Startling Stories: Banner #2

Richard Corben's painted-style cover for this second chapter of the four-part Banner miniseries says it all: a massive, hunched Hulk crouches low against a blood-red sky while a swarm of military helicopters closes in from every direction, the tension between one enormous green figure and an entire armed force rendered with stunning weight. Azzarello and Corben's 2001 Marvel "Startling Stories" imprint gave them room to push Bruce Banner's world into grittier, more grounded territory, and that sense of dread is palpable here. If this cover's blend of raw power and encircling menace is any indication, issue two delivers exactly the mood this creative team promised.