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World War Hulk #4

November 2007, Marvel Comics - writer: Greg Pak - artists: John Romita, Jr. & Klaus Janson - colorist: Christina Strain - letterer: Chris Elipoulos

I probably won’t be able to write this again, so I’m going to embrace the opportunity: You can blame Wil Wheaton for the tardiness of this, my fourth World War Hulk report. I’ve been fairly prompt with my impressions of this miniseries for you, my fellow Geeks in the City, and I’m not about to let some disgraced cadet ruin me now – not like he did with his fellow pilots in Nova Squad. Still, the awesome chance to get a picture with him, and to hear him and his fellow contributor’s to TOKYOPOP’s Star Trek: The Manga talk about the final frontier at the West Hollywood Book Fair, trumped my review of WWH’s penultimate issue . . . until now.

I can only hope that the end of this issue isn’t the beginning of this excellent series’ proverbial Yager Loop. See, I knew I’d tie it all in somehow . . .

When I purchased World War Hulk #4 at Meltdown Comics two weeks ago, the clerk muttered to me knowingly, “As I’m calling this issue, ‘Strange Smash,’ heh, heh, heh.” I hadn’t read the book yet, but I knew what Leaky McSpoiler was implying; at the end of WWH #3, Dr. Strange, whose spell-casting hands were crushed by a certain ruthless green machine, “drank the soul of a demon” to combat the Hulk and his alien compatriots. Unfortunately, like the invincibility star in Super Mario Bros., Strange’s invulnerable rampage was short-lived and ended when he inadvertently put innocents in danger; fortunately, the Hulk saved those Jade-Jaws-worshiping hippies and smashed the Sorcerer Supreme accordingly.

This sequence offered two of the three snippets of dialogue that made this issue an undoubtedly rewarding experience for sympathetic, long-time fans of the Hulk. (Spoiler alert! Skip to the next paragraph to avoid these actual excerpts from the issue!) First, when Strange struggles with his literally inner demon, musing aloud that he cannot control so much anger, the Hulk retorts, “Tell you what . . . I’ll give you a lesson.” Then, when Rick Jones tries to evoke Bruce Banner by questioning the Hulk’s heroism with the squinty eyed argument, “You are Banner,” the Hulk turns a jaded shoulder (pun completely intended) to his former sidekick and replies, “Banner is me.” The Hulk’s point is proven in the last best line of the book, after which civilians condemn Marvel’s now-captured Illuminati for their collaterally lost loved ones: “Don’t like it, do you? It’s not fair. Not the whole story. You have excuses. Explanations. You’re innocent. These people don’t know what really happened. They don’t know what’s in your heart. Now you know how it feels.” You ask me, that last line deserved a splash page.

The Hulk’s rage has always been his unwitting yet effective vehicle of valor. Has he ever proactively attacked innocent people? (I pose that as a real inquiry for Hulk fans! I’d really like to know!) For every time he just wanted to be left alone, he still looked down the barrels of army tanks, or even more blatantly saved the planet from a Skrull invasion, or the Leader’s mind control, or Loki’s magical trickery. He co-founded the Avengers, for crying out loud! Thanks to these simple, powerful lines of dialogue, writer Greg Pak proves that the Hulk is not only the strongest there is, but one of the most introspective. He’s actually in touch with and understands his feelings . . . because no one else will. Though this miniseries is the obvious consequence of the year-long Planet Hulk arc, it’s also the natural next step for the Hulk’s character development. He’s dealt plenty of blows but his greatest nemesis has always been society’s revulsion. ‘Bout time Hulk smash that, too!

My only trepidation reared its head in the final pages, as I mentioned earlier and also in my review of World War Hulk #1. The Sentry has been established as the only force with the potential to defeat ol’ Jade Jaws in hand-to-hand combat, heretofore withheld from battle because of his agoraphobia. In my opinion, the Sentry’s potentially pivotal involvement would cheapen the sense of canonization in the Hulk’s aggression toward the Illuminati, since this Golden Guardian is still a very new addition to the forty-five year-old Marvel Universe. I’m crossing my fingers for a twist – that the Sentry will either join the Hulk, or his impact will be as turnabout as any of the Hulk’s major opponents in this series. Indeed, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, and even “Thunderbolt” Ross had a decent crack at the Hulk, but compared to their longstanding relationship with Mr. Purple Pants, who’s the Sentry think he is, anyway? We, and the Hulk, will see next issue.

I recently heard an old reporter (one of the big three – Koppel, Rather, or Jennings ) contrast the current War on Terror with World War II. In the ‘40s, even if a family didn’t have a loved one on the frontlines, everyone felt the pressure of the conflict and the drive to contribute to the effort – in fact, WWII, and the call to recycle paper, is responsible for the incredible value of many Golden Age comics, or, at least, those that survived. Today’s war is much more detached than that, conveyed on Internet blogrolls and two-minute hourly segments (preceded by a Britney update, no less) rather than impassioned hand written love letters or desperately scratchy radio broadcasts. I wonder if the Marvel Universe will react the same way to World War Hulk. On the heels of the heroes’ Civil War, will the MU suffer any long-lasting effects from the Hulk’s righteous rampage? Or are its civilians just plain used to all of this in-fighting? Or, worse . . . are we?

How far away are we from some pundit starting the nightly news with a knowing chuckle, “Today’s top story: Bush smash! Heh, heh, heh!”

Thanks for another great review from Russ. Although I really hope we WWH readers don't get a Dues Ex Sentryah as an ending... Make sure you check out Russ' site at A Comic A Day. - AD)