Writer: Al Ewing / Artist: Joe Bennett / Marvel
Oh scammer, my scammer. I don’t know if Joe Fixit was ever this compelling when he debuted as the Grey Hulk back in the day but Al Ewing does wonders with his character. With Banner gone and the Devil Hulk seemingly dead (still holding out hope that he’s around in gamma hell somewhere), Joe gets the spotlight in an issue that is otherwise fantastic, aside from a few glaring issues.
One of the things that has made Joe so interesting throughout Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk run is the fact that he’s the only Hulk who can’t “Hulk out” anymore. I guess that speaks to the shift in the power dynamic between Banner’s many personalities since the Devil Hulk took control. However, it’s made Joe rely on the other skills he learned when he was in control as the Grey Hulk and a mobster. Man, it’s fantastic to get a closer look inside his head and to watch him work.
Ewing has made a point of showing how every personality is there to protect Banner in some way. The way Joe navigates the world and finds a way to survive when he is not the Hulk, shows a different side of his character that we haven’t really seen before. It flips the perception of the loud talking, exaggerated mobster that we’ve become familiar with. As the issue comes to an end, readers will look at Joe Fixit in a way other than as the selfish slick-talking persona he’s portrayed before.
Obviously, there is no talking about this week’s issue of Immortal Hulk without mentioning the controversy surrounding Joe Bennett’s artwork. Unfortunately, it is a glaring issue and for an artist as good as Bennett, the offending panel is unacceptable. Joe takes a lot of great care when it comes to the details of the book. You can see it in the several other references he peppers throughout the issue. It feels too careless and if anything even adding that detail of the Jewish star, along with the misspelling of the Jewelry store feels unnecessary. It sucks because the controversy pulls away from an otherwise great issue. Joe still does great work and always has a standout panel that is unlike anything you see in other books.
8.1 Christian Grey’s out of 10
Reading The Immortal Hulk? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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