Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #384Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #384
Title: “Small Talk”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Dale Keown
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Thanos lands loud and darkly as Earth’s heroes are dispersed.
Hulk wakes up screaming inside a sewer. Once he settles down a bit he tries to figure out where he is. Hulk looks around and says, “From stream of consciousness to stream of sewage.” Hulk says that his memory is so fragmented as if it happened to someone else. He says that people were dying and that there was a huge fight where everyone was killed. He says that it is gone now. He leaps down. He says that whatever knocked him out certainly did a job on him. He says that he has to figure out where he is and how to get back to where he was. He says that this place is huge and that he could spend days there. Suddenly a rat that towers over the Hulk screeches at him. The rat grabs Hulk in his mouth. Hulk says that he thought it stank in there before. He opens the rat’s mouth and gets his way out. He lifts the rat over his head and slams it against the wall. The rat cringes on the floor near death. Hulk says that this is going to make getting home even harder. He figures that he must be on an alien world since they don’t have rats that big on Earth. Hulk looks up and sees an apple core and a soda can floating by.
Marlo calls her mother to make sure that she is okay. Marlo’s mom starts laying a guilt trip on her for not calling enough. Marlo says that half the people in the world just disappeared and that she is giving her a guilt trip. Marlo tells her mother that it is all over the channels and that they even broke into HBO. She tells her mother that yes she can afford HBO. Marlo is watching the news. They show some footage that happens to show Rick disappearing. Marlo faints. Her mother keeps calling her as the phone lies on the ground.
Hulk realizes that Thanos must have shrunk him down to nothing and tossed him back to Earth. Hulk realizes that to Thanos he is nothing. Hulk sees someone walking toward him. Hulk calls out, but the person can’t hear Hulk’s small voice. Hulk watches as Emil walks by carrying Nadia in his arms. Hulk yells at Abomination and leaps towards him, but his new size throws off his trajectory. Hulk hits a pipe above Emil’s head and falls into the sewage. Hulk surfaces and says that this is a minor setback. Emil steps on Hulk. Hulk resurfaces and corrects himself that it is a major setback. He says that this isn’t going to stop him and as Betty once said, “Size isn’t important.” He thinks to himself that he hopes she is okay.
Betty is waiting and waiting for a job at Hotline, a phone surface for any emergency. Betty sees a woman walking by and says that she is waiting for Ms. Maxwell. The woman says that is her, but that now isn’t a good time. Betty says that she can’t cancel after she has waited for hours. Ms. Maxwell tries to speak, but Betty barges on. She says that she knows she hasn’t much experience, but that she likes the idea of the phone line. She says that she is good on the phone and great under pressure. Ms. Maxwell tells Betty that she is hired and pulls her by the wrist.
Hulk stands on top of a pipe looking down at
Abomination. He says that he has heard of entire communities of
homeless people huddling together for warmth and food. He says
that he guesses he isn’t surprised that Emil is one of the
homeless now since he has no where really to go. Nadia awakens
are starts screaming to the homeless there for help. Emil tells
Nadia to save it. He says that if they begged her for a quarter
that she would walk right past them. He says that they only way
they can survive is to be numb. Nadia faces the wall and asks why
he is doing this to her. She says that she never did anything to
him. Emil says that he is so hideous that she can’t even
look at him. Emil says that is part of his trouble trying to
exist in the world above. He says that his friends down there
accept him. He says that they don’t run and scream. He says
that they are equals. He says that it is democracy without
pretensions or communism without the stigma. He says that it is
civilized. Emil asks Nadia to stop crying. He says that he is
doing her a favor. Nadia asks what he means. Emil says that it is
chaos up there and that people are dying without a trace. Emil
says that if he hadn’t saved her that she would have been
trampled. Nadia thanks him, but says that she prefers to take her
chances up there. Emil says that he has admired her for a long
time… her work in Europe. He says that the last time he saw
her she was Nadia Blonsky. Nadia explains that was her married
name. She says that her husband died on some sort of state
business. She asks how he saw her in Europe. 
Emil explains
that he was once a man. He says that he changed and then he
couldn’t see her anymore. He says that when he learned she
was coming there that he had to see her. Nadia says that his
voice is somehow familiar. Emil says that he is just one of many
shouting “bravo’ from a crowded theater. Emil turns to
her and says that now they can be together. He says that it is
judgment day above. He says that he wasn’t sure if he should
approach her, but that when people started dying that he took it
as a sign. He says that they were supposed to be together. He
says that when the Hulk tried to interfere, but was pulled away
by the Heavens that it only confirmed it. Nadia says that she
doesn’t know what he is talking about. Emil says,
“I’m speaking of love. Of inner beauty.” Nadia
turns to him and beats on his chest. She asks if he is insane.
