RED HULK #1 – Members of the Think Tank

Creative Team – Benjamin Percy(writer). Geoff Shaw(artist). Bryan Valenza(color artist). VC’s Cory Petit(letterer). Geoff Shaw & Marte Gracia(cover artists).

Published by Marvel Entertainment

SEE WHERE IT ALL STARTED WITH ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #1!

There was a lot of excitement for Red Hulk #1, so this review is written by Nerd Initiative’s Matt Roth and Megan Nichole!

The Story

The One World Under Doom event is moving full steam ahead and it’s affecting so many big players in the Marvel Universe. This time, it’s Red Hulk and a couple friends of his who aren’t in the best positions as they’re prisoners of Doom’s war. That’s not just a figure of speech, they’re actually prisoners of Doom’s. Doom has Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross in an underground bunker is Latveria, with a power-stopping collar around his neck and three square meals a day. But Ross isn’t alone as he’s joined by Machine Man and Deathlock, with a couple other big brained prisoners locked in their own dark cells.

Doctor Doom has brought some of the best military, political, and criminal minds to his home of Latveria, to keep them locked away. He does this so he can form his own personal think tank to ensure success in his world domination. But what happens when you get some of the craftiest soldiers locked in one building? They’ll obviously find a way out, one way or another.

The Writing

Matt: Starting this run off with Red Hulk causing a plane crash and then taking over a military facility certainly caught me off guard and it’s a testament to Percy’s ability to grab you with his story telling off the rip. The stark transition from that sequence to seeing a frail and fragile Ross in a prison at the hands of Doom showcases that all the power in the world is nothing when facing perhaps the greatest villain Marvel has ever had. I’m very excited to see where the story goes as it turned into a prison break with a surprise ensemble of characters all working together in an unexpected way.

Megan: Benjamin Percy really kept the energy high throughout Red Hulk #1, which I felt is needed when dealing with characters like Red Hulk and Doctor Doom. I really enjoyed seeing Ross as the prisoner, and seeing him and the other prisoners work through an escape plan. Overall, I’d say this was a really strong start and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

The Art

Matt: Geoff I put a massive amount of detail with creating the sceneries inside the prison and how each cell had its own detail for each character. Adding the flavor flairs to the characters were given such as Deathlok was fun as every artist has their spin making it their own. Bryan hammers home the coloring making this a very vibrant issue which further gripped my attention making it fun whether it is Hulks red skin color or the blueish gray from the cells and Dooms glowing green cloak. There’s so much to love within this issue!

Megan: The artwork of Red Hulk #1 added even more depth to the story. Geoff Shaw really showcased his talents with the incredible amount of detail he put into each panel. Bryan Valenza took it a step further with his colorings, and used more muted town in the panels, which contrasted the brightness of Red Hulk’s skin or the bright purple of Machine Man. As usual, Cory Petit made each word pack even more of a punch with his work on the lettering.

Final Thoughts

Matt: 9.5/10 Red Hulk #1 kicks off in an explosive way showcasing both the power of Red Hulk and the vulnerability under the hand of Doctor Doom. This has my attention and has me excited to see the story unfold as we go deeper into this run and the One World Under Doom!

Megan: 8.9/10. Red Hulk #1 is in great company with the other comics that have come out of the One World Under Doom event. So far, everything I’ve read has been a lot of fun with a great bit of excitement throughout the comics, and Red Hulk is no exception.

Overall Grade – 9.2/10

Tell us what you think of Red Hulk #1 in the comments below!