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The Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus
The Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus, Vol. 1
Beginning an incredible collection of Peter David's character-redefining, 130-plus issue Hulk run - including his complete collaboration with artist superstar-in-the-making Todd McFarlane! The Hulk, now a gray-skinned goliath, is angrier than ever - leaping into action against horrors from the grave, from the stars and from the house next door! Featuring the revitalization of one of the Hulk's longtime foes, the Leader - and a new life for the Hulk in Las Vegas! Say hello to Joe Fixit, as casino conclaves mesh with interdimensional intrigue! Plus: Classic clashes with X-Factor, Wolverine, Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Werewolf by Night - and vile villains including Grey Gargoyle, Doctor Doom and the Abomination! COLLECTING: INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) 328, 331-368; WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) 44; FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) 320; MATERIAL FROM MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) 26, 45
1008 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1990
20 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,609 books1,369 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 31, 2022
Hulk smashy smash...except not always.
See this is the Gray Hulk. As Peter David says at the end, he was not really wanting to write hulk. No one seemed to want to write hulk. However, Peter David said sure why not let's do it but let me do what I want. And tus Gray Hulk was born, a piece of shit, mobster like hulk at times, or talks back and cracks jokes.
This was fun.
I liked the new situations this hulk got Banner into. I also liked he still was savage at times, fighting off against the likes of Wolverine and even abomination. I liked he was weaker than green hulk, so he used his brains to win fights. Most of the stories here range from decent to great, with only a few duds inbetween. Also the art can suffer at times but when it was good, it was great.
Overall, a very enjoyable omnibus for Hulk. A 4 out of 5.
See this is the Gray Hulk. As Peter David says at the end, he was not really wanting to write hulk. No one seemed to want to write hulk. However, Peter David said sure why not let's do it but let me do what I want. And tus Gray Hulk was born, a piece of shit, mobster like hulk at times, or talks back and cracks jokes.
This was fun.
I liked the new situations this hulk got Banner into. I also liked he still was savage at times, fighting off against the likes of Wolverine and even abomination. I liked he was weaker than green hulk, so he used his brains to win fights. Most of the stories here range from decent to great, with only a few duds inbetween. Also the art can suffer at times but when it was good, it was great.
Overall, a very enjoyable omnibus for Hulk. A 4 out of 5.
November 29, 2020
All my adult life, I justified my massive backlog of books, comics, magazines and movies by telling people "I'm all set for when I retire, or if I ever find myself sidelined by a long-term illness, lol!"
Well, I started to feel poorly a few days after Halloween, and I've missed a lot of work, and...wouldn't you know it....I've had zero desire to read while I'm waiting for someone to figure out what the heck is wrong with me. My main desire has been to lay in bed and watch old comfort sitcoms. (Pro tip- I just discovered that Pluto has channels devoted to Happy Days and Three's Company! I'm miserable and in pain, but that kind of makes me happy.)
Anyway, I digress....I was compelled to keep going through this omnibus, because I'm just a few books shy of meeting my 2020 Goodreads goal, which I was on track to blow away. Now I'll be lucky to reach it at all. It was tough going, not just because I feel lousy, but because I have reached double/triple/quadruple-dipping saturation with most of the issues collected here....I've just read them too many times. That said, there are some great stories to be head here, and I really can't recommend this series of omniboo highly enough, especially to those that haven't experienced them before. Peter David's run is truly essential reading for Marvel fans. And really, the scene where The Hulk thought that The Thing had become a woman made me laugh out loud for the first time in weeks, so that was worth the price of admission alone. Onto Vol. 2....
Well, I started to feel poorly a few days after Halloween, and I've missed a lot of work, and...wouldn't you know it....I've had zero desire to read while I'm waiting for someone to figure out what the heck is wrong with me. My main desire has been to lay in bed and watch old comfort sitcoms. (Pro tip- I just discovered that Pluto has channels devoted to Happy Days and Three's Company! I'm miserable and in pain, but that kind of makes me happy.)
Anyway, I digress....I was compelled to keep going through this omnibus, because I'm just a few books shy of meeting my 2020 Goodreads goal, which I was on track to blow away. Now I'll be lucky to reach it at all. It was tough going, not just because I feel lousy, but because I have reached double/triple/quadruple-dipping saturation with most of the issues collected here....I've just read them too many times. That said, there are some great stories to be head here, and I really can't recommend this series of omniboo highly enough, especially to those that haven't experienced them before. Peter David's run is truly essential reading for Marvel fans. And really, the scene where The Hulk thought that The Thing had become a woman made me laugh out loud for the first time in weeks, so that was worth the price of admission alone. Onto Vol. 2....
February 25, 2020
Remember back when comic authors had to continue on the stories of their predecessors, rather than getting a brand-new volume where they could throw out everything and start anew? Well, that was PAD's Hulk back in 1997, where he had to deal with a hulkified Rick Jones, a non-hulkified Bruce Banner, and a base of Hulkbusters.
The start of PAD's run (#328-346) is a little chaotic, as he figures out how to put the pieces into a more traditional shape, but we soon have Bruce Banner as the Hulk on the run from the military across the country. The same 'ole story, yes?
But even in these early issues, PAD does something different. We get the Hulk as a real character, not just a force of nature, and we get the beginning of the story of a Banner with a splintered mind. Meanwhile, PAD steps up a few plot elements that he brings to an explosive conclusion in #346: A reborn, scarier Leader and the idea of the government making new Gamma Bombs. They're solid plot elements, and the storytelling is generally good.
What comes next is probably what most people remember about PAD's run: Joe Fixit in Las Vegas (#347-363ish), and it's hard to believe that the heart of that era was just a year's worth of storytelling! PAD does a great job of creating a new foundation for The Hulk unlike anything before, full of gangsters, a new love interest, and Vegas! Of course the most interesting part is that Hulk is continuing to become more of his own character and more obviously an alternate personality of Bruce, which means we're really heading toward PAD's mental opus magnum.
Unfortunately, the first few issues of the Joe Fixit arc are dragged down by crossovers and then after the end of an interesting arc involving Glorian, the arc fizzles out in another series of one-offs and crossovers (#360-363), including what feels like a fill-in Betty issue and guest-star issues with Iron Man, Werewolf by Night, and Acts of Vengeance.
The final major arc of this volume is "Countdown" (#364-367), which brings back the Leader as if the whole Vegas storyline was just a sideline — which it sort of was, if a memorable one. PAD does a good job of creating both the Leader's new mob of Gamma monsters, and Madman, a monster with a different origin. It's a good bookend to PAD's first storyline.
Overall, PAD's early run is somewhat hard to review twenty years later. It's not yet as great as some of his most memorable runs, like the hilarious X-factor or the just-fun Young Justice, but we have to remember that this was a Hulk like none before it — and still an enjoyable read.
The start of PAD's run (#328-346) is a little chaotic, as he figures out how to put the pieces into a more traditional shape, but we soon have Bruce Banner as the Hulk on the run from the military across the country. The same 'ole story, yes?
But even in these early issues, PAD does something different. We get the Hulk as a real character, not just a force of nature, and we get the beginning of the story of a Banner with a splintered mind. Meanwhile, PAD steps up a few plot elements that he brings to an explosive conclusion in #346: A reborn, scarier Leader and the idea of the government making new Gamma Bombs. They're solid plot elements, and the storytelling is generally good.
What comes next is probably what most people remember about PAD's run: Joe Fixit in Las Vegas (#347-363ish), and it's hard to believe that the heart of that era was just a year's worth of storytelling! PAD does a great job of creating a new foundation for The Hulk unlike anything before, full of gangsters, a new love interest, and Vegas! Of course the most interesting part is that Hulk is continuing to become more of his own character and more obviously an alternate personality of Bruce, which means we're really heading toward PAD's mental opus magnum.
Unfortunately, the first few issues of the Joe Fixit arc are dragged down by crossovers and then after the end of an interesting arc involving Glorian, the arc fizzles out in another series of one-offs and crossovers (#360-363), including what feels like a fill-in Betty issue and guest-star issues with Iron Man, Werewolf by Night, and Acts of Vengeance.
The final major arc of this volume is "Countdown" (#364-367), which brings back the Leader as if the whole Vegas storyline was just a sideline — which it sort of was, if a memorable one. PAD does a good job of creating both the Leader's new mob of Gamma monsters, and Madman, a monster with a different origin. It's a good bookend to PAD's first storyline.
Overall, PAD's early run is somewhat hard to review twenty years later. It's not yet as great as some of his most memorable runs, like the hilarious X-factor or the just-fun Young Justice, but we have to remember that this was a Hulk like none before it — and still an enjoyable read.
September 7, 2025
A long omnibus that takes a while to get going, but Peter David finds his rhythm and gives the characters a voice. The first part is a little boring until the climax, which opens onto a more interesting but somewhat messy second part in Las Vegas, before David concludes positively with a tense arc—but one that doesn't forget the author's now characteristic humour—in four parts.
Overall average but leaning towards good, which is unfortunately not the case for the artwork. After the mediocre McFarlane—sorry fans, I've always found him very overrated—we are treated to the equally mediocre Jeff Purves. At least there's consistency.
Overall average but leaning towards good, which is unfortunately not the case for the artwork. After the mediocre McFarlane—sorry fans, I've always found him very overrated—we are treated to the equally mediocre Jeff Purves. At least there's consistency.
December 30, 2023
Quanta nostalgia!!
Pela primeira vez, tenho a oportunidade de ler esta fase completa do Hulk Cinza, que cheguei a colecionar por alguns anos, quando saiu originalmente.
Um Hulk esperto, sacana, sarcástico, escroto, muita porradaria e o embate Banner x Hulk firme e forte. Destaque máximo para a arte sensacional de Todd McFarlane, que infelizmente fica só no primeiro arco (cerca de 40% do volume).
Uma das fases mais clássicas do personagem.
Vale a pena ler.
Que venha o Omnibus vol 2!
Pela primeira vez, tenho a oportunidade de ler esta fase completa do Hulk Cinza, que cheguei a colecionar por alguns anos, quando saiu originalmente.
Um Hulk esperto, sacana, sarcástico, escroto, muita porradaria e o embate Banner x Hulk firme e forte. Destaque máximo para a arte sensacional de Todd McFarlane, que infelizmente fica só no primeiro arco (cerca de 40% do volume).
Uma das fases mais clássicas do personagem.
Vale a pena ler.
Que venha o Omnibus vol 2!
July 17, 2025
I haven't read any Peter David Hulk issues in some time and since the man himself passed away recently it felt like a good time to dive into that era again. Many of these issues I had never read, but while not every single comic was a homerun, the overall run was definitely great, and of course supported by some Incredible artwork as well. Some by none other than Todd MacFarlane before he really became a big deal. I'm going to take a little break and come back to the Peter David era soon.
February 19, 2020
Joe Fixit is a freaking psychopath.
This was fun, but as with other comics from decades ago, you may need to be an expert to understand what makes it so awesome. A casual reader like me can just go by what he or she reads at the time. And for me, it was fine. Nothing earth shattering, but still fun.
But yeah. Joe is a psychopath.
This was fun, but as with other comics from decades ago, you may need to be an expert to understand what makes it so awesome. A casual reader like me can just go by what he or she reads at the time. And for me, it was fine. Nothing earth shattering, but still fun.
But yeah. Joe is a psychopath.
February 15, 2020
Peter David's 12-year run on the Incredible Hulk still holds up, over two decades since its first publication. This is not your childlike savage green Hulk of the 70s: this is the original, crafty and devious gray Hulk of 1962, revisited in the 80s. These stories set the bar for all subsequent Hulk stories, and the influence is still felt even today in Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk. Worth reading and re-reading.
November 9, 2024
An incredibly important time, and a time of great change, in Hulk comics, by one of thr character's greatest wroters. Instead of a review, I made notes along the way. Here they are (including story spoilers, obviously)...
328 - exceptional, intelligently written, deep issue, touching on suicide, mental illness, Hulk/Banner duality. Awesome beginning for David.
331-334 - a four issue story featuring the Hulkbusters, Rick Jones, a de-Gamma'd Leader, and plenty of Banner/Betty marital drama. Also, Half-Life. His first appearance? Really interesting Gamma villain.
335 - a one-shot Grey Hulk v a supernatural Stalker that's an alter ego of an angry, drunk, creep. Good, almost EC style horror that explores the Grey Hulk's unpredictable nature and intent.
336 & 337 - Hulk vs X-Factor/SHIELD/Hulkbusters - plenty of action and twists and manipulations. Crams a LOT in. Bit cluttered but good.
338 - introducing (?) Mercy, an alien who exists in and out of the real world/dreams/subconscious, who tries to 'euthanise' people. Tries it on Hulk/Banner. The overall Hulk/Banner vs SHIELD continues. Another almost EC-like story, complete with a fitting ending for one scumbag. Pretty good.
