Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk #1

by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby (Illustrator)

The first six issues of Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk comic books are collected in this volume presented as a hardcover graphic novel.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

150 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1989

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first six issues of The Incredible Hulk. It's pretty clear Lee and Kirby didn't know what to do with him at this point. I respect its place in Marvel's formative years but it's not great. I might haul it to half price books next time I go.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The original six-issue run of The Incredible Hulk from 1962, prior to its cancellation. Scientist Bruce Banner rescues teenager Rick Jones from the testing grounds of his gamma bomb, only to have it go off and transform him nightly into a gray (and then greenish beginning in issue 2) combination of Frankenstein's monster and Mr. Hyde. The Hulk goes up against several typically goofy science fiction and Communist enemies, but his primary antagonist is General Thunderbolt Ross, who hunts him obsessively.

While nostalgically enjoyable, I'm not that surprised this line was cancelled after six issues; the Hulk barely smashes anything and is constantly trapped by forces that seem dated today like magnetism and hypnotism. Eventually Rick Jones starts controlling his mind to force Hulk to only do good deeds, which seemed odd and a bit of a cheat. And then there's the Teen Brigade... Lee and Kirby clearly created a great character, but he wasn't yet being used properly.

Most interesting to me was watching Lee struggle with shoehorning Banner's transformations back and forth into the stories. Banner began by transforming into the Hulk only at night, which clearly had limitations and only lasted three issues; the final three issues, Banner is able to use gamma rays to change back and forth at will, which also has problems. To make Hulk change back into Banner voluntarily, he was given some of Banner's intelligence which made him too much like Banner; later changes must have reversed this once the transformation was based on Banner's level of anger. The only notable story here aside from the origin is in issue three, where Hulk is lured to a rocket and shot into space, which was to be used again at least once more as the setup for Planet Hulk.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda lacks the substance I prefer there to be in comics but Bruce is my favourite classic character so I still liked it purely for that.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes these early Hulk stories are very corny and very simple. Yet, they represent the early tales of the Incredible Hulk! Most of the art is by Jack Kirby with Steve Ditko in issue #6, with stories by Stan Lee.

Just think of these stories as Hulk 101, the early early years. Rick Joes was only 16 yrs old. Yet he seemed to have access to all areas of that Army base in the great Southwest. Simple stories and simple art. Almost no details.

Sign of the times. Thanks to Comixology Unlimited I got a chance to read these stories again, some for the first time.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun Read

It is interesting to connect the dots between these early issues and Peter David's run. Jack Kirby illustrates the first five issues and Steve Ditko pencils issue 6. The story lines are zany early Marvel, aliens and communists attempt to take over the world. The Hulk saves the day, always hunted by General Thunderbolt Ross.

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection is the first series with the Hulk, which only ran for six issues. Many things are different here from what most people think of the character, including how Hulk is not as monosyllabic as he would later become or how Banner constructs a gamma ray machine that enables him to change back and forth at will (although how willing the Hulk is to do so is questionable, and the toll it takes on Banner to do so). What this start reveals, however, is how much debt the concept owed to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, with Banner playing the good doctor and the Hulk as the raging monster. Yes, there’s a difference—Hulk never intentionally does bad things, although he destroys enough property. The side characters are there from the very beginning—Hulk/Banner’s military antagonist, General Thunderbolt Ross; the love interest, Betty Ross, the general’s daughter; and the kid sidekick, Rick Jones, ostensibly the one who got Banner in all this trouble in the first place.

There’s very little realism in these comics. How can Banner create a hidden laboratory with machinery that can cage the Hulk when needed, not to mention power his gamma ray transformations. How Rick Jones is able to hang around a military facility—does he not have any school to attend, is there no security in this facility? The fact that Hulk is always letting Jones hang on to him and the fact that Jones is always hanging around Banner never clues either of the Ross kin into revealing that Banner and the Hulk are one and the same?

