By d. emerson eddy — Marvel had some interesting, different events to kick off this decade just past. They launched a third volume of the adjective-less X-Men with the Curse of the Mutants crossover, pitting vampires against mutants as an upstart rival to Dracula tried to change the game. And they delved into Fear Itself, as a long forgotten Norse baddie was awakened and threw hammers at heroes and villains alike to become his overpowered minions. Threads from both came together in the three part mini-series, Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula, from Victor Gischler, Ryan Stegman, Mike Babinski, Rick Magyar, Frank Martin Jr., Antonio Fabela, and Clayton Cowles.

Gischler was the chief architect of the elaboration on vampire culture and characters in the Marvel Universe in Curse of the Mutants and this story set up a situation whereby the reorganized vampire nation was threatened with destruction at the hands of the Hulk, who by the hammer was turned into Nul, Breaker of Worlds. It's an interesting play on the “Hulk Smash” story formula, effectively using the Hulk as a force of nature, against the forces of the increasingly inadequate vampire nation. There's both a sense of fun and fatalism as Dracula throws impediment after impediment at the Hulk, from classic Marvel monsters to a specialized group of vampire exiles, and one by one they fall under Hulk's onslaught.

This comes relatively early in Ryan Stegman's career at Marvel, displaying a style here that has hints of what he'd develop in Venom, but without the more elaborate layouts he's now known for. It's a bit closer to Ed McGuinness in style that works very well for a story that's essentially a knock-down drag-out fight involving monsters and vampires. Babinski layers on the inky blackness of Stegman's shadows, reminiscent of what we see now when Stegman is paired with JP Mayer, while in the final chapter, Magyar takes a bit more open approach with some of the characters. It's an interesting contrast in how two inkers can yield an entirely different feel to the same artist.

Martin and Fabela brighten the darkness a bit with lush colors, adding that nice weird glow that all of the hammer-wielders display through Fear Itself. The book is rounded out with Cowles' letters, employing a nice bit of white lettering on black balloons for the Hulk's dialogue, complete with some runic typeset.

Overall, Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula, from Gischler, Stegman, Babinski, Magyar, Martin, Fabela, and Cowles is a fun beat-em-up brawl story, with monsters and vampires. It works as just fun escapism, regardless of your investment in the event, but it also nicely further develops the vampire nation, its agents, and sets up some things for Dracula and co. that carried through the Marvel Universe onwards.

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula
Writer: Victor Gischler
Penciller: Ryan Stegman
Inkers: Mike Babinski & Rick Magyar
Colorists: Frank Martin Jr. & Antonio Fabela
Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
As the Fear Itself hammer-wielders continue their campaign of terror, Red Hulk takes on the newly deified Ben Grimm, the FF's Thing! It's bruiser vs. bruiser as two of the world's strongest battle it out in an all-out brawl that will shake the world! Plus: Omegex, a deadly force from beyond the far reaches of space, has awakened - and he wants Red Hulk! What can Red do against a destroyer of entire worlds? Then, as the Worthy-enhanced Hulk rampages across the countryside, only one group stands against him: the Vampire Nation!
Release Date: September 14, 2011 – October 12, 2011
Price: #1-3 $1.99 each | Also available in Fear Itself: Hulk/Dracula ($14.99)
Buy It Digitally: Fear Itself - Hulk/Dracula

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.