As a general rule, I don’t like to rain on other comic book fans' parades, or attempt to diminish their enjoyment of their favorite characters, or really to be negative about comics at all, butnow thatCaptain America: Brave New Worldis out, I have to get a dark, terrible secret off my chest – I have always thought thatRed Hulkis actually pretty lame.
According to this /reddit discussion thread, I’m not entirely alone;there are a number of people out there who, like me, don’t exactly “get” the character’s appeal, and I think it is worth exploring why – as well as considering the flip side of the argument, which is that Red Hulk is, in fact, cool.
For me, personally, as a longtime Marvel Comics reader, there is nothing wrong with Red Hulk himself, exactly; rather, it is the abstract idea of the character that I find myself rolling my eyes at, especially now that he has been transposed into the MCU.
As A Veteran Marvel Comics Reader, I’m Not A Fan of Red Hulk – And I’m Not Alone
Both Sides Of The Red Hulk Debate, Explained
Much of the hype surroundingCaptain America:Brave New Worldhas centered around Harrison Ford’s appearance as Red Hulk, which honestly surprised me, as I didn’t think the character had such a devoted fanbase. Sure, the fact that Ford is in the MCU at all, and playing a giant, furious, red version of himself, is weird and wild enough to spark some interest from more casual moviegoers, but I was curious why Marvel fans in particular were hyped for the character’s appearance, which led me to down the rabbit hole of online fandom in search of answers.
Why Is the Red Hulk Red? Marvel’s Answer Is More Complicated Than You’d Expect
Red Hulk’s different color comes from the way he got his powers, while also indicating his different powers to the original green Hulk.
What I found was that the pro-Red Hulk argument maintains that it was an apropos creative decision to take General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, longtime Hulk adversary, and turn him into that which he hated most; several reddit users noted this “monster hunter becomes the monster” trope as the most compelling aspect of the character. Just as many fans, though,expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Ross, an engaging character in his own right, was “reduced” or “relegated” to the status of another Hulk– a nearly-identical version of the classic character with a fresh coat of paint slapped on.
I Think Red Hulk Is Inherently Limited As A Character Concept – And Marvel Hasn’t Proved Me Wrong Yet
My Argument Against Red Hulk
To me, this is the core argument against Red Hulk – certainly, there have been someinteresting Red Hulk stories in Marvel canon, but that is in spite of the fact that the character is, by its nature, derivative. Generally speaking, I have this problem with most “new” versions of familiar characters. It is exponentially harder for me to invest time and energy in every different character that takes up the Spider-Man mantle, for example – arguably, Marvel learned the wrong lesson with its successful introduction of Miles Morales, but that is a topic for a whole different article.
From the character’s inception, Red Hulk’s primary appeal has been “whoa, there’s a Red Hulk too?” – a gimmicky raison d’etre that I would argue he has never surmounted.
No matter how much effort Marvel puts into distinguishing Red Hulk as a character, and makingRed Hulkstories a distinct reading experience fromHulkstories, the former can never escape the latter’s shadow. From the character’s inception, Red Hulk’s primary appeal has been “whoa, there’s a Red Hulk too?” – a gimmicky raison d’être that I would argue he has never surmounted. To me, this is what makes the character lame;Red Hulk’s very nature makes it impossible for him to stand on his own as a character, because the comparison will Hulk will always define him.
I Prefer Marvel Stories That Take Risks – Red Hulk Is The Definition Of The Opposite
A “Safe” Creative Choice
I understand that comic book storytelling is, by its nature, recursive – but there is a difference between looking backward at what worked, to replicate that success, and doing the same thing with a minor wrinkle, which to me feels regressive. That is, I prefer Marvel Comics when the publisher enables creative risk-taking, rather than when the company makes a seemingly “safe” bet. For me, as a reader,Red Hulk doesn’t “move the needle” because the character doesn’t strike me as new or inventive. As such, I can enjoy Red Hulk stories, sure, but I can never fully get into them.
I still think Marvel would be better off creating new characters, even if they sometimes fail to gain traction, rather than introducing yet another alternate take on familiar heroes, such asRed Hulk.
The funny thing is, I am old enough that I can still remember when Red Hulk was introduced in 2008 – and I can remember that even then, I was not at all stoked on the mystery ofwho this new version of Hulk was, or excited that thenumber of Hulks in the Marvel Universewas multiplying. Over fifteen years later, my opinion has not radically changed; I still think Marvel would be better off creating new characters, even if they sometimes fail to gain traction, rather than introducing yet another alternate take on familiar heroes, such asRed Hulk.
Source:r/hulk, “Discussion: Red hulk is kind of lame”
