“HULK. SMASH. DINOSAURS”
Comics that exist outside of mainline continuities are always fun to read; the creators are never held back by restraint of the current canon and they’re free to tell whatever kind of wacky story that they want. Author Ryan North, the creator of Dinosaur Comics and a former writer on the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Adventure Time and Star Trek Lower Decks, along with artist Vincenzo Carratu and colorist Federico Blee deliver a tale of the Hulk that simply asks us: Is the Hulk truly the strongest one there is? If this first issue is any indication, we are in for a fun and smashing five-issue run and I’m ready for the next issue like… yesterday.
The More Hulk, The Better
Within just the past two weeks, we have gotten two new Hulk books released, and it’s been a great time for fans of one of Marvel's tentpole characters. Even better is that each of the two books couldn’t be more different, so there’s something for everyone right now. If you want a dark, serious, and horrifying take on the character, then definitely check out Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s The Infernal Hulk (which we loved here at Comicbook Clique!).
Hulk Smash Everything is a much lighter tone with the feel of a Saturday morning cartoon, and it’s great to have the dichotomy of these two Hulk stories running at the same time. As someone who’s been a massive Hulk fan since my elementary school days, it’s great to see this character getting all this love from Marvel right now. You also don’t need to have much prior knowledge of the character in order to enjoy this book; if you know who Bruce Banner is and if you know who the Hulk is, you will feel perfectly at home here.
A “Smashing” Tale Kicks Off
Hulk Smash Everything features the Jade Giant in his most recognizable form: he’s angry, he wants to smash things, and he wants to hurt anyone or anything that gets in his way. From the cover alone (created by Adam Kubert and Rachelle Rosenberg), you can already get a great understanding that this book is going to be a runaway train of the best kind. Our rampage through the Marvel Universe begins with the Hulk doing his best to “smash” Dr. Strange and Wong close to the Sanctum Sanctorum with no clear reason why he chose to target these two heroes in the first place. Eventually, we learn that Dr. Strange isn’t to blame for the ire of the Hulk, but rather Banner and Hulk’s infamous nemesis, Samuel Sterns, a.k.a. The Leader.
But wait, if The Leader is to blame, why is the Hulk after Dr. Strange? Turns out, for The Leader’s nefarious scheme to work, he needs to create a massive distraction, and of course, Bruce Banner happens to be the person he decides on to create that distraction. Does he send any goons after the Hulk? Does he try to trap him? Does he use some complex weapon or method to bring the Hulk’s rage upon Strange and Wong? Nope! He decides to disguise himself as Dr. Strange and hits Bruce Banner in the back with a… frying pan? North’s comedic style really shines in parts of this book because this ridiculous moment fits perfectly with the tone of the story. I love the choice to make The Leader the villain here as well; he’s a classic Hulk villain, and he works as a great foil to the Hulk. The Leader may not have the gamma-enhanced strength of the Hulk, but he makes up for it in his smarts and his schemes, where he’s always out to try to best the Hulk at every turn.
As the battle rages on, The Leader sneaks into the Sanctum Sanctorum and teleports himself into Dr. Doom’s treasure room, where he begins to use an item known as the Time Platform of Dr. Doom. Before we learn what The Leader's true plans for the Time Platform are, Strange and Wong teleport the Hulk into the same treasure room to take down The Leader. The Leader outsmarts the Hulk and opens a portal that sucks him into the timestream and spits him out in the time of the dinosaurs. I can honestly say I never knew I needed a book where the Hulk unleashes his infinite rage on a pack of Velociraptors until I read this one. The final panel of this book brings with it some wild implications of where this story is going to go, and North certainly seems to have a fun journey for us all planned
The Art of Hulk Smash Everything
Carratu and Blee absolutely kill it on the art in this book. The Hulk looks awesome every single time he’s shown on the page, and the bright colors were a great choice for this series and help this one set itself further apart from its dark and gloomy Infernal counterpart. The Hulk’s initial rampage through the New York City area around the Sanctum Sanctorum is one of the artistic highlights of the book, with not only the Hulk looking great but the spells of Doctor Strange and Wong popping off the page. Carratu was a fantastic choice to draw this book, and Blee compliments all his art spectacularly. Another scene that really pops is when the Hulk is sent back to the time of the Dinosaurs. You can feel every punch and practically hear the bones of the raptors crack. When the fights in this book escalate, as it appears they are going to very soon, I expect to see even more bright and kinetic art to drive North’s story along as it makes its way to a surefire raucous conclusion.
Conclusion & Verdict
If you’re someone who needs their comics to have a deep story, then this one might not be for you, but if the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the Hulk just isn’t doing it for you, if the mainline series is a little too dark for your taste, or if you just want to see the Hulk doing what he does best, then I cannot recommend this book enough. This book scratches an itch for me that I hope it does for you as well. Do the comic arcs of the Hulk and Bruce dealing with their psychological issues work well? They absolutely do, but I also want to see arcs where the Hulk just punches through anything that might be in his path and continues to be that all-powerful engine of destruction. Sometimes we just want to see him smash.
Hulk Smash Everything is a welcome addition to the Hulk’s long publication history and shows the reader that it’s perfectly okay to just want to see gorgeous art paired with fun storytelling. If Infernal Hulk is a dark orchestral composition, then Hulk Smash Everything is the hard rock counterpart with the guitar cranked up to 11. The Hulk has one goal in the book, to smash, and longtime Hulk fans will not be disappointed.
Score: 9/10