Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk Appreciation 2022

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #418
“We Are Gathered Here”
Cover Date: June 1994
Sale Date: April 19th, 1994
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Gary Frank
Inker: Cam Smith
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Banner, Marlo Chandler, damn near everyone in the Marvel Universe (good or bad) in 1994.
Villain: Mephisto
Synopsis: Open to a hungover Betty, Rick and Marlo, talking about Marlo’s stag film. She storms off and ends up taking a stroll on the beach to clear her head. A shadowy figure interrupts and takes up her offer on giving up her soul to make it better. She brushes off the encounter as being a dream, and shakes hands with him. Suddenly she’s back in bed with Rick apologizing for his behavior earlier, and the odd look on her face has wondering if the stranger really did what he said. Cut to the chapel, where various super heroes are starting to show up, one of which includes Rom and Brandy. As the wedding begins, more and more individuals appear, such as Drax the Destroyer, Mr. Hyde, the Absorbing Man, Kree and Skrulls from across the galaxy. Suddenly, Mephisto appears and is making his claim on Marlo’s soul. The Hulk isn’t having it, and is easily handling the demon…who is actually allowing the Hulk to take advantage of him for purposes we will see many years down the road. He retreats and the wedding finishes without further conflict. The issue ends with Marlo making small talk with an unidentified individual (who we know as Death) and leaves her a brush as a wedding gift.
Commentary: Good issue, some of the gags could have been left out. Trying to look at it with 1994 eyes…I didn’t know or care about the whole “brush with death” gag, I thought the Peter David as the pastor was meh. Had a hard time believing the villains wouldn’t do anything and I thought the Kree/Skrull invitations was a little too over the top. Looking at it now, it’s done for fun. I was in my second semester of college at the time, and my life had dramatically changed from the first. I discovered alcohol, a new dormmate, a girlfriend and I was running out of money for my school supplies, which disappointed my photography instructor. How I was able to keep up on my comic purchases is beyond me. I do remember making it a mission to find the ashcan edition for this issue, though.

[Captain Craig]

Hahaha.....Death from Gaimen's DC run.
Nice, just enough to not get in trouble.

[Vordan]

PLANET HULK: WORLDBREAKER #5 (OF 5)
GREG PAK (W) • MANUEL GARCIA (A)
Cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN
WORLD BROKEN!
A thousand years in the future, green-skinned Haarg, like Tala and her brother Balo, are reviled and persecuted on Planet Sakaar. So when Balo was kidnapped by an evil priestess, Tala enlisted the help of her Grandpa Cho, the Jen, and Korg of Krona to break him free. But as the priestess reveals her true endgame, only the power of Banner, the Green Scar himself, can stop her. But is that just part of the priestess' plan? Our story of prophecy, damnation and redemption comes to a shattering conclusion!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

[ChrisIII]

Wonder who the "Trusted friends" are. Thor and Iron Man back again? The Hulks apart from Savage (Joe, maybe Devil?) in the mindscape?

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #419
“The Last Waltz”
Cover Date: July 1994
Sale Date: May 17th, 1994
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Roger Cruz
Inker: Cam Smith
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Banner, Rick and Marlo Jones
Villain: Talos the Tamed
Synopsis: As Rick and Marlo’s wedding winds down, a disgraced Skrull named Talos intends to redeem his reputation by taking down the legendary Hulk. In between this, we see Betty accept Bruce’s invitation to come live at the Mount and Rick awkwardly confront Betty about the kiss they shared while Marlo was in a coma. The Hulk and Talos duke it out until the Hulk feigns defeat, thus giving Talos the confidence and respect back to his name.
Commentary: Semi-fill in issue, at least for Gary Frank, as Roger Cruz steps in to help out. Rick and Marlo are written out of the book as regulars as they head out for their honeymoon. Which sucked because he should have been there for what happens next issue. Roger Cruz offers us a rendition of the Hulk in the Homage Studio style, or as I like to put it, if Jim Lee drew the Hulk. That awkward picture of the Hulk begging Talos, though. Blech. The letters column are mainly about reaction to Bill Bixby’s death, but the nugget that intrigued me the most was the editorial reply about “no plans to bring back the old Hulk at this time, but we do have some big changes coming up”. Indeed.

