Immortal Hulk #16 Review

Writer: Al Ewing / Artist: Joe Bennet / Marvel The curious case of Rick Jones. He has an odd long list of accomplishments, from being responsible for the creation of the Hulk to being his best pal of sorts. However, it’s his most recent feat, being a gamma powered creature himself, that has him in the predicament he’s in today. The mystery of Rick Jones has been teased for the past couple of issues, since our time in hell. Now, we get a pay off of sorts. Ewing takes a deep dive into the relationship between Jones and Banner, as well as the Hulk. The whole issue is driven by Jones as the narrator telling his story, which is a fascinating perspective to get. Being the Hulk’s shadow all these years, Rick Jones is the closest person to the character. So hearing the way Jones describes his encounters with Banner and the Hulk is every bit what you expect and what you don’t. What I love in the narration is how Ewing paints Jones as a character who will always see the Banner and the Hulk in a way that no one else ever will. He understands why the Hulk can be seen as a monster, but there’s definitely an adoration for who they truly are and who are the real monsters in the world.

The narration nicely sets up the story itself, which has a lot going on. Ewing brings certain characters back into the fold and once more gives us several WTF moments that leave you scratching your head but intrigued. I also have to commend Ewing for making use of all of these different gamma powered characte…