Giant-Size Hulk #1
Marvel Comics’ GIANT-SIZE HULK #1 is a 96-page one-shot that any true Hulk fan will want to grab hold of, as it contains two all-new stories.
From writer Peter David and artist Juan Santacruz, “Green Pieces” pits the Hulk against ’70s superteam The Champions, whose members include Ghost Rider, Iceman, Black Widow, Angel and Hercules. They fear Hulk is endangering the life of the President, but the story ends in an unexpected way for both them and us. The other new story, Greg Pak and Aaron Lopresti’s “Banner War,” stems from Marvel’s current PLANET HULK story arc, with our hero enslaved on an alien planet. It plays out like a fever dream, with Hulk and Bruce Banner confronting one another and ripping apart the occasional Avenger. It may not make much sense, but I think that’s part of the point. Either way, both stories are well-presented and enjoyable.
The other half of the book is taken up by a reprint of “Hulk: The End,” a speculative tale from David and artist Dale Keown that imagines what it would be like if Banner were the last person alive on earth, 200 years old, still plagued by his other self and unable to do anything to curb the terror. Its scope is epic, its mood strangely touching. For $4.99, this special issue is deserving of its cover price. –Rod Lott
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OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #0 by Greg Pak and Nigel Raynor
• MARVEL 1602: NEW WORLD by Greg Pak and Greg Tocchini
• PSI-MAN: DEATHSCAPE by Peter David
[...] THURSDAY >> 7.13.06 Isn’t GIANT-SIZE HULK redundant? I think he’s giant-sized by default, no? Anyway, said illogical phrase was the name of a comic that Rod read. He liked it well enough. [...]
[...] THE INCREDIBLE HULK #98 (Marvel) The CIVIL WAR-shunning Planet Hulk storyline is about to come to an end in this final arc, “Anarchy,” wherein the Jade Giant leads a rebellion against the totalitarian government that pits monsters together for fun. Admittedly, I’m lost half the time in this new arc, but really, this is one case where it doesn’t matter; this isn’t about story as much as it’s about wall-to-wall action and dammit, this title delivers. I’m eager to see what they have planned for issue 100. [...]