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Incredible Hulk Epic Collection
Incredible Hulk Epic Collection, Vol. 24: The Lone and Level Sands
The incredible end of an era! As Peter David completes his epic run, he delves ever deeper into the mind of Bruce Banner - and brings him face to face with the Hulk's oldest enemy: General Thunderbolt Ross! As the Hulk battles the Maestro, the Destroyer and the alien Troyjan, Banner begins to believe that he and the Hulk could be...happy? But when an unthinkable tragedy suddenly strikes, everything changes! Grieving and tormented, Banner seeks answers - while the enraged Hulk smashes his way through adversaries from Attuma to the Super-Adaptoid! The Circus of Crime wants to use the Hulk, while the alien Qnax needs his help! But as shocking secrets are revealed, how will Hulk and Ross deal with the monstrous menace of the Abomination? Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #460-474, HULK & SUB-MARINER ANNUAL '98 and X-MAN & HULK ANNUAL '98.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2023
5 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,568 books1,363 followersaka David Peters
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 12, 2025
I am 27 years late to the Peter David / Incredible Hulk run which is odd because I have enjoyed just about everything else I have read of Peter David. So I set out on a quest in 2025 to read David's run, in context, by reading as much as I could of "what has come before." There were some good Hulk stories before Peter David, but for the most part, Bruce Banner gets angry, turns into the Hulk, and Hulk smash.
Peter David's 100+ issue run on the Incredible Hulk lives up to the hype. Not every issue is a home run, of course, but as a whole it was a quite enjoyable read.
Leading into "The Lone and Level Sands" Epic Collection, which includes Peter David's final issues (of his first run), the Hulk story lines were hampered by the Heroes Reborn debacle, and then the editorial request to kill off Betty Banner. The issues leading to Betty's death were rushed and silly, but...
Issue 467, Peter David's final issue, hit me like a gut punch. Set ten years in the future on the anniversary of Betty's death, reporter "Peter" from the Daily Planet tracks down an introspective Rick Jones for an interview. It seems that Bruce Banner, and the Hulk, have largely disappeared, reappering occasionally over the preceding ten years to wreck havoc before disappearing again. Rick fills in the highlights with artist Andy Kubert's single-page and double-page spreads.
The last two pages will haunt me forever, as Rick Jones / Peter David decide that they have shared all they intend to share. "I've said enough," as the page fades into darkness. Of the tens of thousands of comic books I have read, I will always remember the fade out of issue 467.
Unfortunately, and probably inevitably, the rest of the book suffers tremenously with the change of direction after Peter David left the series. The series would be relauched after just seven more issues so writer Joe Casey was only a fill-in. I don't fault him, but it is unfortunate that we will never see what Peter David would have done with Bruce Banner dealing with the death of his wife.
Five stars for issue 467.
Two stars for the rest of the book.
Three stars average.
Peter David's 100+ issue run on the Incredible Hulk lives up to the hype. Not every issue is a home run, of course, but as a whole it was a quite enjoyable read.
Leading into "The Lone and Level Sands" Epic Collection, which includes Peter David's final issues (of his first run), the Hulk story lines were hampered by the Heroes Reborn debacle, and then the editorial request to kill off Betty Banner. The issues leading to Betty's death were rushed and silly, but...
Issue 467, Peter David's final issue, hit me like a gut punch. Set ten years in the future on the anniversary of Betty's death, reporter "Peter" from the Daily Planet tracks down an introspective Rick Jones for an interview. It seems that Bruce Banner, and the Hulk, have largely disappeared, reappering occasionally over the preceding ten years to wreck havoc before disappearing again. Rick fills in the highlights with artist Andy Kubert's single-page and double-page spreads.
The last two pages will haunt me forever, as Rick Jones / Peter David decide that they have shared all they intend to share. "I've said enough," as the page fades into darkness. Of the tens of thousands of comic books I have read, I will always remember the fade out of issue 467.
Unfortunately, and probably inevitably, the rest of the book suffers tremenously with the change of direction after Peter David left the series. The series would be relauched after just seven more issues so writer Joe Casey was only a fill-in. I don't fault him, but it is unfortunate that we will never see what Peter David would have done with Bruce Banner dealing with the death of his wife.
Five stars for issue 467.
Two stars for the rest of the book.
Three stars average.
December 13, 2025
Peter David's legendary run ends here - free of the Onslaught crossover, he is able to bring everything he contributed to the character to a close. Betty is killed, seemingly by long exposure to Banner's Gamma, and David writes his own words into the mouth of a years-older Rick Jones where he leaves the epitaph: "I've said enough".
The second half of this Epic Collection prints the immediately following run by Joe Casey, which stumbles in the wake of David's absence including the bombshell of Betty's death. The conclusion of his run is fun, cosmic, and satisfying, but getting there is a slog.
The second half of this Epic Collection prints the immediately following run by Joe Casey, which stumbles in the wake of David's absence including the bombshell of Betty's death. The conclusion of his run is fun, cosmic, and satisfying, but getting there is a slog.
August 8, 2024
Enjoyable read without being anything special, the end of Peter David on the Hulk kind of peters out, probably because he left due to 'creative differences' and didnt get to leave how he intended.
The Hulk has been a surprise to me in these Epic Collections, I was never a fan when younger but now have definitely started to appreciate the character much more.
The Hulk has been a surprise to me in these Epic Collections, I was never a fan when younger but now have definitely started to appreciate the character much more.
May 8, 2023
The Peter David part was OK, but the rest...
March 25, 2025
The last volume in Peter David's epic Hulk run is pretty lackluster. It was all messed up from the return of all the characters who disappeared during Heroes Reborn. And then David soon left over creative differences. Adam Kubert's art in this first half is good. After David left, Joe Casey and Javier Pulido try and pick up the pieces. It's kind of terrible. Casey does a really poor job of characterizing the Hulk. First he's completely silent when it's established that he has his own distinct personality. Then he suddenly is just an extension of Banner with no differences in personality at all. It's poorly done. And speaking of poorly done, Javier Pulido's art isn't very good either, especially his faces. It's all bad enough that the book gets cancelled 474 issues in and then handed off to John Byrne and Ron Garney for a fresh start with a new #1 after this ends.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews