Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling #1 review

Ever since the initial run of Allan Heinberg’s Young Avengers, the Marvel universe has been severely lacking in more Hulkling and Wiccan (aka Teddy and Billy) stories. There can be three or four ongoing Spider-Man titles at any given moment. Still, comics featuring gay superhero couples going off in some romantic adventure are seldom seen in the 616.

So thank god for Anthony Oliveira for bringing gay brunch and campish heroics to Marvel event titles. First the War of Realms, and now Empyre. With Chip Zdarsky as co-writer, how Hulkling landed his role as Emperor of two of the largest empires is explained. And spoilers, btw.

While Hulking’s origin story is set in the issues of Young Avengers, it’s the first few pages of this one-shot that lays out pretty clearly that we are having a Superman/Moses moment. His parents sacrificed their lives to save him from a dying world to live on Earth as a human to be safe from the ravages of destruction.

All grown up, Teddy spends his time alone from his fiance trying to keep up appearances by faking selfies, hanging with other Young Avenger alums at the local club to see drag queen Krystal M’Kraan (so you know they had to pay a cover charge).

It’s when Kree and Skrull agents call upon Teddy to serve as Emperor does the story fill in how he landed in the first issue of Empyre. While this main thread of Empyre plays out, it’s his struggle with his obligations as a leader, something he didn’t ask for, and the responsibilities to his family, Billy, that resonates with society’s regard for queerness all too well. Nobody in the Emperor’s service wants Billy around. They disregard him, belittle him, and invalidate his and Teddy’s relationship. Something they even reminisce over when Captain America gave them twins beds to sleep in. But even Cap understood their relationship was integral to their lives.

This one-shot doesn’t mince words or shy away from the problem with those outside of queer relationships. Teddy’s people, Kree and Skrull both, keep reminding him “heavy is the head that wears the crown,” but this is a burden already familiar to Teddy and Billy. They already live in a world that doesn’t want them together. Their strength is in each other, and no empire can dissuade them from abandoning that.

Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling (2020) #1

Published:July 22, 2020
Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Anthony Olivieria
Penciler: Manuel Garcia
Cover Artist: Patrick Gleason