REVIEW: ‘Hulk’, Issue #8

Hulk #8 is written by Donny Cates & Daniel Warren Johnson from a plot by Cates, illustrated by Martin Coccolo, colored by Matt Wilson, and lettered by VC’s Cory Petit. Marvel Comics publishes it. The finale of “Banner of War” pits Hulk against Thor, and both have undergone some serious changes. After being caught in a massive wave of gamma radiation, Thor is now a Hulk with the strength of a god. And Hulk, thanks to the spirit of Thor’s father Odin, now wields the God of Thunder’s hammer, Mjolnir. At long last, the time has come to find out which one of them truly is the strongest.

Throughout their 60-year history, fans of both Thor and the Hulk have argued over who would win in a fight. It’s gotten to the point where said debate has reached the same level as “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Batman vs. Superman” – and those two eventually got movies. An answer is given in this issue, and while fans may still debate it, I will give Cates props for putting some thought into the process. And he isn’t alone: Johnson, who previously wrote the phenomenal Beta Ray Bill miniseries last year, joins him for a script that has just as much philosophy as it does punching. That same approach worked wonders for Beta Ray Bill, and it’s one that helps elevate this comic above a simple superhero fight.

But that isn’t to say that the fight scenes in these books are boring. In fact, thanks to Coccolo and Wilson, this may be one of the best superhero fights I’ve seen in a while. The opening page features the Hulk and Thor locked in battle, as lightning and gamma-irradiated fury cause massive destruction around the pair. And above is Uatu the Watcher, living up to his namesake. Coccolo also gives the Hulk Asgardian armor that wraps around his bulky green frame, including a helmet, and has the chance to draw most of Thor’s supporting cast, including Beta Ray Bill, since the battle takes place outside Asgard. Wilson delivers splash after splash of eye-popping color; the Hulk’s skin is the brightest of green, and the lightning Mjlonir summons is so bright it’s almost white.

Finally, Petit’s lettering gives the story an almost mythic quality, as Beta Ray Bill’s narration is used as a counterpart to the violence going on in the issue. One of the more interesting parts of “Banner of War” is how the Thor issues have felt more like Hulk issues and vice versa. The narration plays into that, as you’d expect a big epic speech from a Thor book, not a Hulk book. But it plays to Cates and Johnson’s strength as writers and shows how much they understand these characters.

Hulk #8 wraps up the “Banner of War” storyline with some bombastic illustrations and a script that has equal amounts of philosophy and punching. It’s been a wild ride, and, from the end of this issue, it looks like the fallout from this fight will continue to affect both characters throughout their titles.

Hulk #8 is available wherever comics are sold.