What happened to Bruce Banner in that cave? As the monsters’ war on humanity rages across land and sea, Bruce Banner and Betty Ross have finally found their life of quiet normalcy, free from their past and the threat of the Infernal Hulk…or so they think. Is Banner really free? How long can they hide as the world burns down…and what happens when their nightmares find them? Infernal Hulk #3 gives readers more as to what happened to Bruce Banner and the life he’s now living without the Hulk.

If you’re not reading Infernal Hulk, you’re missing out. The comic has infused horror with superheroes in a way that delivers actual dread and fear. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson has tapped into something primordial, that you can feel the fear and imagine feeling it yourself in the situation.

In Infernal Hulk, an ancient being now controls Hulk having cast out Bruce Banner who is living a peaceful life with Betty Ross, both going by different names. Both have had the powerful beings that once inhabited them ripped out leaving each to deal with it in different ways.

Johnson dives deep into the trauma of it all. Both Bruce and Betty have experienced terror to get where they are and each are handling it differently. Bruce wans to move on and find some peace in his life. Betty misses what should could experience, a piece of her torn away making her weaker. Infernal Hulk #3 pulls no punches and delivers emotional depth that’ll hit readers. The issue takes the horror in a far different direction and it hits in a far different way. A different type of fear is present and it leads to the sadness of the situation.

The art by Kev Walker and Nic Klein is excellent. With ink by Cam Smith and Klein, color by Matthew Wilson and Klein, and lettering by Cory Petit, the comic is an interesting transition to that unease that lies underneath suburbia. Bruce and Betty go to their jobs and attempt to live their lives but the art even by itself creates an ominous feel to it all. There’s something to it that makes it clear things are not right and something is off. Then, there’s that page. The comic should have a very clear trigger warning (it might and the digital copy doesn’t or I missed it) that hits like a ton of bricks. The look in Betty’s eyes. The chaos that surrounds her. It’s an emotional punch delivered through the visuals and deliver trauma, horror, desperation, and fear, all in one image.

Infernal Hulk #3 is a strong contender for issue of the year (already). While it doesn’t spill everything that explains how Bruce Banner exists without the Hulk, but it gives enough to satiate readers for a while. It’s a hell of an issue that should not be missed.

Story: Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art: Kev Walker, Nic Klein
Ink: Cam Smith, Nic Klein Color: Matthew Wilson, Nic Klein Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle