Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk Appreciation 2022

[Vordan]

If nothing else the art for Hulk is absolutely breathtaking.



Otherwise though not much to discuss and that ending made me both sigh and laugh.

[Kolwyr]

If nothing else the art for Hulk is absolutely breathtaking..

Yeah, the art was definitely solid in this one. And something for the various battleboards too.

(Though it took me a couple of reads to figure out how they got from the Hand to the planet...)

[Username taken]

If nothing else the art for Hulk is absolutely breathtaking.



Otherwise though not much to discuss and that ending made me both sigh and laugh.

Damn straight!

I could stare at that art without reading the words and enjoy the book.

[Username taken]

Hulk #7

Essentially, the opposite of the last issue as it's cover-to-cover action in this one. So it winds up being a rather quick read.

spoilers:

It played out fairly close to what I expected, although I wasn't expecting this much empathy from Odin towards Banner. Though again, I liked how being able to control Mjolnir gives him some additional agency. And as expected, as the series goes on - the power levels go up. I was surprised we didn't get a full Titan transformation in this one, but I'm guessing they'll hold off on that as the trump card to face off against Thulk. My guess... Titan will absorb the gamma out of Thor as he did to one of the other Hulks a little while back. I didn't expect the Hulk to go "gamma bomb" though. Especially 3,000 gamma bombs worth? Alas, poor Celestial Hulkbuster, we barely knew ye...

end of spoilers

I think what will happen is that Hulk will actually wield Mjolnir against Thor.

Odin seems to be surprisingly understanding. Much more than Thor and Tony for that matter.

The next issue will probably be the Hulk, Odin/Mjolnir, and Asgard coming together to take Thor down.

Final issue will probably be Titan (or the Hulk himself) draining the radiation out of Thor.

[Kolwyr]

I think what will happen is that Hulk will actually wield Mjolnir against Thor.

While covers will often lie, I'm also starting to wonder if this will actually happen in-book.

Odin seems to be surprisingly understanding. Much more than Thor and Tony for that matter.

The next issue will probably be the Hulk, Odin/Mjolnir, and Asgard coming together to take Thor down.

Final issue will probably be Titan (or the Hulk himself) draining the radiation out of Thor.

From the Hulk #9 solicit, it definitely sounds like Titan will put in an appearance at some point.

"Thoroughly shaken by his battle with Thor in “Banner of War” and by Titan’s impact on his friends, Bruce Banner decides that his best company is himself – and only himself."

But yeah, maybe they will save it for the last issue.

And now I wonder who from Asgard is dumb enough to get involved with this...

[Kolwyr]

Glad to see Dale Keown still doing the occasional Hulk cover.
(Variant cover for Hulk #9)

[Tendrin]

That issue was fun as hell and the ending just made me crack the hell up because you KNEW xD

[Cth]

Hulk #7
I didn't expect the Hulk to go "gamma bomb" though. Especially 3,000 gamma bombs worth? Alas, poor Celestial Hulkbuster, we barely knew ye... [/spoil]

Aaron was using something similar over in Avengers, maybe that's where Cates got it from?

Either way, that's bound to be a feat for both characters that battleboards will use in the future

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #391
“X-Calculation”
Cover Date: March 1992
Sale Date: January 21st, 1992
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Dale Keown
Inker: Mark Farmer
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Supporting Cast: Rick Jones, Hector, Ulysses, X-Factor, Betty Banner, Marlo Chandler, Jackie Shorr.
Villain: Farnoq Dahn
Synopsis: Open to a close-up shot of the Hulk in a heated discussion with Rick Jones about the discovery of SHIELD-issued Mandroids in Trans-Sabal. Hector and Ulysses interrupt, and the Hulk walks off with them while Rick makes a new friend from the Rebel Army named Shurk. Cut to Farnoq Dahn’s palace, where he’s introduced to X-Factor and their mission in general. Small talk is exchanged, and while Quicksilver still believes he’s the simple-minded Savage Hulk, Havok counters with “he’s smaller, gray and weaker than before”, only to find out that he’s “greener, bigger and stronger than before”. Back at the Pantheon camp, Ulysses, Hector and the Hulk go over strategy for their next attack, while Rick discovers the reason behind Shurk’s reason for fighting. Cut to Reno, where Betty and Marlo are waiting to meet the woman who claims to be Rick’s mother, Jackie Shorr. Betty’s nervous, as something doesn’t feel right but she’s somewhat relieved after meeting her. Cut back to Trans-Sabal and the counter-attack by the Hulk and Pantheon. Mid-battle, X-Factor appears and takes on the Hulk directly as Rick tries to adapt to using a gun. Shurk questions why he isn’t shooting and Rick admits he’s never shot anyone before, that he thought he was here for moral support. Shurk is shot, and Rick instinctively fires back but Shurk dies seconds later. Meanwhile, the battle between X-Factor and the Hulk reaches critical mass, as the Hulk has held his own against everyone but Havoc, who using his powers to absorb the gamma radiation from the Hulk’s own body. He again asks the Hulk to surrender, and his response is “DROP DEAD!” before the desert is lit up with a giant explosion.
Commentary: Good issue. Keown again is showing how this Hulk is a MERGED conglomerate of the two Hulks and Banner; he’s huge! Since PAD was writing both titles at this time, it was kind of a given that these two titles would crossover over somehow. My favorite bit was the X-Factor debriefing about the Hulk; he’s dumb, no he’s gray, no he’s green and smarter! I was hoping for a better fight between the Hulk and Strong-Guy...

[ChrisIII]

Aaron was using something similar over in Avengers, maybe that's where Cates got it from?

Either way, that's bound to be a feat for both characters that battleboards will use in the future

Didn't Leader/Rick also make the Hulk explode in Immortal? (Destroying the town they were rebuilding that the Avengers fight kind of wrecked, mutating Rick further and giving Jackie the gamma vision?


Speaking of Jackie, has she shown up anywhere else since IH's conclusion?

[HeavenlyDemonic]

Didn't Leader/Rick also make the Hulk explode in Immortal? (Destroying the town they were rebuilding that the Avengers fight kind of wrecked, mutating Rick further and giving Jackie the gamma vision?


Speaking of Jackie, has she shown up anywhere else since IH's conclusion?

Yeah, the Leader caused the Hulk to essentially become a gamma bomb, and the town was completely destroyed lots of people died in the blast.

To my knowledge, Jackie hasn’t popped up again since IH ended. I really liked her friendship with Gray Hulk/ Joe, I hope doesn’t become forgotten about

[Vordan]

I don’t think Jackie really has a future in the Hulk books sadly. Most Hulk writers just want to do ever escalating big slug fests that don’t leave much room for quieter moments where characters like Jackie can shine. Hell most Hulk writers don’t even seem to see much use in a supporting cast at all, for a long time it was just Bruce & Hulk and whoever else was there only stuck around for an arc at best.

[Tendrin]

I don’t think Jackie really has a future in the Hulk books sadly. Most Hulk writers just want to do ever escalating big slug fests that don’t leave much room for quieter moments where characters like Jackie can shine. Hell most Hulk writers don’t even seem to see much use in a supporting cast at all, for a long time it was just Bruce & Hulk and whoever else was there only stuck around for an arc at best.

This isn't just a Hulk thing, barely haviing any room for supporting cast is a line-wide issue.

[Vordan]

This isn't just a Hulk thing, barely haviing any room for supporting cast is a line-wide issue.

I’ve noticed that, Marvel doesn’t seem to have much use for civilians anymore outside of Spidey. Everyone else is only friends or lovers with their fellow heroes these days.

[Tendrin]

I’ve noticed that, Marvel doesn’t seem to have much use for civilians anymore outside of Spidey. Everyone else is only friends or lovers with their fellow heroes these days.

And you don't have to look very hard at Spidey to see how depleted his supporting cast is from its high. There are exceptions. Moon Knight's writer, Jed Mackay, is building what looks like quite a cast around the Midnight Mission but time will tell if future writers bother to sustain or use it. More of this, please.