Incredible Hulk #604-605 (2010)

A football game with the cast…

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…is interrupted by Hulkless Bruce Banner’s ex-wife Betty Ross, who has become Harpy again.

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Only it’s NOT Betty.  It’s Marlo Chandler(!).  Remember her?  Rick Jones’ wife?  She changes into human form after being subdued, only she’s naked–so Rick (who is now Blue Abomination, aka A-Bomb) jumps away with her so they can make whoopie.

The Leader is apparently responsible for Chandler’s transformation, but before Bruce and Kate Waynesboro can investigate they have to go to New York to help the Fantastic Four fight monsters.

Tyrannus and Mole Man are behind it.  The battle itself, which co-stars the Fantastic Four, is good enough–but this is really just a platform for the world to meet the new Hulk.  After Skaar leads the battle to push the creatures back, New Yorkers surround him to get a closer look.

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Banner’s eyes are green and he hints that his own Hulk will be re-emerging.

Honestly, this “slow burn” return of Hulk just feels dragged out and pointless.  Skaar is not that interesting.  The subplot with Leader gets a few pages per issue, which isn’t enough time to build any sense of mystery or urgency.  And Banner seems to end every other issue with the threat of Hulk returning.  This series is … Boring.

There’s also more She-Hulk (Lyra version) back-up stories against the Gamma Corps: Black.  They’re unreadably bad.

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