Bruce Banner: The Hulk Appreciation 2018

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

That’s true. If only they’d translate to comics sales.

IP=intellectual property.

True.

And thanks for the clarification.

[Shadowcat]

True.

And thanks for the clarification.

Anytime. It’s kinda nice being in a group that enjoys the same types of characters I enjoy.

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

Anytime. It’s kinda nice being in a group that enjoys the same types of characters I enjoy.

Same here. I like characters that can get into the weirder realms, hence my love for monsters and the supernatural. I want to see more Hulk stories wherein he finds himself in these places like he did in the late 60's and 70's comics.

[GrandEleven]

Adding my voice to the crowd: this book delivers. It delivers on everything I wanted to see form a Hulk book, and surprises me with things I didn't know I wanted to see. This is just a spectacular book so far, and the new gem in my pull list.

Story wise: "the green door" keeps becoming a deeper and deeper element to the story. Every time I think I understand what it means, a curve ball is thrown. To make it even more spectacular, is this curve ball manages to respect established stories enough to feel like a "tweak" rather than a full retcon. Feels more like looking at gem from a different angle: same cut, completely new perspective.

Opening with a Jekyll and Hyde quote just pulled the right heart strings for me. I nearly said out loud "omg he gets it". It's then followed up with a Bruce Banner written and spoken very distinctly from the Hulk, and a Hulk himself who seems to slip/regress from his current speech patterns to the simple rage beast of his past as the truth of what he's fighting unfolds before him. It's those touches in dialog that open this story up and really impressed me. This was clearly the climax of the opening arc, with a clear picture now painted of the "new" Hulk and the struggles ahead, and it _delivered_. You can see elements of his multiple personalities, his emotional struggles, rage, all of it laid out in a fight that leaves you wondering just how it will end. Even the journalist has a big motivational reveal as to why she's chasing the Hulk story so closely.

And that's not talking about the art. The art was spectacular. Sasquatch had almost a viper like head, menacing, demonic. Hulks facial expressions are on point, running the range of anger, fear, shock, the whole gamut. Even spoilers:

Banner's father is drawn in a style that is a throwback to the comics of the 60s/50s ... which is just a nice touch

end of spoilers.

Long may Ewing's reign run on this book. This better be selling well... cause .. I can't praise it enough.

[Anonymousmc]

Same here. I like characters that can get into the weirder realms, hence my love for monsters and the supernatural. I want to see more Hulk stories wherein he finds himself in these places like he did in the late 60's and 70's comics.

It would be cool if the direction of the story led to the Hulk revisiting the Crossroads in order to encounter or banish the big threat that looms behind the Green Door.

[Shadowcat]

spoilers:

Could his father be the Devil Hulk personality from the Jenkins run?

end of spoilers

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

Adding my voice to the crowd: this book delivers. It delivers on everything I wanted to see form a Hulk book, and surprises me with things I didn't know I wanted to see. This is just a spectacular book so far, and the new gem in my pull list.

Story wise: "the green door" keeps becoming a deeper and deeper element to the story. Every time I think I understand what it means, a curve ball is thrown. To make it even more spectacular, is this curve ball manages to respect established stories enough to feel like a "tweak" rather than a full retcon. Feels more like looking at gem from a different angle: same cut, completely new perspective.

Opening with a Jekyll and Hyde quote just pulled the right heart strings for me. I nearly said out loud "omg he gets it". It's then followed up with a Bruce Banner written and spoken very distinctly from the Hulk, and a Hulk himself who seems to slip/regress from his current speech patterns to the simple rage beast of his past as the truth of what he's fighting unfolds before him. It's those touches in dialog that open this story up and really impressed me. This was clearly the climax of the opening arc, with a clear picture now painted of the "new" Hulk and the struggles ahead, and it _delivered_. You can see elements of his multiple personalities, his emotional struggles, rage, all of it laid out in a fight that leaves you wondering just how it will end. Even the journalist has a big motivational reveal as to why she's chasing the Hulk story so closely.

And that's not talking about the art. The art was spectacular. Sasquatch had almost a viper like head, menacing, demonic. Hulks facial expressions are on point, running the range of anger, fear, shock, the whole gamut. Even spoilers:

Banner's father is drawn in a style that is a throwback to the comics of the 60s/50s ... which is just a nice touch

end of spoilers.

Long may Ewing's reign run on this book. This better be selling well... cause .. I can't praise it enough.

Nice sum up. The key facet to this run so far is that Ewing "gets it" as you've mentioned. There is a fine line that a writer of Hulk walks that leads to fantastic stories or disastrous ones. It lies in the fact of whether they "get" the Hulk or not. Most writers sadly don't.

It would be cool if the direction of the story led to the Hulk revisiting the Crossroads in order to encounter or banish the big threat that looms behind the Green Door.

