Fall of the Hulks - Alpha
Welcome to the forty-second State Of The Multiverse, and given the auspicious number, I only wish I could give you the secret of the universe.
Still, with the release of Fall Of The Hulks Alpha, at least we know the secret of the Red Hulks creation, if not his identity. It is surprising in a way to see so many massive egos working together – the Leader, the Mad Thinker, the Wizard, Egghead, the Red Ghost and Doom, and similar to the Illuminati, this is a project that has been going for some years, and has been revealed just now.
Or as we are far more familiar with, ‘retroactively inserted’ into continuity. Still, this story works, explains the odd villainous resurrection (such as Klaw or the ever-returning Absorbing Man).
Retroactive continuity seems to be all the rage nowadays, but handled well it can add to the story depth, and get rid of all of those nasty inconsistencies that arise from the use of multiple writers. Case in point being this recent Fall Of The Hulks, the Illuminati, and of course DC’s Identity Crisis. This tends to get the ire up of many fans, but then it also serves to bring attention to past stories that otherwise may fall into obscurity.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing of any great importance revealed in this issue, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and it makes we wish for a return of Super-Villain Team-Up.
One other series that I recommend is Strange (Volume 2). The once-great Stephen Strange is Sorcerer Supreme no longer, yet he seems unable to give up manipulating people into doing his bidding.
OK, maybe that’s a bit harsh, as seen in the first issue he did not have a great deal of choice regarding his latest recruit. Still, he may have bitten off more than he can chew with the spoilt little rich girl who won’t take no for an answer, and has more arcane potential than he realised. You know what they say about a little knowledge.
I’ve followed Doctor Strange for years, another of my favourite characters. Here in the capable hands of Mark Waid, he has chosen quite the juxtaposition of characters. Casey Kinmont, brought up by her very rich, and now unfortunately deceased grandfather, seems to display quite the sense of right and wrong, despite the fact her untrained use of the spell she was taught in the first issue leads to a potential disaster. I think Mark Waid will show just who the spoilt rich brat truly is.