Recommended only for those interested in the history of the character, as the plot, writing, and even art are fairly basic if not badly done.

[Evan Leach · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains all six issues from the original run of The Incredible Hulk (May, 1962 to March, 1963). After six issues, the series was cancelled and the Hulk was limited to cameo appearances for about 18 months before getting a new feature of his own in 1964. Frankly, it’s not hard to see why this initial run was so short lived. The Hulk was very much a work in progress at this time, from the color of his skin:



…to the cause of his transformation. Initially Doctor Banner turns into the Jade Giant when the sun goes down, sort of like a big green werewolf, before designing a machine that can turn him from Hulk to Banner, and vice versa. Nowhere is the “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry” trigger to be found. In addition, the poor Hulk was saddled with a truly pitiful rogue’s gallery. When he’s not battling commies, the Hulk is saving humanity from horrors such as the Toad Men:



…or the Gargoyle:



All of the Marvel comics from the early ‘60s feel pretty dated. They were mostly intended for children, and generally tell simple stories where nobody gets seriously injured, or God forbid killed. The best of them are good, cheesy, nostalgic fun. The weaker ones are just silly, and unfortunately these six issues fall squarely in the second category. While it’s interesting to see how it all began for Dr. Banner, this first run was not very engaging. 2 stars, recommended for true die-hards only.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the die-hard fans only.
This is a nice hardcover collection of the Hulk`s beginnings.
The stories are, by todays`s or even the 60s standards, cringe worthy.
The art isn`t all that great, most of it is rushed.

But, it did bring back some great childhood memories.
I`ve always had a soft spot for the Hulk, after all, we are the same age, and we do share so many childhood memories together. This book was a must-have for me.

[Grant Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Hulk as we know him today is an examination of the human condition, then these original six issues far surpass that idea by going beyond the usual themes of duality and self-control that the character is popularly known to embody. Hulk doesn’t even change due to anger here, and I don’t know at what point in these first years he actually does. After this run there’s a five year gap before this standalone title picks back up, and in that half-decade, Hulk appears to function as this wandering cryptid who just shows up in random bursts at unconventional times to wreak havoc, or at least make matters more complicated/convoluted. I don’t know if it’s in these lost years that Hulk becomes the one we know, or if it’s after his first writers pass on the mantle - as I read through those issues time will tell, and I’d much rather learn by reading than quickly searching for the answer online. As maddeningly chaotic and ambiguously defined as this kitsch/pulp narrative has been, a simple google search for the answer would almost feel disrespectful.

The Stan Lee + Jack Kirby (as they’re awesomely billed) run starts Hulk with the “origin” we know, but unlike the rest of their work, persists in changing him further as the series progresses, being carnival-mirrored by the insane, sensationalist reality that surrounds Bruce simultaneously. Hulk is an endlessly shifting, shambling creature who’s more evil, misanthropic and criminal than cromagnon. Flanked by an array of bizarre villains that blur the lines of alien and foreign, supernatural and liberal, dictatorial and reprobate, Hulk’s powers and abilities expand and shift, bend and twist. There aren’t two people in Banner’s body, there are multitudes: a million variations of the 20th century’s sociological, psychopolitical personas, all incarnated into a fury who lacks identity, and as such is constantly pining for new ones.

Exceptional on an analytical level and preposterously entertaining beyond that, The Incredible Hulk 1-6 is a run worth reading to laugh at and to ponder. To enjoy and to decode. Beneath the lower brow side of early Marvel’s sci-fi narratives, there’s a resonating level of anxiety and discomfort. Terror rather than rage. Sadness rather than anger. If the Hulk - our primordial avatar - doesn’t know who he is, then how could we?

3.5/5.

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a blast reading this--enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. This is the first time I've read the original first Hulk comics and though (of course) I knew he was gray, not green, in issue #1, I had no idea that he didn't start out transforming when Bruce Banner got angry. At first, Banner transforms into the Hulk at night and returns to his human form in the morning. Then he builds a gamma ray machine that allows him to transform whenever he wants to, though it takes a toll on poor Dr. Banner. There seems to be a hint about the whole "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" thing at the very end of #6, but I'm not sure when that became the green guy's new normal.

