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Incredible Hulk Epic Collection
Incredible Hulk Epic Collection, Vol. 1: Man or Monster?
Dr. Robert Bruce Banner may look like a mild-mannered scientist, but after being caught in a gamma bomb explosion, he became the unstoppable engine of destruction known as the Hulk! Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's atomic update on the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde paradigm mixed the might of giant monsters with Cold War intrigue and added a heavy dose of psychological drama. Decades later, it's a formula that still has readers clamoring for more!
Collecting: Incredible Hulk 1-6, Fantastic Four 12, 25-26, Avengers 1-3, 5, Amazing Spider-Man 14, Tales to Astonish 59, Journey Into Mystery 112
Collecting: Incredible Hulk 1-6, Fantastic Four 12, 25-26, Avengers 1-3, 5, Amazing Spider-Man 14, Tales to Astonish 59, Journey Into Mystery 112
392 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2016
76 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,566 books2,334 followersStan 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 3, 2025
The early Hulk issues are vintage Stan and Jack magic, replete with vintage Stan and Jack shortcomings (most notably wayyyyy to much recapping and wordy telling, though I admittedly sort of love the latter). If you're a Marvel dork like me, it's pure nostalgic joy. If you're not, well, congratulations on being way cooler than I am.
June 29, 2016
I got this book for two reasons. 1) Reading the description of the book I could see that it collected alot of different titles, since the Hulk was being used as an antagonist in multiple stories. So, not only do we get a good cross section of Marvel in the silver age, we also get quite a few appearances from other heroes. 2) Much of the art seemed to be done by Kirby, with Ditko doing the work Kirby didn't do. How could I pass up a chance like that?
On those two things the book definitely delivers. Hulk has a six issue run in his on title, with a guest spot in FF between issues 5 and 6, before his book is cancelled. But it seems like Stan and Jack knew they had a good idea so the Hulk keeps turing up all over the place. It really is quite fun coming into this different titles where everyone is meeting the Hulk for the first time and being blown away by his amazing strength. Even the Thing and Thor, the two toughest guys Marvel had at the time, have a hard time dealing with him!
The art delivers big time with Kirby drawing nearly every story. Ditko only does two, an issue of Hulk and an issue of Spider-Man, but we do get Ditko inking Kirby for an issue, which is always a treat. Dick Ayers does pencil one issue and I haven't been the biggest fan of his in the past, but I thought his work looked good for this story. There's one panel of the Hulk gritting his teeth that I particular like.
I would say that the big problem with the book is that it takes nearly the whole thing for them to figure out what they are doing with Hulk as a character. He has a good origin issue, but the rest of his own series is pretty weak. At first he o ly becomes the Hulk at night, but that soon changes to he only becomes the Hulk when he uses a machine that turns him into the Hulk! So Bruce, or is it Bob, is knowingly turning himself into this gaint rage monster. There was also some stuff where the Hulk is basically just a puppet that carries out Rick Jones' will, but they do away with it by having the Hulk exposed to more radiation. Also, the Hulk could FLY in his early appearances. The writing says he is supposed to be leaping, but I'm sorry, he is clearly flying.
After his own series is over Hulk is featured as a guest star in nearly every book Marvel had at the time. This is really cool, but it also became really redundant after awhile. The premise of each issue is basically the same: Hero hears about the Hulk in the area, Hero fights Hulk, Hulk is to strong to beat, Hulk somehow gets away. And they just tell that story over and over again. It does pay off slightly in certain parts because there is a sense of continuity to the stories, like the Avengers continual trying to reform the hulk, but mostly it's boring at a certain point.
The highlight of the book is easily the two part story in Fantastic Four, where the Thing and The Hulk just beat the crap out of each other. I know I was saying the constant slugfest where part of the problem with this book, but this two parter also has some really great character moments for the entire FF, but mostly Johnny and Ben. Up to this point in FF history Johnny is mostly a brat, but this story gives him some depth. And, oh man, Ben really shines in these issues when he just refuses to back off of the much stronger Hulk. He literally says he will die before he gives up!
All in all this book is worth reading if you're a fan of silver age Marvel like me, but if you find the Silver Age too silly, I would skip it, cause there isn't much to change your mind.
On those two things the book definitely delivers. Hulk has a six issue run in his on title, with a guest spot in FF between issues 5 and 6, before his book is cancelled. But it seems like Stan and Jack knew they had a good idea so the Hulk keeps turing up all over the place. It really is quite fun coming into this different titles where everyone is meeting the Hulk for the first time and being blown away by his amazing strength. Even the Thing and Thor, the two toughest guys Marvel had at the time, have a hard time dealing with him!
The art delivers big time with Kirby drawing nearly every story. Ditko only does two, an issue of Hulk and an issue of Spider-Man, but we do get Ditko inking Kirby for an issue, which is always a treat. Dick Ayers does pencil one issue and I haven't been the biggest fan of his in the past, but I thought his work looked good for this story. There's one panel of the Hulk gritting his teeth that I particular like.
I would say that the big problem with the book is that it takes nearly the whole thing for them to figure out what they are doing with Hulk as a character. He has a good origin issue, but the rest of his own series is pretty weak. At first he o ly becomes the Hulk at night, but that soon changes to he only becomes the Hulk when he uses a machine that turns him into the Hulk! So Bruce, or is it Bob, is knowingly turning himself into this gaint rage monster. There was also some stuff where the Hulk is basically just a puppet that carries out Rick Jones' will, but they do away with it by having the Hulk exposed to more radiation. Also, the Hulk could FLY in his early appearances. The writing says he is supposed to be leaping, but I'm sorry, he is clearly flying.
After his own series is over Hulk is featured as a guest star in nearly every book Marvel had at the time. This is really cool, but it also became really redundant after awhile. The premise of each issue is basically the same: Hero hears about the Hulk in the area, Hero fights Hulk, Hulk is to strong to beat, Hulk somehow gets away. And they just tell that story over and over again. It does pay off slightly in certain parts because there is a sense of continuity to the stories, like the Avengers continual trying to reform the hulk, but mostly it's boring at a certain point.
