Bruce Banner: The Hulk Appreciation 2019

[PlatinumThorns]

Something that has occurred to me is the pictures of Fortean on the Steel Throne in the Redeemer armor, in the Nightmare armor and the preview of Hulk on the Steel Throne all mirror each other. With the heavy themes of Sefirot and Qlippoth and the discussion about Satan's role in the above, I'm starting to wonder if Fortean isn't the Sefirotic figure in all this. It'd fit in with the Redeemer armor's name.

Probable. A theme brought up in issue #20 is that stuff can be many things at the same time. Fortean from the get-go wants absolute order and is willing to seek the aid of absolute chaos (though, he likely doesn't know he's be used by TOBA as puppet) to achieve it. But to further drive your point with the aid of the recent solicits, Bruce has decided to abide by Devil Hulk's goal to go to war with the Human race so whatever his awful decision is that happens before, he'll finally become the monster. At least for now.

[Electricmastro]

I had that one back in the day. Love me some firebird. Wish they’d release these early mantlo issues in trade like they did the rest of his run.

Agreed. Liked Firebird as well.

[Immortal Hulk]

Now Bruce Banner and his throne!

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #266
Cover Date: December 1981
Sale Date: September 8th, 1981
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Jin Novak
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Al Milgrom

“Devolution!”

Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Ross and Rick Jones
Antagonist: High Evolutionary
Synopsis: The trio of Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, and Rick Jones are casually driving down the freeway when they stumble across a restricted area barricade nearby Banner’s old desert laboratory. The absence of Army soldiers has Banner on edge, as a monkey startles Rick is a species that has been extinct for some time. Rick and Betty begin to feel strange and the monkey swipes the car keys. Banner follows, as the duo devolve themselves. The closer Banner gets to his cave, the older the animals appear. It’s all the work of the High Evolutionary, whose attempts at trying devolve himself is being thwarted by his armor. Banner transforms into the Hulk and he viciously thrashes the cosmic scientist. He reverses the transformations around the area and disappears into a blob of protoplasm.




Commentary: A better story. Sal got back into a grove with this issue. Only gripe with the story was Betty’s version of how she found out Banner was the Hulk…wasn’t the way it happened. I'm starting to believe that Mantlo didn't read a lot of the Tales to Astonish Hulk stories….

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #267
Cover Date: January 1982
Sale Date: October 13th, 1981
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Jin Novak
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Al Milgrom

“What A Day for a Daydream!”

Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Ross, Rick Jones,
Antagonist: Shaper of Worlds and Glorian.
Synopsis: Betty Ross is coaxing the Hulk to stand in front of one of Bruce Banner’s old gamma ray projectors. The Hulk gets aggravated as Rick keeps mentioning Banner’s name. Before he can do anything, Rick pulls the switch and he’s bombarded with gamma energy, forcing the change. An exhausted Banner collapses and Betty decides to head to town and get some food, with Rick standing outside the entrance and admiring the rainbow in the night sky. Cut to Betty’s destination, the small town of Dustbowl. We’re introduced to numerous characters inside a diner, all who dream of bigger and better lives for themselves. Suddenly, a gold-skinned individual enters and their dreams become reality. Betty arrives and soon falls victim to these same dreams, as a Hulk-free Bruce Banner appears before her eyes. Back at the cave, Rick realizes something is wrong, as Betty has been gone for hours and RAINBOWS DON’T COME OUT AT NIGHT. He wakes up Banner and explains the situation, which causes the transformation back into the Hulk. He arrives and wonders what the problem is, as Betty looks happy. However, he notices Glorian and knows something is up. Their conversation confuses Betty, who still sees Glorian as Banner. The Hulk shakes off Glorian’s attempt to put him under the same spell, and this time it begins to wane on Betty as well. Glorian panics and turns the dreams into nightmares, making the Hulk see the townsfolk as his old enemies. Rick arrives and is confronted by the Shaper of Worlds, which really makes him angry. The issue ends with Rick goading the Hulk into a greater fury about the situation, leaving Betty to wonder about what is happening to Rick.

Commentary: Another song title for the book…this one with an apology to the Lovin’ Spoonful. Wonder if this habit was getting noticed. So how many broken bones, concussions, or deaths SHOULD HAVE occurred with the Hulk clobbering all those people during the nightmare scenario???