I was also charmed by the goofy Cold War stuff. At one point the Hulk squares off against a Soviet agent and his soldiers and after he disables their helicopter, the description reads: "But there is a limit to the frustrations which any men can endure--even Communists!"

What the…?

After that, the Hulk says, "I'm leavin' ya now… but if you're not on the way back to Vodkaland by the time I hit earth, I'll be back! And I won't be so easy on ya next time!"

Okay… Cold War much?

Loved it!

[Alberto Martín de Hijas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Se nota que son las primeras historias del personaje porque no saben muy bien que hacer con él. Cada número está dividido en episodios breves que a veces se enlazan en una sola historia y otras no. Además, se nota que el superhéroe estilo Marvel todavía está germinando porque los argumentos tienden mucho a los temas de monstruos y ciencia ficción que entonces publicaba la editorial. El personaje dará mucho más de si en épocas posteriores. El dibujo de Kirby es muy bueno claro, pero pese a lo estrambótico de los argumentos, está extrañamente contenido. Prefiero el estilo más desmadrado (¿pop? ¿abstracto?) que abrazó en los años siguientes.

[Jeffrey Greek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is NOT The Incredible Hulk that you know. They change how his powers trigger literally every other issue, and not one of those triggers is anger. First, he automatically turns into the Hulk at night, and reverts to Banner by day. Then, in issue three, he becomes stuck in Hulk form, but Rick Jones gains a psychic connection that gives him some control. Then, in issue five, Banner regains his form, but he builds a machine that allows himself and The Hulk to willingly shift between forms. Also, sometimes the Hulk retains Banner's intelligence, sometimes not. Why? Because comics.
It's a mess, and I can see why it was cancelled after six issues. After this, Hulk was relegated to appearing in The Avengers and other people's titles for a while. Which is good, because it gave the writers some time to figure out what the hell they wanted to actually do with the character.
Also, The Hulk isn't an angry brute in these. Rather, he is a straight up asshole. I mean, this guy's a real jerk.

[David Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never liked Hulk in the 70s and this reiterated it.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Marvel has tried to retroactively claim the the first Hulk series was a mini-series, that’s not actually true. The first series featuring the Hulk was canceled. Exactly why might be open to debate. Poor sales? Dropping sales? Lack of interest from fans? Lack of interest from the creators? No clear way of making the concept work on a monthly basis without it becoming ridiculously cyclic very quickly? In the end, does it even matter why, the series was canceled. Was the Hulk a failure? Clearly not. Remember that The Uncanny X-Men was canceled several times as well, before it got revamped and became the hugely successful juggernaut it is today. The Hulk just needed the right combination of elements to make it viable.

Hulk #1-5 - From the creators of the Fantastic Four, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee comes their second success (although he kind of floundered a bit until he found his audience): the Incredible Hulk. And these issues illustrate just how difficult it can be to find the right formula to make a successful series. Even if you’re the brilliantly talented, creative powerhouse of Jack Kirby. Each issue among these offer slight tweaks as Kirby & Lee try to find the combination of elements to make the series work. Supporting characters include Rick Jones, boy sidekick, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, an ongoing antagonist for our hero-monster, Betty Ross, love-struck daughter of Gen. Ross, and our star Dr. Bruce Banner, physicist and atomic scientist without peer who becomes the green-skinned monstrosity. The Hulk is first introduced as gray skinned, but that appears to have been an alleged coloring mistake, still it would provide the basis for some amazing stories in future years. There’s a string of interesting villains here as well. A Soviet agent named The Gargoyle, the Toad-Men from space, the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, a dastardly plot (or two) by Soviets to capture the Hulk, Tyrannus and his Subterranean Army, the warped communist General Fang. There is even some testing being done by the creators to see if it works better to have Rick Jones able to mentally control the Hulk, or if having Banner’s mind in control of the Hulk, or have him be a bestial personality, or a gruff, scheming individual. It seems like every issue has some slight tweaking of the character concept taking place while Kirby and Lee figure out what works best. Instead of the intelligence of a super-man, the Hulk offers a modern twist on the concept of a tragic character of Jekyll & Hyde.

