Warning: The following review contains spoilers!
Marvel Knights’ new release, Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, based on the comic series of the same name, is a highly entertaining variation of the storyline. Writer Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek: Into Darkness) brings the plot to film with the help of artist Leinil Francis Yu (Secret Invasion) and colorist Dave McCaig.
The story is simple. The Hulk was sentenced to death for murdering over 600 people, 60+ of them being children, so Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. killed him with a nuclear bomb. The problem is, it turns out that’s not enough to kill Hulk. Fury then enlists Wolverine to find Bruce Banner and kill him.
The catch? There’s a little bit more going on behind the scenes, as usual with S.H.I.E.L.D. The Hulk’s ex, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, just might still be in love with him, and her coworker may have just solved the problem with Banner’s Hulk Formula.
http://youtu.be/CThLutcEr-M
As Wolverine tries to track him down, the storyline jumps from him to Fury to Hulk/Banner’s points of view, which at times can begin to get a little frustrating. And the episode that focuses on Banner’s travels and struggles with anger is a bit slow-moving. Other than that, the film is fun. The addition of humor to the storyline really helped, with small quips and jokes that are reminiscent of The Avengers. If for no other reason, it’s worth watching just to find out the answer to the age-old joke, “What does Wolverine do to get through the metal detectors at the airport?”
And if that’s not enough, no matter how badass you thought Wolverine was in the past, the opening of this film will prove you wrong when he is torn in half by Hulk and crawls four miles to the top of a mountain to get back his legs. Intense!
Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine incorporates a few other fan-favorites, such as Tony Stark, Captain America and a certain female who is large an green as well. The references to pop culture and films (Star Wars, for example) add some fun to the storyline.
This is part of a series of comic adaptations Shout! Factory and Marvel Knights has released. The only other one I’ve personally seen was Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable, which was decent. It definitely does take some time to get used to the limited movement in the artwork, especially when compared to everyday cartoons and animated films.
Marvel Knights: Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, is available September 10th and can be preordered on Amazon. Or, you could always enter to win a copy!
Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine scores a worthy 4/5.
