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Incredible Hulk Epic Collection
Incredible Hulk Epic Collection, Vol. 21: Fall of the Pantheon
Hulk goes to Hel and back! First, Hulk and the Pantheon face a painful - and all too human - loss. But Hela herself soon claims the Hulk in an Asgardian underworld epic! Then, it's the end of an era as the Pantheon are torn apart from within! Agamemnon stands trial, one among them falls - and the Hulk's rage transforms him into a savage...Bruce Banner?! While Doc Samson strives to save Bruce's mind, Betty battles for her life - and the stage is set for a fresh new status quo. In hiding and struggling to remain calm, the Hulk takes on Man-Thing, the Abomination and the Punisher!
VOL. 21: TALES TO ASTONISH (1994) 1, INCREDIBLE HULK VS. VENOM 1, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) 420-435
VOL. 21: TALES TO ASTONISH (1994) 1, INCREDIBLE HULK VS. VENOM 1, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) 420-435
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2018
14 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,568 books1,363 followersaka David Peters
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 27, 2025
I was disappointed to see the Pantheon era end. It's my favorite stretch of Hulk lore. I liked the variety of supporting cast you had with all the various Pantheon members. Unfortunately, Gary Frank left the book around the same time. Liam Sharp comes in for 7 or 8 issues. Sharp's art started off very detailed but devolves into a wannabe Simon Bisley by his last issues. The tone of the book gets much darker and we lose the supporting cast to focus just on the Hulk and Betty as they hide out in Florida. Peter David tackles a lot of hot button social issues of the day, AIDS, abortion, child abuse, homelessness. He never gets preachy on one side or the other, just presenting the issues themselves in a way that makes you think. The beginning and ending of the book are the weakest points. It starts off with a Tales to Astonish reunion with poor painted art and a terribly drawn crossover with Venom. The end was pieces of a crossover throughout an editorial directive for a line of Marvel Edge books where the Punisher was brainwashed into hunting and killing Nick Fury. I don't think he stayed dead for more than a few months.
Of course, David likes his little easter eggs. The Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, pops up in the looney bin.
Of course, David likes his little easter eggs. The Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, pops up in the looney bin.
December 26, 2018
4.5 stars.
Holy status-quo change Batman! The Pantheon falls in grand fashion, Hulk turns into Banner when he gets angry now, and Hulk and Betty move to Florida and get 9 to 5 jobs.
This volume was tons of fun, and some of the art towards the end kind of reminded me of The Maxx, which was cool. The book also gets really dark here. People dying of AIDS, kids being murdered, and people being shot outside of abortion clinics are some of the themes we get here.
This loses half a point, however, because the last two issues weren't that great. The funeral issue was boring and the "Hulk becomes a pro baseball player" issue was ridiculous. Also, although it sounds like it would be awesome, the "Hulk vs Venom" one shot was a snooze-fest.
Holy status-quo change Batman! The Pantheon falls in grand fashion, Hulk turns into Banner when he gets angry now, and Hulk and Betty move to Florida and get 9 to 5 jobs.
This volume was tons of fun, and some of the art towards the end kind of reminded me of The Maxx, which was cool. The book also gets really dark here. People dying of AIDS, kids being murdered, and people being shot outside of abortion clinics are some of the themes we get here.
This loses half a point, however, because the last two issues weren't that great. The funeral issue was boring and the "Hulk becomes a pro baseball player" issue was ridiculous. Also, although it sounds like it would be awesome, the "Hulk vs Venom" one shot was a snooze-fest.
January 15, 2018
Marvel continues to publish Peter David's groundbreaking run in these huge trade paperbacks. They've got my hopes up that we will eventually get all the way to David's final issue. These books deserve it; they shouldn't just be confined to the longboxes of collectors. They deserve to live a life on bookshelves, where they can be picked up and perused at the slightest whim. They're that good.
May 29, 2023
It really is the fall of Pantheon.
Everything starts to boil over to a big final showdown with Agamemnon. We've been getting his past origins with the little add on stories at the end of each issue. Now we see him come back to the Pantheon to break it all down and rebuild but the Hulk isn't having that. This leads to Hulk and the Pantheon verses Agamemnon and Achilles. It's a bitter sweet ending to a somewhat uneven storyline about the Pantheon but a highly entertaining ending.
The second half is more one shots of Hulk and Betty trying to live their lives undercover and away from everyone. It's fun and touches on subjects like shootings, abortions, and does it pretty tasteful if you ask me with a little superhero twist here or there. These are much more grounded than the last 30-40 issues but a nice change of pace with abomination showing up close to the end of these stories.