Hulk #6 - With Kirby leaving for other projects, the Hulk needed a new artist. And Steve Ditko takes over. This issue the Hulk looks very different from the Kirby issues, even the pacing is different. It’s a fun issue, and Ditko does a remarkable job filling in on this last issue of the series. And the Metal Master really is a threat worthy of needing the Hulk. So this one is certainly different, but it was still great to see our characters reimagined by a new artist as talented as Ditko.

[Samdenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 6 issues of The Incredible Hulk are, for my money, a cut above almost everything else I've read from this era of comics. The art is fairly typical of the period, but done so incredibly well that it stands head and shoulders above whatever you might care to compare it to. The action is brilliantly drawn, and puts many modern artists to shame. When rhe Hulk smashed a Jeep and bowled over a group of State Troopers in the early pages (in his original grey form!), I knew I was in for a treat.

The writing, as ever, is a different matter. 1960s Stan Lee could create great characters and poignant moments like no other. Believable dialogue and gripping narratives, not so much. But that's not why we read old comics.

We read them for the action, the wicked smash and crash of the sequence where the Hulk slaps a flying Human Cannonball vertically through a circus big top before punching out an elephant, or the issue where he catches a grenade and lets it explode harmlessly in his hand.

We read them for the genius ideas, and here there be plenty. You can actually see the Hulk's abilities get tweaked and altered issue by issue. We see; a strong Hulk; a Hulk that changes only at night; a Hulk controlled by his spunky sidekick Rick Jones; the Hulk's body with Bruce Banner's mind; and even the Hulk's body with Bruce Banner's face (?!). Stan Lee and co let their imaginations run wild in the early days of Marvel superheroes, and the results are fun, clever, and hilarious (often all at once).

We read them for the moments of poignancy. Like when the Hulk stares hatefully at an image of himself in issue #1, or when the Gargoyle weeps for his lost humanity. The whole concept of "the Hulk against mankind" is a fascinating one. And nowhere else but in comics will you see themes of isolation explored briefly before a swift cut to a hideous Toadman invasion in the very next frame. Many of the stories in this collection are smothered with a topical layer of anti-Communist sentiment that is both funny and frightening. Were people really so paranoid?

We read them for the dialogue that's so ridiculour it comes right back round to fantastic again. General "Thunderbolt" Ross swearing to track the Hulk to the ends of the Earth at every opportunity is a personal favourite (spoiler alert - first 6 issues; the jolly green giant remains on the loose). And who can resist a line like "RELEASE THE JET-POWERED FACSIMILE OF THE HULK!"?

In short, the Hulk's early escapades make the first days of other superheroes look dull. If you like great art, 60s cheese, and plain old-fashioned fun, do yourself a favour and check out this book.

[Paul Stanis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first run of The Incredible Hulk, the rules are constantly changing. He’s grey for one issue, then green (a twist on the Universal Frankenstein’s monster being green but appearing in black and white movies?). For two issues, Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk with the fall of night. By #4, we already have Smart Hulk, but the sliding scale of Banner and Hulk is always shifting.

In my read-through of early Marvel so far, earnest, loyal Rick Jones is my favorite character. Look for the Toad Men using magnets to ram Earth with the Moon, and the Hulk punching an elephant.

In parallel with Fantastic Four: It’s a time when a smart character is indicated by them smoking a pipe (Reed, Bruce), the issue 1 villain is a deformed outcast human (Mole Man, Gargoyle), issue 2 is fighting off an alien invasion (Skrulls, Toad Men), and issue 3 is a hypnotism showman (Miracle Man, Ringmaster). In parallel with Spider-Man: It’s a time when teenagers have elderly aunts (Peter and May, Rick and Polly).

Certain story elements foreshadow future Marvel. In #3, the Hulk is already exiled to space. In #4, Hulk comes up against a space gladiator and in #5 becomes one himself. And in #6, the Metal Master pre-dates Magneto.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Kirby's Hulk is my favorite look for the character and all the art in this collection is a joy. There's one non-Kirby issue, but that was drawn by Steve Ditko, so it's great, too.

What's interesting about these stories is seeing Kirby and Stan Lee figuring out how they want to handle the character. He's gray in the first issue, green in the rest, and Bruce Banner's transformations are triggered by everything EXCEPT his emotions. It starts as a nighttime change and by the end of the collection it's something that Banner and the Hulk control with a machine (although an unpredictable one that seems to be having a negative effect on them). There's also a weird issue or two where the Hulk is mind-controlled by Rick Jones.

Looking forward to the next volume and seeing how long it takes to settle into a status quo for the series. It's all over the place in the beginning, but that's not a complaint.

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, at best these primitive stories told with no sense of direction deserve two stars, but there is something fun about them despite Stan Lee thrashing about in his attempt to find out what kind of stories will work best for this character and what elements can sustain in the character's continuity. It is also interesting to see the Hulk as he later evolved in his fish-with-lungs state. These stories are hugely flawed, but are fun for a couple of the right reasons and several of the wrong ones.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can't afford the Marvel Masterworks, this is one of your budget alternatives. Mind you, a regular size paperback does not come close to doing justice to the artwork in these Tales to Astonish reprints. But it worked for us when we were kids. The first volume in this series reprints the first six issues of the original Incredible Hulk title, so that's worth a look too.

[Pete R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the debut issue in various reprints over the years, I always wondered why the Hulk comic was cancelled so quickly just a mere 6 issues in, especially at a time when the modern Silver Age wave of Marvel superheroes was exploding.

Now I know.

For while Lee, Kirby, and Ditko were spinning out plenty of gold in The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor (via Journey Into Mystery), and a few others, they really didn't have a grasp on the Hulk title and what to make of it, or him. After a compelling debut issue they run the Hulk into a series of generic space aliens leftover from their Strange Tales days, such as "The Toad Men from Outer Space!" (Yes, that's how they announce their arrival, they're the Toad Men from outer space. That's like someone asking you where you're from and you responding "not your house.")

Or if it's not generic space aliens, it's generic, scheming commies, both of the Russian and Asian varieties. The only enemy of interest in these six issues and who would stick around in the Marvel universe to become any sort of player is Tyrannus, a mad Roman emperor banished underground by Merlin the Wizard or some such. Now, how he just walks out of this subterranean banishment to pretend to be an archeologist and trick poor, stupid Betty into leading him to the Hulk is, uh, well it's one of about a billion plot holes in these six issues. My favorite one is in the climax of issue 6 when the Hulk is fighting The Metal Master in Washington D.C., and General Ross about 1000 miles away just has to be there because of his obsession with the Hulk, and he does arrive basically in an instant, which Stan handwaves away as saying his plane was really fast!

Speaking of Betty, she takes a top spot in Stan's "can't write women" hall of fame, as she's basically in a sweaty, teary panic over Bruce every single time she's on the page.

I could go on and on shooting this green (but first blue, and then grey) skinned fish in a barrel, but the fact this series was cancelled in just 6 issues while the comic reading public couldn't get enough Marvel superheroes at the time tells you all you need to know. And again, the first issue was actually good. The rest is just amusing.

[Marianne]

When my handsome knight in shining armor brought home these 2 Incredible Hulk volumes (1 & 2) from the library as a surprise a few months ago, I knew they'd make a lovely addition to my (ever shrinking) list of bonus books for the year!

