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Hulk Grand Design #1-2
Hulk: Grand Design Treasury Edition
The acclaimed GRAND DESIGN franchise continues with the Monster…and the Madness! Writer/artist Jim Rugg follows in the tradition of Ed Piskor and Tom Scioli by unfurling the full saga of the Incredible Hulk, from the very beginning to the present day! From Bruce Banner’s volatile upbringing to the fateful gamma bomb detonation that changed everything, to years of anger, smashing and just wanting to be left alone! He’s been a hero…a hate figure…even a world-breaker. Now witness the biggest moments in the Hulk’s history — through the eyes of a single visionary storyteller! You’ll never look at Bruce Banner the same way again!
COLLECTING: Hulk: Grand Design - Monster (2022) 1, Hulk: Grand Design - Madness (2022) 1
COLLECTING: Hulk: Grand Design - Monster (2022) 1, Hulk: Grand Design - Madness (2022) 1
120 pages, Paperback
Published February 21, 2023
17 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Jim Rugg
86 books102 followersJim Rugg is an Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist based in Pittsburgh. His books include STREET ANGEL, The PLAIN Janes, The Guild, Afrodisiac, and Notebook Drawings. Awards and recognition from the Society of Illustrators, AIGA, Communication Arts, Print magazine, American Illustration, SPX, and Creative Quarterly adorn his mantle.
His studio is pencils, paper, ballpoint pens, ink, Photoshop, cats, and comics.
His studio is pencils, paper, ballpoint pens, ink, Photoshop, cats, and comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 10, 2023
I'm giving this a three but it really had to work for it. The artwork is fantastic but it's pretty much Hulk's greatest hits or an illustrated wikipedia article depending on your viewpoint. There are no new insights or twists that I could see. I can feel Rugg's love for the Hulk coming through but maybe he loves the Hulk too much to put his spin on everything that has come before.
So yeah, there's nothing wrong with this book but apart form the gorgeous art, there's not a lot to this. Three out of five stars. Remember, three means I liked it. And hey, it makes me want to read more Hulk comics.
So yeah, there's nothing wrong with this book but apart form the gorgeous art, there's not a lot to this. Three out of five stars. Remember, three means I liked it. And hey, it makes me want to read more Hulk comics.
September 16, 2025
Fun! and, much like the stories and continuity of Hulk comics, head-spinningly all over the place.
May 26, 2022
Hulk does this, then hulk did that, then this happened to hulk, so hulk did this and then he did that and then this again.
I liked Jim Rugg's approach with varying art styles, adding in elements from real life like the TV adaptations, the actual comic strips, books, and magazines. The book, however, lacks a strong narrative.
Being unfamiliar with Hulk's storyline outside of the basic origins, I was excited to get a distilled version. I love the character of Hulk whenever he appears in comics or movies. I also enjoyed Piskor's X-men Grand Design. Piskor distills decades of story-telling into a reasonably coherent narrative. That's where Rugg's comic fails. It reads more like a wikipedia article than a story.
Based on Rugg's comic, Hulk doesn't seem to have an interesting over-arching story to tell. It's more repetitive - villian-of-the-month, Bruce Banner finds a cure then loses the cure repeat ad nauseam.
I liked Jim Rugg's approach with varying art styles, adding in elements from real life like the TV adaptations, the actual comic strips, books, and magazines. The book, however, lacks a strong narrative.
Being unfamiliar with Hulk's storyline outside of the basic origins, I was excited to get a distilled version. I love the character of Hulk whenever he appears in comics or movies. I also enjoyed Piskor's X-men Grand Design. Piskor distills decades of story-telling into a reasonably coherent narrative. That's where Rugg's comic fails. It reads more like a wikipedia article than a story.
Based on Rugg's comic, Hulk doesn't seem to have an interesting over-arching story to tell. It's more repetitive - villian-of-the-month, Bruce Banner finds a cure then loses the cure repeat ad nauseam.
October 21, 2024
Jim Rugg era o parceiro de Ed Piskor em um canal de youtube que falava sobre a história dos quadrinhos. Piskor cometeu suicídio este ano após acusações feitas na internet. Piskor desenvolveu a versão Grand Design dos X-Men. Os álbuns gigantes Grand Design têm a missão de recontar a história de personagens Marvel com quadrinhos em estilo retrô. Sou um fã do Hulk e já li muitas histórias dele, mas não toda sua cronologia, como fiz com os X-Men. Foi uma ótima experiência poder acompanhar a trajetória do Hulk neste álbum Grand Design e me deu vontade de ir atrás dos demais dos X-Men e do Quarteto Fantástico. Um porém é que Rugg só considera a história do Hulk até o final da fase de Peter David, que com certeza foi memorável, mas não se encerrou ali. Depois ele traz um vislumbre de duas grandes sagas do Hulk do século XXI, Planeta Hulk e Hulk Contra o Mundo. Contudo, se você tem a missão de contar toda a trajetória de um personagem, não deve queimar etapas. Sim, o Hulk teve fases muito ruins ao longo do tempo, mas ignorar elas não é a melhor saída. Uma pena que isso ocorreu, senão este seria um quadrinho cinco estrelas.
