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Marvel Knights: Hulk #1-4
Marvel Knights: Hulk: Transformè
It's an all-new Hulk epic spotlighting the unique talents of two rising stars, as Joe Keatinge (Glory) and Piotr Kowalski (Sex) unleash the green goliath! An amnesiac Bruce Banner awakens on the banks of the Seine - and soon finds himself in a desperate race through the streets of Paris! Who is hunting him, and how are they both transforming into grotesque Hulks? Someone wants Banner's monstrous alter ego to do their bidding...but what happens when Banner doesn't know who the Hulk is, or how to unleash him? Nikoleta Harrow, heir of A.I.M., has enslaved the Hulk - but she may have bitten off more than she can chew! It's a mindbending mystery loaded with quirky cool action! Plus: the Hulk's classic debut by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! COLLECTING: Marvel Knights: Hulk 1-4, Hulk (1962) 1
120 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 22, 2015
Mean GREEN Buddy Read with my fellow Shallow Readers!
Criteria for this one? Anything with a green character!
Whoo-Hoo!
I was pumped up for this buddy read, especially since I thought I'd picked out a real winner.
I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't actually pay much attention to the spelling in the title. I saw Marvel Knights: Hulk Transmumblemumble.
Well, turns out, transform is spelled that way because ta-da! it's Hulk...in Paris!
I know, right? This should be fun!
Eh. It wasn't a total loss, but it's not as good as it sounds, either.
It starts off with Banner on a subway...sorry, Metro train acting weird. A nice young woman notices him, follows him off the train, and eventually helps him out.
She's a good Samaritan, so (naturally) bad things will befall her family.
Who was this lady, and what does she have to do with the overall story?
*shrugs*
So why dedicate so much time into her story?
*shrugs*
Oooook.
Moving on!
Banner has amnesia, and some off-shoot of AIM lead by Nikoleta Harrow is after him. She evidently wants to prove that she (and AIM's other bastard children) were not mistakes, by capturing and harnessing the Hulk's power.
Or something like that.
Surprisingly, it doesn't end well for her.
This was a decent bit of fun, but it felt like I was missing some Bigger Picture. I thought the Marvel Knights titles were self-contained stories, but maybe I'm wrong?
The biggest surprise for me was The Incredible Hulk #1 that's included at the end of this book.
It. Was. AWESOME!
And, if you know me, you know that I usually don't enjoy reading older comics. But this was really fun! Not only do you get to see Hulk in his original gray, but I didn't realize that in the beginning, his transformations were linked to sunrise and sunset. Or that Hulk could 'talk'!
Sure the dialogue sounds silly by today's standards, but it's definitely still worth reading.
Transforme itself was alright, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this to anyone but a Hardcore Hulk Fan. However, Hulk's Origin story is something I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys comic books!
Also reviewed for Shallow Comic Readers.
Criteria for this one? Anything with a green character!
Whoo-Hoo!
I was pumped up for this buddy read, especially since I thought I'd picked out a real winner.
I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't actually pay much attention to the spelling in the title. I saw Marvel Knights: Hulk Transmumblemumble.
Well, turns out, transform is spelled that way because ta-da! it's Hulk...in Paris!
I know, right? This should be fun!
Eh. It wasn't a total loss, but it's not as good as it sounds, either.
It starts off with Banner on a subway...sorry, Metro train acting weird. A nice young woman notices him, follows him off the train, and eventually helps him out.
She's a good Samaritan, so (naturally) bad things will befall her family.
Who was this lady, and what does she have to do with the overall story?
*shrugs*
So why dedicate so much time into her story?
*shrugs*
Oooook.
Moving on!
Banner has amnesia, and some off-shoot of AIM lead by Nikoleta Harrow is after him. She evidently wants to prove that she (and AIM's other bastard children) were not mistakes, by capturing and harnessing the Hulk's power.
Or something like that.
Surprisingly, it doesn't end well for her.
This was a decent bit of fun, but it felt like I was missing some Bigger Picture. I thought the Marvel Knights titles were self-contained stories, but maybe I'm wrong?
The biggest surprise for me was The Incredible Hulk #1 that's included at the end of this book.
It. Was. AWESOME!
And, if you know me, you know that I usually don't enjoy reading older comics. But this was really fun! Not only do you get to see Hulk in his original gray, but I didn't realize that in the beginning, his transformations were linked to sunrise and sunset. Or that Hulk could 'talk'!
Sure the dialogue sounds silly by today's standards, but it's definitely still worth reading.