[ChrisIII]

In a 'sort of' way they did bring back the "old" Hulk in #425.... (and of course Savage Banner kind of set the foundation for "Sunshine Joe").

Kind of would be interesting to have a Bannerised Professor as well. Then again occasionally Bruce has displayed an attitude that isn't far off from his "ideal" self.

[Hypestyle]

so why did Mephisto allow the Hulk to defeat him at the wedding? what happened years later?

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

so why did Mephisto allow the Hulk to defeat him at the wedding? what happened years later?

I think it was brought up in the 1999 Captain Marvel series. Been a while since I read it, but there's a subplot going on that explains it all...or most of it.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk Annual #20
“Story Time/Desert Storm/Pychobabble/You’re Invited!”
Cover Date: 1994
Sale Date: June 14th, 1994
Writer: Peter David, Frank Lovece, Jerry Novick, Barry Dutter
Artist: Salvador Larroca, Stuart Immmonen, Phil Felix, Kevin Kobasic, Scott Benefiel
Inker: Brad Vancata, Phil Moy, John Lowe, Mike Christian
Letterer: Janice Chiang, Susan Crespi, Michael Higgins, Jon Babcock
Colorist: Glynis Oliver, Kelly Corvese, Sarra Mossoff
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Synopsis: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Incre...nnual_Vol_1_20
Commentary: This era of annuals is my least favorite. I honestly do not think I’ve fully read it, nor do I chose to. Hence the link to the synopsis. Looking at the credits, Salvador Larroca, Stuart Immonen – interesting. And Barry Dutter…is this the same Barry Dutter who absolutely LOATHED the She-Hulk in her first series, and had multiple letters printed in the letter columns to say so???

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #420
“Lest Darkness Come”
Cover Date: August 1994
Sale Date: June 21st, 1994
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Gary Frank
Inker: Cam Smith
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Banner, Jim Wilson,
Synopsis: Jim Wilson is dying of AIDS, and Bruce can do nothing to stop it. Betty tries to stop a young man from committing suicide after finding out he was HIV positive.
Commentary: The pendulum swings from funny to drop-dead serious with this issue. Poor Jim. Erik Larsen takes a dig at this later in Savage Dragon, where Dragon gives someone in the same situation a blood transfusion. The results were…different. But the biting commentary…

[Mantis-Ray]

Finally read Future Imperfect and The End. Always nice finally reading these classic stories.

Future Imperfect great stuff. Maestro was scary as **** especially the fact the dude has sex slaves which bruh. Also Perez' artwork is immaculate, thats a classic guy.

The End man is just brutally depressing. Like holy cow was that sad man.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Incredible Hulk #420
“Lest Darkness Come”
Cover Date: August 1994
Sale Date: June 21st, 1994
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Gary Frank
Inker: Cam Smith
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Banner, Jim Wilson,
Synopsis: Jim Wilson is dying of AIDS, and Bruce can do nothing to stop it. Betty tries to stop a young man from committing suicide after finding out he was HIV positive.
Commentary: The pendulum swings from funny to drop-dead serious with this issue. Poor Jim. Erik Larsen takes a dig at this later in Savage Dragon, where Dragon gives someone in the same situation a blood transfusion. The results were…different. But the biting commentary…

Yeah, this issue demonstrates the vast gulf that exists between PAD and Erik Larson. Not even in the same league.

[Rzerox21xx]

http://www.multiversitycomics.com/previews/joe-fixit-1/

Joe Fixit 1 Preview.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Like the feel, like the art...it has a nice 1989 feel to it.
My only concern is the timeline. Hulk was fired as "Fixit" at the end of #358 and Cloot and the Maggia were run out of Vegas after the events of #359. We never saw he and Berengetti interact again, so I'm hoping this is one of those "here's what you didn't see" kind of stories.