When you have an alien race teleport you millions of light years from Earth only to find out they want to eat you — it’s reasonable to think you’d panic. Or, in the case of the heroes in this book, you plan. This issue is all about their planning with a little action thrown in too, but is it good?
Totally Awesome Hulk #17 (Marvel Comics)
So what’s it about? Read the preview.
Why does this book matter?
The last two issues have been fantastic in part due to the great art, but also the great dialogue. Each character shines through clearly making their actions feel important.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Queston in the back?
Somebody get Mahmud Asrar on an event book stat because the guy is stellar in everything he does; from fantastic full page splashes to quieter panels that showcase genuine emotion, his work is stellar. A portion of this issue has the characters simply talking out the stakes and risks they’re taking to fight back against the man eating aliens, which feels refreshing due to the character acting on the page. Some of our protagonists in this issue are human characters without powers and they look/act/think just as you and I would when facing the threats. The action, and lettering on the sound effects, are baller to the 9th degree. It’s great fun, with big in your face panels throughout.
Some might think Greg Pak’s plotting here is filler in nature, but I actually found the scene of the characters talking about the threat they face as refreshing. This series continues to be a realistic depiction of superheroes, at least when it comes to reasoning and talking. There always seems to be a human connection when it comes to actions and the build up of a specific character pays off later when things get dicy in battle.
Speaking of battles, there’s a hell of a lot of fighting in this book. Each hero gets something to do in the fight–another reason why Pak is good at a team book–and no one is left out. There’s also a bit of misdirection and surprises too.
Jeffrey looks deflated.
It can’t be perfect can it?
There’s a point where Jimmy Woo explains the situation, effectively pointing out Cho wasn’t being fair, requiring further explanation. The scene is fine, but Cho disappears from the panels which makes it so we have no idea how he feels about what Woo said. It seems like a missed opportunity to imbue a sense of emotion or learning from Cho. The fact that the next panel we see Cho he’s smirking threw me for a loop too. I guess he enjoys being corrected?
Overall, given the pace of the issue it does feel a tad on the slow side. It’s not that the content is bad, but I wanted more by the end.
Is It Good?
Totally Awesome Hulk #17 is another good issue in a series that’s rife with solid dialogue and big action.
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