Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #42Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #42
Title: “All Fall Down”
Writer: Bruce Jones
Penciller: Lee Weeks
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colors: Studio F
Editor: Alex Alonso
Riker says that she thinks that their sharpshooter got him.
When Pratt hears Riker say, “B-Bruce?
Oh my god…” He says, “The envelope please,
Murph”, Murph hands Pratt the gun that can hurt the Hulk,
“Thank you, Murph. And the winner is… us!” Hulk
smashes through the wall of the store. Hulk grabs a cop and
throws him into a police car. Pratt tells Hulk to “come to
poppa!”. Hulk throws a police car into another and causes
them to explode. Sid hits Hulk with the sharpshooter, but the
bullet just bounces off. Pratt finally gets around the loading
the gun. Hulk sees Pratt pointing a gun at him. Hulk hits the
ground and knocks Pratt off his feet. The police line up their
cars to ram Hulk, but Hulk picks up an ambulance and throws it at
them. The ploice cars all flip from the explosion. Pratt gets up.
The people are all running from the Hulk and towards Pratt. He
tells them to get out of his way and even punches one guy out.
Hulk pushes over what is at least an eleven story building. Pratt
watches the building fall over, but is miraculously unharmed and
his vision isn’t even impared as he shoots the Hulk with the
gun. 
A dart sticks
into Hulk’s shoulder. Murph tells Pratt to run and that it
isn’t working. Pratt insists that it is. Hulk walks towards
Pratt. Pratt tells Hulk to fall. Hulk stands before Pratt and
raises his fists. Pratt flinches for the impact, but instead Hulk
falls on the ground unconscious.
Riker wakes up and crawls out of the wreckage. She sees Pratt and Mister Sweets standing next to their vehicle. He tells him that they have some precious cargo. Pratt asks Mister Sweets to get him the strange dart. Mister Sweets says that he doesn’t get why they still need Banner. He says that they got his blood and that the mission is complete. Pratt quotes, “God save thee, Ancient Mariner! From the fiends that plague thee thus! Why look’st thou so?… With my cross-bow I shot the albatross.” Mister Sweets says, “Huh?” Pratt explains that it was Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. He asks Mister Sweets why the mariner would kill an animal that sailor’s considered a sign of hope. He asks why he would kill possibility. He asks if it was anger or just something to do. Mister Sweets says that he has no idea what Pratt is talking about. Pratt says that he thought not and shoots Mister Sweets. Riker is stunned as Pratt drives off with Banner in the vehicle. She checks Mister Sweet’s pulse as the police freek shows up. Sergeant Billings introduces himself and says that they got a call for back up and asks her who she is. Riker introduces herself. He says that he thought this was a robbery, but that it looks like a tornado. Riker says that you could call it that. Billings tells her to go to the first aid van and his men will take over. Riker says that she has heard that one before. Riker spots the sniper gun. She grabs it and puts it behind her back. She walks over to a police car and gets in. Billings says that he will need her to answer some questions, but Riker is already gone.
Sally Riker drives along in the car. She says that she has three things going for her. She says that she is an expert marksman, that she knows the mountains like the back of her hand, and that Pratt does not.
Pratt continues quoting, though apparently to no one in particular, “The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs upon the slimy sea. The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrows followed free; we were the first that ever burst into that silent sea.” Pratt sees Banner is awake and says that was Coleridge. He asks Banner if he ever read him and says that he is a very visual writer. Banner says, “Yes… very.” He stares at the silhouette of a woman hanging from the rear view mirror and imagines that it is the woman in the bikini that he meditates on. Pratt asks Banner why he thinks that the mariner shot the albatross. Banner ignores Pratt and asks him if he knows how easily he could break the ropes that are binding him. He asks if he knows who he is dealing with. Pratt says, “Who I was dealing with! There’s enough drugs in that skinny body to keep an elephant’s blood pressure down!” He says that they won’t be seeing the Hulk today. Bruce asks what he has planned for him. Pratt says that would be telling.
No Excuses rating: 0 out of 10
That would be telling and we won’t want that in a comic book
…
Hulk loses to a dart gun. The story was moving at a snail’s pace and intensly boring anyway, but then Jones drops Hulk with a dart. I don’t even care if there is a logical explanation. It’s the second or third time the Hulk has even appeared in the book and he loses to some knock off jabroni with a dart gun. Pratt gave Bruce enough drugs to keep an elephant’s blood pressure down… here’s a news flash for Bruce Jones and Alex Alonso… Bruce’s blood pressure doesn’t need to be up to change into the Hulk. Bruce can make it happen at will if he wants it to (see Hulk #467). The bald Hulk looks like garbage. I think this will be the last current update for a while… at least until I’m mildly enjoying the book. Think I’ll review some older and much more enjoyable Hulks until then.