TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #1

Capsule Review

Fun! I was skeptical of replacing Bruce Banner with nineteen-year-old super-genius Amadeus Cho, but writer Greg Pak makes it work, using highly visual and fast-paced action to tell us how this Hulk differs from the old — mostly, this Hulk is super-smart, and he really, really digs being the Hulk! Accompanied by his also-a-super-genius sister, Amadeus has tasked himself with traveling the globe to smash the terrible things that emerge from mysterious monster hot spots, which in this issue yields a lot of dinosaurs, giant monsters, and women in bikinis. Hey, it’s a Frank Cho book, and he does dinosaurs, monsters, and bikinis like nobody’s business. (I’m not complaining). Our new teen Hulk may be smart, but he’s not terribly wise, and broad hints are made that hubris will be this greenskin’s downfall. After all, Bruce Banner was no slouch in the brains department, and he wasn’t able to keep the Hulk in check — what makes our young hero think it will be any different for him? A dream sequence image of the Hulk glowering from the trunk of Amadeus’ hotrod foreshadows trouble ahead. I don’t know how long this reboot will hold, but if the book stays this fast-paced and broad-shouldered — and keeps the monsters and eye-candy coming — it will be a fun ride all the way.

Approachability For New Readers

Good. The story starts in the middle, but does it the right way, catching me up on what’s happening in the downtime between action scenes, and at least acknowledging that my most pressing questions about this character’s origins will be explained in due time. He’s not the Hulk you know, but he’s not the Hulk that anyone knows, so we’re all on the same footing.

Read #2?

You bet.

Sales Rank

#19 December

Read more about the Hulk at Longbox Graveyard

• Longbox Shortbox
• Gamma Goes Grey: The Rampaging Hulk!

Read more capsule reviews of Marvel’s All-New All-Different rolling reboot.