Hulk: Planet Hulk Prose Novel

Marvel Press Novels

by Greg Pak, José Ladrönn (Illustrator)

A whole new world of hurt! Betrayed by Earth's heroes and exiled into outer space, the man-monster Hulk has landed on the distant planet Sakaar, ruled by the tyrannical Red King. Sold into slavery, Hulk becomes the Green Scar, the planet's mightiest gladiator - but his new masters get more than they bargained for when he forges a bond of brotherhood with his fellow crafty insectoid Miek; the horrific Brood; wise rock-man Korg; Shadow Warrior Hiroim; and noble-born rebel Elloe Kaifi and her loyal guardsman, Lavin Skee. Together, these gladiators start a revolution that could change their world - or destroy it. It's a savage sci-fi fantasy by award-winning writer Greg Pak!

Genres: Marvel, Comics, Science Fiction, Fiction, Superheroes

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2017

About the author

Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the novelization of a comic series run. In this one, the Hulk is thrown into space by some famous heroes because they believe he is a danger to society. The Hulk ends up on a planet where he eventually becomes a savior and beloved by its inhabitants.

The best way to sum this story is saying that it is a mash up of the story of Spartacus in a space setting that takes place within the Marvel universe. If that doesn't make you intrigued I have no idea what will. This book was pure fun. Who doesn't want to see the big green rage monster smashing everything in sight? This book is so much more than that though. It is really about being appreciated for what you do and having a sense of belonging. I love it when a comic based novel has a message while being loads of fun. I did think that this book had one flaw and what stopped me from absolutely loving it. I wish scenes and characters were fleshed out more. It seemed like the author directly described the comic panels without expanding these scenes. I would like a comic based novel to have more depth and this book was missing it.

I am a huge fan of the Hulk. I enjoy space stories and I have read about Spartacus and loved the television show. This book was right up my alley and it was basically a sure bet for me. That being said, I believe everyone will enjoy it because it is a fun romp with moral messages throughout.

[Lucas Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maromba verde vai para outro planeta e derrota, nesta ordem:

- O sistema opressor imperialista
- O neocolonialismo com toques de eugenia
- O preconceito racial
- A luta de classes

Tudo na base da porrada.

[Corey Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like the Hulk? Yes!
Do you like redemption stories? Yes, yes, yes!
Will you love the story of Planet Hulk? Yes you will!

Planet Hulk is the definitive Hulk story. It took the reins of the typical Hulk story and reversed them by making the character development focus on the green man himself rather than Bruce Banner. It's a powerful device, and it really breathes life into a character that can be easy to pigeon-hole into the flat and one-dimensional category.

Greg Pak does an excellent job adapting the comic run that he also wrote, and has said in interviews that he did everything he could to make the prose novel stand on its own, adding characters and even changing the plot up some (don't worry, no spoilers here for those who are familiar with the original run). The only real issue I had with his writing was that at some points, it was a bit hard to tell what exactly was going on where. This, admittedly, is a minor complaint since those issues usually resolve themselves in a paragraph or so.

If you dig these Marvel Prose Novels as much as I do, definitely give this one a shot. It's a super adaptation of a really heartfelt story that begs to be told in as many mediums as it can.

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim because I'm into the trend of comics-adjacent prose novels, I lovedThor: Ragnarok (which I knew was partly based on the Planet Hulk comics), I love Greg Pak's writing usually...seemed like a win.

This story is like pretty dumb though and also unpleasant?? I never read the Planet Hulk ~comic event~ so IDK how this compares and also I don't care. I'm not sure who this is for. I guess like a less-squeamish Hulk fan who wanted more detail than the comics went into? Or like...didn't like the art of the comics...IDK.

My issue also is that in general I actually care like 90% about Bruce Banner and 10% about the Hulk so like....meh. Also I slogged through the end because I thought this would end with Hulk changing back to Bruce and returning to earth, which was the part I cared about, but......it doesn't, he's just like "nope I'm space king now the end" so...okay I guess but obviously there's gotta be a return to status quo eventually...

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel almost as much as I enjoyed the original story in the comics. It does remain faithful to the storyline in the comics, except for the end where Amadeus Cho has managed to blend human and Sakaaran technology so that the Hulk can return to Earth via the portal that brought him to Sakaar in the first place. Instead of returning to Earth, Hulk stays on Sakaar. I thought the book moved at a good pace from start to finish, overall. It has more narrative development in it, providing more background information on many characters. The Incredible Hulk also undergoes some pretty major character development in the story, from start to finish.

