Thanos vs. Hulk #3 Review


You’re gonna need a bigger flyswatter! Thanos vs. Hulk just powered up and the Negative Zone will never be the same!

The official description from Marvel:

• Annihilus gains vast new might!

• The Hulk rampages through the Negative Zone!

• And the villainous and powerful Blastaar is in hot pursuit!

Thanos vs Hulk 3 Starlin CoverEven without Thanos, this issue is still a great cosmic romp through the Negative Zone. It is full of Pip mishaps, powerful clashes, and giant bugs.

Yeah, it is still pretty weird…But that is what we get with Jim Starlin at the cosmic wheel.

You can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia when you read Starlin’s dialog alongside his full splash pages with optional floating heads. And while he brings the 70’s along with him in this new mini-series, the actual plot is fun and original. It isn’t the same old “Thanos kills everyone, then brings everyone back” story. Instead, Starlin is taking several aspects of the Marvel Cosmic Universe which have unfolded in the past decade, and giving them a makeover.

I am impressed with how well all of this is fitting together. It makes me wonder how all this will conclude in one issue…though I think at its end, there will be some staying changes for the Marvel Universe. Cosmic and otherwise.

And again, this issue was released with two covers, as it wouldn’t be a Thanos story without a variant from the great Ron Lim!

Thanos vs Hulk 3 Lim Cover

As I have stated, and as will be obvious, Thanos is only a part of this issue in title and background of Lim’s cover. I heard this was the case before I actually read this issue, which made me skeptical. But honestly, it wasn’t a bad thing. It will be interesting to see how Starlin brings everything together in the next issue. The plot is starting to feel a little cramped, but I do not think we are at “Spider-Man Movie” stage just yet.

I just hope Thanos makes a bigger splash in this series than Annihilus has so far!

Now for some preview pages:

Thanos vs Hulk 3 Preview 2

And…

Thanos vs Hulk 3 Preview 4

…and one more:

Thanos vs Hulk 3 Preview 5

Interesting, right?

FWIW (not much) – I am not sure the new and improved Annihilus will use the phrase, “SMASH!” – it seems like a occupational hazard…

Finally, as this is apparently a “thing” now for my reviews of this mini-series…here is Aaron Meyers’, related tweet“Thanos Vs Hulk had no Thanos in it this month, but a lot of another guy and it was a ton of fun.”

OUR RATING
8
  • + Great nostalgia in Starlin's art and dialog!
  • + Starlin delivers a fantastic original story!
  • - No Thanos!
  • - Pacing now seems a bit off for a four-issue mini-series.

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