The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 3: Soul Cages

The Incredible Hulk (2023)

by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein (Artist), Andrea Broccardo (Artist)

The Hulk pays a visit to Strange Academy, seeking the help of Doctor Voodoo in saving young Charlie's immortal soul! But when the task calls for a one-way descent into an exorcist's ancient prison in search of the immortal Sumungaru the Flesh-Weaver, is the price too high to pay? As Banner struggles to escape the terrifying mindscape in which Hulk keeps him prisoner, Charlie's soul is trapped inside a nightmare of her own...and she'll need both Hulk and Banner if she has any hope of escape! Plus, things really head off the rails when the Hulk faces a giant-size new threat! And as the Marvel Universe is overrun by vampires, Hulk and Banner face a spine-chilling encounter in the Old West town of Old Tucson, population of one...


Collects Incredible Hulk (2023) #12-14, Giant-Size Hulk (2024) #1 And Hulk: Blood Hunt.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Horror, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2024

About the author

Phillip Kennedy Johnson earned a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, where he served as Teaching Fellow for the Department of Jazz Studies, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Eastern Kentucky University. SFC Johnson has performed with the Lexington Philharmonic, Dallas Opera, Washington Symphonic Brass, and the Moscow Ballet, and was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 2004 to 2005. SFC Johnson remains active as a composer, arranger, teacher, and clinician, and also enjoys a second career as a writer of comics and graphic novels. His work has been published by DC Comics, Marvel Comics, BOOM! Studios, and more.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still excellent.



A train ride in Giant Size Hulk (2024) #1 sets Hulk on a collision course with another creeper that's been around for ages.



Hulk takes Charlie to the Strange Academy to try and undo what Frozen Charlotte did to his friend. I've not really followed the Strange Academy comics, but there was a meet-cute with some of the students there before Doctor Voodoo stepped in to take over.
He sends Banner down a freaky magical rabbit hole to find a being called The Flesh Weaver.
With mixed results.



Then the crossover event Blood Hunt takes over for an issue, but it fits in well with the vibe of this comic, so for once, I didn't mind.



Highly Recommended.

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not going to mislead anyone when I say I read this all the way through, no breaks because every arc was so captivating if slightly different than the previous that I couldn’t have put it down if I’d even wanted to. Hulk and horror go together like mashed potatoes and gravy, I mean everything from the transforming body horror that everyone kind of expects to actually happen, to the tie in the cosmic being monster mothers and all the amazing anti heroes we don’t fully see put to paper enough is just phenomenal. The blood hunt arc especially literally ended with my heart hurting, the hulk world arc felt in a strange way like it gave some much needed backstory to the mysterious green monster, and while unexpected the highlight arc had to be the strange academy with all those adorable little monster scamps and doctor voodoo. I couldn’t tell you where this is possibly headed, just that I’m strapped in and here for it. 4.75/5

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hulk’s monster battling trek across America continues. The series remains top notch as we head to the conclusion.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Volume 3 of Phillip Kennedy Johnson's The Incredible Hulk, "Soul Cages": Hulk battles a train-hopping hobo demon; a visit to Strange Academy leads to a confrontation with Doctor Voodoo; a ghost town on the road to Vegas hides more than just ghosts; Hulk wants to save his friend Charlie, who is imprisoned in a porcelain doll, but to do so, he must leave puny Banner in a Heironymous Bosch-like Hell...

A great horror take on the Incredible Hulk series, with fantastic artwork by Andrea Broccardo, Nic Klein, and Danny Earls.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the two-part Strange Academy story; the other three one-shot stories also collected here were OK but nothing special.

Nic Klein’s art on the three issues from the main Incredible Hulk book was great; the artwork on the other two stories was less so, but fine.

3.3 stars.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too eldritch and metaphysical for my tastes, and also clearly killing time until after the Blood Hunt event is over. Bring on Vol. 4 and Hulk's return to Vegas. Surely things will go smoothly for poor Bruce at last?

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my favourite book in this series of Incredible Hulk. The horror style story's really coming together. Hulk Vs Monsters that is what I wanted from the start of this series.