While this story does follow the primary storyline of Greg Pak’s story in the comics, there are some pretty significant differences. The ending, obviously, is a major difference. The Hulk refuses to return to Earth, instead remaining on Sakaar to rule with Caiera at this side. In the comic, Miek sabotages the shuttle so that it detonates, killing Caeira and destroying much of Sakaar in the process. In the book, Amadeus Cho is able to program the portal so that the Hulk can return to Earth just before the portal is destroyed.

I will have to reread the Planet Hulk compilation at some point, as it seems like the storyline was shifted around a bit for the novel. I do not think it really hurts the story; it just “felt” different while reading it.

It goes into a bit more detail about the “chemming” that Miek does to bind the Warbound together. That was an interesting concept to read about how the group was bound together emotionally via the chemicals released by Miek. They were bound together emotionally and spiritually, as a result. It also describes how Miek would sometimes try to influence the group by changing the chemicals that he released.

Another “big” difference is that the Brood Queen does not seduce Miek prior to his sabotaging the shuttle. The two fail to consummate, and the Brood Queen never becomes impregnated as a result. It would be interesting to see how their “relationship” might develop if the author were to write a sequel and expand the story further.

I could not remember the level of historical background for each character provided in the comics; it definitely seemed like the novel went even further. For example, I did not remember anything being mentioned about how Elloe used to eat hive eggs every morning for breakfast, or how her mom would make a special hiver egg meal for her for her birthday before her parents got divorced. Yet she recalls several times in the novel how she used to love eating hiver eggs without considering where the eggs came from or how they were acquired. This revelation of her past to Miek after the Hulk is made king nearly ends their friendship as it brings them into a deadly conflict with each other at the end of the story. I never really cared for Elloe’s character, to be honest, but that is okay. I did not much care for Miek, either; he got pretty annoying.

Miek remained pretty true to form, over the course of the book. He was driven by hatred and revenge, two lessons he learned well from the Incredible Hulk [unfortunately]. I did find myself wishing the Hiver Queen had survived the Spike infection, but that was not meant to be. It was interesting how she affected everybody, right up to the point when she “died” as the Spike infection took over her body.

The Hulk obviously had the most character development over the course of the novel. For somebody who kept claiming he just wanted to be left alone, he also failed to remove himself from other beings and chose to remain near them. He went from an angry, impulsive, uncaring individual to a scheming, plotting person who thought ahead and considered the consequences of his actions. He also learned how to use his anger as a “force of good” and chose to set aside his hatred and anger directed at Humanity in order to live at peace on Sakaar. Clearly, he had poor interpersonal skills, and it showed in how he interacted with his Warbound comrades. I also liked how Banner finally made peace between himself and the Hulk side of his personality; granted, Caiera would have been hard to have left behind. It is kind of interesting, though, because the Hulk loved Jarrella and her memory for so long, yet he never once thought about her while on this planet.

It was also interesting to read about how strong he became over the course of the novel. In other stories in the comics, he never quite lost his strength or could be wounded when on other planets. This was probably the first story I can think of where he was injured. Well, he was injured on Battleworld in the first Secret Wars series, but not to the degree that he was on Sakaar. It was kind of funny how he became strong enough to save the planet from destruction; he had to use his anger to do so.

Amadeus Cho was just annoying; I never really liked his character in the comics. It is funny how you have these “super-smart” people who are not really as smart as they would like to think they are. I also find it equally amusing that the Incredible Hulk “has never killed anybody” in his numerous rampages. Amadeus claims the only time people have died have been when the Hulk was not in control of his faculties; I do not know if I quite believe that, but whatever. It does not seem to be a realistic statement to me, to be honest. I realize why Amadeus Cho was in this novel; he and his “skills” were necessary for the ending to occur the way it did. So he clearly had a part to play [even if it was “invented” specifically for him].

There were very few parts in the book that I did not like. I did like the change that came over the Incredible Hulk as he grew and matured over the course of the novel. He has always been a hard character to write about; even Peter David wrote about a less-powerful character (aspect) of the Incredible Hulk during his matchless run of the character in the comics. I think it was a great idea to strand him on an alien planet with his strength significantly less than what it should have been; it allowed him to grow as a character because of the potential for him to be hurt [and killed, even though killing the Incredible Hulk was never really a viable option for the series or the story].

It was not a “deep” novel by any means, but I did enjoy the different conversations that took place over the course of the novel. Some of them were somewhat philosophical in nature. Others were more “religious” in nature.

I also loved Korg and would have liked to have seen a bit more development for his character.

I thought it was a very good novelization, and I wished it had not ended where it had. It would be interesting to read more of this storyline if Greg Pak were to expand upon it further, chronicling more of the Incredible Hulk’s exploits and experiences on this distant planet. It might also be interesting to see what would happen if the Illuminati were to arrive and apologize to the Hulk, asking his forgiveness for sending him to this violent planet. I enjoyed reading it, as it helped highlight different parts of the comic’s storyline and it also helped illuminate other parts that I am sure I missed in the reading. I thought it was well done, was entertaining, and I enjoyed reading it.

[Jordan Brantley · Rating 5 out of 5]

CultureWorm Speaks!

A Bookworm/ComicWorm Crossover!

Planet Hulk: A Novel of the Marvel Universe

by Greg Pak

Adapted from the Graphic Novel

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Acquired: Barnes and Noble Booksellers
Series: Novel of the Marvel Universe
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Marvel (October 17, 2017)
Language: English
Subject: Science-Fantasy

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WARNING!!!- This Review May Contain Spoilers! For Novel and Comic Alike!!!

The Story: Betrayed by Earth's heroes and exiled into outer space, the man-monster Hulk has landed on the distant planet Sakaar, ruled by the tyrannical Red King. Sold into slavery, Hulk becomes the Green Scar, the planet's mightiest gladiator - but his new masters get more than they bargained for when he forges a bond of brotherhood with his fellow fighters: crafty insectoid Miek, the horrific Brood, wise rock-man Korg, Shadow Warrior Hiroim, noble-born rebel Elloe and her loyal guardsman Skee. Together, these gladiators start a revolution that could change their entire world - or destroy it. It's a savage sci-fi fantasy by award-winning writer Greg Pak, guest-starring the Silver Surfer!

The Review: The Planet Hulk Saga is one of the most iconic storylines for the entire Hulk character. The Hulk is thrown into a wild, violent world, where he is beaten, bruised and enslaved but ultimately, he triumphs. He rises to King of the world and wins the heart of the beautiful princess.

(In many ways: Caeira does fit the profile of princess.)

It is an epic tale of adversity, science and fantasy, and profound heroism. The Hulk really seems to blossom in the pages of this tale.

Epic really is the appropriate word to utilize in the description of this story. Not in the common way that the term has entered common vernacular, but it the ways of old tales. The legendary, John Carter of Mars, Hercules, and other tales of ancient heroes. There is a great amount of comic book action, but there is also a lot of thinking. Sitting around the campfire and ethical dilemmas that challenge the protagonists. Being based on a comic, they may not be the deepest conflicts in literature but it does render the text far from the mindless entertainment reputation they still suffer from. Rich and dynamic characters and a certifiably diabolical main villain.

There are few places where the story is altered from the comic’s storyline or some passages are omitted all together. The biggest one is the “Banner War” chapter of the original comic. In the graphic novel, “Banner War” is where the Hulk and his alter-ego Bruce Banner wage a war within the landscape of their shared minds.

Honestly, these changes are to the story’s detriment. Banner War in particular was something that Bookworm was really looking forward to. It is an interesting delve into the Hulk’s psyche and what makes him what he is.

It does makes sense that it was omitted though. It probably would have disrupted the flow of the story. It can work in a comic as the art can benefit the narrative. In a novel format, such a cerebral passage would have felt out of place in such an action packed story. It also would have made the book a little on the long side. Considering that this is a story based off of a comic book, speed is essential to maintaining the readers interest.

Another notable change that occurs is near the ending, in regards to the manager of the main villains defeat. It is a rather small change but it has a big impact. The original death of the villain had a poetic justice ring to it that Bookworm loved. The altered death also has the poetic justice thing going on but it felt more profound in the original as it dealt with a threat that had plagued the Hulk from the beginning.

Truth be told, the alterations can be forgiven. The main reason for this is the final major alteration to the plot. Normally, plot changes, like the ones previously mentioned, are causes for the book to decline in ratings. Not this time though. If anything, this decision on the part of the author, actually redeems this story in the eyes of Bookworm. Bookworm will try not give anything away but a recurring theme for many forms of art, comic books in particular, is the “Status Quo is God” phenomena. It refers to how writers or those in charge of the writers try to return the story to where it began. This is the bread and butter of sitcoms where the main family is sitting around the couch at the end of the episode. In spite of everything that had been through, big or small, nothing has changed and when the audiences sees the next episode or read the next issue, it will be as if nothing happened. This is something of a necessity for serialized entertainment but it does lessen the impact a story can have on the characters. This came into play at the ending of the original graphic novel, in order to return the Hulk to the status quo. It felt to Bookworm that this cheapened the effect of the original story. Yes, tragedy can be a powerful thing in the world of storytelling but considering the Hulk’s character and all that he has been through in his decades of storytelling, the ending he receives in this book is the ending that he truly deserves.

The ending to this novel makes Bookworm yearn for a sequel, specifically one that is not “World War Hulk,” the official comic followup to the graphic novel storyline. Bookworm wants to see what happens after this story not the original comic.

The Final Verdict: Bookworm does not care what the “official” storyline is. This is the story that is the canon. The Hulk of Bookworm’s imaginations will always be upon the planet Sakaar. Hopefully, we may see further adventures of the Green Kings in the future.

Rating: Five Hulk Fists out of Five

!!!BUY A COPY NOW!!!

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thecultureworm.blogspot.com

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I vaguely recall reading this comic book and enjoying it. The backdrop is that Reed Richards and other Marvel heroes have decided to rid the Earth of the problem of the Hulk by tricking him into a spaceship and sending it off into deep space. Seeing as Reed Richards once saved the life of Galacticus, I always thought this was a totally out of character idea. Anyway, the Hulk doesn’t go where he’s supposed to and ends up on a world where a totalitarian ruler forces just about everyone to fight in gladiatorial combats for his amusement. Normally, this wouldn’t be much of a problem for the Hulk, but he’s not up to full strength on this planet. So he does a Sparticus, breaks free, and starts a rebellion. It was an opportunity to put the Hulk in armor and give him melee weapons.

There’s an awful lot of action in this book—which is clearly good. One does not read a novel about the Hulk in hopes of getting deep philosophical conversation. The voice acting is good, and the sound effects are fine. The plot is fairly straightforward geared toward constantly leading the Hulk to his next fight. The surprise for the Hulk is he also falls in love which, if memory serves, set the stage for the sequel event, World War Hulk. But this book ends before that story begins. It is fun but not deep.

[Don Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar to the original comic book storyline, but different in some respects. The novel omits certain scenes and events, but also adds more, providing a new layer to some of the relationships and battles. Planet Hulk still ranks as one of the greatest Hulk tales ever told, and, given the difference between the serial nature of a comic book and the largely self-contained one of a novel, also works quite well as a standalone piece.

[Christiana Rendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved this story line from the marvel universe and I seen the animated film and read the comics. This book so so amazing it really painted a picture in your head and makes you see the hulk in a different light.
Unlike the comics it did in a very nice ending that I wish really did happened for the hulk to find his place in the universe but since I read the comics I know the truth. But I do prefer this ending and how it stop at a happy point ....

[Hashim Jadoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is almost exactly the same as the comic book. The comic is easily one of the greatest Hulk stories ever told, so, naturally this prose novel is highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of the comic variant. The prose novel does a great job at eliciting more emotion than the comic. However, there isn't any exceptional character development beyond the comic book.

Overall, if you're a fan of the Hulk and planet Hulk, then I would highly recommend this novel.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable adaptation of the Planet Hulk story line, though a bit of editing could have been done to make some voices sound a bit more distinct.

Any problems I have are mostly the same as the Planet Hulk comic, the pacing is a bit hit or miss depending on what is happening during the story. The middle in particular is a bit dull, at least when it’s audio only. I can’t remember how I felt when reading the comic.

[michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Green Scar

This tale was remarkably told. I enjoyed the action and am finally satisfied to have read the story that spawned World War Hulk inspired Thor Ragnarock. Two thumbs way up.

[Jaymie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no experience with the comics/graphic novel this is based on. I thoroughly enjoyed this story on its own merits as a novel. I would like to see the story in its original form, but I enjoyed this just as it is.

[Robert Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the animation movie. This novel just gave more details for the story and the various supporting characters with the Hulk. Enjoyed the way it ended a bit more than the movie but the movie gave great visuals to the story.

[Jack Stubblefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this had become the permanent setting/plotline for Hulk. I didn't want the book or the series to end. Definitely, good stuff, Maynard!

[Paul Baumeister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pak Smash!

Even though the novel didn’t really cover much more ground than the comic’s story arc, it was still cool to get even a tiny bit deeper into things. A good read