Son of Hulk #16 Review (Skaar series review)
This is not truly a Son of Hulk #16 review, I’m just finally all caught up with the Son of Hulk series (16 issues plus three specials) so I will go over what I think of Son of Hulk.
The title started off as Skaar, Son of Hulk. This was a spin-off from the award winning Planet Hulk event where the Hulk was banished from earth, and landed on a distant planet, named Sakaar. The planet itself is THE most hostile planet in the Marvel Universe, filled with magic, advanced technology, monsters, robots, poison, volcanoes, and being stronger than the mightiest heroes or villains on earth.
Skaar was raised without the Hulk and blamed him for leaving him and his people, not to mention the death of his mother Caiera. Skaar, Son of Hulk #1 to #12 (plus the three specials) shows Skaar’s rise to power on the planet, by defeating the most powerful warriors, creatures, and armies, while learning how to harness his OldStrong power that he inherited from his mother (who was a Shadow).
Skaar is a young intelligent monster, a murderer, and an unstoppable force. He carries a giant Conan-like sword just for show, as only the world-eater Galactus and Silver Surfer were able to stop him. That being said, Skaar has a lot to learn about himself. He is an anti-hero, if not a villain.
Writer Greg Pak (Planet Hulk, World War Hulk, and now Incredible Hulk) created a unique planet, and had free reign to create its back-history, geography, customs, citizens, monsters, etc. It’s a sci-fi fantasy world with slaves, dragons, lasers, obiendence disks, kings, princesses, and high-tech war machines. The setting stands on its own, and franly Marvel was correct to have a spin-off series from Planet Hulk.
Artist Ron Garney (Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man, Ka-Zar, Hulk, etc.) provided the pencils at first. Garney taps into the style of Walt Simonson with the sketchiness, and is a reliable worker, but if this was baseball, he’d be 3rd in the starting pitching rotation. When the Silver Surfer arrived, artist Butch Guice took over for a while (he reminded me of Earth-X’s John Paul Leon) before one of my all time favorites Ron Lim (Silver Surfer, Thanos Quest, Infinity War, Captain America, etc.) took over for a few issues. Current artist is Andres Guinaldo, who is like Universe X’s Doug Braithwaite, but more colorful and exciting.
As of Son of Hulk #13, former Incredible Hulk writer Paul Jenkins took over with a new direction; Skaar is now earthbound and wanted his father dead. Skaar’s adventures are now being told in Incredible Hulk by Greg Pak. So..what is Son of Hulk about now? A slave boy named Hiro-Kala believes he is Son of Hulk and has the power of a God. He blames Galactus for his fallen planet and the second death of his mother. He truly is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe and he is a world-killer…his brutality is reminiscent (but not quite as sick) of Superboy Prime’s destruction of an earth in Countdown to Infinite Crisis.
Son of Hulk is not as popular as Skaar, Son of Hulk simply because the star of the comic is not a gamma-powered green (or red..hehehe). Some casual fans said it Son of Hulk jumped the shark when Skaar left the comic book.
I read that Son of Hulk will be canceled soon, and that this was all part of Marvel’s plan. Historically, this title will probably be a footnote in the history of comics, which is a shame since this was an original series for Marvel- an innovative take on “Son of Hulk”. It’s self-contained dark barbarian space opera. I recommend it.
Incredible Hulk: Skaar – Son of Hulk, Vol. 1
Similar Posts:
- Incredible Hulk #603 Review
- Incredible Hulk 606 Review: Dr DOOM vs Hulk, She-Hulk Dead?
- Roger Ebert Hulk Review Mistake
- Hulk: Winter Guard Special Review- Russian Superheroes
- Incredible Hulk 605 Review: Mole Man vs Tyrannus
DailySkew RANDOM Posts:
- Overrated athletes, bands, literature, people, things
- Obama wins Maine
- Hurricane Ike Projected Path Texas
- Ivan Koloff Book: Is That Wrestling Fake?-The Bear Facts Review
- Al Gore: Myanmar Cyclone caused by global warming
I wouldn't argue with your take on the series but I think saying that Skaar's homeplanet is the most violent place in the MU is hyperbolic, or that it contains beings more powerful than any on earth. Let's not forget that Earth has pantheons of deities, one of whom has shown himself powerful enough to fend off Galactus back back 'yar. It will probably be a footnote, but the story, to me, read more like something from DC than Marvel, and that is no bad thing.
Liam
Hi Liam,
Thank you for your reply. My statement about the beings on Skaar being more powerful than Earth and the homeplanet being more violent than earth was actually taken straight from an issue of Skaar.
In other words, it wasn't just a judgement call on my part- it was straight from canon.
Many of the monsters/animals on the planet were much stronger than Hulk and they had warlike science that was so powerful that they seemed to fit Kang's future earth.