I will say the goodbye issue to Jim, Hulk's and Jones friend who has Aids really hits hard. I know we know a lot more about Aids now and people live even longer with it, but man, the desperation and sadness in this issue is rough piled on with another story happening at the same time. Peter David handles this one well.
Overall a great collection and now joining some of my favorite hulk stories around. A 4.5 out of 5.
Everything starts to boil over to a big final showdown with Agamemnon. We've been getting his past origins with the little add on stories at the end of each issue. Now we see him come back to the Pantheon to break it all down and rebuild but the Hulk isn't having that. This leads to Hulk and the Pantheon verses Agamemnon and Achilles. It's a bitter sweet ending to a somewhat uneven storyline about the Pantheon but a highly entertaining ending.
The second half is more one shots of Hulk and Betty trying to live their lives undercover and away from everyone. It's fun and touches on subjects like shootings, abortions, and does it pretty tasteful if you ask me with a little superhero twist here or there. These are much more grounded than the last 30-40 issues but a nice change of pace with abomination showing up close to the end of these stories.
I will say the goodbye issue to Jim, Hulk's and Jones friend who has Aids really hits hard. I know we know a lot more about Aids now and people live even longer with it, but man, the desperation and sadness in this issue is rough piled on with another story happening at the same time. Peter David handles this one well.
Overall a great collection and now joining some of my favorite hulk stories around. A 4.5 out of 5.
August 25, 2021
Começamos com um cross-over do Hulk, Hank Pym e Vespa contra um descendente do Loki, nada demais, nem de menos. Depois temos um Hulk e Venom que, como toda história do Venom, o Protetor Letal, é uma bosta. Temos uma confusão com a mitologia nórdica e a queda do Panteão em duas histórias que parecem meio "Deus Ex Machina" e eu não curti muito; aparentemente o Agamenon é um dos filhos do Loki e, volta e meia, ele destrói tudo só para construir tudo de novo. Vai entender, né?
Com a queda do Panteão, depois de alguma confusão num hospital qualquer, Hulk e Betty fogem para a Florida, o Gary Frank sai do título e, quando com muita raiva, o Hulk vira um Banner fracote e nervosinho.
Agora com os lápis agressivos e sujos do Liam Sharp, temos algumas histórias na Flórida e um dos mais legais confrontos entre o Hulk e o Abominável em que, ainda que físicamente o Hulk ganhe, ele acaba perdendo.
E no meio de tudo isso, há algumas edições em que o Peter David fala sobre as questões da época; temos a triste história da morte do Jim Wilson - parceirinho da fase Trimpe -, agora com AIDS em estágio terminal, e também um história sobre aborto.
Para fechar, colocam o selinho Marvel Edge na capa, um crossover porco com o Justiceiro e a morte do Nick Fury. Nada de bom sai do selinho Marvel Edge.
Com a queda do Panteão, depois de alguma confusão num hospital qualquer, Hulk e Betty fogem para a Florida, o Gary Frank sai do título e, quando com muita raiva, o Hulk vira um Banner fracote e nervosinho.
Agora com os lápis agressivos e sujos do Liam Sharp, temos algumas histórias na Flórida e um dos mais legais confrontos entre o Hulk e o Abominável em que, ainda que físicamente o Hulk ganhe, ele acaba perdendo.
E no meio de tudo isso, há algumas edições em que o Peter David fala sobre as questões da época; temos a triste história da morte do Jim Wilson - parceirinho da fase Trimpe -, agora com AIDS em estágio terminal, e também um história sobre aborto.
Para fechar, colocam o selinho Marvel Edge na capa, um crossover porco com o Justiceiro e a morte do Nick Fury. Nada de bom sai do selinho Marvel Edge.
July 14, 2020
If I could give this collection 100 stars I would. Peter David is one of the best writers to grace the pages of The Hulk and these are some of his best stories. Dealing with non-supers genre things like AIDS, abortion, and other social issues really put a fine edge on his story telling.
January 26, 2018
“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold”
And with that fitting line from W.B. Yeats, the Hulk’s longtime association with the Pantheon comes to an explosive end in one of the most emotionally devastating storylines by writer Peter David. Death and destruction envelope the Hulk, as does a familiar long-buried aspect of Bruce Banner’s personality which rises to the surface once more… with a weird new twist on the classic formula.
As an avid reader of the series growing up in the mid-1990s, I was often frustrated during the “savage Banner” phase of the Hulk’s life. It put a cap on his strength and forced him to hold back against foes he would normally be able to cut loose against. At the same time, one can appreciate what Peter David was trying to accomplish: as with the Mr. Fixit stories years before, he shook things up in an unexpected way by taking the dichotomy of Banner/Hulk and completely inverting it. The concept of a smart Hulk who has to hold his temper in check for fear of reverting to a raging human form in the midst of battle harkens back to the character’s early days, when stress would act as the cause of the man-to-monster transformation and vice versa (this would be before the calm/anger trigger would be established as the “norm” for the Hulk). This new wrinkle also serves a two-fold purpose: one, it effectively conveys the character’s feelings of loss and helplessness in a profound way. An increasing number of the stories David wrote during this period placed the Hulk in situations in which his key asset--limitless physical power—was useless, and his new incarnation, being helpless in both mind and body, is a reflection of that. Secondly, most significantly, it reins in the merged Hulk’s superiority complex by taking him down a few notches, forcing him to confront his own mortality. The savage Banner didn’t last very long, but it did endanger his life on a number of occasions and served as a catalyst for several upcoming storylines.
Among the socially relevant issues David explores here are child abuse (a central theme of the Hulk), abortion, the homeless (in a two-parter featuring his arch-enemy the Abomination), and most profoundly, the threat of AIDS. Indeed, issue 420, “Lest Darkness Come”, in which the Hulk’s friend and former partner Jim Wilson dies of the disease, still holds up as one of his landmark stories, a beautiful piece of writing that still wrenches the heart. Once again, David isn’t trying to provide solutions to the problems, or sway people in one direction or the other. But he does make you think about the consequences, most often by showing what results from giving in to the extremes of either side.
The shift into more gritty territory is reflected visually in the transition in art chores from Gary Frank to Liam Sharp. Sharp’s detailed and low-keyed style is in sync with David’s switchover to a more somber third-person narrative about a Hulk who keeps to the shadows, doing his best to remain inconspicuous to the extent of wearing normal (if large) clothes. The run was shorter than those David had with Dale Keown and Gary Frank, but like his predecessors Sharp’s pencils make this brief era a distinctive one.
Hulk Epics: Fall of the Pantheon is a collection that includes some of the darkest and most topical stories from Peter David’s run, marked by a surprising change in the status quo. At the rate in which these hugely packed volumes are being produced, I’m hopeful the Epics line will reach as far as the end of David’s run, roughly another thirty issues away now. Next up: Ghosts of the Future!
And with that fitting line from W.B. Yeats, the Hulk’s longtime association with the Pantheon comes to an explosive end in one of the most emotionally devastating storylines by writer Peter David. Death and destruction envelope the Hulk, as does a familiar long-buried aspect of Bruce Banner’s personality which rises to the surface once more… with a weird new twist on the classic formula.
As an avid reader of the series growing up in the mid-1990s, I was often frustrated during the “savage Banner” phase of the Hulk’s life. It put a cap on his strength and forced him to hold back against foes he would normally be able to cut loose against. At the same time, one can appreciate what Peter David was trying to accomplish: as with the Mr. Fixit stories years before, he shook things up in an unexpected way by taking the dichotomy of Banner/Hulk and completely inverting it. The concept of a smart Hulk who has to hold his temper in check for fear of reverting to a raging human form in the midst of battle harkens back to the character’s early days, when stress would act as the cause of the man-to-monster transformation and vice versa (this would be before the calm/anger trigger would be established as the “norm” for the Hulk). This new wrinkle also serves a two-fold purpose: one, it effectively conveys the character’s feelings of loss and helplessness in a profound way. An increasing number of the stories David wrote during this period placed the Hulk in situations in which his key asset--limitless physical power—was useless, and his new incarnation, being helpless in both mind and body, is a reflection of that. Secondly, most significantly, it reins in the merged Hulk’s superiority complex by taking him down a few notches, forcing him to confront his own mortality. The savage Banner didn’t last very long, but it did endanger his life on a number of occasions and served as a catalyst for several upcoming storylines.
Among the socially relevant issues David explores here are child abuse (a central theme of the Hulk), abortion, the homeless (in a two-parter featuring his arch-enemy the Abomination), and most profoundly, the threat of AIDS. Indeed, issue 420, “Lest Darkness Come”, in which the Hulk’s friend and former partner Jim Wilson dies of the disease, still holds up as one of his landmark stories, a beautiful piece of writing that still wrenches the heart. Once again, David isn’t trying to provide solutions to the problems, or sway people in one direction or the other. But he does make you think about the consequences, most often by showing what results from giving in to the extremes of either side.
The shift into more gritty territory is reflected visually in the transition in art chores from Gary Frank to Liam Sharp. Sharp’s detailed and low-keyed style is in sync with David’s switchover to a more somber third-person narrative about a Hulk who keeps to the shadows, doing his best to remain inconspicuous to the extent of wearing normal (if large) clothes. The run was shorter than those David had with Dale Keown and Gary Frank, but like his predecessors Sharp’s pencils make this brief era a distinctive one.
Hulk Epics: Fall of the Pantheon is a collection that includes some of the darkest and most topical stories from Peter David’s run, marked by a surprising change in the status quo. At the rate in which these hugely packed volumes are being produced, I’m hopeful the Epics line will reach as far as the end of David’s run, roughly another thirty issues away now. Next up: Ghosts of the Future!
December 11, 2020
PAD continues another solid set of Hulk stories. We get the ending of the Pantheon which takes up most of the first half of the book. Frank does a good job on art to round out this era of Hulk stories also. We also get the AIDs issue by both at the start. I remember hearing about it growing up but wasn't aware of how big an issue it was. There's some nice discussion in the extras in the back that also helps bring it to light. David intertwines a lot of real world issues here, such as child abuse and abortion also, which makes the book feel a lot more relevant than what was happening elsewhere in Marvel Universe in the 90s.
Overall there's a mixed bag of stories here also - a painted Hank Pym & Wasp painted story that suffers from some storytelling issues but PAD does incorporate some fun Norse mythology ideas; Hulk vs Venom, an idea that isn't much beyond the title; a 90s crossover with Punisher, that PAD does a good job at fitting into the overall narrative without too much interference but is noticeably weaker than the preceding stories, and; a baseball story that lets PAD run riot with his deft ability at humour. There's some early art by Liam Sharpe and Terry Dodson too that while not as polished as their later work is still nice to see at this early point in their careers.
Overall there's a mixed bag of stories here also - a painted Hank Pym & Wasp painted story that suffers from some storytelling issues but PAD does incorporate some fun Norse mythology ideas; Hulk vs Venom, an idea that isn't much beyond the title; a 90s crossover with Punisher, that PAD does a good job at fitting into the overall narrative without too much interference but is noticeably weaker than the preceding stories, and; a baseball story that lets PAD run riot with his deft ability at humour. There's some early art by Liam Sharpe and Terry Dodson too that while not as polished as their later work is still nice to see at this early point in their careers.
August 31, 2020
This collection of Hulk stories from the 90s swings wildly between courageous and embarrassing. There's a story featuring an HIV-positive teen, and another one about a teen who's murdered on a visit to an abortion clinic. The opening Hulk-Wasp feature, done in lavish watercolor by John Estes, is quite well done.
There could have been some very interesting stories centered around Betty, a criminally underutilized character if there ever was one. The collection also includes a charity issue for the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, an "April Fools" Hulk-Venom Mashup that's truly awful. The remainder is a mess of half-baked storylines, questionable crossovers, and poor character design, with the Hulk exemplifying some of the worst of 90s-era comics mannerism. Recommended with reservations for hardcore Marvel fanboys.
There could have been some very interesting stories centered around Betty, a criminally underutilized character if there ever was one. The collection also includes a charity issue for the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, an "April Fools" Hulk-Venom Mashup that's truly awful. The remainder is a mess of half-baked storylines, questionable crossovers, and poor character design, with the Hulk exemplifying some of the worst of 90s-era comics mannerism. Recommended with reservations for hardcore Marvel fanboys.
June 15, 2022
This book is a bit mixed. The Venom one-shot is, well, needless and not very entertaining. The "Myth Conceptions" arc didn't really grab me much either. The Pantheon arc was fun, and the Liam Sharp issues tackled some interesting big issues - sometimes with mixed results, but I appreciated the ambition of the creative team to make the effort. Sharp's art shows some youth - some beautiful pages, some rushed or unfinished pages, but overall, I really enjoyed the grit and shadow and detail that he brought to the series. The baseball/Rhino issue was silly fun - it was my first issue of Hulk many years ago when I was reading superhero comics more regularly.
December 13, 2025
Hulk's time with the Pantheon is a treat for Star Trek fans, as Peter David obviously pulls his experience writing liscenced novels in that universe to pour team dynamics into the new-healthier-hulk's group. All good things come to an end, and the center cannot hold as the Pantheon crumbles in these issues. Also included is the heavy death of old time Hulk pal Jim Wilson as he loses his battle to AIDS - a landmark Marvel issue that is handled with grace, honesty, and heartbreak. On a lighter note, Hulk partners with Venom to recreate an SNL skit to hilarious result!
March 27, 2019
This was good but the quality seems to be slipping slightly, as expected. The Pantheon was a neat framework for the stories and I felt it could have gone on a little longer. Revisiting Man-Thing, Abomination, Fury and Punisher is fine but the artists just don't seem to be keeping up with David's storytelling. The baseball issue was kind of fun.
September 12, 2020
One of the best Hulk collections in a long time. It dealt with real world issues throughout with grace and aplomb. It did a wonderful, depiction of Thor, Loki and Hel. This was a joy to read, and I'm sad about the fall of the Pantheon.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews