What did you think of the Bruce Jones run of the Incredible Hulk?

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

One of the biggest irritations I had during this part of the run; is this the Hulk or King Kong?
He's.
Not.
That.
Big.
And the Hulk sniffing Nadia??
Geez...

[Mister Mets]

Getting close to the end.


The Incredible Hulk Volume 2 #66-69
Doug Brainthwite draws this arc set shortly after the last one. Bruce and Nadia bury the Hulk’s clone, but weird stuff is happening. Betty seems to be going through some things, and tries to seduce Samson who is traumatized by recent developments.
The romantic triangle stuff actively annoys me, as do the references to the larger conspiracy now that Betty’s back. I don’t care who else she’s really involved with. Putting all these characters with history together highlights a problem with Jones’ continuity-lite approach. They just don’t feel like the characters from John Byrne or Peter David’s run.

Then there are new developments with the clone of Banner which pose an interesting moral question, although I’m not sure I buy the actions of the characters. Bruce’s paranoia is fine, but it leads to a reckless and risky decision, which all the characters quickly realize was a bad call.
B-

The Incredible Hulk Volume 2 #70

A dying telepath helps Bruce evade cops, and warns him about a future crime that they’re going to be unable to stop but that he can.
I mentioned earlier that the lack of single issue stories was a problem, and this issue highlights it. This run works really well in small doses. The sense of atmosphere is effective. I like how the telepath gives an update on a character from the first story. I wasn’t surprised by a twist, but it fits very well with the new character and reveals something solid about Bruce’s character.
B+

[Mister Mets]

The second to last story is my least favorite so far.

The Incredible Hulk Volume 2 #71-74

Tony Stark’s latest fling commits suicide, allegedly as a wake up call for him to clean up his act. He’s been working on a new gamma project, and he wants Bruce’s help for that, as well as investigating why a promising young woman killed herself. Her brother seeks revenge, leading Bruce to hulk out in Tony’s headquarters.

I’m not very familiar with Tony and Bruce’s history in the 616 comics up to this point (Off the top of my head, I know about their silver age interactions and Iron Man #130-131), and it’s probably different in the other versions of the story (Heroes Reborn, Ultimate, MCU) where they haven’t spent decades in their own titles, but it does not feel right here. Tony should know Bruce better, and while part of what he’s doing seems to be an act, he’s too callous about drinking for a recovering alcoholic the public knows to be Iron Man. This would be okay if it’s in a separate world than the regular Marvel Universe introducing a version of Tony Stark who hasn’t been humbled, but it definitely does not feel like the Tony Stark of the regular comics.

A major player in the story is an associate of Tony’s who just doesn’t feel like he’s been part of Tony’s life, or at least in the other Iron Man comics I’ve read. There’s a twist which explains why the story can’t use someone who is part of the Iron man comics, although I kept partially expecting more of an explanation about why Iron Man’s so out of character.

Mike Deodato draws the first two issues. Doug Braithwaite does the rest. This is easily my least favorite story of the run so far, but that’s not due to them.
C-

[Mister Mets]

And the grand finale.




The Incredible Hulk Volume 2 #75-76
Darick Robertson draws the first part, and Doug Braithwhite handles the second. In the final story, Bruce Banner awakens in what appears to be the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse. He encounters the Leader who reveals himself to have been responsible for the secret conspiracy chasing him for the last 40 issues. And now he needs the Hulk to get a time machine and stop all of this from happening. Unless it’s all an illusion.

Tonally this story feels rather old-fashioned after a run where most arcs were TPB-length. I wonder if there’s a meta-point with Bruce Jones, a writer who had been in comics since 1970 and had a comeback with grounded decompressed stories, responding to readers and editors frustrated with his sprawling narrative by going with more panels in the page, a classic design for the Leader and a bronze-age style supervillain plot.
And then it all ends in a really unsatisfying way.
Nadia dies. Bruce freaks out and hurts Samson. Betty freaks out and tells Bruce that she wants nothing more to do with him. There’s a version of the story where she’s under a lot of stress, and tells Bruce the last thing he ever wants to hear, as all his nightmares about hurting the people he loves come true. But I’m just not sold on it here.
D



I’m going to give the larger run a “B” but my recommendation is to go up Issue 49 and stop there. The Absorbing Man story and Issue 70 are worth checking out, but the Wolverine team up and all the stories with Abomination’s ex-wife are just not my cup of tea. If you include those it’s a “meh” run, especially from my perspective, but I can’t call it that since there is quite a bit that’s worthwhile. Even if it does end badly.

[kcekada]

Deodato's moody artwork was a huge part of this run. The stories didnt' work as well with some of the artist. I don't have any of the Stuart Immomen issues, but even back then, I think he was surpassing Mike D in regard to art.