Warning: SPOILERS for
Marvel's Hulk has transferred his power to a new and unwilling host: Spider-Man. The ongoing series Immortal Hulk has redefined the character and his place in the Marvel canon, and in the wake of the book's success, Marvel has offered one-shots to several all-star writers and artists interested in exploring that new incarnation for themselves. The newest one-shot to release is titled Immortal Hulk: Great Power, on sale today. The special offers a unique opportunity for fans of Spider-Man and the Hulk alike to savor the characters cultivating a strange friendship as their civilian identities that transcends the wacky premise.
Great Power is written by Tom Taylor (X-Men Red, DCeased) and penciled by Jorge Molina (A-Force, Spider-Geddon), along with Adriano di Benedetto and Roberto Poggi as inkers, David Curiel on colors, and Cory Petit on lettering. Anyone who's familiar with Al Ewing and Joe Bennett's mainline Immortal Hulk, or with Tom Taylor's recent horror work in books like DCeased, will likely expect bone-chilling carnage and existential dread when Spider-Man is forced to bear the curse of the Green Door. Those readers are in for a surprise. This is Taylor in his All-New Wolverine mode, focused intently on vivid character portraits rather than twisting plotlines. In fact, the plot is a loose pretense; the "why" of Spider-Man becoming the Hulk is explained offhand and used as an excuse for an amusing cameo. To keep things light, the spooky "Devil Hulk" persona doesn't travel with the powers; Spider-Hulk is firmly in the "savage" mode, swinging his fists and grunting about repressed anger issues.
We follow Bruce Banner and Peter Parker as they turn to the Fantastic Four for help with Peter's new affliction. As Reed searches for a solution, he isolates the new Hulk on a deserted island, while Bruce stays behind to help him cope with the transformation... and to find Parker's discarded pants for him. We watch a genuine bond develop between the duo. Peter shocks the gamma scientist with his intellect; Bruce connects with the web-slinger about the latter's unresolved rage at a certain maniacal businessman. We even get a scene between Spider-Man and the Devil Hulk that sheds heartwarming light on the relationship between this new Hulk and his host... and gives the Hulk and Spider-Man a new bond of trust over a shared secret and a common friend.
Molina's pencils do a lot of work here. His excellent use of expression and body language is crucial for several jokes and dramatic moments to land properly. The inks and colors, likewise, know how to bring out contrast and pull focus to the right places. In a simple but clever visual device, Peter's exposed eye sticking out from his broken mask serves as an emotional barometer as the action rises and ebbs.
While Great Power may not be what fans expected when they saw a mutated wall-crawler swinging through rubble on the cover, this book knows exactly what it wants to be artistically. While many crossovers like this have a habit of muddling their tone and losing focus, the creators behind Great Power set their minds on a lighthearted but substantial one-shot where no character interaction is wasted. The result is a treat for anyone who loves these two characters.
Immortal Hulk: Great Power is on sale at your local comic shop now.