The Immortal Hulk, Vol. 3: Hulk in Hell

The Immortal Hulk (Collected Editions)

by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett (Illustrator), Kyle Hotz (Illustrator)

Jackie McGee is in Hell. Carl Creel is in hell. Walter Langkowski is in Hell. Eugene Judd is in Hell. Carl Burbank is in Hell. Los Diablos is in Hell. Shadow Base is in Hell. New Mexico is in Hell. Planet Earth is in Hell. We are all in Hell... and so is the IMMORTAL HULK. It whispers through many mouths. It destroys with many hands. Its only weapon is hate. It wears human souls like masks on a stage to work its will on the world - but in the lowest hell, underneath all others, all the masks come off ...and THE ONE BELOW ALL is revealed.

COLLECTING: IMMORTAL HULK 11-15

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Horror, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2019

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THE IMMORTAL HULK.



I do, however, agree with the people who say that you have to have a teeny bit of Hulk lore and Hulk-centric characters under your belt to really appreciate what's happening with this story.
This is NOT a jumping-off point for readers who are new to comics or new to this character.



But. You don't need to have kept up with every Hulk comic ever made to get the gist of what's happening here. <--I certainly haven't done that, and I didn't feel the least bit lost.
If you've kept up with most of what's happened in Marvel in a general way up to the point of Secret Empire, you should be fine. I sort of dropped out of most of their major comics after that, and I knew enough of what had happened to Hulk and Co. to understand what Ewing was doing in this one. I didn't know General Ross had died, I did know Rick Jones was dead, and I didn't know Betty had lost her Red She-Hulk abilities.
Eh. Ewing gave enough of a small recap that I was cool with it. Plus, for me, not knowing the minute details of what happened to minor players like Doc Samson didn't spoil any of the enjoyment, and I just kind of cobbled together the rest and moved on with my day.



Ok, this also had the conclusion to the whole thing about Banner's father being (maybe) a supernaturalesque sort of villain. And yeah, the stuff about him being a douchey/abusive person wasn't anything really new-new, but I thought Ewing made the retelling of it fit in well with the general horror vibe.



Oh! And if you've already read this one?!
That scene with Betty? Did y'all not just lose your shit when that happened?
I can't be the only one who popped up out of my chair and started making noises -->









Anyway.
Everything about this just sort of ticks off all the right boxes for me. From using all these weird off-brand characters like Sasquatch, Puck, & Absorbing Man and turning them into the stars of the show, to bringing back dead characters without the use of time-travel or clones, and then giving a little tug on my heartstrings.




Good stuff, especially for Hulk fans.
Highly Recommended.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm still digging this version of Hulk, I didn't feel the storytelling was as clear in this arc. There's lots of proselytizing and psychobabble as Hulk wonders through Hell. I was lost through a lot of it. Pretty much all of Bruce Banner's supporting cast of the past make appearances. If you don't know Hulk's relationships to these characters, you may have some difficulties. Bennett's art continues to impress. He draws one scary looking Hulk.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emaciated and pissed off, the Hulk fights for his life in hell!

Immortal Hulk: Hulk in Hell collects Immortal Hulk #11-15. Hulk in Hell picks up where the last volume left off, with the Hulk in Hell, facing off hordes of enemies, including his father.

Al Ewing's horror take on The Hulk continues to amaze me. It reminds of of Swamp Thing, both the Len Wein-Bernie Wrightson version and Alan Moore's take on the character. It's a smart book and more than the Hulk beating the shit out of things, although there's also plenty of that. The relationship between Bruce Banner and the Hulk is getting more and more complex.

Ewing makes great use of b- and c-list characters like Puck, Absorbing Man, Doc Samson, and Berserker to weave new threads into the story of The Hulk. The gamma-irradiated monster has never been more interesting to me. Four out of five stars.

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite hulk comic ever made.

So the first volume 1 was good. Volume 2 had a lot of great moments. Volume 3? Hulk in hell? Hulk talking about who he truly is. Finding out what happened to Ross. Hulk going berserk when a close one to him dies. What did Hulk learn in hell? This is demon hulk after all and his mission has not changed. He is here to end the world. But...something is happening. Questions of who he is and why he is.

