Ranking Every Volume of The Immortal Hulk
Ranking Every Volume of The Immortal Hulk from Marvel Comics
Written by Al Ewing, Art by Joe Bennet 2018-2021
Al Ewing’s distrbingly brilliant Immortal Hulk series is still going strong, with Issue #42 set to release in January 2021 and Volume 8: Keeper of the Door coming out in early February. While we all eagerly await the release, why not take a retrospective look back at the best moments from the series.
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!
#7. Volume 1: Or Is He Both? (The Immortal Hulk Issues #1-5)
It says something about a series if it JUST. KEEPS. GETTING. BETTER. The first volume of The Immortal Hulk is mercurial, shifting from one-shot, serialized fiction, into a more narrative form later on. The first few issues set about establishing a kind of new mythos for Ewing’s perspective of Hulk. A Hulk that is more monster than man, a strange, horrific creature that exists more in nightmares and fairytales than it does in reality. Bit by bit, we begin to understand the tragedy of Bruce Banner’s day to day life, and we begin to unpack that word, “Immortal,” and feel its’ Hulk-like weight.
However, it simply is that: the beginning. Ewing sets the stage for more to come with the introduction of Sasquatch, reminding us of the character’s bizarre origin and relationship to the Hulk. It is clear from the final issue, that this series is not going to shy away from the “weird,” or confusing elements of the Hulk canon, but rather reinvent them.
This volume holds a special place in my heart, being the first to draw me back into the world of the Hulk, but it is a deliberate, purposefully contained set of issues that only gives a glimmer of the insanity yet to come.
#6. Volume 4: Abomination (The Immortal Hulk Issues #16-20)
This volume holds some of the most iconic moments of Ewing’s run and is a categorical example of how consistently GREAT The Immortal Hulk has been as a release.
Issues #16 and #17 follow Banner and Doc Samsons infiltration of Shadow Base Site A as they attempt to rescue the pilfered corpse of Ric Jones from the sinister organization. This culminates in the long awaited confrontation with the shapeshifting soldier, Agent Burbank (which feels like something straight out of an ‘80’s sci-fi, alla Terminator). Plus, we get to see the return of the charming personality, Joe Fixit.
These first issues also introduce the new, terrifying, Angel of Death that is the Red She-Hulk. In fact, Betty pretty much steals the show the entire issue with some gruesome, yet heartfelt moments with Bruce. I am still trying to purge the image of the Red She-Hulk eating the Hulk’s heart in order to save his life from my mind. The John Carpenter-esque body horror is certainly kicked up a few notches in this arc of the story, though somehow nowhere near its grotesque peak.
The iconic hulk villain, Abomination also makes a return in this volume, but in a very different form. Later issues in the series would give Abomination more time in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean his appearance here wasn’t memorable.
Overall, Volume 4 advances the action packed narrative between the Hulk, Shadow Base, and a wide cast of characters, both friend and foe, while still managing to be as approachable to new readers as ever. Just because it isn’t AS memorable as other Volumes doesn’t make it any less important.
#5. Volume 6: We Believe in Bruce Banner (The Immortal Hulk Issues #26-30)
I don’t think anybody could have seen these issues coming. Even this far into the series, Al Ewing and company, including some entirely new faces, continue to break the mold.
What is most exciting about this volume is that it begins with Bruce Banner, the Hulk, essentially branding himself as a villain. Finally, the influence of the Devil Hulk is beginning to take effect and the Hulk is going to make good on his newfound purpose to destroy the world. If that wasn’t already exciting enough, we get the surprise appearance of ROXXON C.E.O. Dario Agger, aka The Minotaur, from Jason Aaron’s celebrated run on Thor.
The highlight of the volume has to be the sudden change of art style for Issue #28 by Tom Reilly. This chapter shifts between a dedicated ROXXON security guard coming to terms with the radical changes in his world and The Minotaur as he attempts to strike back at the Hulk in some meaningful way. Throughout, this is precisely the kind of unique, thoughtful writing that we have all come to value in The Immortal Hulk.
Finally, the volume concludes with the calculated ROXXON sponsored invasion of Phoenix, AZ by giant monsters in order to defame the Hulk’s growing popularity as a symbol against corporate oppression of the average citizen. The action and creature design in these issues is top notch as always (that two page highway spread for instance), but moreover, they perfectly complement the themes introduced in this volume. Out of all the collected volumes of The Immortal Hulk, this may very well be the most contained story.
#4. Volume 5: Breaker of Worlds (The Immortal Hulk Issues #21-25)
Volume 5 brings The Immortal Hulk fans the fight we’ve all been waiting for. The Devil Hulk vs. General Reginald James Fortean. Not only that, but also includes one of the most original, thought provoking, and strange comics ever written in Marvel Comics with Issue #25.
The first issue of the volume offers a comprehensive backstory for the already compelling General Fortean. Ewing is able to inexorably tie Fortean to the history of the Hulk in an entertaining way while also illuminating the authoritarian character’s philosophical roots. This issue also gives a lot of personal moments to the members of Gamma Flight that have slowly become an iconic part of the series. Both the lead up to the final fight and the battle itself feels like quintessential “comic book” action, allowing the reader to relish in this exhilarating new comic while also touching on the nostalgic whimsy of the entire industry. As Fortean, now the host of the Abomination, confronts the Hulk, Ewing’s brutally realistic vision of the character reaches its fullest potential. Ripping his own melted flesh away from his bone, the Hulk stands through impossible pain and shows the reader how far he is willing to go to conquer his enemies. The desperate battle ends with Fortean’s descent into a now familiar world, “Below,” where Bruce and Samson leave the General’s soul for dead. This climactic finish does a lot to ground the imaginative series up until this point.
Then the series makes a radical shift. Issue #25 is a nebulous journey to the far future where almost all vestiges of life have been destroyed, where color itself is thought absent. The issue is told from the perspective of two molecular creatures rather than anything human. It’s beautiful, and confusing, and unlike anything we’ve ever read before. This issue on its own warrants an entirely separate conversation, but its place in the volume heightens the idea of “The One Below All,” to a prophetic extreme. Ewing has shown us that there is an ideology of the volatile nature of the divine that drives the narrative of The Immortal Hulk, and here he allows the story to succumb to the darkest parts of that belief.
Breaker of Worlds feels all at once like an explosive ending to the latter half of the series and a mystifying transition into even greater events lurking beyond.
#3. Volume 7: Hulk is Hulk (The Immortal Hulk Issues #31-35)
It’s difficult not to put this volume higher on the list. The latest collection of The Immortal Hulk continues to be bigger, better, and bolder than ever before.
Continuing from the chaos of Volume 6, Ewing dives headfirst into a masterfully interwoven commentary on identity with the memory altering alien villain Xemnu. In a matter of seconds, Xemnu has made the world, and the Hulk himself, forget who The Incredible Hulk ever was. This absurd turn of events leads into Issue 33, where we journey to the interior consciousness of Bruce Banner’s mind and see the return of Planet Hulk as our Virgil in the proverbial Inferno. Every page is intelligent and artful and asks profound questions of our dissociated protagonist.
The volume reaches one of the most exciting climaxes yet with the horrific mutilation of The Minotaur by Xemnu and Hulk’s inevitable conquering of Xemnu using his Planet Hulk persona. It’s a confrontation that could easily satisfy any Hulk fan, but Ewing yet again goes the extra mile with the reveal that Rick Jones has been controlled by The Leader all along.
The volume continues with a concise and engaging summation of The Leader’s history, framed by his confusing myriad of journal entries. In essence, the issue serves as a detailed account of the character to unfamiliar readers, but also as a thematic retrospective on the character himself. It’s clear by this point in the series that Ewing has a deep understanding of the characters in the Hulk universe and knows exactly how to incorporate them meaningfully.