The Hulk and Bruce are going to save Charlie. This might be the only thing they agree on, but Bruce my face his past mistakes and does the Hulk need Bruce's help anyway he is the one doing all the smashing and almost the one in control. However, there may be more than one deal with more than one devil that is made.

The Hulk's rage vs. supernatural creatures and monsters. Nothing will stop the Hulk from hus mission, but can he even live with the end results? The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.

[Frédéric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charlie's subplot becomes the main plot and allows Johnson to play for time... Why not? But not for too long, eh? We’re waiting to get to Vegas and it already took 3 issues where not much happens to simply point Vegas as the next destination...

Giant-Size and Blood Hunt are obviously uninteresting and uninspired issues.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The body horror is still good, and parts with Bruce dealing with Hulk within is good stuff. But man, the plot feels like it's dragging to bring back this girl who's locked away. I think we can have a better sense of a villain too by this point.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This one really amped up with story! Hulk is willing to do just about anything to save Charlie!
Highlights:
- Hitching a ride on a train, Hulk ends up battling a crossroads demon called Patchwork Jack
- To help pull Charlie from the doll she inhabits, Hulk goes to Strange Academy, and has to deal with Doctor Voodoo, who sends him into a soul prison to find Sumanguru, a Flesh-Maker
- Fighting Sumanguru, Hulk knows he must go to Vegas to find the way to save her
- We get the Hulk tie-in for "Blood Hunt", where he goes toe-to-toe with a vampire family hiding in a ghost town
- Upon arriving in Vegas, Banner gets hit by a truck, which puts him back in the Hulkscape. Speaking with Betty there, Banner is told that Hulk must make a choice between saving Charlie by making her a monster or giving his life.

Really looking forward to seeing how this arc plays out.
Recommend.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, I thought this was going to be one of those random collections of stuff that doesn't really fit elsewhere, since there's only three actual issues of Incredible Hulk in here alongside some one-shots, but PKJ manages to make the additional material if not essential, at least work in his favour.

We open with Giant-Size Hulk, which sees Bruce travelling across the country to New Orleans for help with his Charlie predicament. Of course, a monster shows up to try and stop him, and we get some big, bombastic action sequences that put the Giant in Giant-Size.

Then we get two issues of the actual series, in which Bruce delves into another dimension to find the secret that will help him put Charlie back in her body. These are pretty great, and full of the usual creepy as hell imagery that we've come to expect of this book at this point.

Next is a Blood Hunt interlude that pits Hulk against some vampires. This is probably the least important issue overall, but it does have a devastating conclusion (though Danny Earl returns for the art on this, and he wasn't my favourite last time either).

Finally we get back to the main book for a one-and-done issue that delves back into the whole Hulkscape idea that Al Ewing introduced in Immortal Hulk, and sheds some light on what occurred between the end of Cates and Ottley's series and the beginning of this one, while also giving us a tantalising glimpse into the future.

Much better than I'd anticipated - don't let the seemingly random collection of issues fool you like it did me.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Невеличкий рекап того на чому ми зупинилися, Брюс та Чарлі прибули в Новий Орлеан де дівчинка стала жертвою Замерзлої Шарлотти й вона опинилася замкненою у ляльці. В той же час Бетті продовжує переконувати Брюса віддати Галка Древньому, а сам Галк розлючений на доброго доктора за постійні зради та інцидент із Галколітом й намагається назавжди придушити його особистість й залишилися єдиною домінантною особистістю.

Починаємо з історії яка була у "Giant-Size Hulk #1" у якій нар показують як Брюс покидає Новий Орлеан на поїзді й натикається на демона Клаптикового Джека, який вимагає плату за проїзд на його поїзді та хоче відібрати фігурку Чарлі у доброго доктора, в результаті чого між поганцем та Галком зав'язуєть сутичка. Загалом маємо доволі простувату історію з приємним малюнком, плюс сам поганець відповідає актуальному вайбу серії.

