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Spoiler Warning:
Marvel’s hype machine continues to pump out steady promises of
better days for it’s major characters. Time after time, Marvel
have stated that big changes are coming for their universe only to see
things back to normal within six months. Characters die, and are reborn
within weeks. We see entire shifts in  character personality and motivation
on a seemingly monthly basis. It isn’t just Marvel, we see this
behaviour from almost every mainstream comic publisher. It occurs so
often that I find it hard to believe anything they put on their press
releases. So when Marvel announced that they were planning their biggest
HULK event in years, I was understandably sceptical of the idea. Sure
it sounds great, the Hulk transported to a world where he isn’t
the strongest one there is. A world where danger lurks around every corner
and for the first time in years we will fear for the Hulk’s life.
Yeah yeah…we’ve heard it all before Marvel. Joe Quesada
has let me down too many times. I’m a fragile flower Joe; I can
only take so much of my favourite characters getting blasted in the ass
month after month.
So isn’t it a lucky break that Planet Hulk is fucking fantastic?
Who’d have thunk it? For the first time in years, the hype machine
has is right.
First off, the Hulk is a great character when handled correctly. I’ve
never been a big fan of the ‘stupid’ Hulk, where he seems
more like an over-active caveman struggling to comprehend his surroundings.
I like the more thug-like Hulk. A Hulk with some smarts, a quick learner
who uses his size to his advantage and has at least some dignity. The
other incarnations of the Hulk have been interesting, but certainly this
is my favourite. It’s good to see that writer Greg Pak agrees with
me.
The premise of the series is interesting to say the least. Deciding
that the Hulk is far too dangerous to continue living on Earth, Reed
Richards and his little club of smart-arses (Including Dr. Strange, Iron
Man, Professor X, Black Bolt and The Sub-Mariner) have decided to exile
the Hulk to a planet far from Earth. They take advantage of the Hulk
already being in space to stop an extraterrestrial threat, and send his
ship to a planet where could live out his life peacefully with no human
contact. However, being the world of comics, something goes wrong. His
ship is sucked into a portal, and the Hulk is transported to an alien
world where he is instantly attacked from all sides. From the off, it
is made clear that the Hulk is vulnerable on this world. He can be hurt… he
can be killed. This completely changes the usual Hulk rules. Suddenly
we actually fear for his safety. When was the last time you actually
thought the Hulk might die? Last week? Shut up!
I wont ruin the surprises in this book, but suffice to say this is the
best issue of HULK I’ve read in  several years. It has action, laughs,
suspense and a big green guy hitting people. You can’t really ask
for more, can you? You want romance? What’s wrong with you? Okay
I’m sure there will be a love interest somewhere. You happy now,
you sappy bastard?
Art wise, I really don’t think that there is a more perfect match
for this book than Carlo Pagulayan. The pages explode with life and energy.
There’s so much going on in every panel, and the detail involved
is astounding. Also, the Hulk is drawn perfectly. He’s not overly
muscle-bound, but certainly he looks like he could deliver a hefty punch
or two. The action sequences are absolutely perfect. The raw energy exploding
forth from the pages show that this was a real labour of love for the
artistic team. I was particularly impressed with the colouring during
some sequences. The team really knocked this one out of the park.
So folks, the Marvel hype machine got me hooked, and I’m into
this storyline for the long haul (it’s a 14-issue arc). This is
a gem, which shouldn’t be missed.
Get it! With money! Now!
Grade: A
Ps: I love you.
Talk about It came from GAV! Planet
Hulk |
