Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula (2011 series) #1

Review: An unlikely matchup: Hulk versus Dracula. The original TOMB OF DRACULA wisely avoided crossing the Lord of the Undead with the usual Marvel heroes (Dr Strange once; Drac’s meeting with Spidey took place in one of the latter’s issues). But now, Dracula is no longer the arrogant and humorless monster created by Bram Stoker but your typical Marvel-era ruler, powerful and with the standard sardonic sense of humor. As such he fits right into anything these days with this particular item before us as a good example. Hulk, possessed by the spirit of Nul, Breaker of Worlds (wasn’t Hulk already the Worldbreaker? Now he’s even worse) is in Smash mode even more than usual and covered with a pattern of glowing lines. This Hulk has no motive beyond destruction and fear and, as such, he is not the protagonist so much as the event that all the real characters need to respond to. Which leaves either Dracula or Raizo Kodo as the protagonists; the problem there is that they are bad guys (well, Kodo is more of an anti-hero) and under normal circumstances we really don’t want them to win. But these aren’t normal circumstances so we want Hulk to lose, preferably after smashing as many vampires and monsters as he can. And he does: the scenes of “Hulk smash!” are all fun, as the designated heroes, the Forgiven, get smashed around. It’s only at the end, as Hulk comes back to his senses that we begin to feel concern for him and he leaps out of the comic into the regular MU, leaving Drac and his pack behind.

Comments: Tie-in to FEAR ITSELF. Story follows directly from FEAR ITSELF #5. Dracula’s son Janus was introduced in TOMB OF DRACULA #54. Raizo Kodo previously appeared in THRONE OF BLOOD #1 and X-MEN (2010 series) #11. First appearance of the Forgiven.