Red Hulk, Vol. 1: Prisoner of War

Red Hulk (2025)

by Benjamin Percy

RED HULK RAGES INTO ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM! THUNDERBOLT ROSS - in a cell deep below the ground - is a prisoner of DOCTOR DOOM And he is not alone. Brilliant military, criminal and political minds have been gathered against their will in a prison complex that serves as a "THINK TANK" to help carry out Doom's plan for global domination. But the RED HULK has other plans! Guest starring MACHINE MAN and DEATHLOK!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels

120 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2025

About the author

Benjamin Percy is the author of seven novels -- most recently The Sky Vault (William Morrow) -- three short fiction collections, and a book of essays, Thrill Me, that is widely taught in creative writing classrooms. He writes Wolverine, X-Force, and Ghost Rider for Marvel Comics. His fiction and nonfiction have been published in Esquire (where he is a contributing editor), GQ, Time, Men's Journal, Outside, the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, and the Paris Review. His honors include an NEA fellowship, the Whiting Writer's Award, the Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, the iHeart Radio Award for Best Scripted Podcast, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

This one has really nice artwork but I wasn’t as keen on the story, despite it guest-starring one of my all-time favourite characters, Machine Man.

One of my complaints about the story is that the aforementioned Machine Man and all the hundreds of Doombots seem to be made out of papier-mâché.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I enjoyed much more that the current Hulk series. I like that General Ross was given his chance to shine. However the Red Hulk is his WMD.

Thunderbolt Ross has been captured by Doctor Doom and used for his battle strategies, his ruthless determination to get the job done no matter the cost. However the same ruthless determination and strategy has now been employed to plot his escape. With a little help. Starved of the radiation that feeds the Red Hulk, Ross and his team will need to take desperate measures to escape, but her can you run when the whole world is Doomed?

An excellent jail break style book. Not everyone will make it out. A good ballance of the story focusing on both Ross and the Red Hulk. I can't wait so see what happens next. The book finishes with a variant cover gallery.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so much Red Hulk in this one..more like Gen Ross trying to get to a Nuclear source and become Red Hulk to get out of Latveria.
Helped by Deathlok and Machine Man.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was different and possibly better than I expected.
int he first 5 issues not a lot of Hulk i it and a lot more deathlok, machine man and doom.
a pretty good tie in to one world under doom.

Ross and Co were held hostage by doom and tortured/interrogated to gain their strategic thoughts in how to attack and manipulate different aspects and countries.

mostly on the run from doom. Shaw's art isn't my favourite here, still good but nowhere near as good as Thanos nor GotG. probably due to inking and or colouring.
worth your time to read digital or physical.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Benjamin Percy and Geoff Shaw present the latest update on Marvel’s latest film star with Red Hulk: Prisoner of War. Captured by Doctor Doom, General Thaddeus Ross had been imprisoned for months. Doom is using his tactical mind to run simulations, looking at various ways to create and control conflict under the dictator’s new world order. Learning that there are others incarcerated with him - such as the cyborg Deathlok and the tensile robot Machine Man - Ross stages a jail break. Pursued by a swarm of Doombots and unable to access his Red Hulk form, the tough-as-nails military man convinces his allies to follow a last-ditch nuclear option that will either save them all or leave them dead in a radioactive crater. Ben Percy writes a fun little romp that brings the Red Hulk back into play in modern comics. Stripping away the gamma powers for most of the series’ runtime allows Percy to showcase the most dangerous part of Ross - his war-centric mindset. While readers may be disappointed is only seeing a few crimson appearances, the fast-paced plot allows for a deeper look at the former Hulk antagonist. Geoff Shaw provides the art chores, which include shaving the classic mustache to match the movie aesthetic. Shaw enjoys utilizing metallic sheens and gritty shadow textures to great effect, but his human character work can feel disproportionate and funky. Created as a way to tie into the Marvel film juggernaut, Red Hulk: Prisoner of War is best undertaken as a popcorn flick on paper.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imprisoned by Doctor Doom in Latveria, General Ross is being forced to help the tyrant devise ways to destablise and take over the world. Of course, you can't keep a good Hulk down, and sticking him in a box is a good way to make him angry - and you know what happens when you make Hulks angry.

This is fairly high paced, mostly just a rapid action five part story with Ross, Machine Man, and Deathlok organizing a prison break and then getting the hell out of dodge. There's not a huge amount of substance, though Percy's take on Ross's inner monologue is kind of neat. A couple of the set pieces are pretty bombastic, especially nearer the end of the volume, but I did finish this with a bit of an 'is that it?' kind of vibe. I know there's another five issues to go though, so the jury's still out overall.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so fun and its so epic like we see General Ross as a prisoner of Dr Doom and its tying into the one world under doom event and like how he tries to escape and his friendship with Machine man and Deathlok, the latter gaining more personality finally and like how they try to escape and the challenges they face and its basically a prison break movie but one thing I love is how the author focuses on the strategic military mind of General Ross and how he knows about the weakness of countries and his brlliant geopolitical mind! Its amazing the escape and all and the last issue is just pure action and the art is perfection, so many scenes of RED HULK just going ham on doom bots and in the end has his country betrayed him?!

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

A synopsis?

General Thunderbolt Ross has been locked away and interrogated by Doctor Doom for an unknown period of time. However long it's been, he's still just as cranky as ever. No radiation=no Red Hulk.

(Wow. Sounds like a fun series)

Hey! Did we tell you that there's classic Machine Man AND old school Deathlok appearances? Kids will LOVE it!

(You mean the 70s/80s characters that nobody gives a rip about? Well, shoot...)
=====
Bonus: All that...and of COURSE the government disavows Ross...

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve fallen super behind on reading. Been working a lot and moving but I’m getting back into a flow. First thing on the reading list is getting back into One World Under Doom. First thing that to complete part of a run is Red Hulk here! This has been a pretty good story even if Ross doesn’t even Hulk out until the final issue. I’ve enjoyed the characters and how they interacted and I look forward to how this continues in the next five issues.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm unsure of the hate around this book. This is exactly what I was hoping for, Ross being Ross and Red Hulk smashing stuff. Now, yes, the book is light on Hulk but storywise, it makes perfect sense. I enjoyed Ross's very nearsighted view on America as its just like him. This was a prison break/military story that worked. It read likes an action movie. I really enjoyed Shaw's artwork, especially his Hulk. Overall, a smashing good time.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are you itching for a Red Hulk story arc which features very little Red Hulk, but supporting roles from B and C-list characters like Dethlok and Machine Man? Then I might just have the trade paperback for YOU...

[Amir Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was fire!! deathlok was a nice surprise !!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Machine Man….Deathlok…Misty Night…..that alone makes it worth picking up