339 - really good issue revolving around Hulk/Banner's anger/trauma about his childhood. Worth noting these issues are late 1980s, when the idea of MPD/DID created childhood trauma were very popular and new.
340 - awesome Wolverine cover by Todd McFarlane. Grey Hulk goads reluctant Wolverine (trying control himself as X-Men leader). Good, inconclusive fight but doesn't do much to further the wider story.
341 - Hulk meets Savage (human-turned-bull). Brief fight. Sets up next issue. Was OK.
342 & 343 - Leader is back. Hulk confronts fear during his fight with Half-Life. Satisfying scrap where Hulk batters three giant robots. Some backstory on minor characters Saunders and Laroquette before they're turned into Redeemer and the utterly preposterous-looking Rock (a big lump of rock that can fly).
344 - some fantastic Todd McFarlane artwork of Grey Hulk. A lot of Banner/Betty/Hulk stuff. Rock is ridiculous. Great issue.
345 - double-sized issue. Lots of incident, fights and a big cliffhanger ending of a HUGE Gamma explosion.
346 - Hulk presumed dead, this is the fallout - pregnant Betty considers having an abortion and there's Congressional hearings into the Gamma explosion. Clay Quartermain and Rick Jones on the stand. Very well written stuff on the impact Banner had on their lives.
347 - Mr Fixit debuts! Really fun issue in Las Vegas, builds up to this 'new' character in the last few pages.
348 - Fixit fights the Absorbing Man - a villain with a power thats actually a tough match. Really good fight with an absolutely brutal end.
Web of Spider-Man 44 & Hulk 349 - two parter set in Vegas. Spider-Man stumbles across some characters having a private war game in the city. Runs into Fixit and realises who he is. They have an inconclusive fight. Showcases Fixit's attitude/disdain.
FF 320 & Hulk 350 - Dr Doom-based two parter as he goads Hulk into attacking the newly powered-up Thing. Him and Grey Hulk have a cracking fight, and then a more strategic rematch, both very different to past Hulk-Thing scraps. Lots of character development in this. Two-parter also gets weird with inclusion of the rubbish robot imposter Hulk the Eternals fought once in the late 1970s (in a total.bait-and-switch).
351 & 352 - Hulk is transported to the microscopic Jarella's World (an invention of Harlan Ellison!! when he was a guest writer in 1971) - explaining how he survived the Gamma explosion in 345. Hulk (a God, there) has a wacky little war there, not totally dissimilar to the much later and better, Planet Hulk.
353 - Banner's back (during the day at least). And he's trying to work what Hulk's been up to in Vegas. Some good fish out of water humour in this one.
354 - the Maggia (so stupid) try to muscle their way into Vegas (bit late for that). Some fun action w/ Fixit beating up their enforcers and everyone starts spontaneously taking bets on the action.
355 - some brilliant meta humour in this issue (film critics arguing over Michael Keaton in Batman). Hulk fights the ridiculous villain(?) Glorian, who conjures dreams/illusions and gets around by rainbow. Very goofy. The background stuff is way more interesting than the main story here.
356-358 - Fixit goes to a dog fight and kills one of the dogs. WTF?? Lots of fights. Glorian makes a deal with Satannish. There's Ghoul, raised from Hell who has one of the best fights of this collection. The Banner/Hulk battle continues. Glorian is still too silly. Issue 358 has a tremendous cover.
Marvel Comics Presents 26 - a completely throwaway short story that includes Fixit knocking out a captive killer whale. At least he doesn't kill it like he did that poor dog.
359 - Hulk gets fired as casino enforcer. All sorts of Glorian/Satannish stuff. Hulk shows compassion for Glorian (a bit) and tries for fight the Devil. Then plays dice with him. Deeply daft and outlandish.
360 - oddly for this collection, not written by Peter David but an important part of the overall story re: Betty Ross. She has a miscarriage. Continues the increasingly weird supernatural/dreams themes too with the Nightmare and D'spayre. Betty and Hulk (sort of) reconnect.
361 - Iron Man guest stars and he and Banner have a plan to con some money our of the Maggia to keep Hulk happy with scraps and cash.
362 - Werewolf By Night guest stars to get his arse kicked by the Hulk. Fixit manipulates Banner and has one last conversation with his Vegas ex, Marlo. Not bad.
