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Charlie takes a stroll in another meat suit, but leaves her God Skin behind to be picked up by a Rutling. When the little imp tries to make friends with the Hulk in Charlies skin, things don’t go well! This pit stop on the way to New York turns out to be more trouble than it’s worth in The Incredible Hulk #23!
- Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
- Art by Nic Klein
- Colors by Matt Wilson
- Letters by Cory Petit
- Production Design Charles Lao & Adam Del Re
- Assistant Editor Kaeden McGahey
- Editor Jordan D White
- Editor in Chief C. B. Cebulski
- Hulk Created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
The Whimsical Horror of The Incredible Hulk #23
As Hulk and Charlie make their way to New York for some help from Doctor Strange, Charlie is changing into something more…dangerous. In the previous issue Lycana’s bloodlust forced Charlie to kill. In fear of what Hulk might do, she hides the body and wear that girls skin to play basketball with a bunch of kids!
But where is Charlie’s skin you say?! Well it’s been picked up by Norgul, a Rutling, a forrest imp of some sorts. It tries to make friends with Hulk wearing Charlie’s “skin suit”.
The Incredible Hulk #21 Hulk Smash Big Bad Dog
Unfortunately for Norgul, the Hulk ain’t that dumb and he thinks Norgul killed Charlie which leads to, well, you know, SMASHING. When all the parties converge, Hulk understands that something is changing in Charlie for the worst. She’s not fighting monsters anymore, she’s becoming one!
Character Development in The Incredible Hulk #23
Phillip Kennedy Johnson is talking Hulk and Charlie on a new path and I like it. Charlie isn’t so innocent and charming anymore, she’s a killer. Of course Lycana and the God Skin is primarily responsible for that, but some parts of Charlie are enjoying this it seems.
I also really like the playful, innocent, yet scary character of Norgul. He very much reminded me of Sméagol and Gollum. Hw wants to be loved and not be alone, but there’s also a sinister darkness to him on the edge of mischief.
It’s really interesting to see Hulk have a real connection with her. He was concerned about what Norgul had done to her, he almost destroyed a town to “rescue” her, but most importantly, showed disappointment in her actions. That’s not a reaction we get very often from Hulk. I believe that shows how much he cares about her. He was so disappointed that he transformed back into Banner, which he planned to never do again!
The Art of The Incredible Hulk #23
Nic Klein just gets it dude! The action is immense. Hulk tears through the forest trying to get Norgul and the panels are big and chaotic. Then he lands in the middle of a street and it’s like a bomb being dropped! It really put the scale in perspective!
The uneasy images Klein provides throughout this issue are breathtaking. The way he draws Norgul in the Charlie skin is so odd and off putting. It’s a fantastic bit of body horror, but it doesn’t end there! The longer he wears it and the fight goes on, he looks more and more demonic. My favorite moment is when Hulk gets his hands on him and squeezes him out of the mouth like a tube of toothpaste!
For more horror: Grave Brigade #1 A Retrospective and a New Chapter
The most epic sequence however, is when Hulk transforms back to Banner. It’s like he’s decaying and revealing Banners body trapped inside. Bones cracking, eyes bulging, skeleton protruding. It’s so gross and so cool. The imagery will sit with me for a while!
Overall Grade: 8.5/10
This issue was part 2 of a short filler arc before we get to something bigger in New York. That doesn’t mean that it’s bad though. Charlie goes through a process here and it causes a rift between her and Hulk. That conflict will drive the next chapter for sure. I loved every panel of this comic though. Beautiful colors make this thing feel so 3 dimensional with Kleins drawings. Letters provide distinct animalistic voices and big time destructive sound effects! Then we’re left with a little teaser at the end involving one of Hulks greatest rivals! What do you think will happen to Hulk and Charlie in New York?!
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