The Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1 Review
Writer: Tom Taylor
Penciler: Jorge Molina
Inkers: Adriano Di Benedetto with Roberto Poggi
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Look, you saw the cover, okay? You know exactly how crazy this book is going to be, so you know that I’m here for it. The Hulk + Spider-Man + Tom Taylor. What’s not to love? What I want to know is, aside from its premise, does The Immortal Hulk: Great Power have substance to back it up?
Much to my surprise and confusion, I found upon reading the first page that this story is actually canon. It follows Bruce Banner and Peter Parker trying to return the Hulk to its rightful owner, so to speak, while figuring out how it got switched up in the first place. If this sounds like a classic Marvel team up to you, you’re right. It’s overall a pretty light-hearted tale with hints of brooding coming from the Hulk every now and then, as is fitting for his character. Being the inherently absurd story that is, there are some things that just don’t make sense if you think about them at all (How do Peter’s web shooters grow to Hulk size? How is he not so heavy that he just breaks building when he swings from them? How do his clothes stretch and shrink back?), but it comes with the territory. As for the characters, it’s no surprise that Taylor gives them a lot of great moments. He understands both of our protagonists and can easily make them fit with what he’s doing. There are a few instances where certain characters use words or phrases that I think are out of character for them, but aside from that, the dialogue is smooth. It reads very fluently and will get you to laugh when it’s trying to. Thankfully, this book does have substance in its story. Taylor takes the time to make sure that the Hulk/Bruce walk away from this having learned something about one another, and that’s what will really make this story memorable. I do think there’s a missed opportunity to have Peter address his own potential with the titular great power, as it’s very quickly glossed over, but this book still gives us a narrative that is satisfying in every desirable way.
Jorge Molina’s pencils add so much to every page of this issue. Save an instance of an off-putting face, everything is so clean. I would say that his strongest feature as an artist is his acting. This Spider-Hulk could easily be interpreted as monotone, but Molina instead gives him a wide range of emotions to fit the story as needed. The same goes for everyone else. The action is heavy, like you would expect a Hulk to hit. There’s impact in every motion, and much thought was clearly given to specific details of each brawl. Benedetto and Poggi are obviously critical to making everything look so neat; they add just the right weight to each line in just the right spot. David Curiel presents what is probably my favorite work of his. This is a very diverse palette, very mindful of the environments but not afraid to prioritize the themes. The climax is a perfect example of how you lean into the tones to give the scene a greater impact.
The Immortal Hulk: Great Power is not what I thought it would be, but it exceeds my expectations regardless. Taylor is careful to make sure that this book isn’t just crazy – it has the depth that makes a good story, too. The visuals tie it all together in a spectacular, stark kind of way. Give this one a read.
Penciler: Jorge Molina
Inkers: Adriano Di Benedetto with Roberto Poggi
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Look, you saw the cover, okay? You know exactly how crazy this book is going to be, so you know that I’m here for it. The Hulk + Spider-Man + Tom Taylor. What’s not to love? What I want to know is, aside from its premise, does The Immortal Hulk: Great Power have substance to back it up?
Much to my surprise and confusion, I found upon reading the first page that this story is actually canon. It follows Bruce Banner and Peter Parker trying to return the Hulk to its rightful owner, so to speak, while figuring out how it got switched up in the first place. If this sounds like a classic Marvel team up to you, you’re right. It’s overall a pretty light-hearted tale with hints of brooding coming from the Hulk every now and then, as is fitting for his character. Being the inherently absurd story that is, there are some things that just don’t make sense if you think about them at all (How do Peter’s web shooters grow to Hulk size? How is he not so heavy that he just breaks building when he swings from them? How do his clothes stretch and shrink back?), but it comes with the territory. As for the characters, it’s no surprise that Taylor gives them a lot of great moments. He understands both of our protagonists and can easily make them fit with what he’s doing. There are a few instances where certain characters use words or phrases that I think are out of character for them, but aside from that, the dialogue is smooth. It reads very fluently and will get you to laugh when it’s trying to. Thankfully, this book does have substance in its story. Taylor takes the time to make sure that the Hulk/Bruce walk away from this having learned something about one another, and that’s what will really make this story memorable. I do think there’s a missed opportunity to have Peter address his own potential with the titular great power, as it’s very quickly glossed over, but this book still gives us a narrative that is satisfying in every desirable way.
Jorge Molina’s pencils add so much to every page of this issue. Save an instance of an off-putting face, everything is so clean. I would say that his strongest feature as an artist is his acting. This Spider-Hulk could easily be interpreted as monotone, but Molina instead gives him a wide range of emotions to fit the story as needed. The same goes for everyone else. The action is heavy, like you would expect a Hulk to hit. There’s impact in every motion, and much thought was clearly given to specific details of each brawl. Benedetto and Poggi are obviously critical to making everything look so neat; they add just the right weight to each line in just the right spot. David Curiel presents what is probably my favorite work of his. This is a very diverse palette, very mindful of the environments but not afraid to prioritize the themes. The climax is a perfect example of how you lean into the tones to give the scene a greater impact.
The Immortal Hulk: Great Power is not what I thought it would be, but it exceeds my expectations regardless. Taylor is careful to make sure that this book isn’t just crazy – it has the depth that makes a good story, too. The visuals tie it all together in a spectacular, stark kind of way. Give this one a read.
A Look Inside