Далі у нас йдуть 12 та 13 номери в яких наш дисфункційний тандем вривається в Академії Стренджа для того, щоб попросити у Стівена врятувати Чарлі, але його там не виявляється і натомість наші герою зустрічаються з Доктором Вуду. Той відправляє нашу парочку у клітку душ аби вони знайшли демона Суманґуру який може їм допомогти. По дорозі Банер та Галк продовжують сратися, але таки знаходять демона й перемагають його, однак виявляється, що сам він нічого зробити не може, але підказує, що у Лас-Веґасі є шкура звірячого Бога, яка може повернути Чарлі. Туди наші герої й вирушають. Загалом мені сподобався цей невеликий сюжет, за історією було цілком цікаво стежити, нехай вона існує тільки для того, щоб підказати куди Галку та Брюса потрібно й��и. На малюнку тут знову Нік Кляйн, а тому тут все виглядає сочно, криваво та жорстоко, мені дуже сподобалося як все виглядало у клітці душ, ну і що зображення трансформації Банера у Галка як завжди на висоті. З того, що повеселило виділю ще реакцію учнів академії на те хто до них притопав, ну і невелику перепалку між Вуду та Галком.

Далі у нас йде "Hulk: Blood Hunt", думаю не варто казати до якої події це тай-ін, який розповідає про те як наш дисфункційний тамдем по дорозі до Веґасу потрапили у покинуте місто, яке збудували для знімання фільмів, й там дізнаються про те що ж відбулося в ньому. Загалом вийшла невелика хороша і моторошна історія.

14 номер відбувається в галкопросторі, а знаючи радіоактивних тараканів у голові Брюса й те наскільки Галк на нього злий то на щось хороше для нього в цьому місці доброму доктору не варто очікувати. Тут у нас є просто розкішний малюнок Денні Ірлса, а також сам Брюс переповідає Ріку Джонсу чому Галк на нього розлючений. Він тут згадує, що після подій "Безсмертного Галка" намагався зцілити Бетті аби вона більше не була Гарпією і от я не пам'ятаю, щоб це десь було, можливо хтось в коментарях може підказати було це десь за кадром чи у якомусь коміксі. Ну і в кінці до Брюса приходить Бетті й дає йому кіготь древньої та вибір, або він дозволить Галку повернути Чарлі до життя перетворивши її на монстра або зупинить його віддавши Древньому.

Загалом за серією все ще цікаво спостерігати, так сам сюжет тут практично не рухається, але малюнок та супротивники з якими тут зіштовхується Галк все це компенсують. З нетерпінням чекаю на те, що ж буде далі.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot express to you how much I love this current ongoing. Since the very first issue it has been absolutely incredible. Al Ewing did an amazing thing with Immortal Hulk. It has always been one of my favorite characters, but it seems like so many good writers just don't know what to do with him. Immortal hulk was a gigantic love letter to the entire mythos of the Hulk while at the same time taking him back to the horror roots that made him a success in the first place.

However, whereas Immortal Hulk mainly dealt with the monster that is hulk, this volume of Incredible Hulk is focused on the OTHER monsters out there in the world and their new found freedom and purpose now that the Green Door is shut. Its creepy. Its unsettling. But it also has this heart and spunk to it thanks to the character of Charlie. If you are not reading this run of Hulk, DO IT!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Banner/Hulk crashes into the Strange Academy in an attempt to find a way to get Charlene out of the doll in which she's trapped. Doctor Voodoo sends Banner/Hulk into a dark talisman, where they're further sent on a quest that'll play out in the next volume (and the shapeshifter in the talisman snags a bit of Hulk's blood - surely that'll pay off later).

All told, a fine Hulk volume, but brief and basically only setup for a different quest, one in which Eldest will be involved again. A Blood Hunt tie-in and annual issue are fine, mostly excuses for Hulk to smash.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this a slightly exaggerated star rating only because I have high hopes for the continuing story.

Charlie is still trapped in her soul cage and banner is trying to save her- the train battle with the crossroads devil was awesome, beautifully drawn and paced. I don’t love the tie in with Brother Voodoo but I think this team will be able to keep this ongoing series really interesting

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie, a spirited yet short-tempered girl, has been Hulk's and Banner's traveling companion for the duration of Phillip Kennedy Johnson's run thus far. Hunted by monsters summoned forth by the Eldest, Hulk and Banner have strived to keep Charlie safe from the emerging horrors. But events in New Orleans (as seen in Incredible Hulk Vol. 2: War Devils ) resulted in Charlie's soul being trapped in a Frozen Charlotte. Deciding that only Doctor Strange can help Charlie, Hulk goes to the Strange Academy. Doctor Voodoo fills in for Strange, and deduces that the only one who can help Charlie is Sumanguru, the Flesh-Weaver, who will be able to craft the body necessary to host Charlie's extracted soul. Hulk and Banner make the trek towards Las Vegas, with the hope of saving Charlie from her current fate.

Nic Klein masterfully handles the art duties for the main story arc in issues #12-14, with Andrea Broccardo handling the artwork for Giant-Size Hulk #1 and recurring guest artist Danny Earls on the Blood Hunt tie-in issue. Broccardo and Earls are great as fill-in artists, but it's Klein who continues to set the tone for this book's aesthetic, which might go down as having some of the best Hulk transformations of all time. The story continues to be solid horror fare, though this volume is a bit weaker than the previous two.

[Alex Sarll]

Still not great like Immortal Hulk was great, but still a very good horror book, Banner tangling with crossroads devils, desert vampires and assorted pocket Hells as he tries to restore the young friend who, through knowing him, has ended up transformed into an eerie doll. It particularly sings when Nic Klein is on art, an obvious heir to Kelley Jones and Tom Mandrake. But the other artists aren't on the same level; the Blood Hunt issue set in a ghost town that's played itself on screen too many times, feels like a natural part of the series in a way such crossovers often don't, but artist Danny Earls has a fatal weakness when it comes to ears. Strangest of all, the issues don't seem to be in the right order: if Banner is travelling to Vegas in Giant-Size Hulk, shouldn't that go after #14, where he finds out that's where he needs to go, instead of opening the collection?

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid serving of the Hulk by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. I still find it pretty ironic that the best Hulk book feels more like a Swamp Thing tale. As always the body horror, monster mythology and the H.P. Lovecraftian vibe Johnson and the artist time are going for fits the Hulk like a glove. The artwork by Nic Klein is a feast for the eyes especially on issue #14 (Hulkscape). It almost looked like Alex Ross had drew that issue. This volume of Hulk has a much bitter tone to it as Johnson explores more of the inner battle Hulk is having with himself within. The Blood Hunt tie-in story wasn't bad and Johnson still manage to fit in what he has ben doing into a larger Marvel universe event. I feel this series fits in perfectly with what Al Ewing was going for on hulk. Check out Ewing's hulk run in The Immortal Hulk, Vol. 1: Or is He Both?-The Immortal Hulk, Vol. 5: Breaker of Worlds. Hulk continues to work very well as a horror book and I'm looking forward to seeing how Hulk will resolve his issues with Bruce Banner. Hopefully they will be able to save Charlie less the young teen becomes a monster herself. If you looking for more superhero books with a horror vibe I'd recommend checking out: Swamp Thing, Volume 4: Seeder-Swamp Thing, Volume 7: Season's End, Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening, Ghost Rider, Vol. 1: Unchained,Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 0, & Batman: Night of the Monster Men.

[Michael Kocinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was enjoying this series overall--admiring the additions to the Hulk mythos and callbacks to older and more recent story arcs were cool. But something really annoyed me and that the interaction between Dr. Voodoo and Bruce/Hulk. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone (and the interaction I'm talking about might have actually happened in Vol. 2, but still, it stuck in my craw) so I'll just there was a pretty significant story beat in the early issues of Uncanny Avengers between Dr. Voodoo and the Hulk that should not be so casually dismissed by Johnson, who has otherwise proven to be a good storyteller. Furhermore, if Dr. Voodoo can do what he did to Hulk in this volume, then why is there even a Hulk/Bruce fracture--a little frustrating. You know what I'm talking about if you've read this current series. One more quibble, and that is how wildly overpowered Hulk is. He just absolutely batters everything in his way, all fists and bludgeoning. After 18 issues of improbable ass beatings I'm sort of bored with the story. I don't really 'worry' about the Hulk or even Charlie because the odds will never be stacked against them. The art teams are great, by the way. I love Nic Klein's brutish Hulk. Guest artists are top-notch. I'm truly enjoying Betty's role in this story as well--loving her character shift and motivation.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was so much fun as Bruce is looking to save Charlie and we see him going to Dr Voodoo and like confronting the flesh weaver, Sumanguru and its a fun face off and again continuing the theme of monster of the week and the villains backstory is interesting and seems like some big things will happen on that end and then into the hulkscape we go, and omg the art scene there is brutal.. such twisted maze and depressing yes but also scary and like weaves a point of Bruce vs Hulk and what that means and thats exciting!