The highlight of the book is easily the two part story in Fantastic Four, where the Thing and The Hulk just beat the crap out of each other. I know I was saying the constant slugfest where part of the problem with this book, but this two parter also has some really great character moments for the entire FF, but mostly Johnny and Ben. Up to this point in FF history Johnny is mostly a brat, but this story gives him some depth. And, oh man, Ben really shines in these issues when he just refuses to back off of the much stronger Hulk. He literally says he will die before he gives up!
All in all this book is worth reading if you're a fan of silver age Marvel like me, but if you find the Silver Age too silly, I would skip it, cause there isn't much to change your mind.
February 1, 2018
Everyone knows the origin story of the Hulk, but how many have read it? If you haven't read this collection, do yourself a favour and buy a copy.
October 9, 2023
While Marvel has tried, via relentless promoter Stan Lee, to retroactively claim that the first Hulk series was a mini-series, that’s not actually true. The first series featuring the Hulk was canceled. Exactly why might be open to debate. Poor sales? Dropping sales? Lack of interest from fans? Lack of interest from the creators? Busy with other projects? No clear way of making the concept work on a monthly basis without it becoming ridiculously cyclic very quickly? In the end, does it even matter why, the series was canceled. Was the Hulk a failure? Clearly not. Remember that The Uncanny X-Men was canceled several times as well, before it got revamped and became the hugely successful juggernaut it is today. The Hulk just needed the right combination of elements to make it viable. What we have in this collection is the appearances of the Hulk from his first to just before his regular solo appearances in Tales to Astonish began in issue #60. And this is a remarkable collection of some pretty noteworthy stories.
Hulk #1-5 - From the creators of the Fantastic Four, Jack Kirby and Lee comes their second success (although this one kind of floundered a bit until it found the right audience): the Incredible Hulk. And these issues illustrate just how difficult it can be to find the right formula to make a successful series. Even if you’re the brilliantly talented, creative powerhouse of Jack Kirby. Each issue among these offers slight tweaks as Kirby & Lee try to find the combination of elements to make the series work. Supporting characters include Rick Jones, boy sidekick, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, an ongoing antagonist for our hero-monster, Betty Ross, love-struck daughter of Gen. Ross, and our star Dr. Bruce Banner, physicist and atomic scientist without peer who becomes the green-skinned monstrosity. Although when the Hulk is first introduced he is gray skinned, but that appears to have been an alleged coloring mistake, still it would provide the basis for some amazing stories in future years. There’s a string of interesting villains here as well. A Soviet agent named The Gargoyle, the Toad-Men from space, the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, a dastardly plot (or two) by Soviets to capture the Hulk, Tyrannus and his Subterranean Army, the warped communist General Fang. There is even some testing being done by the creators to see if it works better to have Rick Jones able to mentally control the Hulk, or if having Banner’s mind in control of the Hulk, or have him be a bestial personality, or a gruff, scheming individual. It seems like every issue has some slight tweaking of the character concept taking place while Kirby and Lee figure out what is going to work best. Instead of the intelligence of a super-man, the Hulk offers a modern twist on the concept of a tragic character of Jekyll & Hyde, nevertheless it’s important to remember that this concept is still basically Marvel’s take on Superman. Instead of having the ultimate Uber-mensch, we a tragic, flawed man who becomes a powerhouse of unlimited strength. Both characters would appear to fly by making incredible leaps into the air, but in the case of Superman, he was just eventually granted the ability to fly. Superman may have had the best attributes of being male, but Hulk, in typical Marvel fashion, is given all the worst. But it makes for a far more interesting character, and for more entertaining stories.
Fantastic Four #12 - Thus begins what will become an enduring, never-ending contest between the two most “monstrous” heroes in Marvel: The Incredible Hulk vs. the blue-eyed, idol-o-millions Ben Grimm, the Thing. This conflict begins here, but in just over a year’s time it will erupt again (see later in this very volume), but here Kirby and Lee deliver the start of a question which can never truly be answered. The Hulk may be stronger, but the Thing is the better fighter. So who would win in a fight?
Hulk #6 - With Kirby leaving for other projects, the Hulk needed a new artist. And Steve Ditko takes over. This issue the characters look very different from the Kirby issues, and even the pacing is different. It’s a fun issue, and Ditko does a remarkable job filling in on this last issue of the series. And the Metal Master really is a threat worthy of needing the Hulk. So this one is certainly different, but it was still great to see our characters reimagined by a new artist as talented as Ditko.
Avengers #1-3 - Loki uses the Hulk to try and defeat Thor, but the plan backfires and He ends up creating the Avengers. The Space Phantom attempts to invade the Earth, using the Hulk to trick the Avengers. Namor the Sub-Mariner attempts to ally himself with the Hulk, using him to help defeat the human population. Do you see a trend here? Basically the Avengers were created to deal with theHulk, even if he was one of their founding members. These stories only heighten the threat of the Hulk, the misunderstood nature of his existence, and the pathos of Robert Bruce Banner. And to be honest, the fact that Lee couldn’t even be bothered to remember Bruce Banner’s name, says exactly how much stock he put in the character’s concept. If Lee had believed in the potential of the character, he’d have been able to remember the Hulk’s alliterative name being Bruce Banner, not as Bob Banner. In the end though, these early Hulk centered tales are not the most promising start for this new team.
Fantastic Four #25-26 - This is what could be considered the very first Marvel crossover event! The battle of the century as the Hulk invades NYC and the combined might of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers may not even be able to stop his rampage. The Human Torch, the Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, the Thing, Captain America, Giant-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and the wonderful Wasp are all put to the test of stopping the Hulk. And it integrates perfectly between Avengers #4 and #5. Reading it in this placement, from the perspective of the Hulk, illustrates Lee’s masterful media marketing skills, because this is where this story truly shines.
Avengers #5 - This story almost brings the Hulk back into the Avengers roster. But the threat of the Lava Men never quite pulls him back to the team. We’re also seeing the continued rise of his anger at the human race as his uncontrollable bestial nature comes more into focus. This becomes even more prominent as his next couple guest-appearances demonstrate.
