The Incredible Hulk: Past Perfect

The Incredible Hulk (1999) (Collected Editions) #3

by Paul Jenkins, Sean McKeever, Fabian Nicieza

The tortured soul of the Hulk is pushed to his limits when the person dearest to him is killed by one of his oldest and deadliest foes. After seeking revenge in the only way he knows how, the Hulk attempts to find peace. but just when it seems he's found it, an old pal named Joe Fixit makes him realize that all is not as it seems. but wait - isn't Joe Fixit the same person as the Hulk? Featuring the Abomination, Jarella, Doc Samson, Rick Jones, the Fantastic Four, Captain America and more! COLLECTING: INCREDIBLE HULK (2000) 21-33,ANNUAL 2001

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Comic Book

360 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2012

About the author

Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just wasn't very good. Although to be fair Jenkins didn't really get to finish his story for whatever reason. Jenkins likes to get inside a character's head, examining their psyche. I often find this boring. Here he unleashes all the previous Hulk incarnations while giving Bruce ALS. It all peters out part way through as he leaves the book midstory. Various writers are left to complete the story with fill in artists. The book mainly becomes filler as the title spins its wheels until resetting before Bruce Jones takes over.

[Blake Strother · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel reminded me that the Incredible Hulk is one of the more complex characters in the Marvel universe. This graphic novel essentially traces out a larger story arc of Bruce Banner's medical decline as ALS threatens to destroy his life. I would describe the story that is dominant in this collection as a psychological thriller. I would say 80 percent of the action in this collection is taking place in the mind of Bruce Banner. I do not know the history behind this run of comics or the authors/artist behind it but I can tell some of the ideas that the writers are playing around with never caught on in Incredible Hulk general lore, for example The Hulk's mobster personality was definitely new to me and it was never made clear why this particular personality was gray instead of green. In addition, I think this issue just plays around a little bit too much with the physics of the hulk, I am all about the Hulk being perceived as having no limits but you can't put this right next to him getting it handed to him by a single mobster who is afraid of puppies! These inconsistencies and the inconsistencies of the artwork (this clearly collects comics by different artist) are why I gave it 2 stars. None of the issues in this collection are iconic, nor do they feature any great Hulk artwork. It's worth a read if you're like me and can find a copy for cheap, otherwise, this is worth skipping over.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stuff for the most part, but it seemed like a lot of plot threads were left dangling at the end. Bruce Jones' run comes next, and that became a mess as well. In fact, I didn't think much of Peter David's ending for his own run, so maybe people just have a hard time leaving this book.

[Jdetrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

These aren't necessarily bad issues, but they really do feel like the book is just marking time and waiting for the new creative team to come on board.

[Marcelo Soares · Rating 1 out of 5]

De vez em quando a teoria do Vintão dá uma bola fora com vontade.
Acho que é uma das piores histórias do Hulk que eu já li, só não é a pior porque existe aquelas porcarias do Hulk Vermelho, Verde, Azul, de Bolinha Amarelinha que o Jeph Loeb inventou.
A história começa com o Joe Tira Teima (Hulk Gangster) contratado para invadir um laboratório secreto e roubar um híbrido alienígena para provar a que alienígenas existem. Brother, Universo Marvel, todo mundo tem um tio alienígena. Na próxima história, o Joe tem que cobrar uma grana de gangsters de Chicago, numa historia que era para ser engraçada, mas é apenas triste.
De repente, o Romitinha começa a desenhar lagartos ou demônios ou sei lá o quê, enquanto o Bruce/Hulk chora pela morte da Betty, descobre que o Abominável é o responsável e vai dar um cacete no Abominável, no final, o cara por trás de tudo é o Bigodão Ross, o desenho do Romitinha ainda não tá tão ruim, mas já não é bom faz tempo.
Do nada, o Hulk começa um quebra-pau com o Thor enquanto viajam pelo espaço, porque né?
Descobrem que o Bruce tem um doença terminal, esclerose lateral amiotrófica, como ou porquê, ninguém sabe, ninguém se importa, o importante é uma meia dúzia de edições bem caricatas - só melhora bem pouco quando o Joe Bennet entra na arte - tentando desenvolver os problemas de personalidade do Hulk, enquanto o Líder tem a "salvação".
É uma porcaria atrás da outra, o que é uma pena, porque o Hulk é um dos personagens mais complexos da Marvel, um dos pilares da editora, porém é bem difícil aparecer uma história surpreendente dele, as grandes fases são o Peter David e o Greg Pak, o resto é o resto, e a dupla Jenkins e Mckeever entram no resto.

[Beelzefuzz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept thinking this is like a bad version of that already kind of bad movie Identity, but then I found out Identity came out 3 years later! Guess they are both bad versions of internal family systems therapy from the '80s. Anyway, too much of the same thing attempts to probe the Hulks psyche but never with any depth and always hitting the same note. The fantastic voyage stuff was a little fun but too little and too late.

[Sotofunkdamental · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los números 24 y 25 componen el arco argumental "Querida Beatty/Siempre en mi Cabeza", que sinceramente me parecen buenos cómics de Hulk. Bruce Banner busca venganza contra Abominación por asesinar a su esposa Betty Ross.

[Wesley Verhoeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

But 4-4.5 for the parts by Jenkins + Romita Jr.

[Malum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't go anywhere important or interesting.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was pretty good.

[Eligos Vespillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Jenkin's fantastic run climaxes in this trade, as Betty's death and those responsible for it step into the light, resulting in one of the most powerfully emotional brawls in Hulk history.

[Alex E · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the departure of Paul Davis, the Hulk title overall becomes a bit of a... mess.

I actually liked the approach that Paul Jenkins was taking when taking the reins from Davis. Jenkins tackles the shattered psyche that is Bruce Banner head on. He has 4 different personalities interacting with each other, all stemming from Bruce himself. And while the premise never really gets off of the ground entirely, it was headed in an interesting direction. Sad to find out he left the book abruptly leaving other writers to try and salvage the book and bring it out of a tailspin.

Unfortunately it never really does. Instead we get a story about Bruce getting ALS, complete with a disclaimer of the fictional nature of the cure that he eventually finds.

This book never really had a chance once Jenkins left. Hopefully the next volume will have something a bit more solid to stand on and move forward.