Plus one shots like tying into the blood hunt event and its alright, a fun one off and you feel for the character and it does its work and the other one being about how he is going on a train and a carrier demon is there called "Patchwork Jack" and he was quite intriguing and I wouldn't have minded the story being longer and that would have been better for the Giant-ish issue rather than have an old story as backup.

But this run continues to be interesting building up the mystery of how will Bruce and Hulk save Charlie and teasing this eldest and mother of horrors meanwhile also introducing some fun new villains in Marvel universe and adding to Hulks rogues gallery! Definitely read it!

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when you get the kid following you turned into a doll with her soul still inside?
...SMASH YOUR WAY TO DOCTOR STRANGE(?)

(or maybe wreck your way to Strange Academy and see what Doctor Voodoo can do)

It's more monster americana in the Marvel Universe. Bruce and Hulk form an uneasy alliance to get Charlie's soul out of the doll and right the wrong that's been done to her. We finally get more details of the time AFTER Starship Hulk and why Hulk is SO angry (again).

Can they be the hero that's needed, or will they have to bargain with the beasts to make things right?
========
Bonus: 'Hulk: Blood Hunt' is just as good as any issue in the series itself
Bonus Bonus: Crossroad demons don't stand a chance against the Fractured Son...

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diminishing returns on this series — I think 3 stars is generous since I liked this a bit less than the last collection. The split between Giant Size and another one-off with three mainline issues was fine for breaking up pacing, but when about half of the narratives are centered on dreamscapes and alternate dimensions coupled with a hero who cannot die, the stakes all just feel sort of meager here. Generally, Klein’s art is gritty and the body horror of the hulk transformations are really something. There was just little in the monster fare of this collection that felt memorable or compelling.

[Vail Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly minimal stuff to set right what went wrong last time, with a quick stop over at Hogwarts to see if there's anything strange & mystical that can help with their predicament. And after getting the directions on where to go, they go straight there no problems right?
...
hahahaha
There's a brush with death and we've got an extended odyssey to the center of the split minds. Cliffhanger on what exactly happens tho...

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hulk searches for a way to remove Charlie from the cursed doll she's trapped in. Meanwhile he makes Bruce Banner's life miserable while there's lots of body horror and monsters. Not much plot advancement in these 5 issues though. The Blood Hunt one shot could have just been a regular issue if you hadn't told me it was a tie in to Blood Hunt.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I think Al Ewing pretty much cornered the market on the horrific side of the Hulk. Johnson seems to be mining the same vein for less significant results. A lot of the action in this is simply incoherent, though the artwork isn't terrible. The standout might be the Blood Hunt one-shot, which isn't really a recommendation...

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume continues Johnson and his collaborators fantastic run. This is a direct successor to all the fantastic horror tales that Al Ewing told in his Immortal Hulk series. It's that good! It's one of the best ongoing horror books being published today.

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I'm REALLY fucking with this gory, gross take on the Hulk--which I know isn't a new thing, but I haven't read Immortal Hulk yet so the body horror stuff in here is new to me . Really can't wait to see where this goes next, especially in regards to Charlie.

[Craig Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is mainly filler, there is a major confrontation built up, in at least the author’s mind and we are going the the long way.
Having said that, Enkidu is always a welcome sight, as is Brother Voodoo. Nothing that makes we want to read Strange Academy though.

[Joey Amorim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I complained about slow plot progression in the last volume, and this one solves that problem big time! Especially in the last issue, tensions between Banner and Hulk are hitting their peak, and the Eldest storyline is actually starting to get interesting.