Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #-1Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #-1
Title: “Grave Matters”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Adam Kubert
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colors: Dan Brown
Editor: Bobbie Chase
CONTINUES FROM INCREDIBLE HULK VOL. 2 #454
Hulk wakes up in a graveyard. He asks where he is and how he got there. Hulk hears digging and leaps toward the sound. He finds the digger and asks what the place is. The man digging, we’ll call him Stan, turns and says that he was wondering when Hulk would get there. He asks him what the last thing he remembers is. Hulk says that he remembers collapsing. Stan says that was in the Savage Land and now he is en route back to New York. Hulk asks if this is a dream. Stan says that it is a story about Hulk. Hulk asks if he is going to tell it. Stan says that he hasn’t told one of Hulk’s stories in ages. He says that he has help. Stan snaps his fingers and a group of actors appear. Stan says that this is a memory that they like to call the death of Brian Banner. Stan says that it can also be called “Bruce and his father figures”. Hulk tells them to go away and that he doesn’t want to hear this. Stan says that it is too late.
The actors charge behind Hulk and heard him toward the stage. Stan says that Hulk has put this off long enough. He says that he has been remembering bits and pieces of it, but that now it is time to hear the whole thing. Stan says that there was once a man named Robert Bruce. An actor leaps on-stage and says, “You have bled with Wallace! Now bleed with me!” A hook pulls him off the screen and Stan says that it isn’t that Robert Bruce, but Robert Bruce Banner. Stan says that Bruce just got out of college and had already developed a reputation as being brilliant. He says that it attracted the attention of the military and that a man named Thunderbolt Ross was sent out to see him. Ross wanted to talk to Bruce about his idea the gamma bomb.
Bruce tells Ross that the gamma bomb has the potential for tremendous good. Ross says that if it is in their hands that it makes it good. Bruce says that the gamma bomb would be the opposite of the neutron bomb. He says that instead of destroying people and leaving property that it would spare people’s lives and destroy the property. Bruce says that the enemy would find itself without weapons while sparing the soldier’s lives. Ross says, “Look, son, I…” Bruce cuts him off and tells Ross not to call him “son”. Ross says that he isn’t one to be paternal. He says that his orders were to go easy on Banner, but that he says to forget that. He says that he doesn’t need a “namby-pamby feel-good ‘safe’ weapon”. He says that he needs a weapon that will put the fear of God in the enemy. Bruce asks if he means the “fear of God” or fear of Ross. Ross says that it is the same difference. Ross says that they call him “Thunderbolt” because when he is angry that it’s like Zeus throwing thunderbolts. Bruce tells Ross to remind him to be impressed. Ross says that the government wants Banner to create a destructive “localized” weapon. Ross says that he will be paid far more than he would in the private sector. He says that the only question is if Banner is man enough to take it. Banner asks if Ross means “man enough or soulless enough?” The phone rings and Bruce excuses himself. The voice on the other end of the phone tells Bruce that it is his father.
Hulk shuts his and clamps his hands over his ears and says that he doesn’t want to see or hear about him. Stan says that he isn’t surprised. He says that the last place he saw his father was in a place just like this. Stan says that Brian is the man that killed his mother and the man that Bruce tried to cover for at the trial. As Stan talks a puppet of Brian is pounding on a puppet of Bruce’s mother. He says that the cover up would have worked until Brian was heard gloating about how he browbeat Bruce into lying for him. Stan asks Hulk if he remembers that day.
The police carry Brian Banner out of the house by this arms. Brian is shouting at Bruce that he is going to get him and calling him a monster.
Bruce stands inside the hospital. Brian tells Bruce that it is good to see him. A large orderly stands next to Brian as does a doctor. Bruce tells the doctor that he can’t be serious about releasing him. The doctor says that Brian isn’t perfect, but that he has been there for fifteen years and that they believe that he is ready to rejoin society. Bruce says that he is a sociopath and a murderer. Brian says that he admits that he was sick and that he has spent years coping with that. He says that after years of therapy and medication that he is the man that his mother loved. Bruce says that it is too bad that she isn’t alive to see it. Bruce says that he doesn’t believe him. Brian says that he has nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. He asks Bruce to please help him.
Hulk says that he doesn’t remember any of this. Stan says that of course he doesn’t. He says that the part of him that is Bruce Banner suppressed the memory, but that with his influence gone that things long buried are coming back to him. Stan says that Bruce’s memories are almost as sketchy as his father’s. Stan says that Bruce blocked almost all of it out except for “this”. Stan touches Hulk’s head and the actors display Brian knocking Bruce down in the graveyard. He says that he knows that Bruce is a mutant and that he will expose him to the world. As Brian walks away Bruce calls him mad. Stan says that he wasn’t just mad he was “hacked off”. Stan asks Hulk is this is really how it happened. Hulk says that was it. Stan says that if that is the only time he saw his father then how does he explain this…
Brian sits at the table and tells Bruce that it was good of him to take him in. He says that it will only be for a short time. Bruce says that he tries to be a man of reason, a man that is Brian’s opposite. Bruce says that he is also curious how Brian managed to fool his doctors. Brian says that he has changed and that Bruce doesn’t understand. Brian says that while in therapy that he remembered things in his own past. Things that his father had done to him. Bruce says, “I had… no idea.” Brian looks over at the knife in the loaf of bread.
Stan asks Hulk if he remembers when he only used to change at night. He says that it is a small wonder.