Amazing Spider-Man #14 - Spider-Man vs the Enforcers, but this time the Green Goblin is introduced and the Hulk makes a surprise guest-appearance. This is a classic early Marvel team-up that is so contrived it’s almost ridiculous. But we have the first appearance of the Green Goblin and return appearances by the Enforcers and the Hulk to propel this story into a real historic moment in Marvel history. Two first time battles: Spider-Man vs the Green Goblin AND Spider-Man vs the Hulk. Not the greatest story in the world, but Ditko and Lee sure tried.
Tales to Astonish #59 - The next story in this volume is particularly noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First off: the other Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man & Thor) make a brief appearance. But we also have the return of the Human Top and special guest star by the Hulk, with supporting characters Betty Ross and General Thunderbolt Ross as well. This is also a teaser and appetizer for the next issue of Tales to Astonish and the new format, which would include a story about Giant-Man and the Wasp and one featuring the Hulk. From the perspective of the Hulk, this tale helps to illustrate the transition from the more intelligent Hulk that has been slowly slipping away and the rise of the angry, belligerent Hulk.
Journey Into Myatery #112 - The Hulk only actually appears in a brief cameo at the end, as the bulk of this story is literally Thor expanding on the events from Avengers #3 to try and settle an argument between two rival groups of Thor and Hulk fans. And this story illustrates just how much of a tale spinner Thor can be as he’s creating a yarn that would do Hercules proud. It seems a bit far fetched, but when dealing with Asgardian gods can anything truly be considered far fetched?
While this volume doesn’t include ALL of the Hulk’s appearances in these early formative years, it does include all the major ones. And it really illustrates how much Marvel was trying to push the character and willing to really promote the character to get him back into the spotlight. Also, it is a sheer delight to have these stories collected and placed in one volume in chronological order.
Hulk #1-5 - From the creators of the Fantastic Four, Jack Kirby and Lee comes their second success (although this one kind of floundered a bit until it found the right audience): the Incredible Hulk. And these issues illustrate just how difficult it can be to find the right formula to make a successful series. Even if you’re the brilliantly talented, creative powerhouse of Jack Kirby. Each issue among these offers slight tweaks as Kirby & Lee try to find the combination of elements to make the series work. Supporting characters include Rick Jones, boy sidekick, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, an ongoing antagonist for our hero-monster, Betty Ross, love-struck daughter of Gen. Ross, and our star Dr. Bruce Banner, physicist and atomic scientist without peer who becomes the green-skinned monstrosity. Although when the Hulk is first introduced he is gray skinned, but that appears to have been an alleged coloring mistake, still it would provide the basis for some amazing stories in future years. There’s a string of interesting villains here as well. A Soviet agent named The Gargoyle, the Toad-Men from space, the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, a dastardly plot (or two) by Soviets to capture the Hulk, Tyrannus and his Subterranean Army, the warped communist General Fang. There is even some testing being done by the creators to see if it works better to have Rick Jones able to mentally control the Hulk, or if having Banner’s mind in control of the Hulk, or have him be a bestial personality, or a gruff, scheming individual. It seems like every issue has some slight tweaking of the character concept taking place while Kirby and Lee figure out what is going to work best. Instead of the intelligence of a super-man, the Hulk offers a modern twist on the concept of a tragic character of Jekyll & Hyde, nevertheless it’s important to remember that this concept is still basically Marvel’s take on Superman. Instead of having the ultimate Uber-mensch, we a tragic, flawed man who becomes a powerhouse of unlimited strength. Both characters would appear to fly by making incredible leaps into the air, but in the case of Superman, he was just eventually granted the ability to fly. Superman may have had the best attributes of being male, but Hulk, in typical Marvel fashion, is given all the worst. But it makes for a far more interesting character, and for more entertaining stories.
Fantastic Four #12 - Thus begins what will become an enduring, never-ending contest between the two most “monstrous” heroes in Marvel: The Incredible Hulk vs. the blue-eyed, idol-o-millions Ben Grimm, the Thing. This conflict begins here, but in just over a year’s time it will erupt again (see later in this very volume), but here Kirby and Lee deliver the start of a question which can never truly be answered. The Hulk may be stronger, but the Thing is the better fighter. So who would win in a fight?
Hulk #6 - With Kirby leaving for other projects, the Hulk needed a new artist. And Steve Ditko takes over. This issue the characters look very different from the Kirby issues, and even the pacing is different. It’s a fun issue, and Ditko does a remarkable job filling in on this last issue of the series. And the Metal Master really is a threat worthy of needing the Hulk. So this one is certainly different, but it was still great to see our characters reimagined by a new artist as talented as Ditko.
Avengers #1-3 - Loki uses the Hulk to try and defeat Thor, but the plan backfires and He ends up creating the Avengers. The Space Phantom attempts to invade the Earth, using the Hulk to trick the Avengers. Namor the Sub-Mariner attempts to ally himself with the Hulk, using him to help defeat the human population. Do you see a trend here? Basically the Avengers were created to deal with theHulk, even if he was one of their founding members. These stories only heighten the threat of the Hulk, the misunderstood nature of his existence, and the pathos of Robert Bruce Banner. And to be honest, the fact that Lee couldn’t even be bothered to remember Bruce Banner’s name, says exactly how much stock he put in the character’s concept. If Lee had believed in the potential of the character, he’d have been able to remember the Hulk’s alliterative name being Bruce Banner, not as Bob Banner. In the end though, these early Hulk centered tales are not the most promising start for this new team.
Fantastic Four #25-26 - This is what could be considered the very first Marvel crossover event! The battle of the century as the Hulk invades NYC and the combined might of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers may not even be able to stop his rampage. The Human Torch, the Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, the Thing, Captain America, Giant-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and the wonderful Wasp are all put to the test of stopping the Hulk. And it integrates perfectly between Avengers #4 and #5. Reading it in this placement, from the perspective of the Hulk, illustrates Lee’s masterful media marketing skills, because this is where this story truly shines.
