Immortal Hulk has concluded, but the series will revolutionize how writers create stories.
The Immortal Hulk comic book series will be looked at as a classic run. We’ve seen horror in comic books before, but not like this. Writer Al Ewing took a beloved Marvel hero and Avenger and turned him into a monster. People have called the Hulk a monster before, but, in this series, he accepted and embraced it. He made people scared of him and even adopted the name Devil Hulk.
The character and the writing is only one part of what made this series so memorable. The visuals helped make Immortal Hulk horrifying. First there’s Bruce Banner’s transformation from man to monster. This series made it look excruciating. His bones, organs, and skin changing looked more realistic than the smooth growth that we’ve seen in cartoons, the comics, and movies. Banner’s face was always in pain. Then there’s the violence. You’ve never seen a Hulk this ruthless before. It’s doubtful you’ll see it again.
Readers don’t always like change. Some responded aggressively when Spider-Man writer Dan Slott put Otto Octavius in Peter Parker’ body (Spider-Man No. 699). But Al Ewing took a bold step with Immortal Hulk. There were changes to the character that could have garnered angry readers and a canceled series. Instead it will change the way we look at comics forever. Let’s take a look at how he did that.
Make more characters like this
When a well-known character is being written, there are certain parts of their personality that should remain. Wolverine should be angry yet loving, Spider-Man will always take the hardest road to avoid killing, and the Hulk is the strongest there is. That said, staying true to the character doesn’t mean they can’t evolve at the same time.
Al Ewing didn’t switch the Hulk’s personality but he did make him evolve. Immortal Hulk showed a new side of Hulk. An angry, vindictive, and sometimes evil side. He was still the strongest there is, but Ewing played with what that meant.
It wasn’t just physical strength either. Sometimes his strength was patience. In the end, though, Hulk’s power came from forgiveness (read Immortal Hulk No. 50 for more on that).
Immortal Hulk highlights how being daring can pay off. There’s a market for horror comic books and there are a plethora of characters that are capable of starring in them. Venom, Sabretooth, and Magik immediately come to mind but there are also less obvious choices like Monet St. Croix, Mystique, or Guardians of the Galaxy. Immortal Hulk is just the beginning of what should become a profitable genre. So here’s hoping Marvel and Ewing’s daring approach inspires more writers and comic book companies to follow in his footsteps!
Immortal Hulk challenged the character
The madder the Hulk gets, the stronger he gets. That’s a statement that has remained true for decades. But that statement usually only means physically. The Hulk’s known to have a childlike mentality. That’s how he’s normally defeated.
For most of the series, however, Devil Hulk was unbeatable. That created challenges of its own. Having an invincible character can be an issue because coming up with a new and original way of defeating him couldn’t have been an easy task. It has to make sense otherwise it was all for nothing. Sometimes, this can lead writers into a corner they can’t get out of. That wasn’t the case in this series.
Throughout Immortal Hulk, Devil Hulk, Joe Fixit, and Bruce Banner had struggles. Somehow they came out on top and looked dominant. And when they were eventually defeated, readers were shocked.
This kept readers intrigued and excited for the next issue. Al Ewing built Hulk up to be like a god only to have him defeated in a way no one saw coming. It made his progression to victory in the end that much greater.
Even when the Hulk won easily, it was unlike anything we’re used to seeing. There were times Devil Hulk had to push Banner in certain directions to lead him on a certain path. Then there was his “loss” to the Avengers. It was all part of his plan to get close to the people coming after him. It was brilliantly done.
Immortal Hulk got in and got out
Not every comic book run has to go over a hundred issues. Getting in and getting out early is an underrated – and perhaps underused – way of telling a story. Garth Ennis did this with Punisher MAX and The Boys. Short series like these leaves readers with a complete and compelling story without overstaying its welcome. Granted, it doesn’t always work out. But in this case, it worked perfectly in Immortal Hulk.
Al Ewing gave fans everything they needed from a gripping Hulk story in a relatively short amount of time. The beginning of Immortal Hulk gave readers an introduction to this new Devil Hulk. We found out who he was, what he was trying to accomplish, and what made him different. He’s easily the most vengeful of all his personalities – and that’s only part of what made him scary.
That brings us to the middle. As the story went on, Devil Hulk quickly became someone we rooted for. As this writer stated earlier, he wasn’t just muscle. He’s more cunning than anyone could imagine and, in a weird way, he was fighting for the people. We also saw more of Bruce Banner’s multiple personalities and how they contributed to his life.
Lastly, we have the finale where we saw the Hulk yell at God. That might seem silly to say out loud if you’ve never read the series. But to the people following the series, it made a lot of sense. We were given answers to questions that we had way back in issue No. 1. The final page also left room for the next writer of the Hulk to work with – something that isn’t always accomplished.
Highlighting the importance of complimentary supporting characters
As we’ve seen in comic books, movies, and TV shows, a supporting character can make or break a series. Spider-Man wouldn’t be as great as he is without J. Jonah Jameson and Mary Jane Watson. On the DC side of things, Batman has Alfred and Commissioner Gordon to rely on. Immortal Hulk was no different.
There’s no doubt that the Hulk and all of his personalities were the stars of this series. However, the supporting characters had a big hand in making this series a masterpiece. Chief among them was Jacqueline McGee.
Jacqueline McGee started as someone who was just following a story. That story connected to her past and changed her future. She then becomes the Hulk’s greatest ally throughout the series. She stopped being scared of him (something that started from her childhood) and even helped two Hulks win in the last issue. She was so good that the character needs to be part of Bruce and the Hulk’s story permanently.
We also came across other Gamma powered beings in the Hulk’s life. Walter Langowski (Sasquatch), Doc Samson, and Betty Banner were all crucial in this series. There were also non-gamma characters like Dr. Charlene McGowan, who went from helping people hurt the Hulk to having his back.
Each of these characters had an important part to play that helped move the story along.
Immortal Hulk’s future in the MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t exactly known for inspiring horror, but it isn’t afraid to get dark when it needs to. That’s something that may continue to evolve in Phase Four through movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Speaking about the upcoming MCU film, Elizabeth Olsen said Marvel Studios was “trying to create the scariest Marvel movie.” Considering all of the things Doctor Strange deals with, that’s not shocking. It isn’t just spirits we’re talking about here. There are a plethora of interesting and frightening beings that Doctor Strange has come across in the comics and it’s all up to the creative team to see how far they want to go with the beings we see.
Immortal Hulk has the potential to be the next big thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially when it comes to its gradual exploration of horror. Fans already adore the Hulk. They may not have been too keen on Mark Ruffalo’s Jade Giant becoming Smart-Hulk, but that personality doesn’t have to be permanent. It would actually be shocking if we didn’t see the original Hulk in Disney Plus’ She-Hulk.
If Devil Hulk were to make an appearance in the MCU, that would change everything. There’s no doubt in this writer’s mind that this would be a huge success. It wouldn’t be for everyone but when it comes to Marvel, we know this wouldn’t hurt ticket sales too much. Logan and both Deadpool films proved that an R-rating doesn’t mean people won’t show up. It may actually intrigue people more. The idea of an R-rated Hulk that only appears at night and kills could very well blow moviegoers’ minds.
Overall, Immortal Hulk is one of the most flawless comic books you’ll find and it should be considered a blueprint for reinventing a classic character, encouraging other writers to start playing with the idea of making them different. Who would have thought that The Hulk could become a hero with a terrifying approach to justice?
What do you think? Did you enjoy Immortal Hulk? Would you recommend it to others? Let us know in the comments below.