Hulk #33 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (writer), Gabriel Hardman (art), Elizabeth Breitweiser (colors), Ed Dukeshire (letters), Jake Thomas (assistant editor) & Mark Paniccia (editor)

The Story: Red Hulk evades the U.S. military and does battle with a villain while a mega-threat is coming to Earth from deep space.

What’s Good: The story is typical Jeff Parker goodness.  He is able to give you more story per issue than any other writer out there currently.  What’s awesome about this approach is that even though almost every story element Parker tosses at us is fun and enjoyable, if he ever does fling a turd at us, it won’t be a big deal because that turd will be gone in an issue or two.  This fast-paced storytelling allows him to take more chances because he is constantly renewing the narrative.  It isn’t remotely like these dreadful decompressed comics where a bad story stays with you for 8-9 months and results in you dropping the title.  I like to see creators who are willing to go for it and Parker does that issue after issue.

In this issue alone, you get a new alien race, more detail on this Omegex mega-threat, nanomedicine to remove the bombs in Red Hulk’s brain, more character-building for the LMDs that Red Hulk is hanging with, a battle with the new Black Fog villain, a history lesson of obsolete aircraft, a guest appearance by Steve Rogers and the death of a couple supporting characters.  All that in 22 pages, yet it never feels hurried or rushed.

What more can I say about Gabriel Hardman?  I seriously think he’s the best artist working in comics right now if you limit to professional artists who are generating 10+ issues per year (unfair to compare to folks who are taking 3-4 months to draw an issue).  We already know he can draw a kick ass Hulk that is bristling with strength and energy, but he is also a great storyteller.  Part of the reason these issues are so packed with story is that Hardman can tell parts of the story with the pictures.  Take a panel on page two after the LMDs have a setback while trying to remove the nanobombs from Red Hulks’ brain…. One of the LMDs is rubbing his eyes.  The reader can see that and understand, “He’s tired.  Those LMDs have been working on this for a long time.”  By doing such great graphic storytelling, Parker is freed up to write about other things and one panel covers twice as much territory.  Hardman also gets to flex his overall artistic muscles in this issue by designing a new alien race AND drawing vintage U.S. Air Force planes.  I wonder if Parker ever is just trying to find something that Hardman doesn’t draw well?