In this version, the Hulk has split from Bruce Banner. The green Goliath found refuge in the underground lair of the Moloids while Amanda Von Doom searches for the Hulk to assist her hunt down Banner. In his self-imposed exile with the Moloids, the Hulk finds some serenity. That is, until two gamma-irradiated boar monsters look to capture the Hulk and return them to their ‘father’ to make him happy. This leads to a subterranean battle that shakes the earth.

You can guess who the victor of the fight is, and he goes straight to Amanda Von Doom to form an uneasy alliance and get Banner. Meanwhile, the good doctor hides out on an island creating his own defense against the Hulk. You will have to get the comic to see just what I mean.

Silvestri’s artwork works well most of the time. There are some panels where the Hulk’s face looks wither flat or too V-shaped. He does add a few too many detail lines, and the boar creatures look like something from Miyazaki’s Mononoke-Himei.

The writing moves the story. Jason Aaron gives us interesting twists that even a seasoned Hulk fan like myself would grin at with satisfaction. I also enjoyed the last page tease that makes me excited to get issue 4. In this day and age of reboots and writers giving us the same damned story over and over, Aaron delivers by showing us something we haven’t seen. The idea of the split Hulk/Banner works. For now. I will eventually need the two in one again. Eventually.

And the best part of the book is Dr. Banner’s monkey assistant. He needs his own comic book.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Mark Silvestri Publisher: Marvel Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 12/21/13