The Incredible Hulks #618

Fresh off one (almost) world-smashing adventure, the Hulk Family (I'll never get used to that idea) finds itself right in the middle of another apocalyptic event - the Chaos War.

For those who haven't been following that story, the god known as the Chaos King has destroyed the Dream Dimension, throwing every mortal in the world into eternal sleep. Then he destroyed the Underworld, which somehow has eliminated death, so everyone in the world isn't injured despite the world-wide destruction - they're just sleeping.

The Hulks are somehow unaffected by the sleeping curse, so they spend their efforts trying to stop the destruction, only to find themselves dealing with a mysterious ally - and facing a dead opponent who escaped from the Underworld (that's him on the cover).

The problem with all this magic-related stuff is that it defies logic - anything can and does happen. But the story has a couple of "grabber" moments, as the Abomination proves to be even more deadly than usual - and another unexpected opponent puts in a return.

With lots of shocks, this story ties in well to the ongoing Chaos War story. Writer Greg Pak does his usual outstanding job managing all the characters, and artist Paul Pelletier and Danny Miki turn in some outstanding artwork - dark, detailed and powerful.

The creative team has this series hitting on all cylinders, as the stories careen from one big adventure to the next - which is why it's one of the best books out there right now.

Grade: A-

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