Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein are winning me over big time. I didn’t love the debut issue of this new series, but INCREDIBLE HULK #2 is showing that the creative team is leaning HARD into the horror theme and they are pulling it off wonderfully. It’s ironic that this series debuted during DC’s Knight Terrors story and is eating that event’s lunch when it comes to nailing classic horror tropes.

I need to call out Nic Klein’s art because it is the standout element of the first two issues. Every page so far in this series so far has oozed with personality and for a comic that heavily utilizes black borders and gutters, nothing feels cramped or stuffy. Readers enter a dream sequence towards the middle of the book where Klein takes over art and color duties to create a haunting, watercolor-esque nightmare environment. Klein also nails the other horror elements throughout the book, including a bone-chilling scene where the undead are holding a demonic religious ceremony inside an abandoned church. To cap it off, Klein includes a full-page visual treat of a monstrous Hulk in all his raging glory to close out the issue. Matthew Wilson matches all of these designs with a color palette that perfectly captures the mood of the story and emphasizes Klein’s art. INCREDIBLE HULK may go down as one of the best visual books of 2023 and it’s all due to amazing work of this creative team — including Cory Petit’s top-notch lettering skills.

None of this is to say that Johnson’s writing or story are lacking. Johnson’s choice of a cultish religion set deep in a forgotten part of America as the gateway to the big bad that awaits Hulk down the line plays into some of my own worst fears. Throughout the issue, Johnson uses hymnal lyrics to build tension along with plot development and it’s a wonderfully eerie way to keep readers uncomfortable with what’s happening. The friction between Bruce and Hulk continues to deepen via Johnson’s tactful character development and Charlie is given some needed complexity as she pushes Banner to let Hulk loose.

Horror is a genre where careful pacing and incremental plot reveals are necessary to effectively convey the intended emotions and INCREDIBLE HULK #2 does a great job at balancing all of these elements. There has yet to be a ton of action but it feels like when we do, the payoff will be earned. For now, it’s best to sit back and enjoy (if you’re not too spooked) this unearthly thrill ride from creators at the top of their game.

Rating: 9/10