The Incredible Hulk (comic book)

Publication history

The original series was canceled with issue #6 (March 1963). Lee had written each story, with Jack Kirby penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth.

Tales to Astonish

A year and a half after the series was canceled, the Hulk became one of two features in Tales to Astonish, beginning in issue #60 (Oct. 1964).^[1]

This new Hulk feature was initially scripted by writer-editor Lee and illustrated by the team of penciller

Beginning with issue #102 (April 1968) the book was retitled The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2)[3] and ran until 1999, when Marvel canceled the series and restarted the title with the shorter-titled Hulk #1.

1970s

The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) was published through the 1970s. At times, the writers included Archie Goodwin, Chris Claremont, and Tony Isabella. Len Wein wrote the series from 1974 through 1978. Nearly all of the 1970s issues were drawn by either Herb Trimpe, who was the regular artist for seven years,^[4] or Sal Buscema, who was the regular artist for 10 years, starting with issue #194 (December 1975).^[5] Issues #180–181 (Oct.–Nov. 1974) introduced the character Wolverine,^[6] who would go on to become one of Marvel Comics' most popular. The original art for the comic book page that introduced Wolverine sold for $657,250 in May 2014.^[7] Key supporting characters included Jim Wilson and Jarella, both of whom would make few appearances outside of this decade.^[4]

In 1977, Marvel launched a second title, The Rampaging Hulk, a black-and-white comics magazine.^[2] This was originally conceived as a flashback series, set between the end of his original, short-lived solo title and the beginning of his feature in Tales to Astonish.^[8] After nine issues, the magazine was retitled The Hulk! and printed in color.^[9] A nine-part "continuity insert" that in many ways contradicted the original comics stories was retconned later^[10] as a movie made by an alien movie producer, Bereet who also portrayed her people as warmongering shapeshifters.

1980s and 1990s

Following Roger Stern, Bill Mantlo took over the writing with issue #245 (March 1980). Among the adversaries Mantlo created for the series were the U-Foes^[11] and the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[12] Mantlo's "Crossroads of Eternity" stories, which ran through issues #300–313 (Oct. 1984 – Nov.1985), explored the idea that Banner had suffered child abuse. Later, The Incredible Hulk writers Peter David and Greg Pak called these stories an influence on their approaches to the series.^[13][14] After five years, Mantlo left the title to write Alpha Flight,^[15] while Alpha Flight writer John Byrne took over the series and left it after six issues, claiming, "I took on the Hulk after a discussion with editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, in which I mentioned some of the things I would like to do with that character, given the chance. He told me to do whatever was necessary to get on the book, he liked my ideas so much. I did, and once installed he immediately changed his mind—'You can't do this!' Six issues was as much as I could take."^[16] Byrne's final issue featured the wedding of Bruce Banner and Betty Ross.^[17] Byrne had done a seventh issue, consisting entirely of one-panel pages. It was eventually published in Marvel Fanfare #29.

Al Milgrom briefly succeeded Byrne before new regular writer Peter David took over with issue #331 (May 1987), the start of an 11-year tenure. He returned to the Stern and Mantlo abuse storyline, expanding the damage caused, and depicting Banner as suffering dissociative identity disorder. In issue #377 he merged Banner, the green Hulk, and the grey Hulk into a single being with the unified personality, intelligence, and powers of all three. David claimed he had been planning this from the beginning of his tenure on the series, and had held off so that he could make the readers have an emotional attachment to the grey Hulk.^[13] David worked with numerous artists over his run on the series, including Dale Keown, Todd McFarlane, Sam Kieth, Gary Frank, Liam Sharp, Terry Dodson, Mike Deodato, George Pérez, and Adam Kubert.^[2]

In 1998, David followed editor Bobbie Chase's suggestion to kill Betty Ross. In the introduction to the Hulk trade paperback Beauty and the Behemoth, David said that his wife had recently left him, providing inspiration for the storyline. Marvel executives used Ross' death as an opportunity to push the idea of bringing back the Savage Hulk. David disagreed, leading to his parting ways with Marvel.^[18] His last issue of The Incredible Hulk was (vol. 2) #467 (Aug. 1998), his 137th. Also in 1998, Marvel relaunched The Rampaging Hulk as a standard comic book rather than as a comics magazine.^[2]

Relaunches

Following David's departure, Joe Casey took over as writer until this series ended with The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #474 (March 1999). The first volume of the shorter-titled Hulk^[19] began immediately the following month, scripted by Byrne and penciled by Ron Garney.^[20]

Erik Larsen and Jerry Ordway briefly took over scripting and with issue #12 (March 2000) the series was restarted as The Incredible Hulk vol. 3^[21] New series writer Paul Jenkins developed the Hulk's multiple personalities,^[22] and his run was followed by Bruce Jones.^[23] Jones' storyline featuring Banner being pursued by a secret conspiracy and aided by the mysterious Mr. Blue. Jones appended his 43-issues of Incredible Hulk with the limited series Hulk/Thing: Hard Knocks #1–4 (Nov. 2004 – Feb. 2005), which Marvel published after putting the ongoing series on hiatus.

Peter David, who had initially signed a contract for the six-issue Tempest Fugit limited series, returned as writer when it was decided to make that story the first five parts of the revived volume three.

In 2017, The Incredible Hulk was relaunched with issue #709 with the series using "legacy numbering".[31]^[32] However, the main character was Amadeus Cho instead of Bruce Banner, since Cho succeeded Banner as the Hulk as shown in the Totally Awesome Hulk series. After being killed, Marvel resurrected Bruce Banner and restored him to the ongoing series in 2018, changing the title to The Immortal Hulk and focusing on more horror-inspired tales. Al Ewing's acclaimed run delves deeply into Peter David's dissociative identity disorder premise with an enhanced supernatural aspect. Bruce Banner can be killed during the day, but the Immortal Hulk will resurrect at night and take vengeance.

Accolades

References