The Immortal Hulk #45 Review

 Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Joe Bennett

Rating: 8 of 8

The Immortal Hulk #45

When the man falls, the beast rises - but what about when the beast falls? Here, we get an idea of just what that looks like, though most of the issue shows what happens after the beast dies. Death is a very familiar part of comics, but so, too, is resurrection - though the unique thing Ewing does here is re-establish the Hulk as immortal. 

Whenever a hero's killed, usually a writer has to come up with some way to bring them back, even if they aren't the one who killed them. Here, though, there's a whole new mythological explanation for how the Jade Giant keeps coming back. It adds a whole new depth to the 'monster', one that I'm not sure we've ever gotten to see before.

One of the best aspects of this is definitely the fact that, when that Green Door opens, you just don't know what part of Banner's going to walk on through. His most dominant has been the Devil Hulk, the sinister defender of Bruce's most vulnerable personality. But for the last number of issues, the wily Joe Fixit's been in the driving seat and, though this has worked out for the most part, it definitely took a rather grisly turn last issue when the Hulk was viciously killed.

But if you thought he was the only Gamma irradiated fella who gets to come back, you've got a whole other thing coming. Throughout Ewing's run, many of his friends, foes and acquaintances have returned - and this issue is, thankfully, no exception. They all keep coming back, but why? The answer is just as sinister as any monster... if not even more deadly. Early on, we get a horrific tableau of him, Joe and the Hulk, which just goes to further show Bennett's artistic prowess.

Though that's not the only horror we're treated to, as Joe and the Hulk are forced to take on a horde of horrific monsters, brought to terrifying life by Ewing and Bennett's wonderful minds. Jackie McGee, meanwhile, has to face horrors of her own, thanks to a chilling new power that lets her see the ghosts and astral forms of the world. It's not something she's very happy with, though having any kind of Gamma in you is usually a burden. Doctors McGowan and Samson face challenges of their own, as their search for his actual body takes a particularly perplexing turn.

Overall, this is yet another fantastic issue from the team, which I heartily recommend, especially if you've been following the series. If the duo can keep this up, this is going to go down as one of the best eras the Hulk's ever had.