Indestructible Hulk 6, Red She-Hulk 64

Indestructible Hulk 6
Waid (w) and Simonson (a) and Mossa (c)

The seeds that were planted a couple issues ago are starting to blossom as we get an issue dedicated to Banner's work in his SHIELD funded lab with his somewhat sketchy lab crew, all hand-picked by Banner because they had something hiding inside of them (LIKE HULK, GET IT?). We can't dive too deep into the various psyches of the team, though, because there's plot to be had. Banner has a sliver of Uru metal, donated to SHIELD from Thor, and he suspects that, with the right science-ing, he can use it to open a portal to a different realm. He is correct and it sends them straight to Jotunheim, home of the frost giants. Three members of his team suit up in SHIELD provided armor (leaving one member of the team behind to keep the portal ready) and Banner gets into his new Hulk armor as they make the trip through the portal. Meanwhile, Mjolnir has detected the portal and wakes Thor up to go find out what's happening. Banner explains to his team that they're in Jotunheim to try to find a legendary liquid called Eiderdurm, which Banner speculates could jump them ten years in eliminating fossil fuels. They find a whole mountain of the stuff as Thor shows up, warning them that they should go home before the frost giants arrive. However, it looks like the portal might not have just sent the team through space but also through time as Thor is wearing an old costume and has no knowledge of Banner or SHIELD. Thor is still kind enough to the team and defends them as best he can when the frost giants do inevitably show up. The team runs for the portal and Banner is frozen in solid ice. Eventually Hulk breaks out of the ice and begins taking the giants down. Finally, he sees Thor's hammer resting on the ground. He jumps for it and, after a bit of effort, lifts it, shouting that he is worthy.
So that's a new development. One of the great things about Thor's hammer Mjolnir, for those who don't know, is that it is enchanted by a spell (more or less) that says only those who are worthy may lift the hammer, but whosever can lift it will be blessed with the power of Thor. There are very, very few people in the Marvel Universe who have ever lifted Thor's hammer. Captain America can do it and I believe Beta Ray Bill can do it. This is the first time that Hulk has been able to do it and it might actually make him more formidable than he already is. So that right there is something to look forward to. Add to that the fact that Thor saw Banner, a stranger, frozen in ice and didn't see his transformation into Hulk. I think we're going to have a misunderstanding fight on our hands next issue, and it's one of the always top-billed Thor and Hulk fights. This is one of those ones that people in comic book stores argue over the outcome. And now Hulk has Mjolnir? Weird.

Red She-Hulk 64
Parker (w) and Pagulayan and Alves (a) and Staples (c)

Red She-Hulk continues to be one of my all-around favorite surprise books of the last few months. The plot is equal parts sci-fi and action thriller complete with a corrupt military complex that threatens to devastate the world in the wrong hands. The characters, as they've grown more comfortable with one another, have blossomed into compelling and delightful protagonists, with a steady back and forth that stays fresh without the need to constantly talk over one another. It's banter done right and it's absolutely a joy to read. It's also happened pretty naturally, especially X-51's transition from colder/more task-oriented to softer and funnier companion for Red She-Hulk. It didn't feel like he just became something that he wasn't to fit the plot, it felt like he began to trust Red She-Hulk more and understand her motives better so he let his guard down a bit. I had little to no knowledge of X-51 before this series but he has really developed into a character I want to hear more about. My girlfriend, who is not reading this series, read a review I wrote about this story and remembered X-51 from an older Ms. Marvel comic and remembered him as being pretty funny. I'm glad to hear that the humor that's so evident in his character in this series is within his normal character parameters.
Anyway, Red She-Hulk and X-51 have been forced literally underground by the pressure from SHIELD and General Fortean. After going deeper and deeper in search of another old SHIELD base, they run into the Mole Monster, a horrible hybrid son of Mole Man and some other underground dweller. Mole Monster rules a bunch of monsters in his underground lair (as well as the typical moloids) and eventually welcomes Red She-Hulk and X-51 as being different from humans as well. They tell him what they're looking for and he directs them to another SHIELD pyramid. When they get inside, they find that, despite its pyramid shape outside, it houses a sphere on the inside, with all the continents displayed like a globe, as if they were looking at them from the inside out. Tesla shows up again and recognizes the two heroes and tells them that Eleanor is safe but she had to be moved because Red She-Hulk's plan (which had been to bring the general to Eleanor to see what his machinations would cause) would have been extremely dangerous. No military, he says, should ever know the future nor have access to someone like Eleanor. He attempts to kick them out of the pyramid but X-51 toys with a few controls in the sphere and alters where they land at random. As the issue ends, they find themselves in front of a version of Mt. Rushmore that features the heads of Dr. Doom, Loki, Red Skull, and Ultron. Though it seems like we might be in for a bit of a delay on the plot we've been working on, this is certainly a good place to leave us and I have pretty good faith in Parker's ability to write weird and horrible alternate dimensions, given his current run on Dark Avengers. Another solid entry into the series and this book just keeps doing things right by my standards.