group of monsters for him to fight. Ergo, some readers may roll their eyes at their inclusion, finding them to be a gratuitous and unnecessary reference that doesn’t add anything to the story.
A slightly more obscure reference is the monstrous Spider-Man, which appears to be a new version of Spider-Hulk, the Spider-Man/Hulk combination that appeared only once in the comics themselves back in 1990’s Web of Spider-Man #70 but has received many action figures and assorted merchandise over the years. This is another reference that’s easy for casual fans to grok– the character is a combination of two famous Marvel heroes– but one that hardcore fans will appreciate. It remains to be seen whether or not he ends up being of thematic significance, but at least Spider-Hulk means a bit more to the plot than the Marvel Zombies– if nothing else, he is not an illusion, but an actual character within the story.
Classic Combat
Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Frank Martin deliver another visually stunning issue. The big fight scene in the middle of the issue uses rapid camera cuts to depict both Starship Hulk’s battle and the original Hulk’s, creating a very cinematic effect that might remind readers of the cinematography of the live-action Marvel movies.
This sense of movie-esque cinematics is bolstered by the fact that three two-page splashes appear all in a row — one depicting the original Hulk facing the Marvel Zombies, one depicting the main battle scene, and one of the alternate Banner being horrified at the battle before him. Ottley’s character redesigns in this issue are also extremely on-point. The robotic drones in Ross’s army resemble the famous Hulkbuster Iron Man armor and call back to Starship Hulk’s fight with his own dimension’s Hulkbusters in issue #1.
His version of Spider-Hulk is also extremely well-designed and arguably much better than the original design for the character, looking much more distinct than the 1990 Spider-Hulk– less like grafting elements of Spider-Man’s design onto the Hulk’s and more like a unique design that incorporates elements of both. The monstrous face, pincers for arms, and spidery legs lend Spider-Hulk an aura of inhuman menace. Also worthy of praise is the shot with which Spider-Hulk is introduced– it manages to depict the usually powerful Hulk as weaker than his foe via the way Spider-Hulk is looming large over him.
Rathburn’s inking continues to elevate the book. His heavy lines compliment Ottley’s art style, seamlessly blending in with his pencils on the page. However, Martin’s colors are what ties this comic’s visuals together. The contrast between the dark colors used for the interior of the Earth-122 Banner’s lab and the bright hues of the superhero battles make the fight scenes seem that much more exciting. His use of colors on Spider-Hulk, a darkened version of the classic Spider-Man color scheme, makes the creature appear absolutely menacing while managing to keep him recognizable. Conversely, in the battle scenes, Martin’s bright colors make the characters fighting really pop out against the background, keeping the reader focused on them in what would otherwise be a very busy, chaotic page.
A Return To Form
Hulk #4 marks a return to the style of the first two issues of its volume while advancing the story in a way that will likely be much more satisfying to readers than the copious exposition of Hulk #3. Ending on a cliffhanger with the promise of another, even more dynamic fight scene in Hulk #5, this issue deftly channels the bombast and action that many longtime Incredible Hulk fans read the book for.