July 12, 2024
This comic unfortunately reads a lot like a bullet point list of all of Hulk's feats over history with some amazing cartooning to dress it all up. Unlike the initial Grand Design series where there was an actual narrative, I had a tough time discerning anything meaningful about the Hulk's journey as one of Marvel's big mainstays. After some pages, I'd feel myself zoning out and just taking in Rugg's fantastic artwork and design. The biggest positive I have for "Hulk: Grand Design" is that it is stellar on the design front, with distinctive cosmetic changes being applied to different eras/runs.
June 2, 2022
I thought this was a really cool book and I loved getting to learn more about the Hulk, like all the times he had been separated, his time with the mob, his origins, Hulk comics being very political, and him leading a superhero team among all that. I really plan on re reading this soon.
9.7
9.7
May 8, 2022
There’s some nice art here, but the story lacks any of the structural inventiveness of the prior Grand Design books and is easily the weakest of the bunch.
September 8, 2022
HULK SMASH (character history) into bite sized bits!
It's everything you need to know about the long history of Banner as Hulk
It's everything you need to know about the long history of Banner as Hulk
June 23, 2024
Keep reading comics
March 11, 2023
Back in the mid-eighties, Marvel published a comic book called Marvel Saga, a retelling of all of the Marvel continuity over 25 issues with artwork drawn primarily from the original issues. It was kind of like reading Wikipedia entries today --- you got all the major plot points and information, but no real sense of character development or emotion.
This collection (the only entry in the Grand Design series I've read) feels similar. On the one hand, you have the excellent Jim Rugg, who specializes in a frenetic rough art style, which works wonderfully with the Hulk. (Rugg created the very enjoyable Street Angel.) And some pages are gorgeous compositions, highlighting famous fights between the Hulk and his adversaries.
But, on the other hand, there's not a lot of connective tissue between pages except for "this is the next thing that happened in the comic book". Now, I'd argue the Hulk has been a character with a lot of different takes in his history, so finding a coherent storyline could be very difficult. But I often felt like Rugg was more focused on the individual page than the book as a whole. Also, in the second half, Rugg seems more interested in submerging his art style in service of imitating other artists. So, for example, there's a image that screams "I am a Gary Frank Hulk!" when I wanted more Rugg.
Even for me, a pretty big Hulk fan, this was just an okay read by the end. I would get excited when I would recognize an issue or event being referenced, but nothing about the book made me think differently about the Hulk.
This collection (the only entry in the Grand Design series I've read) feels similar. On the one hand, you have the excellent Jim Rugg, who specializes in a frenetic rough art style, which works wonderfully with the Hulk. (Rugg created the very enjoyable Street Angel.) And some pages are gorgeous compositions, highlighting famous fights between the Hulk and his adversaries.
But, on the other hand, there's not a lot of connective tissue between pages except for "this is the next thing that happened in the comic book". Now, I'd argue the Hulk has been a character with a lot of different takes in his history, so finding a coherent storyline could be very difficult. But I often felt like Rugg was more focused on the individual page than the book as a whole. Also, in the second half, Rugg seems more interested in submerging his art style in service of imitating other artists. So, for example, there's a image that screams "I am a Gary Frank Hulk!" when I wanted more Rugg.
Even for me, a pretty big Hulk fan, this was just an okay read by the end. I would get excited when I would recognize an issue or event being referenced, but nothing about the book made me think differently about the Hulk.
August 5, 2022
4.5
I both enjoyed and am annoyed by these stupid little fantastic grand design recaps.
I both enjoyed and am annoyed by these stupid little fantastic grand design recaps.
May 15, 2025
Third read thru and I love it more every time. Perfect comics. And one of the most beautifully designed books I’ve ever seen. Style as substance.
August 17, 2023
The idea of Marvel's Grand Design books is rather brilliant. You take about 50 years of comic book history and you formulate it into a cohesive biography of some of your favorite Marvel heroes. This time around it's the big, bad Incredible Hulk and it's rather appreciated by me that he was given the Grand Design treatment.
