Hulk: Destruction

(Marvel, 2005)
™ and © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Despite its hulking title, this four-issue mini-series appears to be less about The Green Goliath than it is about one of his most powerful foes, The Abomination. The Department of Defense thinks it would be prudent to use The Abomination as a weapon of war in the Middle East, but the gamma-infested goon must first undergo a psychological examination (enter Doc Samson) to see if such a thing is feasible.

The flaw in this premise is that readers will inevitably wonder why the government doesn’t simply send in a benevolent super-powered being (like The Thing or Colossus) to take out terrorists, tyrannical dictators, and such. Compounding the problem are flashback sequences that appear too similar in color and artistic style to stand out from the panels that take place during present day, visuals that are way too reminiscent of early 90s Image, and an ending that simply highlights what the reader knew was going to happen all along.

On a more positive note, Hulk vet Peter David does interject some of his trademark humor.

— Brett Weiss

Jump to issue: