Bruce Banner - The Hulk Appreciation 2021

[Venom Melendez]

Also the Xemnu and Agger thing was also underwhelming, Agger got handled by Xemnu which looked cool but not as satisfying as seeing Hulk break him.

I disagree, it was completely satisfying to see Agger be undone by the monster he enabled, to be undone by his own hubris. Xemnu treated Agger like how Agger treated his employees.

Hulk just punching him would not have been nearly as satisfying.

[Intothevoid]

I disagree, it was completely satisfying to see Agger be undone by the monster he enabled, to be undone by his own hubris. Xemnu treated Agger like how Agger treated his employees.

Hulk just punching him would not have been nearly as satisfying.

Maybe but then Hulk should have taken care of Xemnu but that never happened either, as i said Hulk didn't really do anything in that arc.

[HeavenlyDemonic]

Gotta say, I did enjoy the comraderie between the FF and Joe, especially on Grimm's part. Too bad Fixit didn't return the sentiment.

I never really care for the Thing, but this issue changes that a bit.

Joe was trying to protect his tough guy image, because the other heroes were there. Plus, after the fight, the book told us that the hulk had a sad look on his face( probably the Savage Hulk personality being in his feelings, because he’s being abused for no reason, yet again). Ben is also a tough guy, so he knows that Joe appreciated the gesture, even if he didn’t show it. quiet respect between men, essentially.

I hope this evolution of Joe and Ben’s relationship continues once the book is relaunched.

[Dinosaur Hulk]

I disagree, it was completely satisfying to see Agger be undone by the monster he enabled, to be undone by his own hubris. Xemnu treated Agger like how Agger treated his employees.

Hulk just punching him would not have been nearly as satisfying.

It was a bit satisfying, but more than that it was anti-climactic. We could get Hulk fighting TWO heavy-hitters at the same time. How cool is that?? And the issue was extra large as well. But at the end of the day Hulk punched some deformed zombies and defeated Xemnu with a single hit. Meh...

[Kolwyr]

From Joe's Instagram:

From left to right in background : Cory Petit, Paul Mounts, Sarah Brunstad, Wil Moss, Al Ewing, Ruy Jose, Joe Bennett and Belardino Brabo.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, TEAM.

I really thanks to STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, HERB TRIMPE, SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, DALE KEOWM, LEN WEIN, BILL MANTLO, PETER DAVID AND BERNIE

[Kolwyr]

Also...

THE IMMORTAL HULK # 50 PAGE # 77 PANEL DETAIL

[ChrisIII]

Guessing that's the Big guy and Joe in the Below place, with Savage getting his muscles back.

[Cth]

So, potential Hulk related spoilers for WHAT IF:

spoilers:

Apparently it'll be the third episode, Fury's Big Day which revolves around that 24 hr time period that Thor/Iron Man/Hulk took place in. It sounds like unlike the other episodes it'll be a traditional What If in that it will have a darker/depressing ending. Ruffalo will be voicing Norton's Hulk/Banner which should be surreal I believe it was hinted that someone is assassinating Avengers, so if I had to guess, Banner is going to be killed -- probably in the same way he was in Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe.. following the Hulk until he changes and then BLAM!.

end of spoilers

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #351
“Total Recall”

Cover Date: January 1989
Sale Date: September 20th, 1988
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Jeff Purves
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Marlo Chandler, Mona, Gorsham, Whully, and Booly.
Villain: Risuli, the Grand Inquisitor
Synopsis: A sun-burned and weakened Hulk lies in the scorching Nevada desert, having been teleported away from the battle with the High Evolutionary. He manages to leap back to his apartment and grab a shower before passing out from exhaustion. Across town, Marlo and Mona have a conversation about “Mr. Fixit” and his less than caring attitude towards her injury during the Warzone conflict. The Hulk, meanwhile, has fallen into a deep sleep and begins to recount the moments after the gamma bomb explosion in Middletown. The sensation feels familiar somehow and he lands in an alien jungle. A roar and scream leads him to a shocking admission that the Hulk is back on Jarella’s world as he sees a warthos about to goar a blonde, green-skinned female. The Hulk makes short work of the pig beast (and its friend) and then starts inquiring about who and what is happening. The girl is wearing a medallion fashioned after the Hulk’s features; as any consort to the order she belongs to must wear. Before the Hulk can get more answers, he’s interrupted by three mysterious strangers that admit to bringing him back to K’ai. He tries to get them to send him back, but they convince him to come back to their monastery and listen to their plight. Meanwhile, the unnamed blonde woman who fled the scene has managed to make it back to her town, and is preaching gospel about how the true Hulk has returned. This talk alerts the followers of someone known as the Inquisitor, and she is charged with blasphemy about her tale. Meanwhile, the Hulk is being brought up to speed about the current happenings on K’ai by the mysterious strangers – who are introduced as Gorsham, Whully and Booly. After the events between the Hulk and the Gardener way back in issue #248, the Hulk’s status was elevated to that of a god. The world divided into sects, violence soon followed and wars broke out over who heard the divine truth of the Hulk. Currently, the power shifted to a leader by the name of Risuli, who goes by the name of the Grand Inquisitor. With the help of Psyklop’s old armor and technology, he rules the region with a religious ferver. Gorsham, Whully and Booly, desperate for help, constructed an inanimate replica of the Hulk and pulled an inter-dimensional switch the moment the gamma bomb went off. Their purpose is to rally the people of K’ai around the sight of the true Hulk and rid themselves of the Grand Inquisitor. The Hulk doesn’t agree, until they promise to get rid of Banner for him. This gives him pause, as he says he’ll “think about it.” The issue ends with the Grand Inquisitor getting a confession from the rescued blonde that the “Hulk” she saw was the Anti-Hulk.
Commentary: Finally the backstory on how the Hulk survived the gamma bomb explosion. I do have issues with the narration box on page 1 – about how the Hulk “barely” survived the end of the Evolutionary War. I don’t think that PAD had read the script of Avengers Annual #17. Hulk mainly blustered his way through the issue, and then was teleported back to Earth. I don’t see that as qualifying as “barely” surviving. All in all, this was a good book. PAD really did his homework and got into almost all aspects of the Jarella saga over the years. This and the next issue were Purves’ favorite issues of his run to draw. He was really into old school fantasy-style mythology. After that…well, we’ll see.

[Kingkalamari]

Defenders was pretty great, I've seen some folks suggest that Betty didnt fly away in #48 but rather got warped away by Strange, especially by her comments about being in the middle of something and demanding to go back in Defenders #1.

[jebsib]

Those early Purves issues were not PAD's best work - like Chris Claremont, Peter David seems to be inspired by the strengths of his collaborators.

I remember at the time - from a reveal / story structure perspective - how incredibly clumsy the whole "Return to Jarella's World" story was...
We waited several months for answers and got them in a very jarring way -

Plus I was irritated that PAD hadn't researched who the 3 K'ai wizards were that had appeared in multiple 70s and 80s stories - and came up with three completely different characters.

[Dinosaur Hulk]

Defenders was pretty great, I've seen some folks suggest that Betty didnt fly away in #48 but rather got warped away by Strange, especially by her comments about being in the middle of something and demanding to go back in Defenders #1.

Huh it's a very interesting idea, we never seen her flying away...

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Those early Purves issues were not PAD's best work - like Chris Claremont, Peter David seems to be inspired by the strengths of his collaborators.

I remember at the time - from a reveal / story structure perspective - how incredibly clumsy the whole "Return to Jarella's World" story was...
We waited several months for answers and got them in a very jarring way -

Plus I was irritated that PAD hadn't researched who the 3 K'ai wizards were that had appeared in multiple 70s and 80s stories - and came up with three completely different characters.

Agree with the wait on how the Hulk survived. Not a fan. One time I did a re-read, and went #345, 351, 352, and 346. It read a little weird.
Holi, Moli, and Torla?
I think he was just pulling another name riff with three new characters. But it never fails - every time I re-read this arc, I get that damn song stuck in my head.

Not sure if he had any interest in revisiting any past Jarella characters or follow-ups this early in the run. She'd been dead for a decade, and Mantlo had pretty much sealed the deal on her staying permanently dead with the conclusion in issue #248. The original wizards, to my recollection, were minor characters with funny names.
This was a new Hulk, and he was invested in keeping the gray version going, even if taking him back to K'ai was a callback to the Savage Hulk days. Different Hulk, different setting? I dunno, he doesn't really talk about it in any interviews I've read.

[Kingkalamari]

Anyone read the FCB story? Havent myself yet but curious how it was.

[jebsib]

Honestly I’m worried. The FCBD story was not great… Bruce was written too casual and youthful and the premise is a bit weird. Even Ottley - who I just loved on ASM - seemed off. It felt a little like Waid’s run - which isn’t good news.