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 characters that have spontaneously popped up over the years. I swear if he ends up integrating Weapon H into his story down the line and manages to make that character not seem like the dumbest idea Marvel has ever had. He’s the GOAT. Meanwhile, Joe Bennett continues to deliver stellar artwork, fantastic gamma battles, and characters work that sets up this body dysmorphia horror tale. Seriously, I feel like Bennet is just using this book as an excuse to see if he can make each Hulk transformation more grotesque than the last. With so much left to think about until the next issue, Immortal Hulk remains one of the best Marvel books on the shelves.

9 Clues out of 10

Reading The Immortal Hulk? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here. Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!