Avengers #5 - This story almost brings the Hulk back into the Avengers roster. But the threat of the Lava Men never quite pulls him back to the team. We’re also seeing the continued rise of his anger at the human race as his uncontrollable bestial nature comes more into focus. This becomes even more prominent as his next couple guest-appearances demonstrate.
Amazing Spider-Man #14 - Spider-Man vs the Enforcers, but this time the Green Goblin is introduced and the Hulk makes a surprise guest-appearance. This is a classic early Marvel team-up that is so contrived it’s almost ridiculous. But we have the first appearance of the Green Goblin and return appearances by the Enforcers and the Hulk to propel this story into a real historic moment in Marvel history. Two first time battles: Spider-Man vs the Green Goblin AND Spider-Man vs the Hulk. Not the greatest story in the world, but Ditko and Lee sure tried.
Tales to Astonish #59 - The next story in this volume is particularly noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First off: the other Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man & Thor) make a brief appearance. But we also have the return of the Human Top and special guest star by the Hulk, with supporting characters Betty Ross and General Thunderbolt Ross as well. This is also a teaser and appetizer for the next issue of Tales to Astonish and the new format, which would include a story about Giant-Man and the Wasp and one featuring the Hulk. From the perspective of the Hulk, this tale helps to illustrate the transition from the more intelligent Hulk that has been slowly slipping away and the rise of the angry, belligerent Hulk.
Journey Into Myatery #112 - The Hulk only actually appears in a brief cameo at the end, as the bulk of this story is literally Thor expanding on the events from Avengers #3 to try and settle an argument between two rival groups of Thor and Hulk fans. And this story illustrates just how much of a tale spinner Thor can be as he’s creating a yarn that would do Hercules proud. It seems a bit far fetched, but when dealing with Asgardian gods can anything truly be considered far fetched?
While this volume doesn’t include ALL of the Hulk’s appearances in these early formative years, it does include all the major ones. And it really illustrates how much Marvel was trying to push the character and willing to really promote the character to get him back into the spotlight. Also, it is a sheer delight to have these stories collected and placed in one volume in chronological order.
July 10, 2016
Classic stories -- and nobody was sure what the Hulk was about; grey or green; dumb or smart; a werewolf sort of thing that became a monster in the evenings, or through a ray, or (finally!) when angered -- but fun nonetheless!
March 11, 2019
The book shows the Hulk's transformation from a scifi monster to a (relatively) traditional superhero. In many ways this early Hulk has more in common with the scifi genre popular in 1950s comics than it does with traditional Marvel silver age stories.
April 8, 2025
The Marvel Universe wouldn't be the same if the incredible Hulk wasn't present within it. One of Marvel's most famous and beloved characters, the Hulk has decades of great stories that fans of all ages could chew their teeth on. But is it worth reading this volume to experience the Hulk's earliest adventures? In some ways yes and in other ways no.
After Marvel's initial success with the Fantastic Four, writer Stan Lee wanted to introduce a different kind of protagonist for readers to become engaged with, one that didn't follow any sort of typical superhero structure at all. In fact, after reading this entire volume, you could easily make the argument the Hulk is more of a straight-up villain rather than a hero.
After a freak accident occurs in which atomic scientist Dr. Bruce Banner is bombarded with mysterious gamma radiation, he finds himself unable to control his frequent transformations into a large and extremely strong monster who name is simply given the Hulk. Bruce's earliest adventures as his monstrous alter ego and the problems that come with it have a nuggets of drama and pathos that would come to define the character for years to come, but these early stories fail to truly capitalize on a truly unique concept.
Rather than focus on the inner turmoil and drama, the Hulk seems to be treated here as an excuse for a big guy to fight as many alien invaders and communists as possible, fairly typical adventures by early Marvel standards. I get it, these comics were made for a younger audience in mind but when you compare it to some of the other books Marvel was publishing at the same time like Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, you can't help but feel slightly dissapointed. When super-villains are introduced for the Hulk to face, they never seem to hit the mark and are mostly forgotten by modern day stories. Seriously, when Ringmaster is the most memorable and fun villain in this collection to be introduced, you know you have a problem.
Hulk's long time supporting cast are introduced here as well, including the Rick Jones, General "Thunderbolt" Ross and Betty Ross, but many of them only feel like stereotypes of a young teenager, gruff army man, and a female love interest. These will come into their own into the future, but here they are depicted as fairly boring.
Moments of brilliance like the initial origin issue, wasn't enough to save the series as it was soon canceled after only six issues. The rest of this collection collects all of the Hulk's exploits as a guest character in other books such as Fantastic Four, Avengers and Spider-Man. One thing I will praise about this volume is that the Hulk does become way more interesting once he gets the chance to interact with other heroes of the Marvel universe, such as fighting an epic battle against the Thing or reluctantly become a founding member of the Avengers before quickly quitting and becoming their enemy.It all reads well together and you could easily view any of these issues as if they were official continuations from the Hulk's own series had it not been canceled.
Another weird thing to note about the Hulk is that the character goes through many different changes and alterations that are quite a bit different from how we are all familiar with him today. At first, the Hulk's skin was gray but seemingly changes to green for discernible reason. Bruce's transformations would be triggered by nightfall, but that would then change for it to be triggered by a gamma ray device that he could control, then the would become triggered when he becomes excited. At first, the Hulk is depicted as fairly intelligent despite having a mean streak, then he becomes a mindless slave to Rick Jones for a couple of issues, goes BACK to having Bruce's intelligence only to then slowly settle on being a dumb brute by the end of the volume. As you can tell, NOTHING is consistent, almost as if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby didn't really know what to do with the character after they had initially created him. All these inconsistencies are explained by stories that would come decades later, but if this is your first time reading the Hulk, just remember to treat this like an early alpha stage, not quite yet figured out but slowly getting there.
Overall, I would recommend you read the very first issue of the Hulk's origin and read all of his guest appearances that are included here since they are genuinely fun and create great world building for early Marvel. The rest of his series feels so amateur and weird that it's really no wonder that it got canceled to begin with. Thankfully, Stan liked the character enough to have him keep appearing in other comics and it will eventually lead to Hulk getting his own series of stories again in the near future. But that's another volume for another time.
