Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 5

Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk #5

by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe (Illustrator)

I smash, you smash, but nobody, that's NOBODY, smashes like Hulk smash! Welcome back for another set of gamma-irradiated adventures in the tragic saga of Dr. Bruce Banner and his green-skinned Mr. Hyde, the Incredible Hulk! Stan "The Man" and "Happy" Herb Trimpe have pulled out all the stops for you, and just to make sure the non-stop action doesn't miss a beat, Roy Thomas joins in to knock it up enough to make your teeth rattle! The Hulk bashes outer-space aliens, smashes the shifting Sandman, grapples with the deadly Mandarin, and faces the return of his earliest, deadliest enemy - the Leader - all the while defending himself against General "Thunderbolt" Ross and the U.S. Army. It's the Hulk at his absolute most-classic and just in case you had any doubts, we're rounding it out with bare-fisted battles against the Sub-Mariner, the Inhumans and the bizarre swamp beast, the Glob!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2009

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing about the Hulk comics (at least for this time period) is that they are relentless. Hulk never gets a chance to stop and smell the roses. At the very end of one adventure he is launched directly into another, whether it is across the galaxy, under water, in a swamp, or in a small South American country. The Green Guy deserves a vacation.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast read. The action is pretty non-stop. I was a little confused at the beginning and went looking therough comiconlinefree.com because I had largely forgotten what was in volume 4, Action predominated so much that there was little room for drama. I suspect I will find this volume rather forgettable, too. Hulk stopped being able to call himself "I" when Roy Thomas took over. Trimpe's introduction notes his wish to redraw much of the artwork, especially the fact that he so rarely drew eyes in these early stories. If he hadn't said something, I would have thought he was paying homage to the squinty-eyed Superman comics of the Golden Age as drawn by Joe Shuster. Probably the most important narrative element is the Leader controlling General Ross and his troops and Maximus leading his small band of terrorist Inhumans against them in fictitious Central American country Costa Salvador. Thomas plays homage to the Heap in the first story he plots with the Glob, even inckuding "heap" in a list of possible appelations for the creature.

[Ross Kitson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although often repetitive as Hulk leaps from one scrap to the next, we at least get some creative villains. We begin off world following the Savage Land story, then back to earth and against a surprisingly tough Sandman, fresh from the FF iteration of him, then team up with the Mandarin. The next three bring back favourite foe, The Leader, with a suitable android menace, then Sub-mariner (usual cross wires hero v hero story), Maximus, and finally a one-off swamp monster called Glob.
Stan Lee hands over the reins to Roy Thomas next but Herb Trimpe continues as illustrator. His art has grown on me over the years as with many late 60s artists and undoubtedly he helped define the look of the Hulk.
Good 3 stars. Might need a break before more relentless Hulk smashing though.

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, it seems like this series is finding its legs, and Herb Trimpe's art works very well on the book.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible Hulk #111-112 - Takes our green skinned protagonist to outer space with an alien race of conquerors. The Hulk definitely gets around.

Incredible Hulk #113-114 - Sandman and the Mandarin team-up and still can’t defeat the Hulk.

Incredible Hulk #115-117 - The Leader returns and almost succeeds in starting a nuclear world war 3.

Incredible Hulk #118 - Hulk vs Namor: round 2.

Incredible Hulk #119-120 - Why is everyone in the tiny (& fictitious) Central American country of Costa Salvador (think of a cross between Costa Rica and El Salvador) acting like zombies? Oh it’s just Maximus and his band of evil Inhumans taking over and trying rule the world. One of the rare times Maximus is allowed to just be a general villain and terrorist and not be stuck in the Inhuman city of Attilan being an Inhuman villain and terrorist.

Incredible Hulk #121 - Marvel’s first attempt at a swamp monster? The Hulk in the Everglades and he accidentally creates The Glob (certainly inspired by the golden age era character from another company called The Heap, and a clear prototype for Marvel’s eventual Man-Thing).

[Arturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hulk in space! ..taking on aliens I'v never heard of in an epic space battle, then Hulk moves on to their Galaxy Master. Great stuff.
On to the Sandman, which leads to a Sandman/Madarin team up. Lame.
The Leader returns, trapping the Hulk, then unleashes his giant robot. *groan*
Things start picking up again with another battle with the Sub-Mariner. Battles Maximus and his 'evil inhumans'. Another battle against Ross and his army. Finally .. The Glob. Whoa! Is this before Man-Thing or Swamp Thing ?

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Marvel Masterworks volumes are fantastic reprints of the early years of Marvel comics. A fantastic resource to allow these hard to find issues to be read by everyone. Very recommended to everyone and Highly recommended to any comic fan.

[Timo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time has really passed Stan Lee's writings. And the art is a bit clumsy too. But maybe this one has some historical significance. But read now, these were just boring.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was alright