Transforme itself was alright, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this to anyone but a Hardcore Hulk Fan. However, Hulk's Origin story is something I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys comic books!
Also reviewed for Shallow Comic Readers.
September 22, 2014
Bruce Banner wakes up at night floating in the middle of the Seine River, Paris - except he doesn’t know he’s Bruce Banner, and he doesn’t know about the Hulk either because he’s got amnesia. But he knows one thing: a rogue faction of AIM led by a woman with the Abomination serum, and SHIELD, are both after him. And he’s gotta RUN!
After the terrible Marvel Knights: Spider-Man, I went into Marvel Knights: Hulk with very low expectations, which is maybe why I liked it so much. Joe Keatinge and Piotr Kowalski created a very cinematic, fast-moving story in this four-issue mini-series and it’s a very enjoyable Hulk book - a rarity!
To be honest, I never really got what was happening with AIM, but it basically comes down to Hulk smashing bad guys, and that’s basically all you really need to know! The story was about a woman called Nikoleta Miru who breaks free of AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) and decides to get her own back on Doctor Doom/MODOK/Midas (for some reason) by capturing, and weaponizing, the Hulk against them. Surprisingly, she’s successful for a time and tons of mass destruction follows - if you’ve ever wanted to see Paris levelled by Hulk, this is the book for you!
But it’s worth reading Keatinge’s afterword and the reprint of Stan Lee/Jack Kirby’s Hulk #1 from 1962 both of which follow the main story, as it helps you understand the book. Keatinge talks about wanting to dissect Hulk’s first appearance and there are very obvious echoes from Lee/Kirby’s comic in Keatinge/Kowalski’s. Keatinge copies Lee’s words for some of the flashback scenes, while Kowalski draws some of Kirby’s panels in his own style. Also, Keatinge’s story of someone wanting to control Hulk for their own purposes echoes Lee’s story of the Russian Gargoyle wanting to control Hulk for the glory of communism! In a way, you could say this mini-series was a modern retelling of Hulk #1.
Keatinge also mentions how he wanted to explore why Hulk means so much to him, and to many other people. First and foremost: Hulk SMASH! and you get a hefty dose of that in this book! But there’s also a very obvious effort to work in the idea that a world without Bruce Banner or the Hulk, and how, as dangerous as they can be, the world would be worse off without them. The book is as much a love letter to the big green giant as it is a look into why he’s such a fascinating and enduring creation.
Piotr Kowalski is drawing in full-on Marvel Cinematic Universe mode, with BIG panels for EVEN BIGGER action set pieces, and it works well. The scale and force of the devastation is really felt, though he can also draw very quiet, beautiful Parisian street scenes.
Colourist Nick Filardi’s work steals the show for me. From that first double-splash page of the seine, when the whole scene was bathed in the classic Hulk green, I was totally awestruck - that choice is absolutely perfect, not just because it’s eye-catching, but because you’re instantly transported into a real world that’s not real either. Kowalski’s art is really good but Filardi’s colours completely elevated it onto a new level.
Marvel Knights: Hulk - Transformé is the best Hulk book I’ve read in a long while. It’s got really great writing and art, but most importantly has an exciting, gripping story at its core. The reprint of Hulk #1 was an added bonus and is actually a pretty decent comic - corny but interesting. If Marvel Studios are wondering what Hulk story they should adapt next into a movie, I’d say this one’s a definite frontrunner!
After the terrible Marvel Knights: Spider-Man, I went into Marvel Knights: Hulk with very low expectations, which is maybe why I liked it so much. Joe Keatinge and Piotr Kowalski created a very cinematic, fast-moving story in this four-issue mini-series and it’s a very enjoyable Hulk book - a rarity!
To be honest, I never really got what was happening with AIM, but it basically comes down to Hulk smashing bad guys, and that’s basically all you really need to know! The story was about a woman called Nikoleta Miru who breaks free of AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) and decides to get her own back on Doctor Doom/MODOK/Midas (for some reason) by capturing, and weaponizing, the Hulk against them. Surprisingly, she’s successful for a time and tons of mass destruction follows - if you’ve ever wanted to see Paris levelled by Hulk, this is the book for you!
But it’s worth reading Keatinge’s afterword and the reprint of Stan Lee/Jack Kirby’s Hulk #1 from 1962 both of which follow the main story, as it helps you understand the book. Keatinge talks about wanting to dissect Hulk’s first appearance and there are very obvious echoes from Lee/Kirby’s comic in Keatinge/Kowalski’s. Keatinge copies Lee’s words for some of the flashback scenes, while Kowalski draws some of Kirby’s panels in his own style. Also, Keatinge’s story of someone wanting to control Hulk for their own purposes echoes Lee’s story of the Russian Gargoyle wanting to control Hulk for the glory of communism! In a way, you could say this mini-series was a modern retelling of Hulk #1.
