Incredible Hulk now finds itself under the Marvel Knights banner. The conspiracy-theory take that Bruce Jones has brought to the book in the past few years certainly fits in the darker atmosphere of the imprint, and wisely, he provides a much different kind of story arc to serve as something of a jumping-on point for new readers. To be honest, I lost touch with this title over the past year or so, and I found a fairly accessible read here. Jones piques my curiosity with an unusual but natural friendship, and Deodato impresses with how he captures the raw power of the title character. The more grounded scenes, though, boast a cluttered look, and I'm not nearly as taken with the artist's portrayal of Iron Man.
Tony Stark is the cat's meow. The bee's knees. King of the hill and top of the heap. He's handsome, rich and brilliant. He's kind and generous. And most of all, he's a hands-on hero, doling out justice as the armored Iron Man. But a certain mystery man -- Dr. Bruce Banner, a nuclear physicist on the run from the law and a secret conspiracy out to harness the power of the Hulk -- feels that the bloom may be coming off of the Stark rose. He learns that Stark Enterprises is experimenting with Gamma Photons, the same sort of energy that turned him into a monster, and he aims to get to the bottom of it.
Deodato's art here reminds me of the work of two other noted talents in comics today. Some remind me a great deal with the style of Brent (Astro City) Anderson, notably his depiction of Iron Man and the gritter quality of the everyday scenes. That certainly reinforces the more mature, darker mood that has dominated this title since Jones signed on. The other artist to which Deodato's linework elicits comparison is Dale Keown. The ultra-buff Hulk and ferocity of the green figure jump off of the page, but again, Deodato maintains a darker quality to the title character here than Keown did during his run in the 1990s. Deodato clearly tries to bulk up the Armored Avenger to put him on a comparable playing field as the title character, though. I prefer the sleeker vision of the Iron Man character, and I think a sharp physical contrast would have made a real impact here.
Things seem to have changed significantly since I last read Incredible Hulk. Banner seems to be in control of the monster again and the transformation, and it adds a much more interesting element to the larger plotlines running through the series. Banner is less of a victim and more of a force for the secret conspiracy to contend with now, and that brings an interesting new dynamic to bear.
One of the more interesting aspects of the "Heroes Reborn" line of the mid 1990s was the connection made between Iron Man and the Hulk, and in the mainstream Marvel Universe, there have been brief glimpses of the bond shared by its most brilliant denizens: Reed Richards, Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. I love seeing those ties explored again. Banner and Stark have a lot in common, but they're radically different personalities leading radically different lives as well. The Stark/Banner dynamic is one loaded with potential.
