The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk   Starring (voice): Neal McDonough, Lou Ferrigno, Luke Perry and Genie Francis Clear Vision RRP: £14.99 MAR1048 Certificate: PG Available 06 September 2010

Released by Clear Vision, from the extensive archives of Marvel, comes The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk, the 1990s animated series. Here we have the complete second series; eight episodes on a single disc, with a total running time of 2 hours, 50 minutes.

In Hulk of a Different Colour, the Leader convinces the Grey Hulk that he can remove Doctor Banner from his genetic make-up, but is only intent on tapping his gamma energy; in Down Memory Lane, She-Hulk begins to lose her strength from burning the candle at both ends; in Mind Over Anti-Matter, a creature from another dimension possesses Bruce Banner, creating Dark Hulk, and She-Hulk and Doctor Strange take a journey through his mind to revive the dormant Green and Grey Hulks; in They Call Me Mr Fix It, a woman crime boss has the power to make men fall in love with her, but when she kidnaps Banner the She-Hulk and Grey Hulk muscle in as new crime lords; in Fashion Warriors, the Leader and the Abomination try to hold celebrities hostage at a fashion show; in Hollywood Rocks, Doctor Doom steals Banner's new machine and uses it to send the Hulk in to space and onto an asteroid headed for the sun; in The Lost Village, the Hulks help protect a mythical and hidden city from a violent outcast; and in Mission Incredible, a deep sea symbiotic life-form takes over a number of people in order to infiltrate a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility with an unstable gamma core.

Having not received series one for review, I can't really comment on the early episodes, and a rather confused and chaotic update at the start of this disc doesn't really help. Nevertheless, it seems that in this updated take on the popular comic characters, Bruce Banner's alter ego is known by both Betty Ross (his love interest) and her father, General Ross - although they have very different and perhaps predictable opinions of the scientist. Banner's cousin has had to be bombarded with gamma rays in order to save her life. It leaves her green-skinned but strong and sexy. Contrary to Banner's constant battle to rid himself of the Hulk, the sassy She-Hulk revels in her new look and abilities. In a failed experiment to separate Banner from the Hulk, the rather more coherent but eminently dislikable Grey Hulk is formed. Now, each time Bruce Banner's anger, pain or anxiety is released we witness a constantly raging internal struggle between the Green and Grey Hulks, and whoever gains the upper hand at that moment is the one we see take form.

This is by far the best animated series of The Incredible Hulk I've come across. The She-Hulk is fun and funny, the Green Hulk lovable, and the Grey Hulk no-nonsense and somewhat tiresome as he should be. Fortunately, this series is action-packed, with interesting storylines. It is enjoyable without ever playing down to a young audience. Consequentially, there are no cringe worthy moments I can recall. A success by any reckoning.

7

Ty Power