After Marvel's initial success with the Fantastic Four, writer Stan Lee wanted to introduce a different kind of protagonist for readers to become engaged with, one that didn't follow any sort of typical superhero structure at all. In fact, after reading this entire volume, you could easily make the argument the Hulk is more of a straight-up villain rather than a hero.
After a freak accident occurs in which atomic scientist Dr. Bruce Banner is bombarded with mysterious gamma radiation, he finds himself unable to control his frequent transformations into a large and extremely strong monster who name is simply given the Hulk. Bruce's earliest adventures as his monstrous alter ego and the problems that come with it have a nuggets of drama and pathos that would come to define the character for years to come, but these early stories fail to truly capitalize on a truly unique concept.
Rather than focus on the inner turmoil and drama, the Hulk seems to be treated here as an excuse for a big guy to fight as many alien invaders and communists as possible, fairly typical adventures by early Marvel standards. I get it, these comics were made for a younger audience in mind but when you compare it to some of the other books Marvel was publishing at the same time like Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, you can't help but feel slightly dissapointed. When super-villains are introduced for the Hulk to face, they never seem to hit the mark and are mostly forgotten by modern day stories. Seriously, when Ringmaster is the most memorable and fun villain in this collection to be introduced, you know you have a problem.
Hulk's long time supporting cast are introduced here as well, including the Rick Jones, General "Thunderbolt" Ross and Betty Ross, but many of them only feel like stereotypes of a young teenager, gruff army man, and a female love interest. These will come into their own into the future, but here they are depicted as fairly boring.
Moments of brilliance like the initial origin issue, wasn't enough to save the series as it was soon canceled after only six issues. The rest of this collection collects all of the Hulk's exploits as a guest character in other books such as Fantastic Four, Avengers and Spider-Man. One thing I will praise about this volume is that the Hulk does become way more interesting once he gets the chance to interact with other heroes of the Marvel universe, such as fighting an epic battle against the Thing or reluctantly become a founding member of the Avengers before quickly quitting and becoming their enemy.It all reads well together and you could easily view any of these issues as if they were official continuations from the Hulk's own series had it not been canceled.
Another weird thing to note about the Hulk is that the character goes through many different changes and alterations that are quite a bit different from how we are all familiar with him today. At first, the Hulk's skin was gray but seemingly changes to green for discernible reason. Bruce's transformations would be triggered by nightfall, but that would then change for it to be triggered by a gamma ray device that he could control, then the would become triggered when he becomes excited. At first, the Hulk is depicted as fairly intelligent despite having a mean streak, then he becomes a mindless slave to Rick Jones for a couple of issues, goes BACK to having Bruce's intelligence only to then slowly settle on being a dumb brute by the end of the volume. As you can tell, NOTHING is consistent, almost as if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby didn't really know what to do with the character after they had initially created him. All these inconsistencies are explained by stories that would come decades later, but if this is your first time reading the Hulk, just remember to treat this like an early alpha stage, not quite yet figured out but slowly getting there.
Overall, I would recommend you read the very first issue of the Hulk's origin and read all of his guest appearances that are included here since they are genuinely fun and create great world building for early Marvel. The rest of his series feels so amateur and weird that it's really no wonder that it got canceled to begin with. Thankfully, Stan liked the character enough to have him keep appearing in other comics and it will eventually lead to Hulk getting his own series of stories again in the near future. But that's another volume for another time.
March 14, 2023
I didn't expect to finish this one so quick but this volume had a TON of double dips if you are buying all the other lines. Essentially all that was new here to me was the 6 solo Hulk issues along with the one Tales to Astonish issue I hadn't gotten to elsewhere yet.
I have almost finished every silver age volume 1 And have been dreading the hulk since I knew his silver age years are messy. While there wasn't any stories that are groundbreaking or very interesting I still managed to have fun watching Stan and Jack try and figure out just who the Hulk was. Of course you have the intro where he's Grey,later you see hulk change due to a machine, and even a point where Bruce has a Hulk body but his face and head still. For the most part every issue was just hulk beating up on a monster while Rick Jones tries to save Help the hulk saves the day. Betty has almost no character like a lot of the female interests at the time and Thunderbolt Ross is basically the same character I always imagine him to be.....he needs hulk captured!
If I had to rank this volume based on those 6 stories it would probably be lower teir but if you are only buying Hulk you actually get a good crossover of other marvel universe books from this time. You get the Avengers first appearance, Hulk fighting the Thing, a giant man battle,a thor battle, and even a spidey fight. If you aren't dipping into other lines this volume displayed a lot of what was happening around hulk as well as showcasing hulk himself.
I have almost finished every silver age volume 1 And have been dreading the hulk since I knew his silver age years are messy. While there wasn't any stories that are groundbreaking or very interesting I still managed to have fun watching Stan and Jack try and figure out just who the Hulk was. Of course you have the intro where he's Grey,later you see hulk change due to a machine, and even a point where Bruce has a Hulk body but his face and head still. For the most part every issue was just hulk beating up on a monster while Rick Jones tries to save Help the hulk saves the day. Betty has almost no character like a lot of the female interests at the time and Thunderbolt Ross is basically the same character I always imagine him to be.....he needs hulk captured!
If I had to rank this volume based on those 6 stories it would probably be lower teir but if you are only buying Hulk you actually get a good crossover of other marvel universe books from this time. You get the Avengers first appearance, Hulk fighting the Thing, a giant man battle,a thor battle, and even a spidey fight. If you aren't dipping into other lines this volume displayed a lot of what was happening around hulk as well as showcasing hulk himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2019
Collecting the first 2 years of the appearance of the Hulk from his beginnings on an aborted series that got to 6 issues before being cancelled and then his appearances in other Marvel series, such as The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Tales to Astonish (Ant-Man) and Journey into Mystery (Thor) it covers the slow evolution of the character in his early days.
It's interesting to see that the character takes quite a while to become the Hulk we know. In the first issue he is grey instead of green, also he becomes the Hulk at night-time instead of when he is enraged. In fact throughout the 2 years the reasons for transforming into the Hulk keep changing and even by 1964 he still transforms because he wants to or is exposed to some substance with no firmly established mechanism.
