The Bill October 6, 2011

I unofficially dubbed this week my 'Jeff Parker' week as all of my books (all two of them) were written by the man.  So what's it going to be this week, the always entertaining Thunderbolts?  Or the surprisingly compelling Hulk?  There's only one way to find out...  just, you know, flick your eyes down like an inch and you'll see it.

um...  Reviews Ahoy!

Surprisingly Compelling:

Hulk #42

Writer:  Jeff Parker

Artist:  Patch Zircher

The Red Hulk shouldn't be a compelling character.

He was a giant, red joke of a character when he popped up, in a book that was only entertaining because it was so outlandish.  His motives were murky at best, his tactics nothing but shock, and his powers mildly ill-defined.  I really liked the start of his series because of all this, but it wasn't enough to sustain my interest.  In a short burst it was fun, but any more than a few months it would grow tired.

Still, with all this against 'Rulk', I couldn't help but to be drawn to the character.  There was something about the design, the over-the-top-ness, the whole package that was enticing.  Thank God Jeff Parker came on the scene to give me a reason to check out Rulk.

There's something very classic about what Parker is doing on this book.  His ability to balance action, drama, a supporting cast, and cursory nods to the wider Universal continuity is something that most writers can't do nowadays.  It is very old school in the best possible way, and I wouldn't have it any different.  This latest issue is no different.

This issue marks the beginning of a brand new story line, Hulk of Arabia.  In short, Rulk gets word that an old friend met his untimely death at the hands of some revolutionaries and leaps off in search of revenge.  Of course, there's a little bit more, but that'd be spoiling.  Suffice to say, I felt very satisfied at the end of the issue and very anxious for the next one.  

Picking up the art chores this week for Gabriel Hardman is Patch Zircher and he does a bang up job.  In fact, Zircher's pencils are a crazy match for Hardman's, giving the book a very nice, consistent feel.

In the end, this continues to be one of my most bafflingly favorite books of the month.  It's full of all the creativity, action, and pathos that I want from my books, and leaves me itching for more every month.  If you're not buying this book right now, you're going to be regretting it because this is a run that's going to go down in the history books as a classic.