I'd love to see Hulk travel the Crossroads freely. I hated most of those stories as a youth mostly because I hate an animalistic Hulk that can't voice his opinions. I think it'd be nice to make it part of Hulk lore again.

spoilers:

Could his father be the Devil Hulk personality from the Jenkins run?

end of spoilers

Interesting if it plays out this way. I never liked Bruce having his own.

[Shadowcat]

Yes, Ewing totally gets it. Loeb did not get it. At all. Bendis was...Bendis. Hickman’s Hulk on the Avengers was an afterthought, same with Spencer’s Secret Avengers.

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

Yes, Ewing totally gets it. Loeb did not get it. At all. Bendis was...Bendis. Hickman’s Hulk on the Avengers was an afterthought, same with Spencer’s Secret Avengers.

Exactly. Also have to mention Mark Miller's and Mark Waid's atrocious butcherings of the Hulk and his lore.

[Gamma Burst]

Adding my voice to the crowd: this book delivers. It delivers on everything I wanted to see form a Hulk book, and surprises me with things I didn't know I wanted to see. This is just a spectacular book so far, and the new gem in my pull list.

Story wise: "the green door" keeps becoming a deeper and deeper element to the story. Every time I think I understand what it means, a curve ball is thrown. To make it even more spectacular, is this curve ball manages to respect established stories enough to feel like a "tweak" rather than a full retcon. Feels more like looking at gem from a different angle: same cut, completely new perspective.

Opening with a Jekyll and Hyde quote just pulled the right heart strings for me. I nearly said out loud "omg he gets it". It's then followed up with a Bruce Banner written and spoken very distinctly from the Hulk, and a Hulk himself who seems to slip/regress from his current speech patterns to the simple rage beast of his past as the truth of what he's fighting unfolds before him. It's those touches in dialog that open this story up and really impressed me. This was clearly the climax of the opening arc, with a clear picture now painted of the "new" Hulk and the struggles ahead, and it _delivered_. You can see elements of his multiple personalities, his emotional struggles, rage, all of it laid out in a fight that leaves you wondering just how it will end. Even the journalist has a big motivational reveal as to why she's chasing the Hulk story so closely.

And that's not talking about the art. The art was spectacular. Sasquatch had almost a viper like head, menacing, demonic. Hulks facial expressions are on point, running the range of anger, fear, shock, the whole gamut. Even spoilers:

Banner's father is drawn in a style that is a throwback to the comics of the 60s/50s ... which is just a nice touch

end of spoilers.

Long may Ewing's reign run on this book. This better be selling well... cause .. I can't praise it enough.

You're on point about everything, GrandEleven.

And don't worrry: the word of mouth about this book is great, and it's selling well!

[Gamma Burst]

Interesting answer Ewing gave on twitter:

@NeroSub89
When Brian Banner said Walter was Bruce's equal. Did he mean Sasquatch always had the potential to be as powerful as Hulk but Walter himself never unlocked that power? While Brian Banner did in this fight? Is my interpretation correct?

@Al_Ewing
That's pretty much it, yeah. The Hulk's power has always been dependent on his personality, so it made sense Walter might not be able to access it all.

[9th.]

I thought people were exaggerating because Bruce was back but this comic is REALLY good. I've enjoyed every issue so far and it's managed to keep me in suspense the whole time.

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

Interesting answer Ewing gave on twitter:

@NeroSub89
When Brian Banner said Walter was Bruce's equal. Did he mean Sasquatch always had the potential to be as powerful as Hulk but Walter himself never unlocked that power? While Brian Banner did in this fight? Is my interpretation correct?

@Al_Ewing
That's pretty much it, yeah. The Hulk's power has always been dependent on his personality, so it made sense Walter might not be able to access it all.

I wrote this yesterday on another board...

"Yes indeed. I think Ewing will get into the inner workings of these gamma-affected beings as Banner calls them. It was suggested in this issue that Walter; being a gamma-affected being; did not know how to use his power and neither does Hulk for that matter. Which is why Walter was as much a central piece as Hulk for this setup. Oh, the potential possibilities. I can't wait to see where Ewing is going to take them."

I thought people were exaggerating because Bruce was back but this comic is REALLY good. I've enjoyed every issue so far and it's managed to keep me in suspense the whole time.

I didn't want to jump the gun before I gave my opinion, but this is really good.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Picked up issue #5 yesterday...WHOAH!
Just...whoah!

[Gamma Burst]

I wrote this yesterday on another board...

"Yes indeed. I think Ewing will get into the inner workings of these gamma-affected beings as Banner calls them. It was suggested in this issue that Walter; being a gamma-affected being; did not know how to use his power and neither does Hulk for that matter. Which is why Walter was as much a central piece as Hulk for this setup. Oh, the potential possibilities. I can't wait to see where Ewing is going to take them."

Don't even mention it! It's so exciting.
Btw, is it another Hulk board?