Hulk VS

Review by Loc

Superheroes and animation, they can go together better than peanut butter and jelly. Batman: The Animated Series anyone? But, when handled poorly, this natural pairing becomes the equivalent of explosive diarrhea: anything released by Marvel Animation Direct to DVD. If you’ve never seen the Ultimate Avengers, Doctor Strange, or Invincible Iron Man DVDs, be thankful. However, could it be, did Marvel Animation turn the proverbial corner. With the Hulk VS. dvd, there’s some good signs. Quick hit: fun romp with nice animation.

Let me take a second to divulge my fanboy status: superheroes and comic stuff is sweet. So from that point of view, this review may delve a bit into comic-y details. But, at the heart is still a critic’s response to seeing some new stuff. So enjoy it.

Hulk VS. is a sort of a double feature, with two separate, self-contained stories presented. First, there’s Hulk VS Wolverine in a knock-down, drag out smack-fest. Then there’s Hulk VS Thor, which is full of Asgardian ass-smashing action. Both are very good and both have very distinct stylistic approaches.

While the animation is similar, there are differences, even in the presentation of Hulk. In Wolverine, every character is a bit stylized, with the brutes being top-heavy behemoths and the smaller guys being exaggerated in their emaciated rippedness. In Thor, the characters are presented with regal designs and the mystical realm of Asgard is captured nicely.

As for stories, each approaches its subject matter differently. Yet, one consistent theme emerges, and it’s not the Hulk. Rather, it’s the lack of focus on the Hulk. Each episode uses the Hulk as a catalyst, but really tells a story focused on the other title character. For Wolverine, this is mostly an exploration of the mutant’s past, showcasing a quartet of villains in the Weapon X program, and throwing in Hulk for some good smash-em action. In Thor, we see an introduction to Asgard and the royal hierarchy that these gods inhabit. There’s a small showcase for the natural enemies like Frost Giants and Trolls, but most importantly, we see how Loki is the scheming, half-brother, arch-nemesis to the honorable Thor. How does Hulk fit in? He’s the tool that Loki uses to wreak havoc in the magical kingdom.

So, this could be a problem to anyone hoping to focus primarily on the Hulk. Yes, Hulk is in these stories, but he really is a means to an end. If you’re wanting Hulk Smash action, you’re gonna get it. But if you’re hoping for some exploration into the Hulk psyche, you’re not gonna get too much.
Yet, each story does a very good job of entertaining, which has been sorely missing in previous Marvel Animation DVDs. In Wolverine, you’re getting a real PG-13 level of attitude, wisecracks, and violence! Yes, claws go slashing, blood goes spilling, and limbs go flying. No joke. While this almost seems like a primer for the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie, the Hulk VS Wolverine episode delivers nicely. Mix in a little humor, mostly provided by the first real animated appearance of Deadpool, and you get geeks wetting their pants. It’s a good slap you in the face presentation.

For Hulk VS Thor, you get an introduction into Thor, Odin, Loki, and Asgard. After watching an extra on the DVD, it looks like there will be a Thor: Tales of Asgard series/movie coming out, and this may be that primer as well. But really, the focus is on the relationships in Asgard, how Thor is the noble son and crown prince, how Loki is the scheming half-brother, Odin is the badass ruler, Thor has some babes going after him, and lots of big monsters threaten their kingdom. Imagine He-Man but with brighter colors and a sweet-ass hammer. The story is good, a menacing Hulk is rampaging through Asgard and Thor must find a way to protect the kingdom during Odin’s absence. There’s still the nod to fanboys as well, when we see someone other than Thor trying to lift the mystical hammer, Mjolnir. Again, really good stuff, no real PG-13 violoence, mostly just Saturday morning smacks. But the fact that Thor and Loki go visit Hell and it’s ruler, Hella, to save a soul from eternal damnation, um, that’s kinda cool to know the producers weren’t backing away from the touchy stuff.

Overall, this was a very nice DVD set. I’ve avoided calling them episodes because these aren’t part of a series, nor are the shorts because they’re about 40 minutes long each. But they are a nice animated double-feature with lots of excellent animation, lots of cool characters finally captured onscreen, and very solid voice acting, dialogue, and plotting to make the features entertaining. Out of 6 adamantium claws, Hulk VS Wolverine gets a 4.5. Out of 7 days of Odin sleep, Hulk VS Thor gets a 5. As a full package, the Hulk VS DVD earns a hearty 8 out of 10 on the fanboy entertainment scale.