Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk Appreciation 2022

[CitizenXXX]

Let's be honest - even before the release of the first issue, some fans (no need to say that there is some kind of general opinion one for all) were already negative. This is due both to the personality of Cates himself and to the fact that this run was unfortunate to come out after Al Ewing's fundamental run.
Some fans are treating Cates' run as if it were the worst Hulk comic of all time, which, let me tell you, is not true to say the least.

[CitizenXXX]

From the point of view of the concept and the main idea, this is very interesting. That is, all this was invented by a person who, at least, has extraordinary thinking. The problem is in the implementation of this concept - Cates writes very very very decompression, slowly, while also wrapping the idea in a not very interesting, very banal story.
Nevertheless, the idea is interesting enough and the seeds are sown for me personally to continue to follow this run, no matter how long it lasts.
I liked issue 6.

[Username taken]

Finished issue 6. I liked this more than the previous ones.

The previous issues were basically filler and build-up to the Titan reveal.

It's a little unfortunate that Titan just appeared and he disappeared again. The concept of the Hulk taking some sort of "final form" is an interesting one but its not being executed very well.

Overall, the concept of the Hulk travelling from one reality to the other isn't something new or novel and Cates really needs to step it up.

[Intothevoid]

Let's be honest - even before the release of the first issue, some fans (no need to say that there is some kind of general opinion one for all) were already negative. This is due both to the personality of Cates himself and to the fact that this run was unfortunate to come out after Al Ewing's fundamental run.
Some fans are treating Cates' run as if it were the worst Hulk comic of all time, which, let me tell you, is not true to say the least.

Oh definitely not, it's not even the worst Hulk run in the last decade. Jason Aarons 2011 and Greg Paks 2017 runs are both easily worse.

From the point of view of the concept and the main idea, this is very interesting. That is, all this was invented by a person who, at least, has extraordinary thinking. The problem is in the implementation of this concept - Cates writes very very very decompression, slowly, while also wrapping the idea in a not very interesting, very banal story.
Nevertheless, the idea is interesting enough and the seeds are sown for me personally to continue to follow this run, no matter how long it lasts.
I liked issue 6.

Eh, too each their own, i haven't found the concept of this that interesting... like the whole "what if Hulk had a Hulk" sounds like a dumb meme rather than anything serious to explore. With that said we can go back months in this thread where i said i will give Cates a break as long as he gives me big, dumb action fun and we haven't even gotten that unfortunately. Like this whole Titan reveal has completely fallen flat after all that hype and the most interesting action so far has come from inside Hulks head where it's all imaginary to begin with...

Cates entire run so far can be described as a huge tease/hype with disappointing delivery... issue after issue...

[CitizenXXX]

I don't mean the Hulk Hulk - I don't know what to do with it yet, it really doesn't look like anything interesting, I'm talking about the way Banner is trying to control the Hulk this time around and what follows. Bruce is driven by fear of what he might become and invented a really interesting and original way
1. Hide
2. Control.
3. Manage
I'm wondering how Bruce was able to build his "star ship Hulk" and how long he can fly it.
Also, we have some interesting questions - who is "Betty", for example.

[Vordan]

Let's be honest - even before the release of the first issue, some fans (no need to say that there is some kind of general opinion one for all) were already negative. This is due both to the personality of Cates himself and to the fact that this run was unfortunate to come out after Al Ewing's fundamental run.
Some fans are treating Cates' run as if it were the worst Hulk comic of all time, which, let me tell you, is not true to say the least.

Definitely not, that’s still Aaron’s run. This is just kind of mediocre. Great art, but the story is paper thin and nowhere near as deep as Cates thinks. Yeah some people were never going to be able to make the jump from Immortal to this, I personally knew going in that at best Cates would just do a run that leaned heavily on “feats” and on action, and I was ok with that. But this still feels like Cates is phoning it in compared to Venom or Thor where I can say he at least feels passionate about those two.

From the point of view of the concept and the main idea, this is very interesting. That is, all this was invented by a person who, at least, has extraordinary thinking. The problem is in the implementation of this concept - Cates writes very very very decompression, slowly, while also wrapping the idea in a not very interesting, very banal story.
Nevertheless, the idea is interesting enough and the seeds are sown for me personally to continue to follow this run, no matter how long it lasts.
I liked issue 6.

Heh reminds me of this post I saw floating around:

[Cth]

He does have a point though, it seems like everyone gets a Hulk these days.

And while I like the idea of Starship Hulk, the way Titan was introduced didn't have quite the same impact.

Meaning, I could see Hulk being pushed to the limit and another form emerges.. (even though Hulk IS Banner, but then again, Bruce has multiple forms, so what's another?)

On the outside, he's facing standard enemy fare, so nothing to really stress "Hulk" to trigger another form shift.. but internally it's artifically flipping a switch. Meaning it's incredibly easy to get to that point, so we should see A LOT more Titan appearances in the future if that makes sense.

I wonder if the machinery Bruce installed had something to do with it, as the initial change to Titan seemed to involve machinery as Hulk is being pulled apart and the machine seems to be stitching him back together(?) In other words, like Extremis being responsible for Hulk becoming Doc Green maybe Bruce's "magical Starship Hulk method" is responsible for Titan?

Something else, and this is what stuck out to me. Hulk is anywhere from 7-9 feet tall. Titan is 30 feet, so roughly 3 times as big as Hulk. An even more fun comparison? Ang Lee's Hulk was 15 feet tall. Thor should be tiny and fit into Titan's hands. If that vision from Civil War 2 wasn't a Hulk form, it'd be a good fit.. maybe that's what Bruce is worried about?

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #387
“Hiding Behind Mosques”
Cover Date: November 1991
Sale Date: September 17th, 1991
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Dale Keown
Inker: Joe Rubenstein
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Banner, Rick Jones, Max Meer, Greta, Achilles,
Antagonist: Sabra
Synopsis: Open to the Hulk about to harm Sabra, but he stops himself, which then gives her an opening to shoot her quills and throw off his sense of balance. In another part of the city, Max and Gretta are still running from Achilles, who along with Rick Jones, are now facing an angry mob. They manage to escape and we cut back to the Hulk and Sabra’s battle. Banner’s thought bubbles give us a brief recap of his situation and his aggravation at constantly being judged by his actions. Sabra, in turn, does the same aloud, taking advantage of the Hulk equilibrium issues. Her aggravations stem from his Presidential Pardon way back in Mantlo’s run and how she spoke on behalf of Israel during the celebration and how humiliated she felt after he went on the mindless rampage. Meanwhile, Rick and Achilles manage to escape the mob, and Achilles delivers a sucker punch to Rick, knocking him out, and resumes his hunt for Max. The Hulk and Sabra battle reaches its climax as the effects of her quills have worn off and he FINALLY manages to explain the situation. Meanwhile, Rick regains consciousness and again has to flee from the angry mob, and Achilles has caught up to Max and Greta. Before anything can happen, the Hulk and Sabra arrive to stop his pursuit. However, their location allows Achilles an aerial view of Max and the pursuing mob about to cross paths. He then gives them his backstory, about being born how he was a Jewish boy born in 1909, knowing nothing about his true parentage and never having been ill in his entire life. He grew up, married and had three children and during the War, sent to Dachau. They perished, as he survived and vowed “Never Again.” He then tells them about the future of Max Meer and how Delphi saw him as the next Hitler. The time spent on the story allows the mob and Max to cross paths and he’s trampled to near death. The issues ends with two twists; Agamemnon lied to Banner about Achilles’ mission; he was sent there to kill the child. And that GRETTA was the true culprit behind Max’s powers.
Commentary: So I went back and spent a few minutes looking for a hidden Gretta in the double-page splash in issue #386, just to be sure it wasn’t one of those “Where’s Waldo” moments. Nope, not there. While I missed the smooth lines of Mark Farmer, Rubenstein’s inks were pretty good over Keown’s pencils. I liked hearing about Achilles’ origin, gives it more of a gut punch. But what threw me off the most was reading Sabra’s monologue about how the BIC era only lasted ONE MONTH in Marvel time?? I’d have to do a breakdown on each issue, there were a lot of two and three parters but…yeah…a month is about right. Wow.

[Golden_Guardian]

Have to admit to never being a Hulk fan until I read through Al Ewing's run on Marvel Unlimited. I found it to be superb. I've stayed onboard with the start of Cates' run - just been able to read issue 3. I am still enjoying the stories, but the articles I have seen spoiling the arrival of Titan leave me with feelings of trepidation to say the least. Without giving too much away, how is it looking up at the most recent issue?

[Tendrin]

Honestly, the MOST disappointing part of this run by far has been the fact that Banner has not turned up the engine, waved his hand and said, "Enrage." before taking off.

[Vordan]

Have to admit to never being a Hulk fan until I read through Al Ewing's run on Marvel Unlimited. I found it to be superb. I've stayed onboard with the start of Cates' run - just been able to read issue 3. I am still enjoying the stories, but the articles I have seen spoiling the arrival of Titan leave me with feelings of trepidation to say the least. Without giving too much away, how is it looking up at the most recent issue?

If you’re enjoying the Cates run so far I think you’ll be fine. The biggest critiques are just that Cates storytelling is very decompressed and we aren’t getting much info on what is actually going on or how Bruce got to this point.

[Cth]

If you’re enjoying the Cates run so far I think you’ll be fine. The biggest critiques are just that Cates storytelling is very decompressed and we aren’t getting much info on what is actually going on or how Bruce got to this point.

This is true. A lot of fans (TV shows, etc) will complain about decompression often comparing things to the tv show LOST.. answers are rarely given and new mysteries are introduced constantly.

Personally I loved it, but I can see how some don't. With Cates run, the impression is focusing on the flashy aspects. The equivalent of the author saying, "I know this doesn't make sense, but trust me" however some fans have a little difficulty trusting Cates. With Ewing, he came in with a specific end goal in mind and stuck to it. So when TV shows get accused of chasing LOST mysteries, they often can get some leeway by saying they have a 4 year plan and an end goal in mind.

In comics, it's understandable that authors need to grab fans with the first arc and tease upcoming arcs or establish a solid theme. Cates did that with Starship Hulk but immediately went into the cliched Hulk vs Thor match which we've got plenty of, and followed that up with another arc that seems to be a distraction. The focus seems to be on new characters instead of the title character and his mystery. Sometimes this works (Planet Hulk) and sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the newness IMO. We hadn't seen a Hulk that was outclassed and needed help to survive. A Hulk that could inspire others and lead. A Hulk consumed by revenge.

Which may be why some see repetition as a jumping off point. Hulk gets a Hulk. Hulk on a planet of stronger beings than him. Hulk vs Thor.

Anyways, I'm just agreeing with what you said.

[ChrisIII]

So the new ASM brought back the Gamma Monster Digger from JMS's old run. Explanation? Green Door.

[Cth]

So I used to do these a while back but haven't updated it in a while..

CHRONOLOGICALLY
IMMORTAL HULK #1 84,153 (Initial) 116,461 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #2 43,481 (Initial) 70,051 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #3 44,389 (Initial) 61,739 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #4 48,003 (Initial) 61,160 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #5 46,676 (Initial) 57,037 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #6 44,741 (Initial) 59,238 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #7 48,902 (Initial) 54,614 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #8 40,983 (Initial) 46,527 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #9 41,398 (Initial) 47,221 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #10 43,229 (Initial) 48,941 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #11 41,010 (Initial) 47,871 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #12 41,331 (Initial) 50,460 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #13 40,496 (Initial) 47,702 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #14 45,708 (Initial) 54,307 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #15 53,120 (Initial) 61,520 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #16 90,305 (Initial) 95,049 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #17 87,444 (Initial) 90,229 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #18 75,983 (Initial) 78,733 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #19 88,100 (Initial) 90,371 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #20 83,059 (Initial) 90,244 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #21 54,333 (Initial) 59,594 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #22 62,053 (Initial) 62,974 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #23 56,734 (Initial) 58,626 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #24 53,944 (Initial) 55,932 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #25 87,519 (Initial) 89,923 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #26 45,522 (Initial) 47,085 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK #27 50,452 (Initial) 51,819 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
21 82.65 IMMORTAL HULK #28 $3.99 MAR 49,851
22 75.29 IMMORTAL HULK #29 $3.99 MAR 46,484
26 73.26 IMMORTAL HULK #30 $3.99 MAR 45,233
14 86.93 IMMORTAL HULK #31 $3.99 MAR 49,545
29 64.78 IMMORTAL HULK #32 $3.99 MAR 43,181
9 103.16 IMMORTAL HULK #33 $5.99 MAR 68,765

APRIL 2020 - MAY 2021 - Missing Data
[ Covid / DC switches from Diamond / ICV2 goes premium ]

209 59.19 IMMORTAL HULK #42 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 55,021
148 68.07 IMMORTAL HULK #43 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 63,273
166 64.31 IMMORTAL HULK #44 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 59,778
183 62.02 IMMORTAL HULK #45 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 57,650
207 59.34 IMMORTAL HULK #46 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 55,159
221 57.87 IMMORTAL HULK #47 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 53,796
197 60.68 IMMORTAL HULK #48 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 56,404
179 62.28 IMMORTAL HULK #49 $3.99 MARVEL COMICS 57,897
357 42.36 IMMORTAL HULK #50 $9.99 MARVEL PRH 39,381

377 41.36 IMMORTAL HULK FLATLINE #1 $4.99 MARVEL COMICS 38,445
300 48.85 IMMORTAL HULK TIME OF MONSTERS #1 $4.99 MARVEL COMICS 45,410
46 39.80 DEFENDERS IMMORTAL HULK #1 $4.99 MAR 36,323
ABSOLUTE CARNAGE IMMORTAL HULK #1 58,818 (Initial) 62,544 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)
IMMORTAL HULK GREAT POWER #1 42,708 (Initial) 44,223 (Reprints/Reorders/Director's Cuts)

CATES
267 52.98 HULK #1 $4.99 MARVEL PRH 49,248
723 24.32 HULK #2 $3.99 MARVEL PRH 22,605

I'll probably go back and update the TPB numbers as well.

[Intothevoid]

Wait Cates first Hulk issue sold less than 50k? And his second issue only sold 22k? WTF????? LOL, thats literally cancelation numbers, like thats some of the worst numbers i have seen for a Hulk comic.