The stories are fun but you can tell that there is a big qualitative difference between Hulk's title and The Avengers, Fantastic Four or Spider-Man which are clearly flashship titles. The Incredible Hulk issues are full of spelling mistakes, continuity errors and so forth and so it isn't surprising that it gets canceled after 6 issues, the contrast with the flagship titles in which he appears later is quite marked. The art is still great, though, it's Jack Kirby after all. Still, it's an interesting title to see how such a popular character had such comparatively humble beginnings, but it's more an historical curiosity than anything.
July 19, 2023
I find a lot of early Stan Lee stories pretty rough, but he really creates some great characters.
The interesting thing about this collection is that it seems that Stan Lee didn't have a clear idea of what the Hulk was. The status quo of the Hulk changes almost every issue. He starts off Gray, and is not the dumb brute we know him as, but rather a more menacing version of Bruce Banner. Soon, he becomes Green and is controlled by Rick Jones, then he's just Bruce Banner's mind in the Hulks body and can change between Bruce and Hulk with the help of a machine. Then he's 2 different personalities again. It's only when we get to the end of the collection where we get the idea of Bruce becoming Hulk when he's angry.
The original Hulk series was only 6 issues deep before it got cancelled, so the rest of this collection includes other comics that the Hulk appeared in at the time. He was an original member of the Avengers so there's the first few Avengers issues in here. There's also his first encounters with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, and it also has his first of many battles with the Thing and Thor, two characters that remain his rivals in power over the years.
It's a good collection for fans of the Hulk who want to see his development into the character we know today. Better stories appear in later years, but it's cool seeing the foundation of such an iconic character.
The interesting thing about this collection is that it seems that Stan Lee didn't have a clear idea of what the Hulk was. The status quo of the Hulk changes almost every issue. He starts off Gray, and is not the dumb brute we know him as, but rather a more menacing version of Bruce Banner. Soon, he becomes Green and is controlled by Rick Jones, then he's just Bruce Banner's mind in the Hulks body and can change between Bruce and Hulk with the help of a machine. Then he's 2 different personalities again. It's only when we get to the end of the collection where we get the idea of Bruce becoming Hulk when he's angry.
The original Hulk series was only 6 issues deep before it got cancelled, so the rest of this collection includes other comics that the Hulk appeared in at the time. He was an original member of the Avengers so there's the first few Avengers issues in here. There's also his first encounters with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, and it also has his first of many battles with the Thing and Thor, two characters that remain his rivals in power over the years.
It's a good collection for fans of the Hulk who want to see his development into the character we know today. Better stories appear in later years, but it's cool seeing the foundation of such an iconic character.
September 29, 2021
Hulk #1-6 (Apresenta a origem do herói , o génio cientista o gárgula , os homens sapo , general ross e o exército , ringmaster e o circo do crime , mongu e o exército soviético , tyrannus , general fang e seu exército,o mestre dos metais)
FF #12,25-26 (primeiro encontro com o Hulk ,segundo confronto desta vez com um longo combate com o coisa e sua primeira derrota nas mãos do Golias esmeralda, os vingadores juntam se ao quarteto para deter o monstro)
Avengers #1-3,5 (criação dos vingadores ,confronto com o fantasma do espaço , saída do Hulk dos vingadores e união com namor para os derrotar ,e voltam a encontrar se para enfrentar os homens lava)
Spider #14 (pequena participação num curto confronto com o aranha)
Tales #59 (enfrenta o giant-man , o pym)
Journey #112 (recontagem da luta de Thor e Hulk aquando da união deste com namor contra os vingadores , mas aqui contada com mais pormenor)
FF #12,25-26 (primeiro encontro com o Hulk ,segundo confronto desta vez com um longo combate com o coisa e sua primeira derrota nas mãos do Golias esmeralda, os vingadores juntam se ao quarteto para deter o monstro)
Avengers #1-3,5 (criação dos vingadores ,confronto com o fantasma do espaço , saída do Hulk dos vingadores e união com namor para os derrotar ,e voltam a encontrar se para enfrentar os homens lava)
Spider #14 (pequena participação num curto confronto com o aranha)
Tales #59 (enfrenta o giant-man , o pym)
Journey #112 (recontagem da luta de Thor e Hulk aquando da união deste com namor contra os vingadores , mas aqui contada com mais pormenor)
January 31, 2021
Weird. I think I knew that the Hulk went on hiatus and that the original Hulk was not the prototypical "Leave Hulk alone!"
But I don't think I knew that the Hulk's title was cancelled quickly, that the character was kept alive through guest spots, or that the writers really had no idea what the character was. It's easy to imagine a world where the Hulk just becomes the Rhino or the Juggernaut: a really tough guy to throw in a story because he's really tough. Indeed, in several of his early appearances, it's not clear why the Hulk isn't a villain. He keeps threatening to hurt people because of his hatred for humanity. In others, he is just an avatar of Rick Jones' power, like a Gigantor.
Banner himself has almost no characterization except that he's afraid of becoming the Hulk . . . usually.
But I don't think I knew that the Hulk's title was cancelled quickly, that the character was kept alive through guest spots, or that the writers really had no idea what the character was. It's easy to imagine a world where the Hulk just becomes the Rhino or the Juggernaut: a really tough guy to throw in a story because he's really tough. Indeed, in several of his early appearances, it's not clear why the Hulk isn't a villain. He keeps threatening to hurt people because of his hatred for humanity. In others, he is just an avatar of Rick Jones' power, like a Gigantor.
Banner himself has almost no characterization except that he's afraid of becoming the Hulk . . . usually.
June 11, 2017
"HULK ... SMASH!"
A collection of the original sIncredible Hulk tories (or those in which he appeared), I was actually surprised on reading these just how 'smart' (relatively speaking) the Hulk actually was - not at all like the "Rrrr...Arrrgh" engine of destruction I was expecting, but able to hold full conversations with those he was interacting with.
