Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: Split Decisions
Written by: Bruce Jones
Art by: Mike Deodato Jr.
Colored by: Studio F
Lettered by: Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: John Miesegaes & Warren Simons
Editor: Axel Alonso
Publisher: Marvel Comics
FRUSTRATION
Those of us who’re fans of the Hulk should be happy; during the most recent storyline the Emerald Goliath actually appeared a number of times, in his self-titled book. Fancy that! Unfortunately, this issue it’s back to the norm from Bruce Jones’ frustratingly good run on the title. It’s been consistently one of the better books on the rack each month since Jones took over. On the other hand, more often than not after reading, I’ve come down with a serious case of the affliction known as “green-ballsâ€.
Incredible Hulk and Daredevil are without a doubt the two books on my massive pull list that feature their title characters the least often. It’s not even close! You may ask, why do you continue to read these books? Well simply, the stories while not super hero heavy, rarely fail to disappoint. They have been stunningly good character driven pieces, that have built great moments around the characters of Bruce Banner and Matt Murdoch first, and Hulk and Daredevil second.
ANSWERS, WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING ANSWERS
This current arc appears ready to answer a great many of the questions that Bruce Jones first introduced when his run began with issue 34. While there is no Hulk sighting this issue, I was thrilled to see the return of longtime supporting character, Doc Samson. He’s fought with and against the Hulk in the past, but has always been one of my favorites. Samson joins up with another character that has played both sides of the Hulk, Sandra Verdugo. This pairing promises some interesting moments in the months ahead.
Nick Piers, my 411mania colleague, and cohort (along with the esteemed John Babos) in the Near Mint Memories column, did a fine
review last week of the hardcover which collects Jones earliest issues. He described the intricate “X-Files kind of mystery,†which has been a staple of Jones run. While the stories have been great, the lack of answers provided by the scribe, have made the frustration doubly tough. It’s particularly relieving to see Jones begin the process of closing up some of these long dangling threads, especially the long sought identity of Bruce Banner’s mysterious benefactor, Mr. Blue.
ARTWORK NEVER A PROBLEM
Through any other problems this book has encountered, editor Axel Alonso has kept me very happy regarding the art. While it has been a veritable revolving door, such luminaries as John Romita Jr., Lee Weeks, and Mike Deodato Jr. have blessed Incredible Hulk with great art. Deodato returns to the art chores again this month; he most recently worked on issues 50-54, which featured the Abomination. He does a solid job illustrating the title, and lends a nice edge to the dark and shadowy world that the Hulk Bruce Banner currently inhabits.
END GAME
Not much is brought to light this issue, but the chain of events that will lead us through “Split Decisions†begins in a big way. Jones is finally making his move to clear up the board, at least somewhat. While it may be a difficult time for new readers to jump on board, those that became disillusioned with the slow movement of the book over the last couple of years may want to check back in.