She says that he is a “horrid, ugly monstrosity with sick,
perverted dreams!” She says that he is trying to torture her
and drive her insane. Emil stands dejected. Suddenly he hears a
tiny voice say, “Emil… let her go.” Abomination
asks who said that and turns to Nadia. Nadia says that she
didn’t say anything. The voice repeats to let her go. Emil
says that this is a trick. The voice tells Emil that only he can
hear him. Emil asks who it is. The voice says, “This is the
Lord, Emil. And I’m not happy. Not one bit.”
Ms. Maxwell tells Betty of the mass deaths. Betty says that is horrible. Ms. Maxwell says that the smell of four week old milk is horrible, but that this goes beyond that. She says that is lighting up their switchboard. Ms. Maxwell shows Betty her seat. She says that they just try to be there for people/ She says that Betty may wind up fielding suicide calls. She says that she would rather her not do that since it is her first day, but that she doesn’t have much choice. Betty says that Ms. Maxwell seems so calm. Ms. Maxwell says that she is still alive which puts her ahead of the game. She points out the card index which handles the common emergencies. She says that and a calm manner is 90% of the job. Betty says that she didn’t think she would be staying. She asks if she can call her roommate and make sure she is okay. Ms. Maxwell says that this once she can, but that after that there is no personal calls. She wishes her luck and says that she will need it. Betty introduces herself to her neighboring worker. She asks her name. The woman says that she is Veronica. The two of them look at each other until Betty says that she won’t make any jokes if Veronica doesn’t. Veronica makes the deal. Betty says that Marlo’s line is busy and that she must be okay.
Marlo remains passed out on the floor.
Emil demands to know who this is. He says
that he doesn’t find this funny. Hulk is standing on
Emil’s shoulder. He says that Emil has seen his handiwork
tonight. He asks if he finds it so hard to believe in him. Hulk
thinks to himself that he pulled this gag at Cal-Tech on a guy
with braces. He says that they put it in a movie about geniuses
and hopes that Emil didn’t see it. Emil says that if he is
the Lord to tell him his mother’s maiden name. Hulk asks if
Emil thinks he is going to answer trivia questions. Hulk claps
his hands next to Emil’s ear. Emil hits the ground clutching
his ears. Hulk runs and hits Emil in the face sending him back up
on his feet. Emil apologizes to “The Lord” Hulk leaps
back onto Emil’s shoulder and tells him that she is from his
past, and not from now. Emil says that if he knows that then he
knows how much he loves her. Hulk tells him to look at Nadia. He
says that she will wither and die down there. He asks if that is
what Emil wants. He tells Emil to look at himself. He says that
Nadia remembers a brave, handsome husband. He asks if this is
what he would give her instead. Emil asks if there is no chance
if he tells her who she is. Hulk says that there is a chance. She
may swear fealty to a monster and that fairy tales can come true.
He says that there is a much greater chance that she will be
repulsed and horrified. He says that all the love and admiration
that she had for the man Emil Blonsky will be erased and replaced
by the Abomination. Hulk says that it is judgment day, a day of
decisions. He tells Emil to decide. 
Emil smashes
the pipes in front of him and screams that it isn’t fair.
The sewer fills with steam. Nadia takes the opportunity to run
away, but looking behind her for the Abomination she runs into a
wall. Emil catches her before she falls. He says that she loved
him once, and that he is still the same man on the inside. He
asks if she loved that man why she can’t love the one he is
now. Hulk says that as much as humans would like to deny it that
love incorporates more than just the soul. He says that they
consider the outward appearance to be a reflection of the inner
soul. He says that love isn’t blind. It is only selectively
near-sighted.
Nadia wakes up inside her home. She says that it felt too real to have been a nightmare, but wonders how it could be real when it was so unreal. She begs for it to have been a dream.
Emil and Hulk watch Nadia from outside the window on the building across the way. Hulk says that he made the right decision. Emil says that she is beautiful. Abomination says that it is his curse to be able to see beauty in everything except his own reflection. Abomination says that he knows he is “The Lord”, but that he has no idea what it is like to be transformed into a monster and rejected because of his appearance because of the way he looks. Hulk says, “Oh… I know… all too well.” Hulk says, “Goodbye Emil” and leaps away. Emil says, “Goodbye Hulk. And goodbye… Nadia.”
As Hulk leaps, a new vortex appears before him. He says that here they go again as he dives into the vortex.
No Excuses rating: 10 out of 10
This issue is a very deep emotional work that really takes you into the world of Hulk and Abomination. You can see just how much of a “dark reflection” Emil is to the Hulk. Keown does a great job both with his style and his storytelling. On a side note I’d like to point out that Emil’s actions here are definitely the actions of a man who once beat his wife regularly… oh wait I forgot I know the FIRST thing about the Hulk and the Abomination…
Review and pictures by The Leader