A Hulk-sized team-up.
Marvel's Generations maxi-series is a project that aims to bridge the gap between Secret Empire and the Marvel Legacy relaunch. The general idea seems to be to pursue the "respect the past, embrace the future" mentality by having current incarnations of popular heroes cross paths with their older counterparts. Basically, it's a foundation for a bunch of straightforward, entertaining crossovers between past and present. As long as you're not expecting anything deeper or more meaningful than that, this opening Hulk chapter won't disappoint.
Marvel has yet to explain the hows and whys of Generations, and this issue makes it pretty apparent that they aren't going to. There's no explanation for why Amadeus Cho finds himself suddenly thrust into the past to help a Silver Age-era Hulk defend himself from General Ross' army. His confusion is meant to mirror the reader's own. And the immediacy of his predicament quickly makes any questions about continuity quickly irrelevant.
The result is a very character-driven story of the sort writer Greg Pak so routinely does well. Pak has written both Hulks extensively over the course of his Marvel career, separately and together. Even so, there's a real novelty in seeing this early, Lee and Kirby-inspired Hulk interacting with Cho's more verbose and fun-loving Hulk. Moreover, Pak is able to forge a common bond between the two Hulks. Cho is finding himself less and less in control of his Hulk side these days, something this younger Banner understands all too well. Whatever connection Generations might ultimately have to Secret Empire or Legacy, this issue at least serves a purpose in terms of setting the tone for Cho's adventures going into the fall.
This issue also works as a nice showcase for artist Matteo Buffagni, who previously impressed with his work on Amazing Spider-Man. Buffagni opts for a significantly altered style here, one that emphasizes angular lines and rough, chiseled figures. It's an approach that subtly recalls Kirby's early work with the character. There's plenty of energy and scale to Buffagni's work here. The interplay between Buffagni's heavy shadows and the vivid highlights of colorist Dono Sanchez-Almara creates a very high-contrast look that also helps this issue stand out.
The Verdict
Generation s isn't shaping up to be a particularly groundbreaking series for Marvel. With little background for the premise of this crossover or its ties to Secret Empire and Marvel Legacy, Generations: Hulk simply plays out as a fun, character-driven team-up between two heroes. But for fans of these two characters, that should be enough.
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