We even get what feels like our first real conclusion with Issue #35. Hulk and Bruce are finally able to reconcile some of their ill will by uniting in his subconscious, Bruce and Betty finally get the chance to talk to one another, though they end up going their separate ways, and the world at large seems to finally respect the Hulk once again. Ewing leaves us with a hint at the horrors to come, but this final issue feels like a necessary, inevitable break from the action rather than overt filler.
The series has matured to the point where every moment feels valuable, every character intriguing, every splash of blood shocking. This far into the series, and The Immortal Hulk still makes you feel like you are part of something special in Marvel comics history.
#2. Volume 2: The Green Door (The Immortal Hulk Issues #6-10)
This is where The Immortal Hulk really hit its stride. The Green Door introduces the majority of the elements that would come to define Ewing’s iteration of the Hulk. There is world altering action, revolting body horror imagery, and the introduction of the wide cast of distinct characters that will become tied to the demented world of the Hulk.
Right off the bat, this Volume places Hulk at odds with the world. First, we get the introduction of the Shadow Base operation, then we see the Hulk go toe to toe with the entirety of the Avengers. It’s like your wildest childhood dreams come true, only for them to turn into a nightmare. This version of the Hulk holds nothing back as he tears through the people he once considered friends, leaving the Avengers no choice but to kill the Hulk outright with an experimental weapon. It’s a definitive moment for the series because it takes spectacle seriously. A lesser comic would frame the moment as pure action, giving the readers a show rather than anything of substance.
Immediately after this confrontation, we are treated to the unforgettable image of the Hulk’s body parts divided into separate jars. This image alone cultivates the notion of just how “different” The Immortal Hulk is from traditional comics. This is followed by even more disturbing imagery of bodily transformation as the Hulk escapes Shadow Base and inevitably confronts the nightmare inducing new form of the Absorbing Man. Speaking of, this volume gives some tremendously emotional backstory to the character and is one of the better examples of Ewing’s particular skill at incorporating older characters.
What is most important about this volume, is that it delves into the concept of “The Green Door,” and “The World Below,” which are pivotal set pieces for the rest of the series. Put more plainly, these are the comics that made The Immortal Hulk fans fall in love with the series.
#1. Volume 3: Hulk in Hell (The Immortal Hulk Issues #11-15)
This is more than comics. This is more than writing. This, my dear friends, is art. If you look back on the third volume of The Immortal Hulk, you will discover the heart and tone of the entire series.
The volume begins, not surprisingly, in Hell, or just “Below,” as Ewing would put it. As the Hulk and his vengeful journalist companion, Jackie, make their way through the hellish landscape, they both encounter their worst demons. For Jackie, it is her murdered Father. For the Hulk it is General Ross and his Father. What is most impressive about this whole sequence is that it is a powerful rumination on grief that forces the characters and the reader to face the uncomfortable notion of death. Moreover, Ewing doesn’t shy away from presenting the reader with some truly challenging, profound ideas regarding the afterlife and ultimate judgment. This entire section builds and builds until we come face to face with the monstrous embodiment of “The One Below All,” that Ewing has been teasing for so long. It is an epic, grisly journey that is difficult to forget, whether it be the apocalyptic art or the poignant narration.
From there, the volume transitions to Bruce turning to the only person he can, the supposed love of his life, Betty Ross. However, this decision morphs into tragedy, reinforcing how life can be even more unforgiving than Hell itself. Betty is murdered by Agent Burbank, leading to Hulk’s rampage that is only stopped by the arrival of Doc Samson. Samson quickly establishes himself as one of most versatile and nuanced characters of the series and has continued to be ever since his introduction.
Hulk in Hell is the most emotional volume of work within The Immortal Hulk series, creating a pervading sense of doom that has continued to linger throughout this jaw-dropping series. In many ways, it feels like the defining moment for the series that elevated it to its own ingenious pantheon. It represents THE moment that Hulk comics became special again.
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