This is one of the most compelling volumes of hulk I've read in some time. It has great questions on who and what the hulk is. It has amazing pacing which leaves you wanting to know more and some excellent fight scenes. The art actually works even when it changes. Betty is back and in a very meaningful way. The ending is bonkers. Yeah...this is f'ing awesome. A 4.5-5 out of 5.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weaker volume of Immortal Hulk, and this may in part be my fault — I really don't know that much about Hulk's regular lore and supporting characters, and this book banked hard on previously established relationships between Bruce and them. I felt kinda lost for most of this volume. Ewing's writing steered away from the horror-centric, mostly standalone story to a more continuity-dependent one, and the underlying existential terror that's been there from issue 1 got replaced with some on the nose philosophical and theological pondering. I'm not a fan of this direction, and really hope the book returns to form in the next volume.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy storyline. The horror aspects really shine here but the Hulk’s human side also plays a huge role.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread: 08/01/2023

My thoughts are same as last time but one thing I noticed here is how much I loved this volume rereading it, its filled with biblical and other myths and my god its so well done, talking about the opposite of creation essentially and that makes the main story with the cast in Green hell/the realm of "The one below all" basically and its so well done, and its just insane, the art here is so good, scenes that will just shock you and ones you can only imagine and made real here, the part with Bruce's childhood and all explored here, other members having their own moments and then the epic battle and return to earth which was so well done!!

And then the reunion of Betty and Bruce, those Alex ross covers are beautiful but its in those moments I like this comic even more, and how amped it becomes and Devil hulk emerging, the coming of Samson and the mystery gets insane! I promise you this volume stretches the story even further and shows you the creative brilliance of the writer, building on things that came before but also making new stuff and making it deep and all and as a reader your love for these characters is even more!
__________________________________________________________________
Hulk and everyone is in hell and we learn of his childhood with his father and the abuse he had to suffer and the learn the thing with Qlippoth and the opposite of good related things through various myths and all and its epic the way it interlaces with the main story meanwhile the Hulk is trying to fight the one below all and Bruce and Devil Hulk reconcile meanwhile others there have to get some grip on reality and deal with the dead and will they be able to return to the main earth and deal with one for all? What sacrifices and losses will there be and realizations too? Somewhere else we have the reunity of old love amidst a funeral of an old foe and father and Enter Shadow base! And this time the cost is too personal and the coming of Leonard Samson! Also that ending wow!

This volume had so much and like is just epic halfway through it and then some art sequences especially with Hulk smashing so many things and all, its awesome and makes the writing so much better. Probably one of the best volumes and it doesn't shy away from the brutality infact it just escalates it and also helps explain the origin and "where they have been" of Betty and Sampson! The next volume is gonna be even more epic!

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this Hulk story but I'm a bit confused with this story.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the Hulk makes his way through Hell to face off against The One Below All, new secrets are revealed and the true enemy makes himself known in this third volume of Immortal Hulk.

Al Ewing's got a game plan, and nothing's gunna dissuade him from it, I don't think. This series is so expertly plotted, pulling in plot threads from years and years of Hulk history and hammering home that this is a story a long time in the making, even if we didn't know it yet. The revelations that take place and the interplay between the Hulk's personalities make this as compelling as ever, while Joe Bennett's artwork remains fantastic as always. I never expected him to be a good horror artist, always associating him with more conventional superheroics, but this series has definitely changed my mind. There's also an issue by Kyle Hotz, who is no stranger to horror, and he fits right at home here, with a more restrained Kelley Jones-like style.

Immortal Hulk may not be able to die, but that doesn't mean the afterlife is a complete mystery to him either. This book remains absolutely brilliant, and is yet to miss a beat.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great title. A good mix of speculative writing using Hulk and company as the characters to deliver the goods. Also this is a series that can be enjoyed without being up to date in the marvel universe since the story is so personal to the Hulk's character.

'and so I ask again. What is the Hulk? What will the Hulk be? The accuser or the adversary? Khamael or Satan? Is he of the Geburah or of the Golachub? Is he man or monster? What will you become, Bruce Banner of Earth? Who are you? And who am I?'
I guess we're stuck with Satan Hulk which considering Banners multiple personality disorder isn't so bad.

Bennett's pencil work continues to be jaw dropping. The art really plays to my tastes and has a refined 80's-90's look with modern paneling.

Volume 3 ends sort of flat but hoping it can build momentum again

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hell is astonishingly boring . . . especially when packed with Qabalah lessons and populated with people we know won't be there very long since they're immortal. I mean, it's right there in the title. And it has gone beyond just the Hulk, as almost no one in this series can seem to stay dead for very long.

