Donny Cates, writer
Martin Coccolo, art
Matt Wilson, color artist
Vc’s Joe Sabino, letters
Recap
The issue begins at Avenger’s mountain and shows Reed Richards, Captain America, and Captain Marvel trying to persuade Iron Man not to confront Starship-Hulk until they have more intel - they fail. The story transitions to Odin, who is in Starship-Hulk’s head arguing with Banner’s psyche trying to stop Starship-Hulk from fighting. The conversation is an interesting one because Banner recalls the events that lead to the deaths Hulk is blamed for in El Paso, TX. this incident is that one that has the Avengers trying to capture him. The story transitions back to Starship-Hulk and Thor fighting in The Black Hand of God, which is a hand of a Celestial transformed into an arena for combatants. Iron Man arrives to confront Starship-Hulk at the end.
The story is a page-turner for fans of the Hulk and The Avengers. The dynamic between Iron Man and the team is spot-on. Reed Richards is the voice of reason, Captain Marvel is composed, and Rogers tries to lead with minimal effectiveness. Tony Stark leads with ego and supreme confidence that his “new toy” will be enough to defeat Banner. The parallel is clear, both Banner and Stark lead with ego and it’s a wait-and-see who wins when they compete. One thing is clear to Stark, The Hulk is capable of murder and needs to be stopped.
The introduction of Odin as a ghost figure is a nice story twist and lends greatly to the value of the story. In this form, he can get into Banner’s head and have conversations with his subconscious and interact with Banner’s inner dilemmas. I commend Cates for this part as feeling very unique and offering up a way of witnessing Banner from a perspective not often portrayed in comics. Odin has a vested interest in finding out the truth about El Paso and is about to find it when Thor interrupts. The lack of closure leaves the reader wanting that conversation to come to completion before the end of this story arc which is 5 issues long.
The art is gorgeous and perfect for this type of book. One of my favorite parts of the book artistically is the cover by Gary Frank. The detailed realism is so novelly drawn with regard to proportions and scenery. The coloring by Matt Wilson is rich and lends vibrancy to the story. There are numerous full panel spreads that are needed because of the size of these god-like characters and the weight of the narrative.
This story continues to provide enjoyment for me because of the careful way Cates utilizes established narratives about the characters while moving forward with the current story. I highly recommend this book for fans of the Avengers, Thor, and The Hulk. Overall = 10/10