At night, Bruce sits at his drawing table.
He yawns and puts his head down on the table. A knock comes at
the door. Bruce awakens and sees the reflection of his father
holding a knife in the glass of his glasses. Bruce asks him what
he is doing with the knife. 
Brian says that
there is someone at the door. Bruce asks why he has the knife.
Brian says that he heard someone pounding and wanted to protect
himself. Bruce opens the door to find Ross. He asks him what he
is doing there. Ross says that Bruce hadn’t been in touch
since they met last week and that he is following up. Ross sees
Brian and asks who he is. Brian introduces himself. He says that
he is a veteran himself and extends him hand to shake. Ross tells
Brian that he is a murderer and to get out of his sight. As Brian
leaves, Ross says that Bruce might like to think of
“military intelligence” as an oxymoron, but that he has
memorized their dossier on Bruce. Ross asks Bruce how he can let
that “thing” in his house. Bruce says that he is his
father and that the doctors say that he has changed. Ross says
that he isn’t sure that he wants to work with Bruce now. He
says that Bruce presents himself as a man of conscience and that
he could almost respect that, but that now he seems more like a
spineless milksop. Bruce says that he resents that and that his
father is none of Ross’ business. Ross leaves and says that
Bruce reverts to infancy around his father. Ross says that if he
won’t be a man for his late mother’s sake to do it for
himself.
Hulk says that none of this happened. Stan says that of course it did. Stan asks Hulk why a man that despised violence would create a weapon of violence. Stan says that he shut out what altered his mindset. Stan says that Hulk has been shouting for “more” since his separation from Banner, but that he has always hated Banner. Stan suggests that maybe Hulk knew that Banner was protecting him from things that he would rather not face. Stan asks Hulk how Brian died. Hulk says that it was on the anniversary of “her death”. He says that there were some muggers or that he thinks maybe he fell. Stan says, “No”. He says that every time he thinks that he has made peace with his father that he haunts him again. Stan asks Hulk is he has ever wondered why and that maybe something was nagging at him. Hulk shouts, “No! No!”
Bruce puts on his jacket. He tells Brian that he wants to be alone for awhile. He says that he has been acting stranger and stranger the last couple of days and suggests that maybe he should check back into the hospital. Brian says that Bruce wants to lock him away forever. Bruce says that it would be voluntary if he checked himself in. Bruce says that his first concern is Brian. He says that he is having trouble with the things that poisoned his relationships. He says that he is having trouble dealing with them in the harsh light of reality. Brian jumps in Bruce’s face and says that maybe Bruce is the problem. He says that maybe he got better in the hospital because he was away from him. As Bruce walks out, Brian shouts that maybe he isn’t the problem and that maybe it is Bruce. Brian says that the fact that he can see right through him scares him. Bruce says that he doesn’t have to listen to this and walks away.
Later at the graveyard, Brian finds Bruce at
his mother’s grave. Bruce asks his father where else he
would be on the anniversary of his mother’s murder. Bruce
tells Brian that he has a lot of nerve to come there today. Brian
calls Bruce a monster and tells him to back off. He grabs Bruce
and throws him to the ground. Bruce asks if Brian still suffers
from the delusion that he is a monster. Brian says that
Bruce’s mother was a fool. He says that she knew what he
was, but that she let him “grow to manhood… with the
evil still inside of you.” Bruce says that the only evil was
Brian’s when he cursed his son and killed his wife. Brian
kicks Bruce and says that what he is about to do he will do for
the sake of mankind. 
The rain pours
down and Brian charges Bruce. Bruce kicks out and knocks Brian
backward. Brian falls and smashes his head against Rebecca
Banner’s tombstone. Blood slides down the headstone as Brian
slumps to the ground. Bruce screamed and screamed all the while
shouting “no”, but at the same time choking with
laughter.
Hulk howls, “Noooooo!” and then collapses with his hand over his face. Stan says that they found him the next day and that the rain washed away all the footprints. Stan says that the cops that never liked him were happy to write Brian’s death off as a random mugging. Stan suggests that Hulk carries the fear of his father coming back after him and that Hulk even developed the ability to see ghosts, like Doctor Strange’s astral form, in order to watch out for him. Stan says that maybe Hulk’s very creation was just the beginning of Brian’s punishment from beyond the grave. He says that maybe he will come back some day and finish the job. Stan tells the actors to come along. As they fade away, Stan says, “I’ve got this funny feeling that… more than ever… Hulk just wants to be left alone.”
Hulk sits alone in the graveyard.
CONTINUES IN INCREDIBLE HULK VOL. 2 #455
No Excuses rating: 10 out of 10
An outstanding issue! It’s funny I had always thought that the part in Hulk #312 where Brian threatens to go and expose Bruce’s being a mutant felt wrong… this feels much truer. One of Hulk’s powers, the ability to see ghosts and astral forms, is explained with another about to be revealed in #460. It’s cool to see Ross’ attitude toward Banner explained on another level. Ross always had problems with Bruce, but he respected him at least for his beliefs until he saw Bruce housing his father. Bruce became a “milksop” to Ross for years to come. Peter finally explains another of his longstanding questions about why a man who hated violence would create a weapon of destruction. His perception was altered if only subconsciously. Kubert does another outstanding job with this issue. I love his portrayal of Ross, Brian Banner, but especially of Stan.
Review and pictures by The Leader