I have the next volume cued up already, but I'm not sure I'll be sticking with this series much longer.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this horror take on the Hulk. It's nothing simple or cheesy. It's complex, Jungian, and most fascinatingly Qabalistic! Scratch what I said about the basic Freudian mystery, this is going all the way into the deeper mysteries.

The green door? Sure, you could call it hell, but possibly it's only the collective unconscious.

And Bruce? We're getting into the nitty gritty of a full-blown Dissociative Identity Disorder. Daddy issues? Yep, them too. And best yet, the Greeny is growing up, getting meaner, more intelligent, and making long-term plans.

You know, like doing for the Earth what the Swamp Thing was supposed to do in DC. Maybe we ought to remove people to heal the planet, no? :)

So interesting! And Bruce doesn't even show up more than a blip here. It's all Devil Hulk running the whole show. Am I thrilled? Is this a great horror comic? Is this one exciting me?

YES.

[Diz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the strongest series running these days. If you thought the story was off-the-rails before, you haven't seen anything yet. Hulk goes to hell and we learn quite a lot about him and his relationship to Bruce Banner. The storytelling and art are top-notch.

[Corey Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... I didn't really like this one as much.

Ok, so Hulk is in Hell. And to be honest, I'm not really sure it really went anywhere. The storytelling was all over the place. And, It made it hard for me to understand what the heck is going on.

I think part of the problem is that there are some characters I am pretty unfamiliar with so it made it hard for me.

I dunno, I don't really have much to say. But, I hope the next volume is an improvement.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Immortal Hulk Vol. 3 Hulk In Hell collects issues 11-15 of the Marvel Comics series written by Al Ewing with art by Joe Bennett and Kyle Hotz.

The One Below All is revealed as The Hulk is tormented in Hell. Meanwhile, other Hulks and Gamma-based characters make their return including Doc Samson and Betty Ross-Banner.

A lot of this book was psychological horror for the Hulk and the story drags a bit. Joe Bennett has done a fantastic job of drawing a tortured and horrific Hulk. Some of the art is straight disgusting and disturbing. The book really starts to pick up in the last few issues.

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is still going strong, and it's the only current Marvel series that I read ASAP. There are a ton of reasons why this is so good and they are mainly spelled out in my reviews for the previous volumes, so I'll just focus on a few of the things I didn't particularly care for in this volume:

They wrapped up the "Hulk in hell" storyline a little too quickly. They were teasing his dad being a villain since the very beginning, and it ended up kind of being a non-event.

Doc Samson and Rick Jones are back, and I have always hated both of them with a passion.

[Unai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si esto es lo mejor que hay ahora en marvel, no es suficiente para que vuelva. Es como leer una versión descafeinada y poco seria de Swamp Thing, pero sin ningún trasfondo valido y que lo mismo te cuentan algo, que a la semana siguiente vuelve a ser una tontunda típica con iron manes y mierdas de esas.

[Anas Abdulhak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al Ewing you mad genius. This is absolutely brilliant. Probably one of the best books Marvel is putting out right now!

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didnt seem to like this as much as the previous volumes. I felt lost all the way through.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy what writer Al Ewing achieves with the Hulk in this series. He gives the character so much more depth by exploring religious parallels and embracing a psychoanalytical approach.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume concludes the story from Volumes 1 and 2 about half way into this volume, a bit of a tame ending tbh. Then it changes in a poor direction. The whole Betty and Bruce thing really turns me away. It's been done to death and is shit. Really shit.

I notice some changes in artwork as well which went downhill.

[David Turko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to amaze me. Same as the previous volumes, everything is top-notch. Al Ewing continues to write an amazing hulk story. To me, this is one of the greatest marvel stories this decade.

[Kyle Berk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immortal Hulk volume 3 takes it and turns it up to eleven.

And I love it. Every issue of this keeps getting better for me and Devil Hulk is great. How Banner changes between the three primary personalities depending on the time of the day and what happens to him fascinates me.

The exploration of love and pain and what Banner makes to be the relationship between the two drives the story in such a way that it kept me glued to the page.

The tying in of the larger Marvel universe is my least favorite part but they have to do something like that because of all the events surrounding the Hulk.

There is a funeral issue in here that deals with death and dying, and the source of Banner's power that may be my favorite issue of the series so far. It gives me very intense Swamp Thing vibes in the best way due to the tone and writing style.

