Marvel begins its series of "Marvel Monsters" one-shots this week, and while I'm most looking forward to Fin Fang Four, I have to admit that this Hulk/Devil Dinosaur battle/team-up story is delightfully playful, raucous and irreverent. This book isn't going to be winning any awards or garnering praise for its cerebral qualities, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a comics reader who won't enjoy the Kirby tributes and the sheer goofiness of the story. The same can be said of the backup story, a reprint that just predates the dawning of the new Marvel in the Silver Age.
In a time before history was recorded, in a place known as the Valley of the Flame, the stronger, dominant Killer Folk, an earlier evolutionary form of what would eventually become man, run rampant, preying on the weaker race known as the Small Folk. But all of that changes when one of the Small Folk befriends a powerful monster: a red Tyranosaurus Rex known as Devil Dinosaur. A cosmic being observing the evolutionary process decides to empower the Killer Folk similarly, bringing a monster from the future to fight at their side. Enter the Incredible Hulk, and a whole lot of trouble.
Powell's art elicits memories of the late Jack Kirby's work almost effortlessly, but at the same time, the artist's own style and greater depth and texture is apparent. I love how the Hulk's strength is conveyed in part by making his hands as large as his head. Furthermore, the altered vision of Devil Dinosaur later in the story puts one in mind of Godzilla, and I suspect the homage is deliberate. Mettler's vibrant colors reinforce the wondrous nature of the story, and I enjoyed how he adds greater definition to the Hulk's sinewy form with other shades of green.
The story is pretty basic and requires the impossibly limitless power of the Celestials to work. But what was most entertaining about the script is the portrayal of those Celestials. These cosmic figures in the Marvel Universe are usually portrayed as silent, mysterious forces of the unknown, but the two involved in this plot are depicted radically differently. They have personalities and character flaws, and it makes for amusing results. Even those unfamiliar with the Celestials can appreciate the contrast, as their faceless designs reinforces the stoic, cold, god-like qualities.
The cover promises that also included in this comic is a reprint of the Hulk's first appearance, and it delivers. The problem is that the Hulk in question isn't the one with which most readers are familiar. And I don't mean the fact that the Hulk was gray and more articulate when he debuted. No, the Hulk in question is actually Xemnu the Titan, a monster from space that first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #62 in 1960. The plot and script here are laughable, but the campiness of it all is entertaining nonetheless. The design for the story's main character is just as goofy, and it's hilarious to watch people run in fear of a creature that looks so silly. This was an entertaining and enlightening look back at Marvel's history. 7/10