I was also surprised that - initially, at least - the transformation process did not happen when Bruce Banner got angry, but rather at night times, or when he voluntarily underwent it by stepping in front of his hidden Gamma Ray machine (after initially being caught in a Gamma Ray explosion that started the whole process going): very much a modern Jekyll and Hyde scenario, as it were!
A collection of the original sIncredible Hulk tories (or those in which he appeared), I was actually surprised on reading these just how 'smart' (relatively speaking) the Hulk actually was - not at all like the "Rrrr...Arrrgh" engine of destruction I was expecting, but able to hold full conversations with those he was interacting with.
I was also surprised that - initially, at least - the transformation process did not happen when Bruce Banner got angry, but rather at night times, or when he voluntarily underwent it by stepping in front of his hidden Gamma Ray machine (after initially being caught in a Gamma Ray explosion that started the whole process going): very much a modern Jekyll and Hyde scenario, as it were!
November 14, 2021
In 1962 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Hulk...and clearly had no idea what the heck to do with him. The first series ran a mere six issues, but the Hulk is different in practically every one. His intelligence level, the reason he changes from Bruce Banner into the Hulk all alter from issue to issue as Stan and Jack struggle to figure out what works best.
The Hulk feature was resurrected in Tales to Astonish in 1964. Between those two runs they kept Hulk in the spotlight by guest-starring him in several other titles, all of which are collected here.
Great early Marvel reading.
The Hulk feature was resurrected in Tales to Astonish in 1964. Between those two runs they kept Hulk in the spotlight by guest-starring him in several other titles, all of which are collected here.
Great early Marvel reading.
January 3, 2021
Effective stuff - Most surprising to me is that after the Hulk series concludes, Stan does a really nice job (until the last couple chapters - Spider-Man's and Giant-Man's lead stories) making each installment feel like a natural nest step in Hulk's story while also progressing the star characters' stories (FF and Avengers). Kirby is a superstar, as always. The alien/underground kingdom invasion plots aren't anything special, but the Hulk's bitterness and tragedy are powerfully compelling.
July 9, 2024
This was an interesting collection. I didn't realize that original The Incredible Hulk comic run only lasted 6 issues before he started appearing in other characters comics. Some of the stories weren't very good though and the status quo for The Hulk kept changing like every issue. I did like the fact that even though it was still early days for Marvel they were definitely forming it's universe very early on.
August 24, 2023
Maybe this is a controversial statement, but pre-MCU, The Hulk might have been the most successful Marvel character. He was the only one who had a long running piece of media outside of the comics with the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno show. That being said, it's wild to see that he couldn't even keep his own comic going at first. Not bad, but pretty simple.
August 22, 2024
This was a slog to get through. Anytime I read old comics from the 60s, I'm always staggered by how ... bad they can be. With Hulk, he hadn't evolved into the character we know today. The whole part of his transformation was ridiculous and I can't wait until I get to issues where it's only driven by his anger and not a machine/moonlight.
I hated this.
Overall - 2/5
I hated this.
Overall - 2/5
September 4, 2018
Classic hulk? Yes. Great and wonderful writing? Yes! Awesome original work? yes! My style? Sadly not so much... honestly i tend to lean towards the newer hulk stuff and the silver age stuff... worth a read tho
May 31, 2021
The first issue of The Incredible Hulk is a classic and has been often imitated. Subsequent issues suffered from a lack of original ideas, but this collection is bolstered by his crossovers with the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, as well as his very short stint with the Avengers.
September 16, 2022
Hulk was never one of my favorites to begin with, but this was enjoyable enough. Definitely felt like they were still trying to figure out what they wanted to do with the character, but that seems to be pretty typical for these earlier runs across the board.
June 3, 2017
Classic Stan Lee
Epic story telling in the mighty Marvel way! It might seem quaint by today's standards, but I loved the nostalgia that these stories evoked.
Epic story telling in the mighty Marvel way! It might seem quaint by today's standards, but I loved the nostalgia that these stories evoked.
July 1, 2024
This was an enjoyable read but it also didn't stand out in any way. It was cool to see the beginnings of this character, but ultimately these were all fairly forgettable stories. It shows promise for what the series can become, and also serves as a decent jumping on point to start some avengers as well.
January 5, 2017
This one has it all: pulse-pounding thrills, a plethora of memorable characters and dramatic sequences, and the increased unification of a comic book world that was taking the industry by storm. This was the era that later became known as the Silver Age of Marvel Comics, when the stories were fresh and exciting and every territory was new and unexplored. I was introduced to these stories at a very young age, and I still get chills re-reading them today.
At the center of it all was the Incredible Hulk. Even in the issues not bearing his name, it’s clear that the Hulk really was the central character in all these early stories, the driving force which brought together most of the disparate corners of the Marvel Universe, and one of the most complex concepts to come out of the House of Ideas. In the original six issues of Incredible Hulk collected here, it’s fascinating to see how he evolved (or de-evolved, depending on the perspective) from a brutish gray monster who transformed only at night, to a mindless slave of the teenage Rick Jones, and ultimately to a thuggish anti-hero who emerged when needed to protect the world from threats greater than himself.
When the original Hulk series was cancelled, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko must have known that they had something with potential, even if they didn’t know what to do with it. In his Fantastic Four, Avengers, Journey Into Mystery and Spider-Man appearances here, the Hulk’s personality, patterns, and look gained some stability. It’s fun reading stories in which the Hulk uses ruthless cunning as much as unlimited power to fight back against his enemies. These personality traits would resurface in the late 1980s, when the more iconic, lonely child-like Hulk of the 1970s had run its course and a new direction was needed.
Here we also have the Hulk’s first two fights with the Thing, the issues in which he joined, quit, and then fought the Avengers while teamed with Namor the Sub-Mariner, his first fight against Spider-Man (which Spider-fans will recall is also the very first appearance of the Green Goblin), and against Thor (a story which amusingly includes fans for both the Hulk and Thor debating over who’s stronger, perhaps a reflection of Marvel’s growing legions of fans in real life). Some of the dialogue may be corny by today’s standards, and the intrigue of the Cold War may be long gone, but that in no way diminishes the epic scope of these tales. While Stan Lee is credited as writer, equal credit must also go to Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Dick Ayers, without whom these stories would not have the same resonance. The individual issues, beautifully restored and presented as a unified piece, truly illustrate the scope of the then-young Marvel Universe, with all the imagination and adventure that brings.
