As a giant falls, friends and enemies alike gather to mourn his passing. Amadeus Cho, Rick Jones, Betty Ross, Thunderbolt Ross, the Warbound and more. Can they all keep a level head – or will some of them get ANGRY? Plus, what secrets lie in the Last Will and Testament of Bruce Banner?

Written by Greg Pak, Civil War II: The Fallen #1 deals with the aftermath of the murder of Bruce Banner by Clint Barton. A funeral. A follow up with various key Hulk characters. A Last Will and Testament. A lot is thrown into this issue which feels rather rushed and a bit choppy.

What’s presented in this comic is pretty important and closes some plots while opening up some others. The issue is a set of chapters that work slightly together as if a bunch of scenes were written, but it wasn’t clear how to actually tie them all together in a smooth narrative. But, most importantly, none of this had to be in its own comic one-shot. There really isn’t a reason this couldn’t have been a part of a few other Civil War II tie-ins.

The issue attempts to give a funeral for Banner as well, but that too feels barely thought out. There’s some discussion on the duality of the character, monster and hero, but the scene involving that feels flat and lacking real emotion. Much of the issue is like that.

The art by Mark Bagley really falls short as well. I’ve like Bagley’s work and was shocked when I looked to see whose name was on the comic I thought it was that bad. It looks and feels rush, exactly what I’d expect for a comic event tie-in put together by the “B” team, but this is Bagley! C’mon!

The comic as a whole is just flimsy in so many ways. Lacking much emotion. A series of scenes. Art that just doesn’t work. All for $4.99. This one is an absolute pass unless you’re a die-hard Hulk fan or obsessive completist.

Story: Greg Pak Art: Mark Bagley
Story: 5 Art: 5 Overall: 5 Recommendation: Pass