[rhenley]

Picked up Immortal Hulk #2: Director's Cut and liked it better than the first Director's Cut. This one had the script in it along with the pencils and variant covers. For some reason I really love reading the writer's page and panel descriptions to go along with the captions and dialogue we see in the finished version. Ewing's script is pretty straightforward compared to the scripts I've read by Donny Cates. Cates' scripts read the way I imagine movie directors speak (I'm paraphrasing here): "Ok Ryan, do what you do best. Draw the biggest, baddest thing ever! Make the reader's jaw drop!" Love Cates though. He and Ewing are my two favorite writers right now.

[Electricmastro]

The top reminds me of when they started advertising "MARVEL'S TV SENSATION" on the 1978 Hulk comics.

[ChrisIII]

Immortal Hulk November 2019 Solicits
IMMORTAL HULK #26
AL EWING (W) • JOE BENNETT (A) • Cover by ALEX ROSS
He’s got an underground fortress. He has powerful allies. He’s even got henchmen.
He’s got everything he needs to declare war on human society as we know it. He’s the most dangerous man in the world...
...and BRUCE BANNER is just getting started.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99



IMMORTAL HULK #27
AL EWING (W) • JOE BENNETT (A) • Cover by ALEX ROSS
2099 VARIANT COVER BY Tom Raney
Some monsters are born from gamma... other monsters worship a different kind of green.
In his war on the human world, the Immortal Hulk is taking the fight to its lords and masters - the Roxxon Corporation.
But when you mess with THE MINOTAUR... you get the horns.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

Kind of cool how Alex shows the physical differences between Savage and Devil here. Savage seems to be often-and this includes Bennett-be drawn as pretty much 60's style, which is pretty much a Green grey Hulk (large brows, not a lot of hair), but for most of his time-mainly from the 70's onward including a lot of Sal Buscema's work) he seemed to have a lot more hair and a far less prominent brow. Other Green Hulks seem to have the 60's look, including Immortal and Mike Deodato's version, but sometimes Savage looks more distinct than that. Although I'm pretty sure Green scar was shown with longer hair a good chunk of the time, and Romita Jr. also seemed to draw Professor hulk as Savage Hulk with a tank top.


It's something that kind of bugs me a bit about some of the figures too; for "Grey Hulk" they pretty much just color the Savage hulk grey and with blue pants, without any physical difference.

[ChrisIII]

Hmmm...wonder why Mcgee's absent from that cover....

[Ptrvc]

Kind of cool how Alex shows the physical differences between Savage and Devil here. Savage seems to be often-and this includes Bennett-be drawn as pretty much 60's style, which is pretty much a Green grey Hulk (large brows, not a lot of hair), but for most of his time-mainly from the 70's onward including a lot of Sal Buscema's work) he seemed to have a lot more hair and a far less prominent brow. Other Green Hulks seem to have the 60's look, including Immortal and Mike Deodato's version, but sometimes Savage looks more distinct than that. Although I'm pretty sure Green scar was shown with longer hair a good chunk of the time, and Romita Jr. also seemed to draw Professor hulk as Savage Hulk with a tank top.


It's something that kind of bugs me a bit about some of the figures too; for "Grey Hulk" they pretty much just color the Savage hulk grey and with blue pants, without any physical difference.

I think in the comic, the Savage is literally hijacking Devil Hulk's form when he takes control. Just like Joe takes control of Banner's.

On the cover Ross is trying to differentiate the two of them just like Bruce and Joe with their clothing.

There's a limited amount of what you can do with purple pants though, so he gave Savage Hulk his classic features.

[ChrisIII]

Looks like Mcgowan's probably going to go up in importance as well. I wonder if there's an intention in her design, as she seems slightly like a female version of "classic" Bruce with the glasses and the lab coat. Rick looks a little better too, although this might just be Ross's take.

[Immortal Hulk]

And here it goes!

Immortal Hulk #23 preview

https://www.cbr.com/immortal-hulk-ja...-origin-story/

[PlatinumThorns]

Kinda cheap they halved two full spreads for the preview, but oh well. Looks like a nice balance of character building and action! Next issue should be a treat.

[Ptrvc]

Excited to see what's up with Jones. He's been a mystery for a few issues now.

[Immortal Hulk]

Yeah! I wonder if He'll turn into that energy form again.