Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Incredible Hulks #634
Marvel Comics
Pak, Pelletier, Miki, Hollowell & Aburtov
The penultimate chapter in the Greg Pak, Incredible Hulk saga hits with issue 634. The issue has a tremendous amount of action and it brings about some of the most bizarre plot twists I think this arc could have conjured up. Overall, the issue's focus is on giving away some of the "wishes" that have driven the plot to this point and the fighting is a companion to those wishes. This is a fun issue that leaves for an ending that could go in so many directions. I enjoyed this issue and found it to be cover to cover fun.
The issue picks up with Cho, Strange and di Cosimo entering the dark dimension to rescue the Hulk. What they find is that the Hulk is not only happy in the dark dimension, but he is also in love, apparently. However, the Hulk's paradise includes a lot of smashing which is where the wishing comes into play.
Hulk and his dark dimension friends, consisting of his lover, Umar, and her demons (or goblins) have managed to make a place where the Hulk can fight to his heart's content without ever having to bother with any one from Earth again. As the issue unfolds we begin to understand that some of his foes made wishes, such as "ridding the Earth of the Hulk" but what they didn't specify was where they would go as well. In the end it all adds up to an endless cycle where the Hulk gets to beat on them and the Hulk doesn't have a care in the world and is seemingly thrilled to do it.
With a setup like that you would think that the journey ends there. However, as you might expect one of the characters manages to profit from all of the errant wish making and that sets up a problem that needs to be solved for the final issue.
The artwork brings the best out of this issue. It's not like there haven't been Hulk comic books that are entirely made of fight scenes but this one is different. This one has many of his arch villains but it also includes the background eating Fing Fang Foom and the tremendous number of demons that inhabit the realm. The book is just filled with dark creatures and angry beasts tossing each other around and it works so well to present the new reality for the Hulk. This comic book provides some excellent visuals to make this story come alive.
Pak's run will go down among the best in the history of this character. The last arc may not be for everyone but it has a lot in it that is fun and fresh. There's magic, strength, flying dragons, some humor and femme fatales. It seems like this book is going to once again call on the Hulk to be the hero but it may not be clear as to how, just yet. I can't wait for the ending.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