363 - Gray Gargoyle is the villain of the month. And it's all a bit rubbish.
364-367 - Four parter, counting down to sonething, big. In 364, a weakened Hulk fights Abomination and ends up very graphically melting him with toxic waste. In 365, a rematch with the Thing but the Thing is now Ms Marvel. In 366, Hulk gets into it with Rock (still stupid), Redeemer and the Leader while in a timed race against the poison weakening him. In 367, a dramatic issue w/ new artist Dale Keown, the shrinking, dying Hulk finally fights the man who poisoned him - Madman. Really strong issue.
368 - one shot. Hulk vs Mr Hyde. Interesting. Draws parallels between the two and includes literary criticism of Jekyll and Hyde.
Marvel Comics Presents 45 - short story in which Hulk Hogan proclaims he's the 'real' Incredible Hulk. Hulk finds out. Challenges and batters him. Cheesy and stupid enough that it earned an entry on the Wrestlecrap website.
328 - exceptional, intelligently written, deep issue, touching on suicide, mental illness, Hulk/Banner duality. Awesome beginning for David.
331-334 - a four issue story featuring the Hulkbusters, Rick Jones, a de-Gamma'd Leader, and plenty of Banner/Betty marital drama. Also, Half-Life. His first appearance? Really interesting Gamma villain.
335 - a one-shot Grey Hulk v a supernatural Stalker that's an alter ego of an angry, drunk, creep. Good, almost EC style horror that explores the Grey Hulk's unpredictable nature and intent.
336 & 337 - Hulk vs X-Factor/SHIELD/Hulkbusters - plenty of action and twists and manipulations. Crams a LOT in. Bit cluttered but good.
338 - introducing (?) Mercy, an alien who exists in and out of the real world/dreams/subconscious, who tries to 'euthanise' people. Tries it on Hulk/Banner. The overall Hulk/Banner vs SHIELD continues. Another almost EC-like story, complete with a fitting ending for one scumbag. Pretty good.
339 - really good issue revolving around Hulk/Banner's anger/trauma about his childhood. Worth noting these issues are late 1980s, when the idea of MPD/DID created childhood trauma were very popular and new.
340 - awesome Wolverine cover by Todd McFarlane. Grey Hulk goads reluctant Wolverine (trying control himself as X-Men leader). Good, inconclusive fight but doesn't do much to further the wider story.
341 - Hulk meets Savage (human-turned-bull). Brief fight. Sets up next issue. Was OK.
342 & 343 - Leader is back. Hulk confronts fear during his fight with Half-Life. Satisfying scrap where Hulk batters three giant robots. Some backstory on minor characters Saunders and Laroquette before they're turned into Redeemer and the utterly preposterous-looking Rock (a big lump of rock that can fly).
344 - some fantastic Todd McFarlane artwork of Grey Hulk. A lot of Banner/Betty/Hulk stuff. Rock is ridiculous. Great issue.
345 - double-sized issue. Lots of incident, fights and a big cliffhanger ending of a HUGE Gamma explosion.
346 - Hulk presumed dead, this is the fallout - pregnant Betty considers having an abortion and there's Congressional hearings into the Gamma explosion. Clay Quartermain and Rick Jones on the stand. Very well written stuff on the impact Banner had on their lives.
347 - Mr Fixit debuts! Really fun issue in Las Vegas, builds up to this 'new' character in the last few pages.
348 - Fixit fights the Absorbing Man - a villain with a power thats actually a tough match. Really good fight with an absolutely brutal end.
Web of Spider-Man 44 & Hulk 349 - two parter set in Vegas. Spider-Man stumbles across some characters having a private war game in the city. Runs into Fixit and realises who he is. They have an inconclusive fight. Showcases Fixit's attitude/disdain.
FF 320 & Hulk 350 - Dr Doom-based two parter as he goads Hulk into attacking the newly powered-up Thing. Him and Grey Hulk have a cracking fight, and then a more strategic rematch, both very different to past Hulk-Thing scraps. Lots of character development in this. Two-parter also gets weird with inclusion of the rubbish robot imposter Hulk the Eternals fought once in the late 1970s (in a total.bait-and-switch).
