Since debuting Ultimate Avengers in 2006, Marvel Comics and Lionsgate have been releasing animated features of varying quality direct-to-video for the last few years with decent success. For Hulk Vs. they've decided to take a different approach and bring us two separate stories, with the big, green destructive force that is The Hulk at the forefront, instead of a feature-length tale. The results generally entertain though I felt that a lot of times it was just an excuse to get a handful of their recognizable characters into the mix to placate (or piss off, depending on how true to the origins they are - check out Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as an example) fan boys itching to see their favourites.

Our first story involves the X-Man himself, Wolverine, as he's called in to stop a rampaging Hulk (Fred Tatasciore) who's taken to the Canadian wilderness. Seeing as Wolverine (Steve Blum) is a native Canuck and one Hell of a tracker, you know it's not long before the two brutes are duking it out in the Rocky Mountains. However, in the tradition of all comic book team-ups of the past they soon find themselves having to work together when a gaggle of baddies arrive with evil intentions.

Of the two stories, I liked this one the most. The fight scenes are entertaining, the script goes briefly into Wolverine's origin and the Weapon X project that spawned him (doing a better job than the passable Hugh Jackson movie did), and there's some hyperactive comic relief that's a lot of fun. It's also the most violent of all of Marvel's DTV 'toons even containing, much to my delight, dismemberments at the claws of Wolvie. On top of this, they've given Wolverine a look and demeanour that matches the early 90's cartoon series, which is a wise choice and makes me happy, even if he's a little top-heavy looking.

Second up they bring forth the "God of Thunder" himself, Thor (Matthew Wolf), who's forced into action when his homeland of Asgard find itself under attack by the Hulk who is being used by the nefarious Loki (Graham McTavish) to try and take over the mystical city while it's keeper, Odin, is taking his yearly slumber. It's more mass destruction as a Loki controlled Hulk and a hammer swinging Thor face-off to decide the fate of Asgard.

Whereas the first story was more briskly paced and felt like a modern action movie, this second tale slows things down a bit and blends together a medieval feeling with a somewhat jokey tone. I appreciated the attempts at comic relief, mostly from the group of Asgard defenders known as "The Warriors Three", but found the mixture of magic and Hulk's chaos to be a bit forced. Then again, I've never really been a huge fan of Thor, so maybe that's why I couldn't get fully into it.

Like the DTV efforts that came before it, Hulk Vs. sports perfectly acceptable animation and even though it does look a little stiff at times, I found it to be pretty pleasing on the eyes. The voice actors on hand generally do their jobs fine as well with Blum doing the typical "gruff" Wolverine you'd expect while Wolf brings Thor's righteous spouting timbre to the screen about how I'd hear it in my head. However, it's Nolan North who steals the show as the motor-mouthed Deadpool.

Even though Marvel's competitors DC Comics generally kick their ass in the animated movie realm (Batman: Gotham Knights, Superman: Doomsday), Hulk Vs. is a step in the right direction with its surprising PG-13 rating and darker tone. It's certainly not the watered-down silliness of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow or insult that is The Invincible Iron Man and joins Doctor Strange as one the better results of the Marvel/Lionsgate partnership. (Chris Hartley, 8/1/09)

Directed By: Sam Liu, Frank Paur.
Written By: Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost.

Starring: Fred Tatasciore, Steve Blum, Matthew Wolf, Graham McTavish.