With the Hulk coming in varying colors of green and gray; not to mention dozens of multiple personalities such as Joe Fixit and the Maestro, this is a character the fans most deserved a chronicle of their extremely confusing history. Don't expect all of your favorite Hulk moments to be here. That time the Hulk joined the Ringmaster's circus is not covered. Neither is the time Hulk and 3 others became the New Fantastic Four. Also don't expect to have a lot of time devoted to your favorite Hulk moments if they do happen to make the cut. Hulk's first meeting with a certain Canadian super-hero is the subject of only one fair-sized panel.
The writer and artist of this treasury sized collection of Hulk history is Jim Rugg. Originally published as a set of 2 one-shots (Hulk: Grand Design Monster and Hulk: Grand Design Madness), there's a clear separation of quality. But I don't think Jim Rugg is to blame. Monster ends after a New York City rampage that leads the Avengers and Doctor Strange to believe that the Hulk is dead. Instead, we find out in Madness that Hulk was transported to a micro-universe before returning to save his heroic colleagues from the collapse of a gigantic mountain during the first Secret War. After this event, it seems that the writers and artists of the Hulk decided to got bat-crap crazy.
Sometime around 1984, Bruce Banner's psyche just could no longer deal with the monster within. After the death of several lady loves, Banner blames his alter ego and the Hulk connives to destroy puny Banner. Friends and allies will try to cure Banner, first with therapy performed by Doc Samson and then with overloads of gamma radiation by just about any and all members of the Marvel universe that is able to access a nuclear powered gadget. These cures work for about 1-2 issues and then the past trauma of an abusive father who killed Banner's mother right in front of him as a child, comes to light and the cycle begins all over again. Only now, the result is a bigger, badder and much more insane version of the Hulk. Heck, we've even had Berserker Banner on more than one occasion.
The second half of Hulk history just isn't as interesting to me as his early days. Though, the Immortal Hulk has recaptured my interest. Some people might like a psychologically damaged Hulk. I prefer a Bruce Banner who is haunted by the antics of his dark side much like Jekyll & Hyde. It just seems criminal to put poor Bruce Banner through the wringer like that year after year.
What is indeed criminal is how few properties have been given the Grand Design treatment. First it was the Fantastic Four, which I read and loved despite Tom Scoli's microscopic artwork and then Ed Piskor's account of X-Men lore, which I have not read yet. I would love for Marvel to really get behind these projects and offer histories of characters such as Thor, Black Panther and Doctor Strange. Grand Designs are great reads, even when the source material might lag at times.
With the Hulk coming in varying colors of green and gray; not to mention dozens of multiple personalities such as Joe Fixit and the Maestro, this is a character the fans most deserved a chronicle of their extremely confusing history. Don't expect all of your favorite Hulk moments to be here. That time the Hulk joined the Ringmaster's circus is not covered. Neither is the time Hulk and 3 others became the New Fantastic Four. Also don't expect to have a lot of time devoted to your favorite Hulk moments if they do happen to make the cut. Hulk's first meeting with a certain Canadian super-hero is the subject of only one fair-sized panel.
The writer and artist of this treasury sized collection of Hulk history is Jim Rugg. Originally published as a set of 2 one-shots (Hulk: Grand Design Monster and Hulk: Grand Design Madness), there's a clear separation of quality. But I don't think Jim Rugg is to blame. Monster ends after a New York City rampage that leads the Avengers and Doctor Strange to believe that the Hulk is dead. Instead, we find out in Madness that Hulk was transported to a micro-universe before returning to save his heroic colleagues from the collapse of a gigantic mountain during the first Secret War. After this event, it seems that the writers and artists of the Hulk decided to got bat-crap crazy.
Sometime around 1984, Bruce Banner's psyche just could no longer deal with the monster within. After the death of several lady loves, Banner blames his alter ego and the Hulk connives to destroy puny Banner. Friends and allies will try to cure Banner, first with therapy performed by Doc Samson and then with overloads of gamma radiation by just about any and all members of the Marvel universe that is able to access a nuclear powered gadget. These cures work for about 1-2 issues and then the past trauma of an abusive father who killed Banner's mother right in front of him as a child, comes to light and the cycle begins all over again. Only now, the result is a bigger, badder and much more insane version of the Hulk. Heck, we've even had Berserker Banner on more than one occasion.
The second half of Hulk history just isn't as interesting to me as his early days. Though, the Immortal Hulk has recaptured my interest. Some people might like a psychologically damaged Hulk. I prefer a Bruce Banner who is haunted by the antics of his dark side much like Jekyll & Hyde. It just seems criminal to put poor Bruce Banner through the wringer like that year after year.
What is indeed criminal is how few properties have been given the Grand Design treatment. First it was the Fantastic Four, which I read and loved despite Tom Scoli's microscopic artwork and then Ed Piskor's account of X-Men lore, which I have not read yet. I would love for Marvel to really get behind these projects and offer histories of characters such as Thor, Black Panther and Doctor Strange. Grand Designs are great reads, even when the source material might lag at times.
January 6, 2025
These Grand Design books are a great idea, taking old Marvel history and condensing it a lot, picking out the important stuff and, in this case, some of the especially weird stuff. It's sort of like reading decades of comics without having the slog that sometimes comes with it.
Hulk: Grand Design is especially good because of all the Grand Design books, I think it had the most sense of silliness, that some of comics is total (great) bullshit.
One of my favorite bits was that, apparently, at some point, Hulk fought Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Now, I don't know a lot of details, but I would expect that A) Mr. Hyde, though more animal than man, probably wouldn't stand a great chance against the Hulk. I mean, I know London's finest was doing their best, but Hulk gets blowed up by goddamn tanks and seems to be just fine, and B) There should definitely be a slapfight between Dr. Jekyll and Bruce Banner, or a nerd-off, a forensics decathlon or something. Nobody wants to see that but me, but I REALLY want to see it. C'mon, Marvel. I've done you a lot of favors by reading your books over the years and sticking through the dark times. I've expressed my love for the ridiculous, over-the-top and yet underwhelming 1987 Thanksgiving parade float, which is super awesome and uses the Back to the Future music for some reason? I'm in it for the long haul is what I'm saying, so how's about you do this one for your ol' pal Pete? Tell Kyle Starks he has to do it. Or Chip Zdarsky. MAKE THEM DO IT.
Hulk: Grand Design is especially good because of all the Grand Design books, I think it had the most sense of silliness, that some of comics is total (great) bullshit.
One of my favorite bits was that, apparently, at some point, Hulk fought Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Now, I don't know a lot of details, but I would expect that A) Mr. Hyde, though more animal than man, probably wouldn't stand a great chance against the Hulk. I mean, I know London's finest was doing their best, but Hulk gets blowed up by goddamn tanks and seems to be just fine, and B) There should definitely be a slapfight between Dr. Jekyll and Bruce Banner, or a nerd-off, a forensics decathlon or something. Nobody wants to see that but me, but I REALLY want to see it. C'mon, Marvel. I've done you a lot of favors by reading your books over the years and sticking through the dark times. I've expressed my love for the ridiculous, over-the-top and yet underwhelming 1987 Thanksgiving parade float, which is super awesome and uses the Back to the Future music for some reason? I'm in it for the long haul is what I'm saying, so how's about you do this one for your ol' pal Pete? Tell Kyle Starks he has to do it. Or Chip Zdarsky. MAKE THEM DO IT.
April 2, 2023
Dividido em dois livros (Monster & Madness), a mais recente publicação da Marvel da série Grand Design é uma resenha sobre a evolução histórica da personagem. Contado de uma forma algo apressada, faz lembrar aqueles livros (a que se chamavam "os apontamentos", não sei se se lembram da publicidade: "Ei, eu também estudo pelos apontamentos", dito assim, como se fosse uma coisa boa ou engraçada) de pessoas que não têm assim tanto gosto por ler, mas gostam de dizer que têm. Graficamente é interessantíssimo, ao estilo "retro" que a supracitada série da igualmente sobredita editora já mostrou anteriormente. Mas soa sempre a isso: um sprint desmesurado para conseguir deixar tudo nas páginas à disposição. Sei lá, esperava mais, ainda por cima vindo de um autor que se diz fã da personagem e que revela (como se alguém quisesse muito saber) que leu centenas de BDs publicadas ao longo de décadas.
September 28, 2023
3.5/5
Out of the Kayfabe crew, this one lands in the middle. Piskor's X-MEN is a more satisfying read (I credit an expanded page count), and this one manages to avoid the checklist feel of Scoli's FANTASTIC FOUR (beautiful art, but if reads more like an art object than a book). That said, this one very much is a check list of Hulks greatest hits and plot twists. Rugg is great at aping other art styles which helps this one, as well as a bit of cheeky humour and tone to some of the more ridiculous aspects of Hulk's history. The strength of the art had me enjoying this one. I'm sure there will be more of these Grand Designs, but I'm on the fence if I'll bite on anymore of them.
