The Incredible Hulk #2 (2023) Review

Written by: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by: Nic Klein
Colors by: Matthew Wilson, Nic Klein
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Nic Klein
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: July 26, 2023

The Incredible Hulk #2 (2023) finds Bruce Banner trying to get rid of a stubborn young girl who finds solace in Hulk’s strength when the Eldest’s wake-up call to unleash the world’s monsters brings forth Brother Deep.

Is It Good?

In The Incredible Hulk #2 (2023), Phillip Kennedy Johnson leans into the tragic horror aspects of Bruce Banner’s life when the Eldest summons the world’s monsters to hunt down the Hulk. That’s a fine premise that works doubly well for an unabashed horror fan such as yours truly. There’s just one problem – The Incredible Hulk #2 (2023) is too slow.

When last we left the Hulk, we got a renewed view of Bruce Banner’s life on the road as a drifter intent on staying away from humans as much as possible now that the Hulk is actively fighting to take permanent control. The Eldest, learning that the Mother of Horrors has manifested inside the Hulk, sent out a summoning call to all the monsters of the world to find the Hulk and unleash Mother. Now, Charlie, the abused girl we met in issue #1, insists on tagging along out of kinship and a need for protection while the latest monster, Brother Deep, resurrects his undead congregation in service to the monstrous god at the heart of the nearby town’s abandoned coal mine.

From that description, it sounds like a lot is happening. In reality, this issue boils down to one conversation between Charlie and Banner, a brief dream, and the resurrected congregation’s unfortunate capture of Banner as their next sacrifice. To be fair, Johnson spends plenty of time building atmosphere and momentum toward a decent cliffhanger, but there’s more atmosphere than plot movement

What’s great about this issue? The horror-centric atmosphere is so thick you could cut it with a knife, mostly due to Nic Klein’s dark, dramatic art. Pitting Banner against new or familiar monsters on the supernatural side of Marvel is an intriguing thought, and Banner’s rocky connection to Charlie has potential.

What’s not so great about this issue? After a lopsided, ill-conceived run by Donny Cates, this Hulk series needed to hit the ground running. Issue #1 showed promise, but issue #2 slows to a leisurely stroll, and readers can’t afford to buy three or four issues waiting for Johnson to get to the meat of the conflict. Atmosphere is no substitute for story.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

The Incredible Hulk #2 (2023) delivers plenty of excellent horror visuals, plenty of horror atmosphere, and gobs of potential as Hulk finds himself the target of Marvel’s supernatural forces. That said, the brisk pace from issue #1 slams on the brakes in issue #2 for a comic that’s more style than substance.