Bruce Banner: The Hulk Appreciation 2020

[Immortal Hulk]

Spot the Sal Buscema easter egg

Attachment 99705

There's a "Sal Buscema Punch" too.

[Jness]

Amazing issue as always - definitely as stated by others, felt like the shortest read of the series thus far (likely due to the double page spreads). When I got to the end this time I was like "Whoa, we're done already?" vs. my usual "holy crap" reaction to the cliffhanger...

[Klaxton]

I just wanted to post this exchange from another board, since discussion here is a lot more interesting







Oh, and as an aside, it's a nice touch for the Childlike Hulk to be wearing the purple underwear costume as it also can serve as a visual substitute/shortcut for a diaper, forcing that childlike imagery even further. Not sure if it's intentional, but they returned from nowhere.

Unless you subscribe to that 294-300 arc theory

Alvaros comic boards?

[Ptrvc]

Great issue, all the double-spreads made it felt shorter than usual though. Some points (spoilers if you haven't read the issue yet):

-Notice the Job quote at the beginning of the issue.
-It made me feel really bad seeing Hulk suffer like that in the first few pages...
-A hunch of mine came true and a specific plot point no one seems to be noticing that was mentioned by Samson, "anger" seems to be infecting everyone which is why Gamma Flight is attacking Hulk no matter what Jackie is saying to them. The One Below All is the reason for the suffering and evil in the past few issues and possibly beyond (Empyre, Venom, etc.). He's growing stronger by the issue.
-Dunno what's the plan Absorbing Man has from turning into a giant Gamma beast. Seems ill-thought out on his part.
-The First...Wonder what's in store next issue.
-And the big one....The "Red Door"? Seems a bit derivative, but according to issue #34 the opposite of Gamma is Kirbons so TOAA might get involved.

We saw Brian/TOBA pulling the same trick in the early issues. I think that's one of the creepier things about TOBA, sitting at the bottom of creation, prodding at the darker aspects of your nature.

[Immortal Hulk]

Amazing issue as always - definitely as stated by others, felt like the shortest read of the series thus far (likely due to the double page spreads). When I got to the end this time I was like "Whoa, we're done already?" vs. my usual "holy crap" reaction to the cliffhanger...

I considered we had two cliffhangers. Definitely didn't expect what happened to Creel

Alvaros comic boards?

There are lots of us here, it seems.

We saw Brian/TOBA pulling the same trick in the early issues. I think that's one of the creepier things about TOBA, sitting at the bottom of creation, prodding at the darker aspects of your nature.

Yeah, that's how you present an all-powerful multiversal "Lovecraftian" force of nature. It's much more interesting and threatening, imo. Most creators have zero creativity when presenting the "dark god of the month", as it happens a lot nowadays.

Also, I think that Creel will help a lot to spread the infection, if we can call it that. Not a smart decision at all.

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

Incredible Hulk Annual 10 (1981)

Bruce Banner as Captain Universe facing off the Hulk, how weird is that? By comics standards it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it is interesting to note. It might also be the second time Bruce and Hulk stood face to face.

[Immortal Hulk]

Incredible Hulk Annual 10 (1981)

Bruce Banner as Captain Universe facing off the Hulk, how weird is that? By comics standards it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it is interesting to note. It might also be the second time Bruce and Hulk stood face to face.

Thhat's one of the coolest annuals from the 80s era. I guess it's my 3rd favorite, losing to #8 (Hulk vs. Sasquatch) and #7 (Hulk, Iceman and Angel vs. Master Mold)!

[Rzerox21xx]

https://www.gamesradar.com/hulk-flas...tro-1-preview/

this looks depressing

[Immortal Hulk]

https://www.gamesradar.com/hulk-flas...tro-1-preview/

this looks depressing

Great, promising and very depressing! It's the Hulk, after all...

[Immortal Hulk]

By Clayton Crain.

[ChrisIII]

Alex Ross's twitter has a picture for Captain America #25

https://twitter.com/thealexrossart/s...80976966320128

Looks like the Red Hulk might be back.

The depowered Ross of course was a supporting character in the early issues of the post-Secret Empire Captain America ongoing.

Although this could just be an undead version like the one seen earlier in IH and Absolute carnage (and Bruce himself of course had two semi-ressurections for a bit before coming back for good in No Surrender).


Regarding the Maestro preview I'm guessing this is perhaps an alternate timeline where the Merged/Professor somehow avoided the stuff that eventually destabilized that persona, such as the Fall of the Pantheon, the Ghosts of the Future arc, Onslaught etc. so he was basically able to settle down more with Betty in relative safety and have kids until whatever event made him the Maestro. For example, around the time of Rick and Marlo's wedding was perhaps the merged's high point, as Betty had come around more to the idea of him being 'permanently' the Hulk and was going to move back in. Then the whole Pantheon mess happened.

One son being gamma-powered and the other seemingly not sounds similar to "What savage Beast" a bit, which was also a tangent for the merged storyline (Basically if "Ghosts of the Future" never happened).


This also pretty much almost confirms that the Maestro is pretty much an evil version of Merged and not really it's own seperate persona.

[Immortal Hulk]

Alex Ross's twitter has a picture for Captain America #25

https://twitter.com/thealexrossart/s...80976966320128

Looks like the Red Hulk might be back.

The depowered Ross of course was a supporting character in the early issues of the post-Secret Empire Captain America ongoing.

Although this could just be an undead version like the one seen earlier in IH and Absolute carnage (and Bruce himself of course had two semi-ressurections for a bit before coming back for good in No Surrender).


Regarding the Maestro preview I'm guessing this is perhaps an alternate timeline where the Merged/Professor somehow avoided the stuff that eventually destabilized that persona, such as the Fall of the Pantheon, the Ghosts of the Future arc, Onslaught etc. so he was basically able to settle down more with Betty in relative safety and have kids until whatever event made him the Maestro. For example, around the time of Rick and Marlo's wedding was perhaps the merged's high point, as Betty had come around more to the idea of him being 'permanently' the Hulk and was going to move back in. Then the whole Pantheon mess happened.

One son being gamma-powered and the other seemingly not sounds similar to "What savage Beast" a bit, which was also a tangent for the merged storyline (Basically if "Ghosts of the Future" never happened).


This also pretty much almost confirms that the Maestro is pretty much an evil version of Merged and not really it's own seperate persona.

Actually, I think a bit different. It will depend on when AIM took him (somehow) and put him under this VR simulation. I believe the whole Betty and kids never happened.

[Immortal Hulk]

More variants!

[Rzerox21xx]

I believe PAD mention in a interview that he wished he didn't go the whole sex slaves route with Maestro or he said that's something he would not do in today storytelling standards. i wish i remember where the link was he said this, I think archive in his blog.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I believe PAD mention in a interview that he wished he didn't go the whole sex slaves route with Maestro or he said that's something he would not do in today storytelling standards. i wish i remember where the link was he said this, I think archive in his blog.

Ironically, I'd actually say that his depiction wasn't gratuitous. Maestro represented all seven sins, of which lust is one, and it was never treated as anything other than Maestro being a monster