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Hulk in Hell: More devilishly good storytelling in Immortal Hulk Vol. 3

Art by Alex Ross

"What is Hell?
There are places in this universe made of red rock and flame.
Peopled by horned goats and fanged serpents.
Built for the torment of souls.
But these places are not Hell.
They are only places.
Hell is not a place."

Previously in The Immortal Hulk, we saw our favourite green monster open the mysterious Green Door and learn what lies behind it: Hell. Rather than throwing Hulk and journo Jackie McGee into the devil's domain, Hell comes to them, transforming their surroundings into a fiery wasteland filled with fear and hate. Hulk in Hell, the third volume of the Eisner-nominated series, keeps up with the pace set by the exceptional first two volumes, and might even be a little bit better.

Artist Joe Bennett continues to shock readers with grotesque body horror, with bombastic and brutal action sequences that'll have readers' stomachs doing somersaults. Chilling monochrome pages break up Paul Mounts' immersive colours, throwing us into cold, unsettling scenes that pick apart the meaning of words like 'evil' and, of course, 'Hell'.

Hulk talks to Jackie McGee about his situation

Writer Al Ewing delves into Hulk history for this arc, throwing around names and readers might not get, but without completely alienating them. The connection between the fearsome protagonist and new character McGee is fleshed out, and we venture deep into Banner's psyche to learn how the Hulk is more than just an expression of his anger.

One thing that's addressed in this book is the constant resurrections seen across superhero comics - Ewing ties it all together, treating it as a sinister curse cast upon Banner and those who get close to him. We also learn more about the Devil Hulk personality and how Banner's father ties into the mystery, making this instalment a particularly intriguing chapter of this already fantastic story-line.

Bit hard to say "Hulk smash" when half your brain is missing

Two guest artists contribute for this volume: Eric Nguyen, who gives us a shift in mood for the grim childhood flashbacks, and Kyle Hotz, who gets a whole chapter to introduce readers to crucial characters Betty Banner and Doc Samson - his style fits the book to a tee.

Hulk in Hell establishes this series as one of the greatest ongoing comics on the shelves right now - the quality has been super consistent across all three books (and the brilliant Best Defense spin-off), and it looks like the story will only get better from here on out. Do yourself a favour and get caught up on this thrilling saga before the next book drops!

Rating: 8/10

 All three volumes of The Immortal Hulk are available in print now and digitally on Comixology. A spin-off team-up book starring Doctor Strange was released between volumes 2 and 3 and is a must-read!

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