What can I say, how should I start this one-off. I went into reading Issue #2 having come from Incredible Hulk #1 with high hopes. Having highly liked everything about the first volume, how could I expect anything less than greatness?
Perhaps I am being hard or requesting too much out of the older books, Both Jack & Stan were worked hard, and in my opinion, not compensated near enough for what they did do. That being said. The Incredible Hulk #2 left me with taste of disappointment.
Story
The issue had truly two stories in it. the ongoing story of the Hulk being hunted by General Ross and the military, or for that matter the whole world. and the issue story dealing with the Toad men from space.
I should start with a positive note, and I will give the book points for carrying the ongoing story well. We seen the recurring characters all grow a bit in this issue. but the issue of the story seemed laughable.
The Toad men where horrific, and uninteresting, and the way everyone except Bruce banner, The Hulk, and Rick acted about them where just as unbelievable. stopping the invasion at points seemed secondary to catching the hulk, and entertaining the idea that Banner could help not followed though on.
No, this issue was hardly worth reading. Even with little yellow toad men, and their blue ship that looks like a toad head. it just all felt ridiculous and not in an entertaining kind of way.
Art
Opining the book, and seeing that first frame, looking at the hulk there made me think that the artwork was going to live up to my expectation, and in fact the whole first couple pages did. after that, I felt that the rest of the artwork was just par.
throughout the rest of the book I feel it remained such, with generally one real good, I will continue to say that the shadowing impressed me still, but the overall artwork, not so much.
Originality & Continuity
again, what to say. The work had good Continuity, I get the feeling that it picks up and continues to tell the story of how Dr. Bruce Banner deals with his new-found alter ego, and how he plans to continue to deal with it. the building of a Nighttime cave prison to keep himself seems like a good solution. the supporting characters are also all filling their roles as I would expect as the story continues from the framework of the first issue. so over all I feel it fit in well with Continuity.
Now for originality, i feel this story was not at all original. it was another alien invasion story, with little to offer in the aliens then being ‘more advanced’ sure there toads, but there is nothing toad like in their goals. this adds to making then unappealing and unoriginal alien’s. the toad men are really boring, it is possible to have an original alien invasion story, but this was not it.
Characters & Development
I feel the characters and development of such was fair for what the story allowed, and perhaps even stretching beyond the limitations of it a little, however the development is far from enough to make up for the deficiencies in the issue overall.
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