Immortal Hulk #19 Review

Writer: Al Ewing / Artist: Joe Bennett / Marvel This issue of the Immortal Hulk did not go at all the way that I expected it to. Packed with great character moments, shocking surprises, and all the horror genre vibes that you can ask for, this has to be one of the best issues of Hulk yet. For the first time in Al Ewing’s run with the green goliath, he has managed to make his take on the Hulk look vulnerable. That’s saying something considering we had an issue where the Hulk was chopped up into several different pieces and put little jars. The first surprise has to be the current state of Abomination. The character has returned as a grotesque (I find myself using that word a lot with this book) amalgamation of Emil Blonsky and Rick Jones’ corpse. While this revelation happens at the end of issue #18, there is a lot to unpack here. From the Abomination’s new abilities to the realization that there is no line that General Fortean won’t cross to bring these monsters under his control.

The Abomination’s new Frankensteinesque form actually reveals less about poor Emil and Rick’s new state and more about General Fortean. More than any other issue before, it feels like Ewing has given us the most in-depth look at the character yet. In the process, he’s established that Fortean is more than a General Ross clone. He’s an extremist who will do whatever it takes to get the mission done…collateral damage be damned. Fortean also holds a fascination with these creatures that borders on …