Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Guest Artist: Danny Earls
Color Artist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Release Date: 10th April 2024

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There can surely be little doubt in the minds of any bibliophiles picking up this book that Marvel’s solicitation strapline of Bruce Banner’s alter-ego smashing “Frozen Charlotte once and for all!” is definitely adhered to throughout issue eleven of The Incredible Hulk. True, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script also depicts the horrific demon’s origin story as she torments the hapless residents of New Orleans for literal centuries, but these chilling flashbacks are impressively intertwined with the founding Avenger’s ferocious fist-fight, so never last long enough to slow the bone-breaking slugfest down.

Quite possibly this twenty-page periodical’s most disturbing asset though, is how its Eisner-nominated writer repeatedly reminds the reader that the Hulk’s latest adversary genuinely feels aggrieved that she backed Lucifer Morningstar in his unsuccessful rebellion against God. The ghoul-like villain’s desperate need to hide from both angels and devils alike amongst “the straw of mortals” has clearly snapped the deluded creature’s mind, and seemingly causes her to whole-heartedly believe that trapping a youngster’s soul for all eternity within a sightless shell of bisque is somehow better than letting them lead a normal life.

So devout a conviction, no matter how monstrously misplaced, soon turns to violent indignation once Banner fails to recognise Nephele’s macabre mission as being a blessed mercy, and this resultantly should generate an even greater sense of satisfaction within this comic’s audience. Particularly when the Green Goliath goes on to give the spectre a seriously overdue fatal smackdown; “Shut up. Shut up. Stupid whatever you are. Don’t care about you. Came for the kid. And I’m taking her.”

Adding their own raw energy into all these proceedings is guest artist Danny Earls, whose distinctive style of sketching possible won’t be to everyone’s taste. However, for those who find his brusque bravura pleasing to the eye, there’s certainly plenty of limb-crunching punches to both captivate the mind and stimulate the imagination. Indeed, there’s a number of subtle touches to his layouts which can easily be missed, such as Frozen Charlotte’s hellfire slowly withering the right side of the Hulk towards the end of their fight, as well as the impressive attention to detail given to the tiny dolls representing a long-fallen flower girl holding a bouquet, and the facially-disfigured teenage runaway Charlie.

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The writer of this piece was: Simon Moore
Simon Tweets from @Blaxkleric ‏
You can read more of his reviews at The Brown Bag

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