Out of the Kayfabe crew, this one lands in the middle. Piskor's X-MEN is a more satisfying read (I credit an expanded page count), and this one manages to avoid the checklist feel of Scoli's FANTASTIC FOUR (beautiful art, but if reads more like an art object than a book). That said, this one very much is a check list of Hulks greatest hits and plot twists. Rugg is great at aping other art styles which helps this one, as well as a bit of cheeky humour and tone to some of the more ridiculous aspects of Hulk's history. The strength of the art had me enjoying this one. I'm sure there will be more of these Grand Designs, but I'm on the fence if I'll bite on anymore of them.
August 10, 2023
To start this is a beautiful book. The cover is very eye catching and designed extremely well. The art in the book is also excellent.
I have limited experience with the hulk minus planet hulk and some avenger stories. It turns out I’m not missing much, going by this book.
The hulk just may not be than interesting of a character I’m not sure, but the story of this book didn’t do it for me. The pacing was good because it was changing stories every couple pages. I just wasn’t very interested in what was happening. The art kept me reading.
I have limited experience with the hulk minus planet hulk and some avenger stories. It turns out I’m not missing much, going by this book.
The hulk just may not be than interesting of a character I’m not sure, but the story of this book didn’t do it for me. The pacing was good because it was changing stories every couple pages. I just wasn’t very interested in what was happening. The art kept me reading.
April 15, 2023
Not as good as Piskor or Scioli. Storytelling, or the the lack thereof, is the problem. It's basically, Hulk smashes this guy or that guy, monster, alien, friend, Banner turns into Hulk turns into Banner turns into stronger Hulk, Hulk is finally happy but not for long, etc., repeat. Could it be that Banner/Hulk's story is really that simple? At least, it's a labour of love, obviously, and the style is varied and almost as interesting as Scioli's.
January 22, 2024
I really like what Rugg tried to do with this - the different art styles and scrapbook-like pages give a good feel for how Hulk changed with the times. The problem with this one is there just isn't enough to Hulk's story for this format. It ends up being an extremely repetitive pattern of Hulk fights someone, Hulk fights someone else, Hulk and Banner separate, Hulk gets in another fight, Hulk and Banner get back together, repeat ad nauseum.
June 13, 2024
3.5 rounded up because I love the Hulk and liked this book a lot and its only major failing is that the Hulk's storyline is insane. Specifically, the Leader, ugh, what an annoying narrative character. That's really been my only beef with the four Marvel Grand Design treasury volumes I've now consumed... the scope of the stories is silly.
Great art by Rugg, really seems like he had fun paying homage to all the titans who'd contributed so well to the Hulk's history.
Great art by Rugg, really seems like he had fun paying homage to all the titans who'd contributed so well to the Hulk's history.
January 22, 2025
I totally understand why people dont love this one as much but I think its perfect. Its exactly what its supposed to be its a beautifully illustrated timeline of Hulks journey as a hero, villain, man and monster. I wasnt expecting anything I didn’t know before and I think this is exactly what I needed to jump right back in to the Hulks lore, this is a perfect prelude for Immortal Hulk imo and will entertain and satisfy anyone who reads it!
March 5, 2023
An absolutely smashing work of art. Jim takes far less liberty with the narrative of the Hulk’s history than was taken in Scioli’s FF GD, but the emphasis here is on artistic creativity and flexibility. This is a rocket ride through 60 years of the Hulk, and it is a gorgeous, gorgeous trip. I will be re-reading and just soaking in this one many more times, for sure.
August 21, 2023
Lots of fun! Jim Rugg has a keen eye for design and making comics that just embrace ridiculousness. This is my personal favourite of the Grand Designs purely from a collage/multi media view. Plus he gives equal weight to all of the hulks history which makes this book a great jumping on point for the character.
April 19, 2023
Great art! Great design! It really makes me want to read the WHOLE run of Hulk comics, but this is probably better and saves so much time. Needed one more issue to cover more of Bruce Jones and Greg Pak’s run in more detail!
April 27, 2023
Some of the reviews seem to miss the point of the grand design mission statement. Rugg’s love letter to Hulk is fantastic and every page deserves close scrutiny. Excellent in the treasury edition format.
December 30, 2024
I enjoy the Grand Design books. Borrowed this from the Library via Hoopla. I'm not sure if it stopped at the point it did because that was up to date or if it was chose as a stop time. It reminds you of a lot of the stories you read as a kid. I dug it.
February 9, 2025
I’m a sucker for these grand design books. Theres nothing new here, but that’s not what this is. Not sure you could more succinctly sum up 60 years of a characters history in a more entertaining format.
June 18, 2022
So dense, so fun, so well-done
March 1, 2023
This barely qualifies as an annotated timeline.
March 23, 2023
Cool concept and great art.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews