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Immortal Hulk #41

Dec 2020
Al Ewing, Joe Bennett

Story Name:

The Man Downstairs


Synopsis

Immortal Hulk #41 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

Dr. Charlene McGowan heads to a Shadow Base safe house to think about how to save the world from all the recent madness….

At Coney Island, the Hulk is taking a beating from longtime frenemy the Thing, largely because in his emaciated state he doesn’t have the strength he was famous for. Ben is confused and contacts Reed Richards to assure him and Sue that Hulk is “contained.” Hulk pleads with Thing to stop hitting him but Ben is finally getting in the punishment he has always thought Hulk deserved. Then Hulk quickly changes back to the human form of Joe Fixit and Thing is unable to pull his punch and ends up breaking Joe’s arms. Joe yells at Ben that Hulk in his present state is only a child then uses Hulk’s new morphing capabilities to fix the broken arms….

The guys go to a deserted diner for hot dogs and conversation. Joe explains how the Hulk/Banner arrangement was working up until the Leader invaded Hulk’s mind and was really the one responsible for the disaster at Georgeville. Thing offers to help but Joe points out that the one time Thing died he went “upstairs” not “downstairs” and so Ben can’t help him. Ben reminisces about the experience of meeting God and how it led him back to his Jewish faith. Ben recounts the story of Job and its lesson that God and life are too big for us to understand. He gives Joe his number and asks him to call if he needs help….

At the deserted Shadow Base G, the transporter comes into operation and the twisted, green thing that looks like Rick Jones emerges….


 

Review / Commentaries


Immortal Hulk #41 Review by (December 16, 2020)

Review: Another thoughtful issue begins with a one-sided Hulk-Thing battle (remember when those were special?) and ends with an accurate (and reverent) summary of the Bible’s Book of Job. All building up to Ben’s decision to let Bruce/Joe/Hulk to take care of his own business. The narrator muses on the strange concept of Hulk needing a friend and that’s what Hulk has. Me, I was amazed that the issue contained a positive portrayal of religion, which is a rarity in recent Marvel’s bullpen.

Comments: The issue opens, not with the usual quote but with panels from FANTASTIC FOUR #5 where Johnny Storm compares Hulk to Thing. The deceased Thing went to Heaven and met his creator in FANTASTIC FOUR #509-511 in 2004; Ben says that happened thirteen years after he became the Thing. The inkers are Ruy Jose and Belardino Brabo. Despite the cute cover, no waitress appears in the story as the area has been evacuated.




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Joe Bennett
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Alex Ross (Cover Inker)
Alex Ross (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Gray Hulk
Gray Hulk

(Hulk)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman

(Sue Storm)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)
Thing
Thing

(Ben Grimm)