HULK #6 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness, $2.99 by Jeph Loeb and Joe Madureira, $2.99
 
Ugh. I would imagine Jeph Loeb’s writing process involves enjoying a big bowl of chili while memorizing the plot and character nuances of some straight to DVD low budget sci-fi movie. After percolating for a few hours he goes to his studio and squats over a blank piece of paper, grunts, and viola! Instant crappy comics. If I gave either of the titles mentioned above to my beloved 9-year-old daughter, even she would say, “Geez, Dad, a bit histrionic, don’t you think?”  But I love my kid too damn much to put her through that.
Bottom line on both of these books: they’re not even acceptable if judged as fan-fic. Plot twists are heavily telegraphed, the dialogue is completely arbitrary and interchangeable (coloring the word balloons different colors for different characters doesn’t count as distinct voices, folks!), and the writing does a complete disservice to two artists who deserve to be on way better books. Jeph Loeb must be the nicest guy in the comics biz, because I cannot fathom how else the guy keeps getting A-list work and attracts A-list artists. The biggest crime they commit is that for all the overblown shouting and punching, they’re DULL. There are dozens of super hero comics, even featuring the same characters, that are infinitely more worth your dollars and interest.