Who is the Best Hulk Writer?

[PCN24454]

pad's run is too long with a lot of mid stories and it didn't finish properly

It’s not “too long” if you enjoyed the stories.

[Ptrvc]

PAD was good overall. His actual Hulk has always struck me as a bit domesticated.

Ewing Pak Mantlo have a left a greater mark on the character himself.

[Anthony W]

It's Peter David. This isn't even up for debate.

The love for Ewing's run is akin to raving about the cup of water someone handed you after you were wandering around in the desert for awhile. Hickman's X-Men run also falls into this category.

[a2542]

It's Peter David. This isn't even up for debate.

The love for Ewing's run is akin to raving about the cup of water someone handed you after you were wandering around in the desert for awhile. Hickman's X-Men run also falls into this category.

Agreed. We were in quite a drought for a decent Hulk writer for some time after Pak left. Recency bias is a pretty strong factor in this, although Ewing's work is outstanding and I do rank him #2, #1 is still David hands down.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Peter David. No contest.

David's run was 12 years. Yes, the quality ebbs and flows. However, in that time he managed to give us multiple spins on the character of Bruce as well as The Hulk. One minute the Hulk is operating as a mob enforcer in Las Vegas. The next leading The Parthenon. He was constantly switching it up. With David we have to take in all the stories he has done - Future Imperfect, The End, now Maestro.

But Ewing is right up there. If he sticks the landing, he will easily be second.

[The Man With The Stick]

Best: Peter David

Best pre-David: Bill Mantlo

Best since David: Al Ewing

[Intothevoid]

I will be honest i think Peter David is extremely overrated. Not to say he was a bad writer or anything like that, he was a great writer and some of his Hulk stories have been really great but he has never really had a mind blowing story in his 13 year run on the Hulk, the closest he probably had was the Future Imperfect, other than that he had a bunch of really decent stories and a few not so decent ones but none that blew me away really. He was more character driven than anything else, which worked well with a character like Hulk who has multiple personalities but it didn't work that well in terms of creating an interesting story, the book itself was carried on the back of it's characters and never really the plot.

Ewings Immortal Hulk has blown me away multiple times in both the story and the characters so unless Ewing does a complete 180 and screws up the IH run, he is likely the best writer Hulk has ever had, he has taken concepts presented by Lee, Mantlo, David, Pak, Jenkins and took them to a whole new level.

People say Ewings current run is because it's all in the moment and it's because we had bad Hulk runs previous and i disagree, there is certainly a degree of that but what Ewing is doing is building up on the character to a greater depth than any other writer honestly, he has straight up retconned a few things for the better, introduced a whole new concept about Hulk and gamma that honestly never even crossed my mind before and his run will certainly be remembered for many years to come and that's kinda the thing you remember PAD but don't really remember any story in particular as sticking out outside of Future Imperfect which was fairly short, with Ewing the whole damn series sticks out on it's own.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Ewing, PAD and Jenkins. In that order.

[The_Last_Czarnian]

I may grab this most recent run once it wraps up (#50 being the last?), as I've heard so many good things about it.

I'm usually ambivalent with Hulk. Planet Hulk was amazing, but I found WWH a little too contrived and PIS-heavy.

[lordozone]

1- Ewing
2- Greg Pak
3- PAD

I've just reread the PAD run, and although it's cool, and Ewing owes him a lot, it's going sometimes all over the place, and goes from one idea to another... but after twelve years, it's normal that everything isn't perfect. Maybe the secret to a great run is not to overstay his welcome.

[The Cool Thatguy]

In fairness, Onslaught majorly derailed PAD's run. I don't think it really recovered from that. Otherwise, it wouldn't even be a contest

[Ptrvc]

I have tended to notice that major Hulk fans, while certainly appreciative of PAD tend to have another writer or two as their favorite, while less hardcore fans tend to prefer PAD.

[Intothevoid]

I have tended to notice that major Hulk fans, while certainly appreciative of PAD tend to have another writer or two as their favorite, while less hardcore fans tend to prefer PAD.

Yea i noticed the same thing honestly.

[Zero Hunter]

It is David. Every writer since has just been playing with the concepts of the Hulk David created.

[Dancougar]

PAD definitely everything else others have built off of Mantlo is arguably as great tho

I have tended to notice that major Hulk fans, while certainly appreciative of PAD tend to have another writer or two as their favorite, while less hardcore fans tend to prefer PAD.

Not me I think his run is what got me into Hulk after being annoyed with Loebs stuff