The new Hulk versus the new X-Factor
This is why I read comics. Seriously. When I was just getting into comics, buying anything that looked interesting at 7-11, Toys 'R' Us was carrying story sets released by Marvel. (This was before everything was collected into trades, of course.) I got the three part Hulk story "War and Pieces" and the X-Factor crossover. And I've been getting everything by Peter David ever since.
The Hulk (with the merged personality, Bruce Banner's intelligent mind in the green Hulk's body)has hooked up with the international vigilante group the Pantheon, who are trying to liberate the middle eastern country of Trans-Sabal from the maniac despot Farnaq Dahn. Unfortunately Trans-Sabal is an ally of the US, who loan the Farnaq's army SHIELD issue mandroids, and the governement's new mutant team X-Factor.
There's some great fight scenes between the Hulk, X-Factor, the Pantheon, and the mandroids. For the time Peter David did a decent job of showing the gray areas of war, and showed that just because the country is run by an evil despot doesn't mean that people will appreciate the liberators, something that resonates in light of current events.
The Hulk issues are illustrated by Dale Keown. The award winning team of David and Keown are amazing storytellers. The Hulk has literally never looked better.
But, lest we forget, this is an X-Factor book. During the first fight between the Hulk and X-Factor Wolfesbane is tossed aside. In the crossover issue, a concerned citizen captures the fur covered demonic girl, and Wolfesbane is forced to confront a very different culture from the one she's used to. Meanwhile, while the rest of X-Factor are trying lick their wounds and regroup they get into another battle with the Pantheon.
Back home, after the war, we get two issues of X-Force baddies the Mutant Liberation Front. First they come to break the Nasty Boys (see Vol.1) out of jail. Then they go after a doctor who's developed an intrauterine test to see if an unborn baby might possibly be mutant, and X-Factor is called in to stop them.
The X-Factor issues are illustrated primarily by Larry Stroman, with some help from Tom Raney and Brandon Peterson. Stroman's designed artwork is an aquired taste, and not your usual superhero fare. I like the style, but as the series goes on there's noticeably less backgrounds which hurts the storytelling.
On top of the innovative concepts above, we get some great moments like the hulk in bunny slippers and the lackluster introduction of the X-Factor danger room, and the usual Peter David humor (the Pantheon's Hector tells Madrox he has the strength of ten men and the Multiple man says "Really? Do they know you took it? Now, I don't have the strength of ten men, but give me a minute . . .").
Overall this is a very entertaining read. While Peter David's X-Factor run was never quite as strong as his Hulk run, this volume gives you some of the best of both.
