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Incredible Hulk Epic Collection
Incredible Hulk Epic Collection, Vol. 22: Ghosts of the Future
Collects Incredible Hulk (1968) #436-448, Savage Hulk (1996) #1, Cutting Edge #1, Cable (1993) #34, Onslaught: Marvel Universe.
Return of the Maestro?! Major Matt Talbot, nephew of the Hulk's old foe, Glenn, has set his sights on capturing the jade giant — and with Hulkbusters and the Ringmaster on his side, he might just succeed! Meanwhile, a terror group called the Alliance has pushed the world to the brink of nuclear war. But if the Leader's machinations are behind the Alliance's carnage, then why is the Hulk claiming credit — and why does he look like the Maestro? That's what Thor wants to know! As She-Hulk and Doc Samson take center stage, Janis Jones arrives from the future — but when Onslaught does the impossible, physically separating Bruce Banner from the Incredible Hulk, everything will change for the green goliath!
Return of the Maestro?! Major Matt Talbot, nephew of the Hulk's old foe, Glenn, has set his sights on capturing the jade giant — and with Hulkbusters and the Ringmaster on his side, he might just succeed! Meanwhile, a terror group called the Alliance has pushed the world to the brink of nuclear war. But if the Leader's machinations are behind the Alliance's carnage, then why is the Hulk claiming credit — and why does he look like the Maestro? That's what Thor wants to know! As She-Hulk and Doc Samson take center stage, Janis Jones arrives from the future — but when Onslaught does the impossible, physically separating Bruce Banner from the Incredible Hulk, everything will change for the green goliath!
471 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2019
8 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,567 books1,364 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 27, 2018
Volume 22 takes place around the "New Age of Heroes" (around 1996), so that means everyone looks like a cartoon that has more muscles than can comfortably fit in a panel.
We also get a big dip in the quality of Hulk stories right around here (in my opinion, at least). We get Hulk's millionth character change (this time, the Hulk is separated from Banner). We lose the Betty/Bruce dynamic that was so fun to watch, and more than a few of these stories either don't have the Hulk in them at all, or they are told from a point of view other than the Hulk.
We also get a big dip in the quality of Hulk stories right around here (in my opinion, at least). We get Hulk's millionth character change (this time, the Hulk is separated from Banner). We lose the Betty/Bruce dynamic that was so fun to watch, and more than a few of these stories either don't have the Hulk in them at all, or they are told from a point of view other than the Hulk.
January 27, 2019
To me, the mid-1990s were a real low point for American popular culture. The country at large became disinterested in art as it became fascinated with the ugly tabloid sleaziness of Jerry Springer and the O.J. Simpson trial.
Perhaps no medium better exemplifies this artlessness of the time period than that of comic books. The boom of the early 90s had gone bust. The speculation was over and a reckoning was upon us. Years of emphasizing bombast over storytelling had taken their toll. Comics were largely ugly and emptyheaded.
Sadly, Peter David's Incredible Hulk was not exempt from this trend. Although better than many of its contemporaries of the era, the issues collected here are some of the worst of David's run.
My main problem with this collection is penciler Angel Medina, who handles 90% of the art chores. His art typifies the mid-90s style. There's no sense of anatomy. Everything is supposed to look "big" but there's no sense of scale so key moments don't appear any more significant or dramatic. Mike Deodato takes over in the final issues collected here and, though his work is not without its own flaws, he is a welcome change.
More than the art, to be fair, is problematic. The usually dependable David stumbles frequently. The jokes often feel forced and fall flat, the characterization is surprisingly inconsistent and often seems like an afterthought, and the plot pinballs between characters and subplots incessantly. This volume borders on the incoherent at times.
All that said, there are some bright spots to be found. Two of the most satisfying issues feature She-Hulk and Leonard Samson with Bruce Banner/Hulk nowhere to be found (the fact that the Hulk is absent from some of the best issues of his own book is symbolically troubling). Also, things do pick up with the Deodato issues. He starts after the Onslaught business is largely finished and David can tighten his focus back to the story he wants to tell (I don't blame David entirely for the Onslaught mess that weighs down the middle of the book; the Onslaught affair was a sloppy, desperate attempt by Marvel to try and ignite interest and hopefully right a sinking ship - it didn't work as Marvel would famously declare bankruptcy during this time).
I still consider Peter David's run on Incredible Hulk to be one of the finest the industry has ever seen. However, nobody hits it out of the park every time and this is a definite low point in the series.
Perhaps no medium better exemplifies this artlessness of the time period than that of comic books. The boom of the early 90s had gone bust. The speculation was over and a reckoning was upon us. Years of emphasizing bombast over storytelling had taken their toll. Comics were largely ugly and emptyheaded.
Sadly, Peter David's Incredible Hulk was not exempt from this trend. Although better than many of its contemporaries of the era, the issues collected here are some of the worst of David's run.
My main problem with this collection is penciler Angel Medina, who handles 90% of the art chores. His art typifies the mid-90s style. There's no sense of anatomy. Everything is supposed to look "big" but there's no sense of scale so key moments don't appear any more significant or dramatic. Mike Deodato takes over in the final issues collected here and, though his work is not without its own flaws, he is a welcome change.
More than the art, to be fair, is problematic. The usually dependable David stumbles frequently. The jokes often feel forced and fall flat, the characterization is surprisingly inconsistent and often seems like an afterthought, and the plot pinballs between characters and subplots incessantly. This volume borders on the incoherent at times.
All that said, there are some bright spots to be found. Two of the most satisfying issues feature She-Hulk and Leonard Samson with Bruce Banner/Hulk nowhere to be found (the fact that the Hulk is absent from some of the best issues of his own book is symbolically troubling). Also, things do pick up with the Deodato issues. He starts after the Onslaught business is largely finished and David can tighten his focus back to the story he wants to tell (I don't blame David entirely for the Onslaught mess that weighs down the middle of the book; the Onslaught affair was a sloppy, desperate attempt by Marvel to try and ignite interest and hopefully right a sinking ship - it didn't work as Marvel would famously declare bankruptcy during this time).
I still consider Peter David's run on Incredible Hulk to be one of the finest the industry has ever seen. However, nobody hits it out of the park every time and this is a definite low point in the series.
April 27, 2022
Great book I like the new Hulk.
August 25, 2021
Os anos 90 não foram fáceis pra ninguém.
Especialmente 95/96, com os Marvel Edge, a Nova Era de Heróis, o Massacre e aquelas ombreiras todas.
Bem difícil.
Eu não sei exatamente o que o PAD tinha planejado para o Hulk, parece óbvio que o retorno do Líder e um confronto entre o futuro que o Hulk conhece (o Imperfeito) e o futuro que ele quer. O fantasma do futuro é que, com ataques terroristas orquestrados pelo Líder/Omnibus, as nações decidem começas a se bombardear, o Hulk deixa a barba crescer e diz que a pica é dele e acabou, ele e o Thor (aquele do Mjolnir na corrente) saem na porrada no ártico, uma bomba atômica explode e o Hulk morre.
De novo.
Mas, Marvel, né? Morre mas passa bem.
Aqui há algo interessante, a maneira meio blasé com que a Betty, o Rick, a Marlo, a Jen e o Samson recebem a notícia; "Morreu?" "Daqui a pouco ele volta, é sempre assim." "Essa semana ele não tinha morrido ainda."
Porém os dias viram semanas que viram meses, a Betty acende uma vela para guiá-lo para casa, o Rick e a Marlo vão fazer um programa de entrevistas, a Jen e o Samson dão dicas amorosas pro Homem Molecular. Pensem bem, o Homem Molecular é, presumivelmente, o ser humano mais poderoso do Universo Marvel, ele pode, literalmente, fazer qualquer coisa que a namorada queira, se ele não consegue deixar ela feliz, que chance nós temos?
Por aqui, o que quer que o PAD tenha planejado vai pro saco porque é hora de massacrar o Universo Marvel.
Eu nunca tinha lido o Massacre até hoje de manhã, li uma edição do Cable, duas do Hulk e o Onslaught.
Que bosta.
Não faz nenhum sentido.
E sabe o que é pior? O Mark Waid escreveu essa naba. Quanto menos se falar sobre o Massacre melhor.
Depois, sei lá, meio que perde o tesão, sabe?
Mas tem algo de interessante, o Hulk dizendo pro presidente americano: "Não me cutuca que eu não te cutuco. Se tu cutucar, eu te cutuco de volta. E olha o tamanho do meu dedo."
Especialmente 95/96, com os Marvel Edge, a Nova Era de Heróis, o Massacre e aquelas ombreiras todas.
Bem difícil.
Eu não sei exatamente o que o PAD tinha planejado para o Hulk, parece óbvio que o retorno do Líder e um confronto entre o futuro que o Hulk conhece (o Imperfeito) e o futuro que ele quer. O fantasma do futuro é que, com ataques terroristas orquestrados pelo Líder/Omnibus, as nações decidem começas a se bombardear, o Hulk deixa a barba crescer e diz que a pica é dele e acabou, ele e o Thor (aquele do Mjolnir na corrente) saem na porrada no ártico, uma bomba atômica explode e o Hulk morre.
De novo.
Mas, Marvel, né? Morre mas passa bem.
Aqui há algo interessante, a maneira meio blasé com que a Betty, o Rick, a Marlo, a Jen e o Samson recebem a notícia; "Morreu?" "Daqui a pouco ele volta, é sempre assim." "Essa semana ele não tinha morrido ainda."
Porém os dias viram semanas que viram meses, a Betty acende uma vela para guiá-lo para casa, o Rick e a Marlo vão fazer um programa de entrevistas, a Jen e o Samson dão dicas amorosas pro Homem Molecular. Pensem bem, o Homem Molecular é, presumivelmente, o ser humano mais poderoso do Universo Marvel, ele pode, literalmente, fazer qualquer coisa que a namorada queira, se ele não consegue deixar ela feliz, que chance nós temos?
Por aqui, o que quer que o PAD tenha planejado vai pro saco porque é hora de massacrar o Universo Marvel.
Eu nunca tinha lido o Massacre até hoje de manhã, li uma edição do Cable, duas do Hulk e o Onslaught.
Que bosta.
Não faz nenhum sentido.
E sabe o que é pior? O Mark Waid escreveu essa naba. Quanto menos se falar sobre o Massacre melhor.
Depois, sei lá, meio que perde o tesão, sabe?
Mas tem algo de interessante, o Hulk dizendo pro presidente americano: "Não me cutuca que eu não te cutuco. Se tu cutucar, eu te cutuco de volta. E olha o tamanho do meu dedo."
July 7, 2022
The lead-off arc, Ghosts of the Past, is a thriller - great pacing, big tension, tons of fun.
Then comes Onslaught ... it's stories like Onslaught that have driven me away from superhero comics. The Hulk comic is humming along, telling great stories, and then the character gets hijacked for some nonsensical Marvel Universe crossover thing that I could barely slog through, leaving the Hulk title to spend the rest of its run (at least what we see in this book) struggling to get itself back on track.
Then comes Onslaught ... it's stories like Onslaught that have driven me away from superhero comics. The Hulk comic is humming along, telling great stories, and then the character gets hijacked for some nonsensical Marvel Universe crossover thing that I could barely slog through, leaving the Hulk title to spend the rest of its run (at least what we see in this book) struggling to get itself back on track.
September 8, 2023
Still fun when Peter David's run isn't getting fucked over by crossovers that ruin the overall flow of the story. I really liked the moments with Hulk doing his best to not let his rage take the best of him but once he's kidnapped and than basically blown away, things get very different. The art for sure goes all over the place, going TOO big, and TOO bulky a lot of the time. Overall a decent volume but one of the weaker of Peter David's run.
November 9, 2021
Not as strong as previous volumes but I'm a big fan of Peter David's run so far. Hulk moves away from his Professor Hulk persona (which is my preferred version) and moves back towards the savage version we're familiar with. It's editorially mandated for the Heroes Reborn crossover, which is included here - but David still keeps the high stakes and tone of his previous work, with a good balance of humour. In particular see the Pulp Fiction homage - The Incredible (She-)Hulk #441, titled Hulk Fiction.
I'm not a fan of Medina's cartoony style but Mike Deodato comes in towards the end, and while it's not Mike's best work it's interesting to see how his style has since evolved.
I'm not a fan of Medina's cartoony style but Mike Deodato comes in towards the end, and while it's not Mike's best work it's interesting to see how his style has since evolved.
December 13, 2025
After the fall of the Pantheon, Hulk and Betty attempt to live the quiet life in Florida, which works out as well as anyone would expect, especially since Hulk's best idea for a disguise is to wrap himself in bandages like a mummy claiming to be a burn victim. To make narrative matters worse, David's plotting is hijacked by the 90's super-crossover: Onslaught.
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December 19, 2022A reminder of the art style of the mid 90s
The edition contains so good art and story but also reminder me of The art style that drove me away from Marvel during this period. All the characters become badly drawn grotesques in my opinion. Glad I avoided paying full price for this.
The edition contains so good art and story but also reminder me of The art style that drove me away from Marvel during this period. All the characters become badly drawn grotesques in my opinion. Glad I avoided paying full price for this.
November 27, 2019
The writing is fine, but mid-90’s superhero comic art trends have not aged well.
July 4, 2021
Angel Medina's signature brow-and-pointy-nose faces make everyone look like Tin from DC's Metal Men.
December 6, 2024
For the most part, I found it entertaining, in spite of the 90s artwork and the poor crossover events.
January 22, 2025
I enjoyed this volume until the onslaught issues. Otherwise this would have been a great volume
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews