Tag Archives: Hulk

by - 6 Comments

Essential Hulk Vol. 3

Essential Hulk Vol. 3

First Published: May 2005

Contents: Incredible Hulk #118 (August 1969) to #142 (August 1971); Captain Marvel #20 (June 1970) and #21 (August 1970); and Avengers #88 (May 1971)

Key Creator Credits: Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe, Stan Lee, Gil Kane, and Harlan Ellison

Key First Appearances: Glob, Barbara Norriss, Jack Norriss, Jim Wilson, Golem, Jarella, Doc Samson

Story Continues From: Essential Hulk Vol. 2

Story Continues In: Essential Hulk Vol. 4

Overview: Welcome back to the smashing adventures of the Hulk. Our misunderstood monster has moved into the 1970s, still hounded by the army but now facing new challenges from friends and foes alike. 

Hulk faces off against his familiar gamma-radiated foes in the Leader and the Abomination. But now he starts branching out to be threatened by the Rhino, the Absorbing Man, Maximus, and the Mole Man – all villains generally associated with other Marvel heroes. Speaking of which, the heroes themselves get matched up against the Hulk, as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four cross paths with the Hulk in an attempt to subdue him. Note the use of the word attempt, because no one stops the Hulk.

This volume shows us a different side of the Hulk as well. He picks up a new sidekick in Jim Wilson, who does his best to help his new jade friend. We also meet Jarella, the princess of a sub-atomic world that is a mix of high-tech and sorcery. Jarella becomes the love of the Hulk’s life, although Bruce Banner still remains true to Betty Ross.

What makes this Essential?: I really enjoyed this volume. Roy Thomas takes over as writer from Stan Lee, and moves the character away from being on the constant run from the army. Instead, we get more match-ups against foes who could test the Hulk’s strength, such as the Thing, Absorbing Man, the Rhino, and others. He is built up as the misunderstood monster who wants nothing more than to be left alone. We meet Jarella for the first time, and see the sensitive side of the Hulk, showing he has other emotions other than anger. This is a great volume to own if you are a fan of the Hulk. For the casual Marvel fan, it’s worth a read, but it may not be essential.

Footnotes: Incredible Hulk #126 is also reprinted in Essential Defenders Vol. 1 and Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 2.

Avengers #88 and Incredible Hulk #140 were also reprinted in Essential Avengers Vol. 4.

Captain Marvel #20 and #21 are also reprinted in Essential Captain Marvel Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: the 2008 Hulk series by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.  Following the events of the World War Hulk storyline, the Incredible Hulk title was renamed to the Incredible Hercules and given to the Greek Avenger. The Hulk moved into a new adjective-less title and a new take was presented with the character. A mysterious Red Hulk was introduced, which led to months of speculation as to who that might be. McGuinness’ art is perfect for the Hulk and his supporting cast, and Loeb was having fun with the stories. This has been collected multiple ways, so it should be easy to find.

by - 6 Comments

Essential Hulk Vol. 2

Essential Hulk Vol. 2

First Published: September 2001

Contents: Hulk stories from Tales to Astonish #92 (June 19674) to #101 (March 1968), Incredible Hulk #102 (April 1968) to #117 (July 1969), back-up story from #147 (January 1972), and Incredible Hulk Special #1 (1968)

Key Creator Credits: Stan Lee, Marie Severin, Herb Trimpe, Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas

Key First Appearances: Timberius

Story Continues From: Essential Hulk Vol. 1

Story Continues In: Essential Hulk Vol. 3

Overview: The tales of the angry green goliath continue in this second Hulk Essential volume. We see Bruce Banner still being hounded by General Ross and the U.S. Army. Betty Ross must rebuff the interest shown by Major Talbot, as her heart still remains true to Bruce. And the Hulk shows that most times the true monster in the book is not him, but the humans fighting him.

With these stories, we see the Hulk start to crossover with characters from other books. There is a multi-issue arc where the Hulk teams up with Thor and the Warriors Three; Bruce Banner and his alter identity cross paths with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land; and another story line features the Hulk battling the Mandarin, which leads to an obligatory appearance by Iron Man.

A highlight of the book would be the inclusion of the first Incredible Hulk Special (Annual). Written by Gary Friedrich with art by Marie Severin, the Hulk encounters the Inhumans, which had been exclusively supporting characters in the Fantastic Four book until this point. What makes this memorable is the cover by Jim Steranko, which shows the Hulk bent over while holding up the book logo made out of rock. The image has been the subject of numerous homages over the years.

What makes this Essential?: This should be a better book, given the talent of the creators. That said, this collection of stories feels very average. My opinion here, but it feels like Marvel was more concerned with just having a book on the newsstands each month compared to the content of the stories. If you are a Hulk fan, get it only if you are wanting to read his complete journey.

Footnotes: This Essential also includes a back-up Hulk story from Incredible Hulk #147. It is uncredited on the front cover of the Essential, but it is listed in the table of contents. The back-up story was also reprinted, along with the original story, in Essential Hulk Vol. 4.

The Hulk was one of two features printed each month in Tales to Astonish. Since issue #70, the other back-up feature was Namor, the Sub-Mariner. For issue #100, the two characters teamed up for a full-length story.

Tales to Astonish ends with issue #101 (March 1968). The following month, the title was renamed The Incredible Hulk, and continued with the same numbering. Namor jumped to a one-shot special, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1 (April 1968), before moving into his own solo book, The Sub-Mariner #1 (May 1968).

If you like this volume, try: Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics by Dewey Cassell. This book was released by TwoMorrows Publishing in the summer of 2012. Right or wrong, comics are perceived to be a man’s interest. Men are the primary creators (writers, artists, colorists, etc.) of primary male characters printed in books aimed at boys and men. The truth is that while men constitute the majority of creators, there are many female creators in the comics industry. Marie Severin got into the industry in the 1950s, when her brother John Severin needed help getting a project colored for EC Comics. From there, Marie pitched in as colorist, inker, penciller, letterer and whatever else needed to be done. She was a mainstay in the Marvel Comics offices for three decades, working on a variety of titles including The Incredible Hulk, The Sub-Mariner, Kull the Conqueror and others. She even colored the first issue of Marvel’s adaption of Star Wars in 1977. This book provides a detailed look at Severin’s career.

by - 2 Comments

Essential Hulk Vol. 1

Incredible Hulk Vol. 1

First Published: February 1999

Contents: Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962) to #6 (March 1963), Hulk stories from Tales to Astonish #60 (October 1964) to #91 (May 1967)

Key Creator Credits: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Bill Everett, and Gil Kane

Key First Appearances: Dr. Robert Bruce Banner/Hulk, Rick Jones, Betty Ross, General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime, Tyrannus, Major Glenn Talbot, Leader, Amphibion, Secret Empire, Boomerang, Abomination

Story Continues In: Essential Hulk Vol. 2

Overview: Dr. Bruce Banner is a research scientist studying gamma rays for the government. During a test, Banner is caught up in an explosion of gamma energy while trying to save teenager Rick Jones. Banner finds that in times of stress or when he becomes angry, his body undergoes a metamorphosis into a large, muscle-bound rampaging monster, known as the Hulk. The Hulk is a mindless creature fueled by rage and only reverts back to his Banner identity when the danger has passed.

Banner struggles to control his inner-monster so that he does not put others in danger, like the love of his life, Betty Ross. Unfortunately, Betty’s father, General Thunderbolt Ross, is bound and determined to use the full power of the U.S. Army to bring in the Hulk. And competing for Betty’s hand is the general’s right-hand man, Major Glenn Talbot.

Several classic villains with similar gamma-induced reactions are introduced in this volume: the Leader, whose intelligence is the equal of the Hulk’s strength; and the Abomination, a Russian version of the Hulk created during the heights of the Cold War. Other notable foes first featured in these issues include the Boomerang, Tyrannus, and the Ringmaster with his Circus of Crime.

This volume consists of two separate story runs: Incredible Hulk #1-6, which was issued in 1962-63 before being canceled due to low sales; and in Tales to Astonish #60-91, which were issued from late 1964 to 1967. In between the two runs, the Hulk made numerous appearances in other books, such as the Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man, and was a founding member of the Avengers. The Hulk’s growing popularity inspired Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to give the Hulk another chance, with a feature in Tales to Astonish.

