Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Mike Hawthorne
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors: Paul Mounts
Synopsis- • The war with the Minotaur is over — and a grateful humanity knows who saved them all.
• Can Shadow Base come out of the shadows? Can the world believe in Bruce Banner?
• Can there be a happy ending… for the IMMORTAL HULK?
Review-
Ewing has crafted a story that is so layered that it’s starting to give life to new elements of the Hulk that have never been touched upon. The last time readers saw a comic creator go this in-depth into a character and start creating new and exciting material out of thin air was when Alan Moore delved into Swamp Thing. It’s been that long since a seasoned writer climbed this deep into the mind of a monster.
This issue has its share of great moments. From Bruce and the Hulk trying to free the Devil persona from his prison inside Banner’s own mind to the lover’s spat between Bruce and Betty, which is so personal it feels uncomfortable to even read! But it is the final page of this comic that leaves your jaw on the ground. It really is a cliffhanger that is going to leave every single reader out there wondering, “If this is the end of issue #35 then how in the hell can there be an issue #36?” Yes, it’s that good.
Hawthorne’s art becomes an afterthought to such a strong story. But that doesn’t mean that the art in this issue is lacking. It’s good, but the tale that Ewing is weaving is center stage. I don’t mean to downplay the hard work of the art team here, but this is just window dressing to the masterpiece that the writer is crafting with this stellar cast of characters. As long as Ewing is in the zone like this, they can’t go wrong.
Final Score: 9 out of 10