This new limited series isn't really the most aptly named one, but the term "Hulk" is bound to sell more copies than a series entitled The Abomination. The book is hindered by a couple of problems, though. First of all -- and this is the most surprising aspect -- veteran Hulk writer Peter David's pacing for this plot is more than a little off. And if that weren't enough, the art fails to tell the story clearly or to capture the maturity and humanity that are at the heart of the story. Fans of PAD's gamma-irradiated storytelling will be disappointed with what they find here.
Generals at the Pentagon have come up with a solution to the problem of mounting U.S. casualties in the Middle East. They want to replace the troops with a single, superhuman soldier who can do more damage than any bomb or batallion, and they want that agent to be Emil Blonsky, AKA the captive Abomination, super-strong and savage enemy of the Hulk. Gen. Thunderbolt Ross advises against the move, and it gives him cause to reflect on his past history with Blonsky. The Pentagon calls in a specialist to determine if Blonsky is a suitable candidate for the project, and that specialist is someone who knows him, Ross and the Hulk quite well.
When Muniz's debuted as the regular artist on the current Marvel Knights 4. ongiong series, it was clear he was trying to emulate the style of the title's original penciller, Steve McNiven. The effort wasn't all that successful, and I quickly lost interest in that book as McNiven's work was all that was keeping me interested. Here, he's not so much trying to capture the same feel as McNiven, and other influences make themselves known. His work is something of a cross among the styles of Jae Lee, Rob Liefeld and Dale Keown. In other words, exaggeration dominates the art, and not in a good way. The sinewy figures convey the power and savagery of the characters, but to the opint of distraction and even self-parody. Furthermore, Muniz doesn't differentiate between the scenes set in the present and the flashbacks nearly as clearly as is needed.
David gets the plot moving quickly, introducing the topical premise early on. That's wy the "dramatic" reveal of the same information to Doc Samson at the end of the issue is so puzzling. The scene falls flat completely because the reader has already been told what Samson is about to learn. The scene is meant to be a tense one, but there's no potential for tension in the first place.
The U.S. military's plan makes sense, but the larger context of the Marvel Universe makes for an an inherent flaw in the plot -- why the Abomination? The United States would have access to dozens if not hundreds of powerful prisoners and friendlies alike who could serve as a one-man army corps, so why pick one that has a history of ambition, deceipt and unpredictability? Furthermore, the Hulk seems to have nothing to do wth this story, and the title leads the reader to expect something different altogether. 3/10