What makes this Essential?: The Hulk is one of the most recognizable characters from the Marvel Universe. The Hulk was the second “major” character to be introduced by Lee and Kirby, following the introduction of the Fantastic Four. Along with Spider-Man, he was one of the first characters to really break into the mainstream consciousness of characters, crossing over into numerous TV shows, movies, toys, costumes and other material. The stories in this book provide the foundation for 50 years of Hulk stories. These are not the greatest of Hulk stories, but they should be read if you are a fan of the Hulk or an aficionado of the Marvel Silver Age of comics.

Footnotes: In the first issue of the Incredible Hulk, the Hulk was colored as a gray monster. Beginning with issue #2, the Hulk took on his more familiar green look.

In the comics, the Hulk’s alter identity is Dr. Bruce Banner. In the 1970s live-action television show, he was called Dr. David Banner. According to one story, the producer of the TV show opted to change the character’s name so that it did not feel like a comic book series, by eliminating the alliterative name of the main character, a go-to move that Stan Lee loved to use (Peter Parker, Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Happy Hogan, and others).

If you like this volume, try: a classic book such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Both of these novellas provided inspiration to Stan Lee when developing the concept of the Hulk.

by - 3 Comments

Essential Avengers Vol. 1

Essential Avengers Vol. 1

Essential Avengers Vol. 1

First Published: October 1998

Contents: Avengers #1 (September 1963) to #24 (January 1966)

Key Creator Credits: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck

Key First Appearances: Space Phantom, Lava Men, Heinrich Zemo/Baron Zemo, Nathan Garrett/Black Knight, Masters of Evil, Kang, Simon Williams/Wonder Man, Immortus, Count Nefaria, Maggia, Jacques Duquesne/Swordsman, Erik Josten/Power Man, Princess Ravonna,

Story Continues In: Essential Avengers Vol. 2

Overview: And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born — to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, but their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then — for now, the Avengers Assemble!

In an attempt to gain revenge against his step-brother, Loki creates a plot to force the Hulk to fight Thor. Along the way, Iron Man, Ant Man, and the Wasp join with Thor, before they realize that their true enemy is not the Hulk but rather Loki. From that point, the five heroes vow to ban together to form an unbeatable team. The Wasp suggests the Avengers name, and the rest is history.

Subsequent early issues will have the Hulk leaving the team and Captain America, the now living legend of World War II, joining the team, establishing a tradition of an ever-changing Avengers line-up. This is dramatically shown in issue #16, when the remaining founders take leave from the team and are replaced by a team of reformed criminals in Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch (dubbed Cap’s Quirky Quartet).

Several long-time Avenger foes are introduced with Kang, Immortus, and Baron Zemo and the changing lineup of his Masters of Evil. Future Avenger members Wonder Man (initially a villain, but reforms years later following his resurrection) and Swordsman make appearances in this volume.

What makes this Essential?: As much as the Fantastic Four title was in response to DC’s success with the Justice League of America title, the Avengers is the more comparable doppelganger to the JLA. The original members of the Avengers (Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Ant Man and Wasp, Captain America) all were featured in other anthology books at the time. The Avengers gave the characters a second monthly appearance each month. The events in this title impacted the individual character’s stories in the anthology books, thereby building up the Marvel continuity in a unified comic universe. If Iron Man or Thor was absent from an issue, an editor’s note would drop a hint to the reader to check out that other book to see what was going on.

Also, given the success of recent movie franchise, this is a worthy look at the humble beginnings of the Avengers. While small details were changed, the basic idea of a band of heroes uniting to stop Loki remains the same.

If you like this volume, try: the Avengers Assemble Vol. 1 HC from Kurt Busiek and George Perez. This collection contains the first year of the 1998 relaunch of the Avengers title. While other individual Avengers stories may be more memorable, this series by Busiek-Perez is one of the greatest runs of Avengers stories. The story kicks off with reuniting all previous Avengers to stop Morgana Le Fay from remaking the Earth. The team then slims down to a more manageable line-up, with traditional mainstays (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch) and introducing new Avengers (Firestar, Justice, Triathalon).