Rating: 4/5
I'm quickly becoming a fan of Fred Van Lente. Everything I've read from him has been very enjoyable. His writing on the Hulk took a character I wasn't much interested in and made him sympathetic.
Hulk: Season One retells the origin of how Bruce Banner became the Hulk. The story takes place in and around a military installation known as Gamma Base. Bruce is here developing a weapon to rival the nuclear bomb and ends up getting caught in the blast. This triggers his transformations into the Hulk, which he tries to hide while simultaneously attempting to figure out what is causing them. Having never read a Hulk comic before, this felt like a great starting point.
There are some characters included that Hulk fans should recognize. These allow for some interesting relationships to develop, both friendships and rivalries. That is probably part of why I found this book so likeable. The characters felt developed enough to understand the interactions between them without having tons of history on them. It also delves into Bruce's background a bit, giving clues as to why he acts the way he does and showing a reason for the Hulk to exist.
The art is cartoonish, which works nicely for the story. It isn't overly serious and the art style complements it. For those that like something a little different, this book includes the first issue of Jason Aaron's Hulk series. The art on that one is superb, and I like the take on the character.
This book leaves a few things unexplained within the story presented. Familiarity with the Marvel universe will allow the reader to fill in the blanks, and those elements aren't things that will ruin the story for a new reader.
Thanks to Comic Bento for including this in the November 2016 box!
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