Keatinge also mentions how he wanted to explore why Hulk means so much to him, and to many other people. First and foremost: Hulk SMASH! and you get a hefty dose of that in this book! But there’s also a very obvious effort to work in the idea that a world without Bruce Banner or the Hulk, and how, as dangerous as they can be, the world would be worse off without them. The book is as much a love letter to the big green giant as it is a look into why he’s such a fascinating and enduring creation.
Piotr Kowalski is drawing in full-on Marvel Cinematic Universe mode, with BIG panels for EVEN BIGGER action set pieces, and it works well. The scale and force of the devastation is really felt, though he can also draw very quiet, beautiful Parisian street scenes.
Colourist Nick Filardi’s work steals the show for me. From that first double-splash page of the seine, when the whole scene was bathed in the classic Hulk green, I was totally awestruck - that choice is absolutely perfect, not just because it’s eye-catching, but because you’re instantly transported into a real world that’s not real either. Kowalski’s art is really good but Filardi’s colours completely elevated it onto a new level.
Marvel Knights: Hulk - Transformé is the best Hulk book I’ve read in a long while. It’s got really great writing and art, but most importantly has an exciting, gripping story at its core. The reprint of Hulk #1 was an added bonus and is actually a pretty decent comic - corny but interesting. If Marvel Studios are wondering what Hulk story they should adapt next into a movie, I’d say this one’s a definite frontrunner!
November 16, 2014
Bruce Banner wakes up floating in the Seine in Paris; he's been shot, and he doesn't know why or who he is. People are chasing him; they want him to unleash the Hulk so they can use it for their own means. Only problem is...Banner doesn't know who he (OR Hulk) is, so he can't unleash the beast.
Eventually, we get a SUPER Hulk, when Banner is injected with Abomination/Synthetic Hulk serum. He's HUGE! Destroys a chunk of Paris at the whim of a lady who's the child of AIM researchers and Assassin DNA...yup.
So she manages to get Hulk to do her bidding for a time, until Banner makes a return from the void of wherever he's been banished to.
Eventually, we see that Doom/MODOK/Midas have all been aware of this since the beginning, and we're lead to believe that maybe they have been responsible for the Hulk? Or maybe just the girl who's trying to use him for her own problems.
This is more of a cerebral volume on the duality of Hulk/Banner and struggle for identity and control. However...don't worry Jeff, there's a TON of HULK SMASH! and HULK SMASH A SHITLOAD!
As a bonus, we get a reprint of the #1 issue of Hulk by Stan the Man and Jack Kirby. It's a bit hokey, but there's some solid stuff there (which has been echoed in the story we just read). It's cool to see, and shines some insight onto the creators' ideas of what the book is about.
One thing I did love, was that the Hulk Green is all over the book. The art is almost sepia/bland tones, so that when the Green shows up, it's all you can focus on. I particularly enjoyed neon Gamma Green bursts of colour.
An interesting idea, decent story, we'll let the resident Hulk expert Jeff tell us if it's worth Hulk-lovers time.
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February 19, 2018
If you're a Hulk fan like I am pass this one up. Here's a very brief synopsis. Bruce is in France with amnesia. Bruce makes friends with a lovely French woman. The heir to AIM kidnaps Bruce to control the Hulk. AIM vs the heir of AIM and it's Hulk vs Hulks. Lots of destruction and collateral damage. Graphic novel collects 4 issues of weak story. The art is just okay. Definitely didn't like this one.
September 24, 2022
Jeżeli chcecie przeczytać tą miniserię to zapraszam do pozycji: Hulk: Koniec i inne opowieści, wydane już kilka lat temu przez Egmont w ramach Marvel Classic.
Paryż. W Sekwanie pewna kobieta odnajduje dryfującego mężczyznę. Szkopuł w tym, że poszkodowany nie pamięta kim jest i jak się znalazł w rzece. Jednakże opieka nad nim może okazać się tragiczna w skutkach, bo ktoś go poszukuje. Ktoś, kto woli nie pozostawiać po sobie żadnych świadków...
Fabuła jest banalna i tylko czekamy aż Hulk zacznie miażdżyć. I zaczyna, choć chyba nie jest za bardzo w formie, jeżeli musi się szprycować pewną formułą, która zamienia ludzi w hulkopodobne stwory.
