World Comic Book Review

26th March 2024

The Immortal Hulk #9 (Review)

immortal hulk

The Immortal Hulk #9 (review) Marvel Comics, January 2019 Writer: Al Ewing There are two categories of readers that followed Bruce Jones’s stint on The Incredible Hulk #34-76 from 2001-2005: a.       Committed readers of the Hulk’s adventures. The character was created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Hulk involves a scientist, Dr Bruce Banner, being … Read more

Civil War II – The Accused #1 (review)

Civil War II – The Accused #1
Marvel Comics
August 10, 2016
Writer: Marc Guggenheim

“The Accused” is a standalone tie-in to American publisher Marvel Comic’s annual crossover event, this year entitled “Civil War II”. This cross-promotional publication event is, in essence, a marketing ploy to encourage readers of Marvel Comics to buy additional titles, as a consequence of being introduced to those characters through the tie-in.

In this event, Marvel Comics’ major characters are being divided over what to do with a new character that has the ability to predict the future. One side chooses to exploit the character’s gift by being proactive (apprehending criminals before crime is committed). The other side considers a reactive approach to be more ethical. Marvel Comics has actively explored the consequences of time travel in recent years, in both “The Avengers” and the “Uncanny X-men” titles, and in many ways this concept is an extension of considering the Butterfly Effect upon its continuity.

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The Totally Awesome Hulk #4: A Korean-American Hulk

“The Totally Awesome Hulk” #4 (review)
(Marvel Comics, May 2016)
Writer: Greg Pak

There is a principle in modern comedy whereby a joke which is racist, sexist, or slights homosexual people is only appropriate when the comedian shares the same ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation as the individual or group which is the target of the joke. In that event, the offensiveness of joke is essentially diluted by being self-deprecating. If, say, a female comedian makes a joke about female bathroom habits, then the audience will laugh rather than heckle in outrage because the comedian by her gender cannot be engaging in sexual discrimination: the comedian is instead engaging in gender self-deprecation. Even female audience members cannot feel insulted, as, so long as the joke is delivered by a member of their gender, it is shorn of its malice. The joke becomes inclusive – “join me in considering our foibles” – rather than exclusionary and vicious.

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