Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #37Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #37
Title: “You Must Remember This…”
Writer: Bruce Jones
Penciller: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colors: Studio F
Editor: Alex Alonso
A young man named Ricky is driving down the street not looking at the street, but looking at a little television set inside his console. He is watching the news which is still talking about the Ricky Myers tragedy. The reporter reminds people that when he is not the Hulk that he is Dr. Bruce Banner. He says that in a moment they will have an artist’s rendering of what they believe Bruce Banner currently looks like. While watching the television, Ricky drives off the road and nearly runs over Bruce Banner who is walking along the side of the road. Ricky stops and asks Bruce if he is okay. He says that he knew that thing was going to get him into trouble. Ricky helps Bruce into the van. Bruce says that he will be fine. Ricky asks if he is sure and says that he could drive him to the hospital or the sheriff’s office. Bruce shouts “no”. On the television, the anchorman is sitting next to a not yet fully visible drawing of Bruce Banner with his shaved head. Bruce turns off the set and Ricky says that he has got to get rid of that thing.
Samson smashes the window and drops down into his old basement lab. He says that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. He says that there are a lot of ghosts and memories here. He shines his flashlight on a newspaper clipping about his origin that is tacked to the wall. Samson wonders if the ghosts and memories will still serve. He grabs two ends of cords and puts them together. All the lights and machinery comes on. A kid stands in the shadow and watches Samson.
Slater is standing outside using a picture of Bruce Banner for target practice. He nails Banner between the eyes. Standing with a towel wrapped around her, Verdugo asks if it isn’t a little early for target practice. Slater asks if she is his partner or his wife. Slater switches hands and asks Sandra if she ever wears anything but a towel. Slater hits the picture of Banner between the eyes again. Sandra says that she has done some of her best work in a towel. He says that not yet she hasn’t. Slater puts another bullet through Banner’s head in the same location. Slater offers Sandra a bet and says that if she can hit dead center that he will buy breakfast. Sandra asks if he is disarming himself and giving her a loaded gun. He asks what a relationship is without trust. Sandra holds the gun under Slater’s face and asks him if he knows what she likes most about him. She points the gun aside and reveals that there were no bullets inside by firing a shot. She says that he is so predictable. She tosses him the gun and walks off. Slater watcher her go.
As they drive along, Rick is telling Bruce why he doesn’t think that the Hulk killed a kid. Bruce asks if that is because part of the Hulk is Bruce Banner. Rick says that the Hulk is Banner and that Banner is the Hulk. He says that Banner would never kill a kid and so this is all a conspiracy. Bruce asks Rick who he thinks is behind the conspiracy, but before Rick can answer he sees a police car in his rear veiw mirror. Bruce says that they weren’t speeding. Rick says that is old Deputy Murphy. He says that Murphy doesn’t like huim to use the Cider Crick Bridge in his van because he thinks it is too heavy. Bruce starts to say that maybe he is right, but before he can finish the van cracks through the bridge.
Samson walks up to the kid with his arms folded and asks the kid if he is hiding from someone. The kid says that Randy Connors is coming to beat him up. The kid nervously asks Samson if he is the Hulk. Samson asks if he looks like the Hulk. The kid says that he does a little, but that he Hulk is greener and supposedly in St. Louis. Samson introduces himself and asks the kid if he and Randy fight there often. The kid says, “Kind of. He’s bigger’n me. Bet you never fought nobody bigger’n you, huh?” Samson thinks back to his first fight with the Hulk and says that he has once or twice. Samson asks the kid why he keeps fighting Randy if he always loses. The kid says, “He called me a coward. Beat me up in front of my girlfriend. Bet you never had that happen.” Samson thinks about Betty and Ross watching and Hulk smashes him into the ground. Samson says that the kid would be surprised. The kid asks if Samson is looking for something in the old junk. Samson says that he is looking for the residue of someone that he used to know pretty well.
As she drives, Verdugo explains to Slater that her laptop is an advanced XL-7000. She says that it is an FBI model and that it can read fingerprints. Slater asks if it reads Banner’s fingerprints. Verdugo explains that it can read Banner’s fingerprints from the laptop that he uses. She says that it can’t decode what he is writing, but that it can give them a fix on him. She says that as long as the green light is still blinking that it means that Banner is still west of them. She asks if he still wants to argue about direction. Slater asks what happens if the green light stops flashing. She says that the only thing that it can’t transmit through is water. Slater smiles and Verdugo looks over to see that the light has gone red.
Deputy Murphy makes his way down to the water and asks if Rick is still breathing. Bruce says that Rick’s legs are pinned under the steering wheel. Murphy tries to help Bruce pull him out, but they can’t get him out. Bruce says that there must be a storm in the next county because the stream is rising. Murphy says that they have to think of something now. Bruce looks at Rick and thinks of Ricky Myers being buried. He tells Murphy that he has to get out of there now. Bruce’s eyes go green.
Samson is explaining to the kid what he is doing as he does it. Samson says that from the vial they take a sample of his friend’s blood, and that from the blood they can extract his DNA. Samson says that the DNA is then encoded onto a sort of “chemical radar gun”. Samson says that if his friend is within fifty miles that he can find him. Samson realizes that the kid isn’t listening but looking out the windoe. The kid says that his beating just showed up. Samson says that his friend was pretty saavy. He says that he knew the Hulk personally. He says that the Hulk once told his friend, “Ya know, lot o’ people think I’m a bully, and that ticks me off! I ain’t a bully! It’s just that occasionally, well, I lose my temper. So lately I been tryin’ some meditation instead of thinkin’ angry… I think ‘bout something else like… oh, a clock maybe… or a pretty girl…” The kid asks if this is supposed to help him. Samson tells the kid to go out there and concentrate on the Hulk so hard until he becomes the Hulk. Samson says that then he can go out there and show Randy who is boss. Samson says to let him take the first shot. The kid asks what he does after he takes the first shot. Samson tells him to let him have it with all he has. The kid climbs out a window and says that for a second he thought Samson was onto something.
The kid stands there while Randy calls him “Dork-face”. The kid keeps mumbling to himself that he is the Hulk. Samson listens from the basement while Randy takes his shot. The kid drops to the floor and Randy tells him to try fighting with his eyes open. The kid gets up with a trickle of blood on his nose and his face in a scowl. Samson watches through the window and as the kid decks Randyu across the face, Samson punches the wall so hard that it shakes the ground outside. Randy and all his friends fall on the ground. Samson smirks inside.
Verdugo asks Slater if he just felt
something. Slater says that it felt like a small quake, but
Verdugo asks how there could be a small quake in the midwest. She
tells Slater to check the Richter reading on the screen. Slater
says that according to the laptop that it came from behind them.
Murphy is calling in for help when he spots Rick’s mini-van
flying through the air. He runs as the van hits his patrol car.
Verdugo looks down at the laptop and sees that the signal is
green again. Slater shouts for her to watch out. Verdugo swerves
to miss Murphy who is standing holding the unconscious body of
Rick. Slater is thrown from the car. Blood pour out of his nose
and mouth. 
Murphy asks
Verdugo if she is alright as she drops out of the car. She says
that she is peachy. Murphy says that this is a police emergency
and that he needs her car to get the boy to the hospital. Murphy
says, “Tell the guy down at the creek, will ya?” Murphy
drives off. Verdugo looks over and sees Slater still bleeding on
his hands and knees. She draws her gun, but without looking up
Slater put his gun to her head and tells her not to even think
about it. Slater is complaining about Verdugo’s methods, but
she tells him to shut up. She 
looks down at
the laptop and sees that the signal is still green. She looks up
and sees a figure off in the distance. She stares at him and
says, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep… but I have
promises to keep… and miles to go before I sleep… and
miles to go before I sleep.” The figure in the distance is
Bruce Banner. He fixes himself some new pants. He takes a hat and
sunglasses out of his bag and puts them on. As Banner puts the
sunglasses on, Verdugo is mirrored in his sunglasses. Banner
starts to walk away.
No Excuses rating: 6 out of 10
Well Jones shows that he knows Samson and how to handle him. The Samson story helps make up for the fact that not much of anything seems to be going on in this book. The pacing is horrible, but it looks like something might actually happen since Verdugo can see Bruce from where she stands. These books should have one of those warnings from vol. 2 #441 and #442 that says that the Hulk doesn’t appear in this book. He threw a van and appeared in a flashback, but he isn’t pictured in the “present” doing anything. I’m hoping that there is a good payoff to the story since there isn’t much happening in the build up. Romita does a decent enough job, but there isn’t much to see. My one nit is the panel where Romita forgot to draw women’s lips on Verdugo and she looks like a skinny guy.