Cover Art from Hulk Smash Everything #2 - Written by Ryan North with Art from Vincenzo Carratù, and Colors by Federico Blee
“Seventy-Five percent of all creatures on Earth are about to die.”
With an opening line like that, you know that whatever is going to follow is set to be an absolutely wild ride. Hulk Smash Everything #2 is one of my favorite current comic runs right now simply because it does not take itself seriously at all. It knows what its main character is famous for, and it knows what the fans of the Hulk want to see.
Is the story the deepest? Not by a long shot, but that is not what makes this book great. What makes this book great is the fact that it leans into its wild concept and pushes it into overdrive. With Hulk Smash Everything #2, writer Ryan North, artist Vincenzo Carratù, and colorist Federico Blee deliver another fun issue. The journey of the Hulk through time takes some unexpected turns as the stakes are raised even higher.
Spoilers for Hulk Smash Everything #2!
The Hulk vs. The End of the World
Hulk Smash Everything #2 opens with a splash panel that I wish I could get framed and put on the wall of my apartment. Our issue opens with the Hulk beating the living hell out of a group of velociraptors while the asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs crashes down. This begins what has become known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
As the asteroid hits and its impact begins to be felt around the globe, we get some gorgeous pages from Carratù and Blee. Dinosaur bones fly everywhere as others try in vain to flee the impact of the asteroid and the fire wave that follows. We see deep reds, oranges, and yellows inside the impact of the asteroid that highlight how powerful the impact is and how much destruction it is ultimately going to cause to the planet. The writing of North, as he explains how deadly the impact is, makes you realize just how strong the Incredible Hulk truly is. Nobody should survive what is happening, but he does because "The Hulk. Does not. Die."
Smashing Visuals
We continue to get some beautifully drawn and brilliant pages as the art-heavy first half of the issue continues on. The design of the Hulk goes from the classic one fans are familiar with to one that emphasizes how much pain he has had to go through after dealing with the aftermath of the asteroid explosion. Parts of his skin have literally been burned away, leaving big splotches of exposed muscle. His hair and clothes have evaporated from the heat, and half of his face has essentially been ripped away.
This is an angry, hurt, and rampaging Hulk who is looking to smash anything that gets in his way. The art team shines as Carratù and Blee deliver one of my favorite Hulk designs in years. This battle-damaged and battle-scarred look works for the Hulk. It shows the reader how much pain he is in as his healing factor is barely even helping him with his wounds. The pure white eyes do a great job of enhancing this overall terrifying look for the jade giant.
Prehistoric Problems Require Gamma Solutions
As the dinosaurs become no more than carcasses and bones, the Hulk takes his anger out on the early mammal population. The effects of this begin to be felt 66 million years later in our time as the second half of the issue begins. The Leader, now realizing that his plans have been foiled since the Hulk survived the extinction event, uses the time machine in the castle of Doctor Doom to time-travel to the moment right before the Hulk begins destroying all of our very ancient ancestors.
I have to give another big shoutout to Carratù here. His depiction of time falling apart around the Leader is not just shown in his drawings but in the very panels themselves. We see the panels begin to warp and stretch around the Leader as he struggles to set the time machine to go where he needs to stop the Hulk rampage from taking out humanity before it even has a chance to exist. The blues and whites were a great choice to represent the time wave from Blee. It is a stark contrast to the deep reds, oranges, and blacks from the extinction event. The art team stepped up to this issue, and they deserve their flowers.
Don’t Follow The Leader
The Hulk touches down at the location of the Leader and immediately begins beating the absolute hell out of him. The design of the Leader, complete with the attire of Doctor Strange, is really cool. You will want to punch him just as hard as the Hulk does because of the air of arrogance he gives off. The Leader tricks the Hulk into making contact with the time machine once again. This time, he does not send him to a different time or place on Earth; he sends him to the "supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy!"
The last page of the issue, a splash page featuring the Hulk beginning to be sucked into a black hole, is rendered beautifully. It features once again some great art from Carratù with deep blacks and bright red, oranges, and golds from the colors of Blee. The art team has been awesome in the two issues so far, and I cannot wait to see what they cook up for the next three.
““Hulk will come back and Smash BIG BRAIN! Hulk promise you that!”
Concluding Thoughts and Rating
Within just two issues, the Hulk has fought Doctor Strange, Wong, the Leader, and dinosaurs. He has dealt with one of the worst days in the history of planet Earth and has been thrown through time and space. While I did not enjoy issue #2 quite as much as the first one, this book seems like it is just going to continue to keep escalating its wild story. I cannot wait to see how the Hulk somehow manages to survive being sucked into the center of our galaxy.
Hulk Smash Everything #2 is a great palette cleanser from some of the more serious stuff I have been reading week in and week out. While you are not going to find a deep story or thought-provoking themes, you will find a ramping romp through the Marvel universe that is as fun to look at as it is to read. North, Carratù, and Blee are a great creative team who are sure to have a great final three issues cooked up for us all.
RATING: 8/10