Highly recommended for longtime fans of Marvel’s Silver Age, and for those just getting interested in comic books as I was so many years ago, this is a very economic and convenient way to start at the beginning. Make mine Marvel!
At the center of it all was the Incredible Hulk. Even in the issues not bearing his name, it’s clear that the Hulk really was the central character in all these early stories, the driving force which brought together most of the disparate corners of the Marvel Universe, and one of the most complex concepts to come out of the House of Ideas. In the original six issues of Incredible Hulk collected here, it’s fascinating to see how he evolved (or de-evolved, depending on the perspective) from a brutish gray monster who transformed only at night, to a mindless slave of the teenage Rick Jones, and ultimately to a thuggish anti-hero who emerged when needed to protect the world from threats greater than himself.
When the original Hulk series was cancelled, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko must have known that they had something with potential, even if they didn’t know what to do with it. In his Fantastic Four, Avengers, Journey Into Mystery and Spider-Man appearances here, the Hulk’s personality, patterns, and look gained some stability. It’s fun reading stories in which the Hulk uses ruthless cunning as much as unlimited power to fight back against his enemies. These personality traits would resurface in the late 1980s, when the more iconic, lonely child-like Hulk of the 1970s had run its course and a new direction was needed.
Here we also have the Hulk’s first two fights with the Thing, the issues in which he joined, quit, and then fought the Avengers while teamed with Namor the Sub-Mariner, his first fight against Spider-Man (which Spider-fans will recall is also the very first appearance of the Green Goblin), and against Thor (a story which amusingly includes fans for both the Hulk and Thor debating over who’s stronger, perhaps a reflection of Marvel’s growing legions of fans in real life). Some of the dialogue may be corny by today’s standards, and the intrigue of the Cold War may be long gone, but that in no way diminishes the epic scope of these tales. While Stan Lee is credited as writer, equal credit must also go to Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Dick Ayers, without whom these stories would not have the same resonance. The individual issues, beautifully restored and presented as a unified piece, truly illustrate the scope of the then-young Marvel Universe, with all the imagination and adventure that brings.
Highly recommended for longtime fans of Marvel’s Silver Age, and for those just getting interested in comic books as I was so many years ago, this is a very economic and convenient way to start at the beginning. Make mine Marvel!
April 8, 2023
The beginning of the great Hulk saga begins and there's not much I can add to what others have said and most everyone probably already knows (comic book readers that is.) Anyway just some of my basic half-baked impressions. I've criticized Steve Ditko in the past because when he's sloppy, he's really sloppy but in the two stories he pencils contained w/in this book he's far and away the better Hulk artist than Jack Kirby. Whether from indifference or overwork, Kirby's Hulk is junky and amorphous, only a little better delineated than one of his many shapeless monstrosities he drew throughout the 50's. Ditko gave the Hulk some character and gave him muscles w/definition to them and drew the Hulk much more dynamically in the action scenes as well. I don't worship Kirby or Ditko like some do but I do give them credit for being the two main artists that shaped the Marvel universe in the 60's. I don't think Kirby got really going until he started sinking his teeth into the Thor books.
Okay, that's enough for the bold and reckless statements on the two Gods of Marvel Comics Art. How's the writing? Again whether from indifference or overwork Stan Lee's storytelling is contrived, slapdash and trite all at the same time. Ha!
Having said that I still love this stuff!
It's comics, kids!
A lot of action takes place and although the constant fighting and boasting does get tiresome, just turn the page and there's more action to be had.
Thunderbolt Ross is an irredeemable a-hole. Betty is completely clueless. Rick Jones is a co-dependent enabler on Bruce Banner's nutty schemes to get that Hulk monkey off his back . . . I don't know, man, I'm making it sound terrible but it ain't, it's completely mindless fun, it was an escape then, when it was written and now for me, 60 years after the fact.
So, why do I like this stuff? When I was a kid the Hulk was the superhero I was drawn to the most, I couldn't tell you why then but now I think it's obvious that as a too tall skinny goofball I responded greatly to Hulk's huge physical power and his loner attitude. He didn't do much saving of innocents like other superheros which even as a kid I thought was corny as hell. He fought and jumped and traveled all over the world and galaxy, getting into elaborate scrapes and always coming out on top as opposed to his antagonists, but poor Bruce Banner was always left to pick up the pieces.
Perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away. It's the Hulk, man. He smashes and thunderclaps his way across the fast-turning pages contained herein. What more can one want?
Okay, that's enough for the bold and reckless statements on the two Gods of Marvel Comics Art. How's the writing? Again whether from indifference or overwork Stan Lee's storytelling is contrived, slapdash and trite all at the same time. Ha!
Having said that I still love this stuff!
It's comics, kids!
A lot of action takes place and although the constant fighting and boasting does get tiresome, just turn the page and there's more action to be had.
Thunderbolt Ross is an irredeemable a-hole. Betty is completely clueless. Rick Jones is a co-dependent enabler on Bruce Banner's nutty schemes to get that Hulk monkey off his back . . . I don't know, man, I'm making it sound terrible but it ain't, it's completely mindless fun, it was an escape then, when it was written and now for me, 60 years after the fact.
So, why do I like this stuff? When I was a kid the Hulk was the superhero I was drawn to the most, I couldn't tell you why then but now I think it's obvious that as a too tall skinny goofball I responded greatly to Hulk's huge physical power and his loner attitude. He didn't do much saving of innocents like other superheros which even as a kid I thought was corny as hell. He fought and jumped and traveled all over the world and galaxy, getting into elaborate scrapes and always coming out on top as opposed to his antagonists, but poor Bruce Banner was always left to pick up the pieces.
Perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away. It's the Hulk, man. He smashes and thunderclaps his way across the fast-turning pages contained herein. What more can one want?
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews