World War Hulk #3
Marvel Comics
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: John Romita Jr.

You’d think that, after all these years, the Army would have figured out that throwing tanks and helicopters at the Hulk does nothing but create lots of broken tanks and broken helicopters. Still, once again, here come the guys in olive drab with their latest ill-fated Hulk-destroying weapon that doesn’t quite work and only winds up producing the usual shower of panic-stricken, parachuting chopper pilots and tanks sailing hurriedly into orbit. In issue #3 of World War Hulk, after watching nearly every super powered hero in the tri-state area be beaten to a bloody, unconscious pulp, the U.S. Army shows up and proceeds to have billions of dollars in taxpayer money turned into nothing more than confetti at the hands of the Hulk. And, somewhere in the midst of all this, Doctor Strange has finally decided to stop trying to meditate his worries away and has entered into the fray. All be it, with a rather moronic way of doing so.

Pak continues to keep the action fast and furious and the heroes dropping like flies with this latest issue of World War Hulk. So far, Pak’s gone through about seventy percent of Marvel’s heroic line up and even the third and fourth string heroes are coming out of the wood work just to take their lumps and be ushered off into peaceful unconsciousness. As with the previous issues, Pak’s strength comes in offering readers a chance to see the Hulk unleashed on the Marvel Universe. The drawback of Pak’s epic is that, invariably, all of the guys actually capable of stopping the Hulk have to make up some weak excuse for not stopping him in order to allow the beatings continue. Pak’s latest bumble comes in ending issue three with Doc Strange showing up and preparing for what looks like a one on one fistfight with the Hulk. You don’t have to be Reed Richards to know that the last thing you try to do is punch it out with the Hulk. And now we’re supposed to believe that the Sorcerer Supreme is stupid enough to go in for that one? I’m frowning at you right now Pak. A sad, sad frown.

With issue three, Romita continues to show us how talented he is. The pacing is smooth and exciting. While there were a few moments when the layout became just a little choppy, Romita does a terrific job of distracting us from such weaknesses by giving us a battle and a battlefield so rich and well-drawn that we’re willing to absolve him of small offenses. Marvel is billing World War Hulk as Greg Pak’s “masterpiece,” but I’m gonna correct them and say that this is in fact Romita’s moment in the limelight.

Overall: 3 out of 5. Good, old-fashioned “Hulk Smash” action!