And to have I mentioned how perfect the art is for this series? Al Ewing not only writes it well into a fascinating body horror comic that explores the Hulk enrichingly. But Joe Bennett's pencils perfectly suit and create the story in your hands. With how he draws the Hulk and the hellish things that are fought. Not to forget Kyle Hotz, Eric Nguyen, Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, or Rafeal Fonteriz. Who all help to construct the art of this delicious body horror philosophising exploration of the Hulk and his love and pain.

It's one of the comics I'm most excited to continue reading and I urge anyone who's even the least bit curious to check it out.

5 stars.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get that Al Ewing's Hulk series is trying to be deep and dark and weird, but it's doing all of those things to the point of obnoxiousness. Numerous pages in Hulk in Hell are spent with a mysterious narrator explaining various cultures' and religions' Hell myths. Cool! What does this have to do with the Hulk? Not super clear. I guess maybe he's the Devil? The title tells me that he's in Hell, but like...is he really? It's never quite clear what's going on with the Green Door.

Unhelpfully, characters from past Hulk adventures keep coming back to life and rolling into the series like we're all super familiar with them. Who's the Shazam guy with green hair? Who is Rick Jones and why should I care? This Hulk series looks good and it certainly feels like it's a deep, important Marvel comic, but I'm just confused and bored.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al Ewin's Hulk continues to be one of the weirdest, most thoughtful, and most amazing runs ever. This volume is even weirder than most, with the first three issues set in "Hell" and full of captions and backstory. It's a little over-the-top at time, but also deeply insightful. The rest of the book has a bit more normalcy to it, but continues to advance Ewing's amazing plot. [4+/5].

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, then.

Al Ewing is putting together an IMMORTAL run on Hulk, with this volume's KooKoo Bananas riffing on Qabbalah, Zoroastrianism and yet more Body Horror keeping the standard ludicrously high.

If you like the Jade Giant even a little don't sleep on this series, folks.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

What began as a promising series devolves into unintelligible psycho-babble with no real story.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al Ewing e os artistas que o acompanham nessa jornada por este título estão criando uma emocionante e apavorante nova jornada para o Incrível, agora Imortal Hulk. Não é apenas a aventura ou a construção dos personagens que são bem orquestrados, mas toda uma digressão que Ewing planeja para deixar o leitor conjecturando sobre a verdadeira natureza do horror que é o Hulk. O que O Imortal Hulk tem me lembrado com essa aproximação ao terror e ao horror são os primeiros números da série Sandman que, desde lá vinham flertando com a literatura e as digressões de texto. Além disso, Ewing empresta a O imortal Hulk uma espécie de terror cósmico que faz com que nos sintamos ínfimos perto da eternidade da existência do cosmos naquela interrogação de não sabermos o que somos e por que estamos aqui - acompanhamos essas indagações a partir do olhar do Hulk demoníaco ou ainda de Bruce Banner. Este volume três, Hulk no Inferno aprofunda mais e mais essa dúvida quando Ewing indaga sobre Deus, diabo, o bem e o mal, toda uma metafísica do terror que nos deixa mais apreensivos a cada virada de página. Um quadrinho extremamente bem escrito e bem talhado principalmente nos elementos de horror pelos quais ele nos faz passear.

[Clint · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked vol1 and really liked vol2, but vol3 was difficult to finish. These issues seem to assume I have an encyclopedic grasp of past Hulk comics; knowing and having deep feelings about Hulk’s daddy issues and gamma lore feels like a pre-req to even considering reading this, to say nothing of all the plots points with characters like Doc Samson and Rick Jones. But even if I knew all of that, I doubt I’d enjoy these.

Aside from wallowing in self-serious comic book rabbit hole details that don’t mean much without years of past context, this otherwise blathers on about obscure religious esoterica like “where Geburah is strength in righteousness, Golachab is strength in destruction.” And if it avoids all of the above, it’s doing the thing I hate where a comic writer generously quotes or refers to classic literature throughout issues (as opposed to maybe a rare chapter-opening quote). Does anyone appreciate William Blake more when it’s juxtaposed with, like, Hulk smashing a guy’s head into the ground? Have you ever read Camus and wondered if it’d make more sense placed over Hulk saying “SUHMAAAAAAH!”

This series has been so up and down that I’m willing to see how vol4 is, but wow this was a miserable read.

[Julio Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can take him. It’ll be a rush. 🔫