351 & 352 - Hulk is transported to the microscopic Jarella's World (an invention of Harlan Ellison!! when he was a guest writer in 1971) - explaining how he survived the Gamma explosion in 345. Hulk (a God, there) has a wacky little war there, not totally dissimilar to the much later and better, Planet Hulk.
353 - Banner's back (during the day at least). And he's trying to work what Hulk's been up to in Vegas. Some good fish out of water humour in this one.
354 - the Maggia (so stupid) try to muscle their way into Vegas (bit late for that). Some fun action w/ Fixit beating up their enforcers and everyone starts spontaneously taking bets on the action.
355 - some brilliant meta humour in this issue (film critics arguing over Michael Keaton in Batman). Hulk fights the ridiculous villain(?) Glorian, who conjures dreams/illusions and gets around by rainbow. Very goofy. The background stuff is way more interesting than the main story here.
356-358 - Fixit goes to a dog fight and kills one of the dogs. WTF?? Lots of fights. Glorian makes a deal with Satannish. There's Ghoul, raised from Hell who has one of the best fights of this collection. The Banner/Hulk battle continues. Glorian is still too silly. Issue 358 has a tremendous cover.
Marvel Comics Presents 26 - a completely throwaway short story that includes Fixit knocking out a captive killer whale. At least he doesn't kill it like he did that poor dog.
359 - Hulk gets fired as casino enforcer. All sorts of Glorian/Satannish stuff. Hulk shows compassion for Glorian (a bit) and tries for fight the Devil. Then plays dice with him. Deeply daft and outlandish.
360 - oddly for this collection, not written by Peter David but an important part of the overall story re: Betty Ross. She has a miscarriage. Continues the increasingly weird supernatural/dreams themes too with the Nightmare and D'spayre. Betty and Hulk (sort of) reconnect.
361 - Iron Man guest stars and he and Banner have a plan to con some money our of the Maggia to keep Hulk happy with scraps and cash.
362 - Werewolf By Night guest stars to get his arse kicked by the Hulk. Fixit manipulates Banner and has one last conversation with his Vegas ex, Marlo. Not bad.
363 - Gray Gargoyle is the villain of the month. And it's all a bit rubbish.
364-367 - Four parter, counting down to sonething, big. In 364, a weakened Hulk fights Abomination and ends up very graphically melting him with toxic waste. In 365, a rematch with the Thing but the Thing is now Ms Marvel. In 366, Hulk gets into it with Rock (still stupid), Redeemer and the Leader while in a timed race against the poison weakening him. In 367, a dramatic issue w/ new artist Dale Keown, the shrinking, dying Hulk finally fights the man who poisoned him - Madman. Really strong issue.
368 - one shot. Hulk vs Mr Hyde. Interesting. Draws parallels between the two and includes literary criticism of Jekyll and Hyde.
Marvel Comics Presents 45 - short story in which Hulk Hogan proclaims he's the 'real' Incredible Hulk. Hulk finds out. Challenges and batters him. Cheesy and stupid enough that it earned an entry on the Wrestlecrap website.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2020
Aunque tuvo sus altibajos, nunca me aburrió. Me ha servido para entender mejor al personaje, y espero, como preludio a lo que muchos alegan como la mejor parte del run de David que justamente empieza unos 10 números después de este Omnibus. La dualidad Hulk/Banner empieza a explorarse y también a darle una personalidad más definida al Hulk Gris (Mr. Joe Fixit)... lo que creo que luego se explicará a más detalle.
January 1, 2021
Editorial quibbles:
Where's Iron Man #247? It should have been in between Incredible Hulk #360 and #361. #368 could have easily been punted to vol. 2.
Why's the story from Marvel Comics Presents out of continuity order? That's the great thing about an omnibus; you can put it in a better place, say alongside the other MCP story before Incredible Hulk #357.
Where's Iron Man #247? It should have been in between Incredible Hulk #360 and #361. #368 could have easily been punted to vol. 2.
Why's the story from Marvel Comics Presents out of continuity order? That's the great thing about an omnibus; you can put it in a better place, say alongside the other MCP story before Incredible Hulk #357.
February 11, 2020
Hulk 348 was my very first comic book, and finally reading it in context with everything Peter David, Todd McFarland, Jeff Purves and company were doing is fantastic. Plus, wow, issue 368 with Sam Kieth on art is a pure delight!
March 26, 2023
PAD's lengthy Hulk run is something I've sampled a bit of and always enjoyed, but now starting from the beginning I have a lot of appreciation for the grandiose level of storytelling serialization he achieves with the Hulk. David begins his run with Banner's tenuous grip on the Hulk slipping, and the Hulk emerges as a meaner, greyer and smarter monster than ever before. The grey Hulk comes out at night and David makes it clear how much he's leaning on the whole Jekyll & Hyde pastiche here.
The run begins with Todd McFarlane taking the major pencilling duties, and McFarlane really delivers. I never was truly the biggest fan of McFarlane's body of work, but his stretch on The Incredible Hulk is simply fantastic. For this portion of the run, the Hulk takes dominance over Banner, leading a small band of companions to deal with the Leader and the emerging threat of a gamma bomb that is going to create more Hulk-like beings. McFarlane really sells the terror the Hulk instills not just in his enemies but his allies as well. Perhaps my favorite issue from this stretch is The Incredible Hulk #339 ("Native Son"), a story about a kid under the care of a SHIELD agent. It delves into how Banner's own mistrust of father figures percolates into the Hulk's emotions and truly serves to bring about some underrated character development for the character.
The next stretch of the run is perhaps the more memorable segment since it's the introduction of Joe Fixit. Following the mishap with the Leader, the world believes the Hulk to dead. But the reader soon learns of a fearsome mob enforcer named Mr. Joe Fixit who lives a life of luxury with intermittent infusions of violence. The Joe Fixit stories are all great, and Jeff Purves renders some truly iconic panels with his interpreation of this new Hulk. The omnibus ends with the countdown to facing off against the Madman after the Hulk endures a severe case of poisoning and it's a fun set of issues.
Overall I can't say there is a better place than this to start with reading the Hulk. It's packed with some of the most memorable Hulk tales and Peter David's ability to balance serious narratives with moments of levity make him such an elite storyteller in this medium. The artwork by McFarlane and Purves is iconic work too, and the many other artists taking the reins of a handful of issues are deliver strongly.
The run begins with Todd McFarlane taking the major pencilling duties, and McFarlane really delivers. I never was truly the biggest fan of McFarlane's body of work, but his stretch on The Incredible Hulk is simply fantastic. For this portion of the run, the Hulk takes dominance over Banner, leading a small band of companions to deal with the Leader and the emerging threat of a gamma bomb that is going to create more Hulk-like beings. McFarlane really sells the terror the Hulk instills not just in his enemies but his allies as well. Perhaps my favorite issue from this stretch is The Incredible Hulk #339 ("Native Son"), a story about a kid under the care of a SHIELD agent. It delves into how Banner's own mistrust of father figures percolates into the Hulk's emotions and truly serves to bring about some underrated character development for the character.
The next stretch of the run is perhaps the more memorable segment since it's the introduction of Joe Fixit. Following the mishap with the Leader, the world believes the Hulk to dead. But the reader soon learns of a fearsome mob enforcer named Mr. Joe Fixit who lives a life of luxury with intermittent infusions of violence. The Joe Fixit stories are all great, and Jeff Purves renders some truly iconic panels with his interpreation of this new Hulk. The omnibus ends with the countdown to facing off against the Madman after the Hulk endures a severe case of poisoning and it's a fun set of issues.
Overall I can't say there is a better place than this to start with reading the Hulk. It's packed with some of the most memorable Hulk tales and Peter David's ability to balance serious narratives with moments of levity make him such an elite storyteller in this medium. The artwork by McFarlane and Purves is iconic work too, and the many other artists taking the reins of a handful of issues are deliver strongly.
August 1, 2020
Not much to say here other than to recognize and appreciate Peter David’s run on the Hulk series. Not ever issue is a winner, but the ratio of very good to excellent far surpasses the mediocre. Art at times is shaky, but I grew to appreciate Jeff Purvis when inked by Marie Severin over the flashier Todd McFarlane since they could tell a better story and not focus on splash pages and manga-esque versions of Bruce Banner and Betty. However, I’m here for the writing, and truly David was at his best on this series.
November 9, 2024
This was my second Hulk Omni, after Planet Hulk many years ago. I have to say it was a tad disappointing, as I had heard this Peter David run is one of the best.
The Mr Fixit angle gets repetitive after a few issues, and then there are so many forced back stories and team ups with other marvel characters that there is literally no continuity.
I bought the entire Omnibus set before reading this one, so I will give the second Omni a shot, with middling expectations this time.
The Mr Fixit angle gets repetitive after a few issues, and then there are so many forced back stories and team ups with other marvel characters that there is literally no continuity.
I bought the entire Omnibus set before reading this one, so I will give the second Omni a shot, with middling expectations this time.
May 17, 2021
When I was a kid the Hulk was my absolute favorite superhero, and a lot of it had to do with with a simple fact: he was the strongest there was. He was sort of the opposite of what you want kids to see in a hero... the madder he got the stronger he got, and his fists and his rage solved a lot of problems. Looking back on it, not a great takeway... but the Lou Ferrigno/ Bill Bixby Hulk TV series (complete with the saddest theme song ever set to lonely man hitching a ride to the next episode) was the best. Unfortunately, Peter David's classic run on the book never aligned to my classical expectations of the character. My Hulk was green and was dim-witted as he was strong; David's Hulk was grey and he was as sociopathic as he was strong. My Hulk wandered the desert to be alone like Frankenstein's monster, hunted by the military; David's Hulk was thought dead and was hiding out as a mob enforcer in Las Vegas. At the tender age of twelve I didn't recognize the contemporaneous run of books as MY Hulk. But I just cracked open this omnibus collecting all these comics from my youth and I have to say, it's amazing! The way that David shifts the Hulk to more of a Hyde character and less of a misunderstood #Karloff monster was an interesting new direction. Making Hulk smarter but menace gave opportunity for Banner and his alter ego to try to checkmate each other in interesting ways; it also made his morality hazier, which added an interesting x-factor. Was there good in the Hulk, or was he only out for himself? This had never been a question before, but this new incarnation added all kinds of new lairs. Love the ways David redefined my childhood favorite hero.
December 8, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect but I heard this work was up there with the best of the hulk.
I was blown away by how good it was, after a slow start the book found it's feet and turned into a truly epic read.
Only criticism was that McFarlane and Larsen didn't stick around for long and none of the other artists matched their quality, but it didn't ruin the experience at all
I was blown away by how good it was, after a slow start the book found it's feet and turned into a truly epic read.
Only criticism was that McFarlane and Larsen didn't stick around for long and none of the other artists matched their quality, but it didn't ruin the experience at all
February 9, 2023
My first Hulk book and I gotta say I really enjoyed it. Starts off slow but once Hulk is on the run the story picks up and that story ends with a great few issues. The second half again starts slow but picks up steam as the Fixit character fades away. Excited to continue this one it’s meant to be the best.
February 24, 2023
its a bit hit or miss for some of the issues. but when it's good its good, and for the most part, it only gets better as it goes (even if the art suffers when purves replaces mcfarlane)
peter david is a fantastic writer that has had some great ideas for the hulk and this book may be rocky at times, but it still has that peter david greatness to it
peter david is a fantastic writer that has had some great ideas for the hulk and this book may be rocky at times, but it still has that peter david greatness to it
October 17, 2021
I wasn't sure I'd love the books about the Hulk, I was wrong. I totally enjoyed it and recommend if you have doubts.
December 11, 2021
#331-334 (peter David e todd mcfarlane)
#335 (PD e john ridgway)
#335 (PD e john ridgway)
August 6, 2023
The folks at Marvel surely know how to flip silly characters involving them into some serious Jungian plots. It's not rock solid, but towards the end, you will sigh a proverbial: 'damn'.
October 28, 2024
I started reading this in 2021, then lost interest and put it down for about 3 years. When I randomly decided to pick it up again, I was surprised by how great it was; I can’t remember what issues I had with it originally, but now I am consistently impressed with Peter David’s smart writing and the consistent art (Todd MacFarlane for the first half, Jeff Purves for most of the second half). Roughly the first half is dedicated to classic Jekyl and Hyde style tortured-man-with-a-monster-inside-him stuff, and that’s all well and good, but the second half gives us Mr. Fixit, Vegas enforcer. The world thinks the Hulk is dead, and Banner’s personality is dormant, so the Hulk is living the high life, Casino style. David has a blast writing noir inflected dialogue and narration, and the stories are a huge relief after the (well-written) drama of the first half. The Hulk is not one of my favorite characters, but I am now completely on board with him, at least as long as Peter David is writing; good thing his run lasted roughly 10,000 years.
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