Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk (Comics) | Review

Most superhero fights follow a simple formula: heroes clash, someone wins, everyone walks away with their dignity intact. This six-issue miniseries throws that playbook into a wood chipper by literally tearing Wolverine in half on page one and exploring what happens when two men who can't die are forced to kill each other.

Writer Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers) and artist Leinil Francis Yu (Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America, X-Men: Operation Zero Tolerance) crafted something truly unique that sits somewhere between philosophical meditation and ultraviolent spectacle.

The series launched in February 2005 and concluded in July 2009 after becoming one of the most notoriously delayed comics in Marvel history, with nearly four years passing between issues two and three while Lindelof juggled his commitments to television phenomenon Lost.

The premise hooks you immediately: Bruce Banner was supposedly executed for his crimes as the Hulk but reports of a green monster in remote Tibet force Nick Fury to send Wolverine on a deadly kill mission that spirals into conspiracy, betrayal and uncomfortable questions about who the real monsters truly are in this equation.

The story picks up after Banner's alleged execution following his devastating rampage through Manhattan in The Ultimates. Fury needs Banner dead for real because his continued existence threatens to expose Fury's complicity in covering up the Hulk's survival and end his career.

Wolverine accepts the assignment because that's what he does best: the dirty violent work nobody else wants to touch. He tracks Banner to a monastery in Tibet where the confrontation begins with Hulk ripping Wolverine's body in half and throwing his legs up a mountain while his bloodied torso lies bleeding in the snow below.

Here's where Lindelof earns his reputation as a storyteller who understands character over spectacle. The series doesn't rush toward a rematch but explores why these men are fighting, what brought them here and whether either actually wants to finish the job.

The narrative structure jumps between timelines, showing Wolverine's regeneration while flashing back to how Banner survived and what he's been doing in hiding. Banner found peace in Tibet, living among monks who accepted him despite knowing what he becomes, creating a life where the monster doesn't need to surface.

Wolverine's healing factor works overtime putting him back together while he reflects on his assignment. The monastery provides philosophical breathing room where violence doesn't solve problems and both characters examine their roles as weapons in other people's wars.

The stakes escalate when Betty Ross suddenly enters the picture. She's not the damsel in distress waiting to be rescued but an active player in the conspiracy who's been pulling strings from the beginning and her transformation into She-Hulk shifts the power dynamics in ways neither Banner nor Logan ever anticipated at the start.

Fury's desperation becomes clearer as the story unfolds. Banner knows too much about government experiments, unauthorized operations and moral compromises Fury made to keep the Ultimate Universe safe, making him a walking liability that threatens everything Fury built.

What makes this compelling is watching Wolverine realize he's not hunting a monster but executing a man who found redemption, forcing him to choose between following orders and doing what's right. Banner doesn't want to fight because fighting means becoming the Hulk and destroying the peace he's constructed in exile.

The She-Hulk revelation adds personal tragedy to the political thriller framework. Betty injected herself with Banner's blood to become powerful enough to bring him home or kill him herself, transforming their love story into a nightmare where she becomes the monster he's escaping.

Lindelof doesn't provide easy answers about who's right or wrong. Fury is protecting national security by eliminating a threat. Banner deserves his chance at peace after paying for his crimes. Wolverine is just following orders but those orders require him to murder someone who's no longer a danger to anyone unless provoked.

The series connects to The Ultimates volumes one and two, specifically Banner's rampage and execution. The fallout ripples into later Ultimate Universe stories, establishing Banner's relationship with Fury while addressing super-soldier programs and government accountability.

Leinil Francis Yu delivers some of the most visceral action sequences in Ultimate Universe history while maintaining emotional depth in quieter moments. His Hulk feels genuinely monstrous without losing Banner's humanity in the creature's eyes and facial expressions that convey rage mixed with profound sadness.

The page layouts use dynamic angles and panel structures that guide readers through complex fight choreography without sacrificing clarity. Yu's Wolverine looks feral during combat but vulnerable during regeneration where his body slowly knits back together in graphic detail.

Dave McCaig's coloring establishes atmospheric tones for different locations and emotional beats. The Tibetan monastery sequences use warm earth tones reinforcing Banner's sanctuary while action moments explode with saturated primaries emphasizing superhuman violence.

Lindelof's writing brings television pacing to comic storytelling with nonlinear structure that reveals information strategically. Dialogue feels natural without exposition dumps. The philosophical discussions about violence and redemption emerge organically from character interactions without descending into self-pity.

Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk delivers on its title promise while offering more depth than expected. This is superhero storytelling that uses spectacle to explore moral complexity, government accountability and whether redemption is possible for living weapons.

The notorious publication delays became part of the series' legend but the final product justifies the wait with a complete story that works as standalone narrative and essential Ultimate Universe reading. The ending doesn't provide clean resolutions because these characters don't get happy endings, only temporary truces.

Lindelof and Yu understand that the best character-driven action stories aren't about who wins the fight but what the fight costs everyone involved. Wolverine and Hulk walk away fundamentally unchanged because change requires choices these men aren't allowed to make.

If you want straightforward superhero fight where the hero defeats the villain and saves the day, this isn't it. If you want morally complicated storytelling examining what happens when good men are forced to do terrible things by those claiming to protect the greater good, Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk remains thought-provoking.

Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk is available in paperback and hardcover that you can grab from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your nearest comic-book shop. Digital readers can access it on ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited, offering full access to the six-issue limited series.