TWO DEFENDERS REUNITE FOR A JOURNEY INTO THE PSYCHE OF BRUCE BANNER!
• When BRUCE BANNER needs help, he goes to the only doctor who is willing to see him: DOCTOR STEPHEN STRANGE!
• Travel back to the origin of THE INCREDIBLE HULK with J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI and GERMÁN PERALTA as they answer the question: Can you truly change the past?
• PLUS: MAY PARKER and AGATHA HARKNESS team up in the most unlikely manner - THE MIGHTY MARVEL MANNER!
RATED T+
The pair of stories here are pretty fun and quite different from each other so it doesn't feel like we're just getting a lot of the same thing. I actually liked the Agatha story more since it wasn't just another look at an origin story. Both stories feature more humor than they should, something that has been a problem with Marvel books for quite some time, but it's leaning on aspects of the films that a chunk of fans like so I'm not surprised. Both work well but I'll give the edge to the Agatha story, especially for Bustos' artwork and how well Herring handled the coloring on it so that it stood out as its own thing. Read Full Review
It may not be terribly original, but its always cool to see old tropes explored by someone with decades of experience writing for every different conceivable kind of storytelling from page to screen and beyond. Theres no questioning that Straczinski is a very talented storyteller. Hulk and Doctor Strange is pretty far from being his best work, though. If hes going to be able to offer a fresh look at Banner, hes going to need to explore the psyche of the man from a completely different angle. Thats going to be really, really difficult for one of the most popular characters in Marvels long history. Read Full Review
The issue sends us back to one of the best-known moments in comics history, but it does so without fresh insight. Read Full Review
Plot
This installment has two stories, the main one illustrated by Germán Peralta and the second by Natacha Bustos, both written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI:
- Gray Dawn on Bleeker Street: Bruce Banner contacts Doctor Strange to help him decipher why he's the only being affected by gamma radiation who can't control his temper, and why before becoming the Hulk, he wasn't such a rage-filled person. Doctor Strange takes him back in time in his astral form and discovers exactly what happened at the moment of the explosion.
Excellent dialogue that perfectly handles comedy and sarcasm.
The art is spectacular, featuring great textures and details that recreate that key moment in Banner's life.
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