World War Hulk: X-men # 1 Review
This review was submitted by Spider-ben:
World War Hulk: X-Men #1
Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Andrea Devito
Cover: Ed McGuiness
I was so impressed by World War Hulk #1 and the prologue leading into the event that I decided to pick up some of the tie in issues. Since the X-Men are some of my favorite heroes, I figured picking up this mini series would be a good choice. I have to tell you all, I was very impressed with this issue. I’m not very familiar with writer Christos Gage, but he really did an uncanny job with this issue!
The issue starts off with Xavier talking with Tony Stark, filling Stark in on the events that occurred during the Rise and Fall of the Shiar arc. Tony tells Xavier to have Havok keep an eye out for the Hulk. This confuses Xavier, and Tony tells him about the Illuminati’s secret plan of sending Hulk out into space. Later at the mansion, Beast is training some of the New X-Men students in field combat exercises. When the sentinels suddenly fly away, Beast turns on the television set and finds out that Hulk has returned to Earth madder than ever. As Beast and the students watch in horror, suddenly the big green goliath himself knocks on the door, demanding to see Xavier.
Beast and the new X-Men kids do a good job, but they are no match for the untamed fury of this Hulk. As things look bad, the Astonishing X-Men show up to kick some green ass. But before the main event starts, Xavier walks out and uses his powers on the Hulk. The professor is shocked to learn what the Hulk had to endure, and realizes that when the ship blew up and destroyed his world and his queen, he understands why the Hulk is so pissed off. Now the Hulk demands to know what Xavier’s vote would have been had he participated in the secret Illuminati meeting that exiled Hulk in the first place.
Thoughts/Comments:
WOW! Lots and lots of smashing went on in this issue, and I was very impressed with how well the New X-Men kids held their own against this nearly unstoppable Hulk. The art was very good; I loved the pages where the Astonishing X-Men arrived all ready for battle.
The writing was very good, and I actually had a few laughs when watching the Hulk deal with the kids at the school. My favorite line? The Hulk states to Professor Xavier “You can walk again? I can fix that!” I was very happy with this tie-in issue and recommend it to any enjoying lots of angry Hulk smash action. I’d give this issue a solid A.
Loved this issue until the ending. Just seemed odd for the Hulk to go through all that crap to get to Xavier just to ask him a "if you could go back in time and kill Hitler when he was a baby?" kind of question. Not to mention, isn't it a bit of a tactical mistake for the Hulk to waste time on Xavier first when his main targets are going to use that time to put together a strategy? It doesn't seem that this is what the Hulk was doing during the 24 hour evacuation time they gave New York if my reading of Front Line was any indication.
That being said, the fight was well done. Although you'd expect the Hulk to make very short work of these X-men-in-training, Gage wrote it well enough that them holding their own (for a little while) seemed plausible enough. Oh, and the art was very well done, as you'd expect from Divito.
I'd probably give it a B.
On a second reading of Front Line and WWH: X-men, I guess this does happen in the 24 hour evacuation of NY. I missed that "Ultimatum plus twenty three hours" as well as the TV newscast. Still seems odd to me that he'd go after Xavier first (and get the X-men involved) instead of later. But, still a good book.
Hey, when did xavier get his powers back? i thought he was depowered?
It was during that whole Fall of the Shiar thing.