RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Spinner Rack - Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk

Be ye warned... thar' be spoilers here!


Issue One

Non-linear storytelling is a great thing. At least, I think so. Maybe that's why I love Tarantino movies, Memento, and the TV series "Lost." When it comes to comics, I can't really recall a book that's really done much with the concept, aside from Alan Moore's groundbreaking Watchmen.

Until now.

Damon Lindelof, co-creator and writer of the aformentioned "Lost," pens what promises to be a fabulous title - the new Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk. I'll admit that I was incredibly skeptical about this title when I first heard about it. Firstly, anything that's hyped considerably makes me arch my eyebrows in credulity (and yet, for some reason, I still manage to buy titles like Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis). I'm arching my brows even higher when the book is published by Marvel as, by and large, I'm a DC junkie myself.

However, this book had two things going for it when it came out last November. The first was that I had just rented and watched the entire first season of "Lost" on DVD and absolutely loved it. The fact that Lindelof was on this comic intrigued me, to say the least. The second thing it had going for it was one panel of artwork. Well... actually it was a two-page spread, but it was essentially one panel... I think.

The piece of art in question?



Pretty sweet, no?

At any rate, I'd been lured in by Lindelof's writing and Francis Leinil Yu's (Superman Birthright, High Roads) pencils, which, I suppose, is really all any comic fan is asking for - a good story and good art. But would Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk stand on its own?

Story-wise, this book draws its reader in by page two which, incidentally, is the location of the splash page I mentioned. Wolverine wakes up to find that his legs have been ripped from his body and chucked four miles up one of the Himalayan Mountains. Talk about a bad day...

But how did Logan come to be in this mess in the first place? Rewind an indeterminate amount of time (in typical non-linear style) to a meeting between Logan and S.H.I.E.L.D. director and leader of the Ultimates, General Nick Fury. Fury recruits Wolvie to cover up the fact that it appears that they didn't finish off Banner as they should have (in the pages of Ultimates 2). The evidence that Hulk survived? Several disturbances around the world - a bombed building in Paris, a cattle massacre in Ireland, and an earthquake in India... not to mention a rather large stool sample, complete with an undigested human finger.

Throughout the story, Wolverine's dialogue is kept crisp, cool, and consistent with his character. Everything he says is something that I could actually see him saying in just about any book. He's curt but evasive, brusque but playful, defensive but nonchalant. I can certainly say this for Lindelof - he writes a good Logan.

Wolverine follows the scent of the Hulk's serum (flowing through his veins) to Tibet, where he notices a town devoid of any females whatsoever. Following his nose, Wolverine ends up in a Tibetan temple high in the Himalayas... and finds himself smack dab in the middle of a Hulk-orgy, with every (beautiful, I might add) woman of the community represented as a part of the beasts harem.

Damn, it's good to be the Hulk!

And, with a snikt of his claws in the last panel, you're absolutely pumped for the fight to start in Issue Two... but, according to the 'next issue,' we'll be finding out just how Banner managed to get himself into this admittedly favorable predicament.

All told, this is a good starting issue. It gets the audience interested immediately and does not disappoint as Logan's part in this affair unfolds. Lindelof re-proves what Alan Moore already showed us with Watchmen - that non-linear storytelling can work quite well as a part of the comic book medium. After this issue, I was completely sold. If nothing else, the splash page and the page with the Hulk and his harem are worth the $2.99 price tag. A steep asking price, sure... but if the rest of the story holds up to this first issue, it'll more than be worth it to pick it up.

That does look pretty sweet. Perhaps I will mooch someones's copy of it and check it out.

#1 was great, a little short, but still very entertaining

Its the bi-monthly release date that has killed it for me. I'll still be sure to pick it up afterwards off ebay, or in trade-form though


As for Ultimate Hulk? I find him both intriguing, offputting and slightly disturbing

Intrigue-- The fact that he killed 800 people when he first appeared in Ultimates was realism at its best. As pointed out in a recent Ugo.com review I read, Stan Lee always asked you to suspend your disbelief on the fact that the 616 Hulk somehow always managed not to kill anyone.

Offputting-- According to the Marvel handbooks, his strength is literally off the scale. No-one in the Ultimate U can even challenge him, not even Thor

Disturbing-- Though it makes sense that he would have a very high metabolism, im still slightly uncomfortable with the fact that he eats people, and cattle, in large quantities. I simply cant like a guy who could see someone on the street, jump over, and eat him/her. The thought of him digesting whole, or actually chewing the body up while the person is still alive, disturbs me even more....

On a lighter note, how the hell can Wolverine attach the lower half of his body again?

Is it too focusing on comics minutia to wonder how Ultimate Hulk suddenly turned green for this series after having been grey?

didn't they try to kill him with a gamma bomb in Ultimates? there you go, he absorbed more radiation and turned green, just like the regular Hulk.

I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed that this thread is an actual review and not pics of Chewy acting out the Wolverine/Hulk battle. Damn you Chewy! Damn you!

That would be awesome! You should do that Chewy!

Well, technically, the only "battle" so far is just that splash panel pictured above. I shall consider it, though...

Yeah!

Chewy will play Hulk while the part of Wolverine is entirely Rob's!

CHEWY HULK SMASH!!!!!!!!!!!

Boboverine has accelerated healing factors!

His arse will heal at an amazing rate!

Good review. I doubt I would have given this a second glance save for reading this.

I think we can assume Wolverine will somehow re-grow his legs, arse and dick, although curious to know whether the admantium skeleton was still there..

I'm thinking he'll find his lower body and reattach it.

He'll shove his lower body up his ass?

What if one of them fell into Hell, would that make it evil?

hmmm. . .

you asked.

Now you know and knowing is half the battle.

fishy