Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #14Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #14
Title: “The Dogs of War part 1”
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Penciller: Ron Garney
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colors: Jason Wright
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Angela waits by the car as Bruce visits Betty’s grave. Bruce talks to Betty. He says that he guesses she must know about the Lou Gehrig’s disease. He says that he worked out a deal with the three major Hulks so that when it becomes impossible for him to go on that they will take over. He says that he isn’t sure when or if he will ever come back. He says that he supposes that it will be a little bit like dying. Bruce talks about Angela, but rattles off. He says that she probably knows everything now, but that she’ll never know how much he misses her. He leaves a flower on her grave.
General Ryker stands looking out a window. A man named Johnson barges into Ryker’s office. He tells Ryker that there has been a possible sighting of Banner. Ryker asks where. Johnson hands Ryker a photograph and says that this picture was taken by Banner’s wife’s grave. Johnson adds that they lost surveillance afterwards because they merged with heavy traffic. Ryker asks who the woman in the picture is. Johnson says that they don’t know yet. Ryker says that the surrounding grass will have a residue of the Hulk’s gamma signature. He tells Johnson to have a sample taken, and that when Banner becomes active again that they will be able to find him using Intelsat. He says that he wants the satellite calibrated and two men put on it. Johnson says that he will take care of it himself. Ryker looks back out his window and wonders where Banner is.
Sometime later, Bruce is driving along in Angela’s car. He isn’t really going anywhere specific. He just wanted to get out for a bit. Bruce is still thinking about Betty. He thinks that he would like to forgive her for dying on him, but that all her troubles are over and that he is going to remain trapped inside the Hulks forever. He thinks that he will never see her again. Bruce stops the car and runs out. Bruce feels the transformation coming and hulks out into the Savage Hulk. Hulk screams out.
General Ryker is called over as the satellite picks up the Hulk’s gamma signature. Ryker asks where Hulk is. The man says that they are picking him up near the Carolina/Virginia border near the Blue Ridge Mountains. The man says that it is a 98% match and that it has to be the Hulk. He asks what Ryker wants to do next. Ryker says to send in the dogs.
Seventeen minutes later forces are
mobilized. At nearly the same time disinformation is sent out to
explain why traffic is being blocked around the area and why the
heavily armed military has been sent in. The Hulk sits by
himself. He looks up just in time to see two helicopters start
firing on him. 
As the
helicopters are fighting with the Hulk a dog trainer throws some
attack dogs something to get the scent off. He presses a button
and the attack dogs are altered into gamma dogs. The helicopters
report to Ryker that their weapons are having no effect. Ryker
says that it doesn’t matter, and tells them not to lose him.
Ryker says that the dogs have the scent now. The gamma-irradiated
dogs attack Hulk. Hulk yells at them and throws one of them into
one of the helicopters. Hulk pounds the dogs and gets away.
Sometime a shirtless and freezing Bruce Banner knocks on Angela Lipscombe’s door. As she answers the door Bruce says that he has some bad news about the car.
No Excuses rating: 7.5 out of 10.
Not much storywise. The tale is told artistically, but really all that we learn is that Ryker is a dangerous man and that he wants to find Bruce Banner. From the writing we are to assume that Ryker was involved in the Kennedy assassination and many other conspiracy theories. The art is done well, but the fight scene with the dogs is really the most impressive part. Art gets a four of five.
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