Co ma do tego złowrogie A.I.M? Kim jest kobieta, która poszukuje Bannera? Co to za specyfik?
Aby było tego mało, ponownie wracamy do momentu, kiedy powstał Hulk, czyli wybuchu bomby gamma, a także coś się wydarzyło potem.
Niestety historia jest zwyczajnie słaba i mało angażująca. Postacie są słabo rozpisane i nie ma tu wagi opowiadanej historii, przez co mało mnie obchodziło co się stanie z tymi postaciami. Bardzo słaba odsłona Marvel Knights.
Paryż. W Sekwanie pewna kobieta odnajduje dryfującego mężczyznę. Szkopuł w tym, że poszkodowany nie pamięta kim jest i jak się znalazł w rzece. Jednakże opieka nad nim może okazać się tragiczna w skutkach, bo ktoś go poszukuje. Ktoś, kto woli nie pozostawiać po sobie żadnych świadków...
Fabuła jest banalna i tylko czekamy aż Hulk zacznie miażdżyć. I zaczyna, choć chyba nie jest za bardzo w formie, jeżeli musi się szprycować pewną formułą, która zamienia ludzi w hulkopodobne stwory.
Co ma do tego złowrogie A.I.M? Kim jest kobieta, która poszukuje Bannera? Co to za specyfik?
Aby było tego mało, ponownie wracamy do momentu, kiedy powstał Hulk, czyli wybuchu bomby gamma, a także coś się wydarzyło potem.
Niestety historia jest zwyczajnie słaba i mało angażująca. Postacie są słabo rozpisane i nie ma tu wagi opowiadanej historii, przez co mało mnie obchodziło co się stanie z tymi postaciami. Bardzo słaba odsłona Marvel Knights.
February 26, 2024
Note: Spoilers!
+6 I was very confused by the plotline of this book, particularly by the ending and what the motives of the antagonists were. The Hulk was a pawn to a woman that wanted to get back at A.I.M., though she was biologically made by them as the perfect assassin. So she dies, with most of their forces, and plot twist everyone was actually a pawn to Doctor Doom. Definitely doesn’t help that little details of the story were written in the plot summary that was at the beginning of each issue starting from the second. It made no sense to me, but I do like that Keatinge went back to Hulk’s origins and tried to re-define it, particularly with the scenes that showed the alternate timeline. Awesome artwork though, massive splash pages setting the stage, showing the damage Hulk is causing, or even the impact of a massive explosion. All really cool and well-drawn, Kowalski did a fantastic job.
[Read and reviewed in June 2022]
+6 I was very confused by the plotline of this book, particularly by the ending and what the motives of the antagonists were. The Hulk was a pawn to a woman that wanted to get back at A.I.M., though she was biologically made by them as the perfect assassin. So she dies, with most of their forces, and plot twist everyone was actually a pawn to Doctor Doom. Definitely doesn’t help that little details of the story were written in the plot summary that was at the beginning of each issue starting from the second. It made no sense to me, but I do like that Keatinge went back to Hulk’s origins and tried to re-define it, particularly with the scenes that showed the alternate timeline. Awesome artwork though, massive splash pages setting the stage, showing the damage Hulk is causing, or even the impact of a massive explosion. All really cool and well-drawn, Kowalski did a fantastic job.
[Read and reviewed in June 2022]
July 6, 2017
I was hoping for better from this. It's not terrible or anything, but the story is quite disjointed, with quick shifts in time, place, and states of consciousness that I didn't always pick up on immediately. Keating could have done this on purpose to put us in the same state of mind as the amnesiac Banner, but instead it just came off as muddled. The actual plot is all kinds of nuts, which also isn't bad, but it did stretch my suspension of disbelief quite a bit. Kowalski's art was quite nice, however, especially his depictions of an enraged Hulk tearing shit up.
January 8, 2021
Very odd. Good artwork and has some interesting ideas but derailed by some unexplained characters and muddled flow of the story.
June 26, 2017
Pretty good, but not as good as the other Marvel Knights I've read. And the reprint of the Hulk origin and early stories was not as bad as many reprints but still not up to the standards of a modern book - from the garish colors to the stilted writing.
I like Banner in Paris and Banner with the girl(s). But I just wanted more.
3.5 of 5.
I like Banner in Paris and Banner with the girl(s). But I just wanted more.
3.5 of 5.
June 22, 2014
Partly indecipherable and the rest is forgettable
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews