Incredible Hulk #8 – Review

By: Jason Aaron (writer), Steve Dillon (art), Frank Martin (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story:  In order to contain his violent alter-ego, Hulk has to STAY ANGRY.

The Review:  This is an incredibly difficult issue to grade.

On the one hand, there are some huge, huge problems with this book.  First and foremost is Steve Dillon’s art.  The unfortunate thing is that this is actually really, really solid work by Dillon.  The colors by Frank Martin are  fantastic.  I’m used to seeing Dillon’s work colored in a flat, basic colours, but Martin does some really brilliant shading.  Furthermore, Dillon’s work in other places really shines.  His Punisher is as excellent as usual and his take on Jason Aaron’s demented villains is a laugh out loud sight gag.

The problem is his illustration of the Hulk.  Dillon’s style is simply too grounded to deal with drawing the big guy.  Instead of being, well, the Hulk, poor Hulk looks like a bald, shirtless NBA player who painted himself green.  He’s not stocky or thick enough, he’s too human, and he looks almost comedically mundane and not at all intimidating, let alone monstrous.