These are the first two volumes of The Incredible Hulk comics from the Marvel Masterworks collection. They contain the complete comics of the hero they're showcasing - in this case, Hulk. The first volume is the 6 original comics now known as The Origin of the Hulk. The second volume contains the following 21 starring role comics from Stan Lee's Tales to Astonish. So I basically read the Hulk's first 27 comics (he did make appearances in others' stories between the original 6 and the first Tales to Astonish, but again they weren't starring roles) which is my favorite number and I find this immensely satisfying!

It was super fun to read Hulk the way Stan Lee wrote him! It gave me a new appreciation for the man's imagination. I learned a lot, too. I already knew going in that Hulk was supposed to be gray but due to inking/printing issues, they changed him to green. But I didn't know that it wasn't always anger/not anger that made him change back and forth. Nor did I know that there was a time where he never changed back to Bruce regardless!

The writing was so repetitive and I tried reminding myself that at the time people had to go a month between issues, but I still think it was excessive and unnecessary after a certain point. And maybe Stan Lee could have used a thesaurus. That would have helped. Every single issue had to say the exact words, "the strongest mortal to ever walk the face of the earth" and I could have used some different descriptions. Perhaps people in the 60s had longer attention spans and didn't need things to change up as often.

But as much as I loved Hulk before, I feel so close to him now. I'm pretty sure we're best friends. I can't wait to read more volumes from his Marvel Masterworks collection!

And guys, you're going to be hard pressed to be more excited for/enjoy Hulk's scenes in Ragnarok than I am. Just saying.

[Nicholas Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed in this book, which kind of surprised me after I really enjoyed the classic Spider-Man and Fantastic Four collections. This one, though, I felt has some major problems--weak writing, boring characters, and tons of inconsistencies.

Basically Bruce Banner is a scientist who creates a gamma bomb and, when he tests his new invention, ends up getting hit by tons of gamma radiation when he saves the life of a dumb teen named Rick. After the accident, Banner turns into Hulk whenever night falls (NOT when he gets mad--that must come much later, and in fact there is a part in this first volume where Hulk gets mad and then changes into Banner!). Only Rick knows of Banner's double-life, and, as the story plays out, for a while Rick develops the power to command Hulk to do what he wants, and then later Banner develops the ability to change into Hulk and still retain some of his intelligence. They fight against a series of really forgettable foes--toad men from space, some reds from Russia wearing a robot suit as a trick, basically an alien version of Magneto but lamer.

The storytelling is just all over the place. I didn't care much about any of the characters, who might have some pathos, but are not convincing or interesting. I always felt like something was missing. Plus massive and annoying plot holes abound, such as somehow Rick by himself fixing a super-powerful prison that can hold Hulk, or how sometimes Rick can contact Hulk through his mind and sometimes not, and so on. Hulk can talk throughout the comic, and also appears to fly (even if they call it jumping--but he can swerve sideways through the air).

I kind of want to see how Hulk eventually develops that whole rage thing, but I am not sure I have the wherewithal to get that far!

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so good omg and took me quite a while to finish but its like pure fun and I know the texts and dialogue and language of the 60s can be a lot, but its the feel of those eras that is so fun like right out of the gate you have the origin, the enemies pouring in left and right and every issue someone new which is great like the first is Gargoyle which was meh, then Toadmen, Ringmaster (who made for a fun mind control villain and gave Hulk great challenges), Tyrannus and General Fang were great and actually gave Hulk his own challenges and not testing him physically but also his smarts and thats when you know its something special.

Though I would have liked a bit more to the villains than the occasional appearance but then again I am sure future writers will expand on them from here and had done it and made them more 3-dimensional but stan lee does a great job at introducing them and showing Hulk at his brute but also smarts, hinting green and grey personalities and also I like how he gave him a companion in Rick Jones who really comes into his own in this run and becomes like the reader's POV and some expositions and things he does is silly but works in the context of the story.

The recoloration helps a lot and actually makes it easier to read else it would be a nightmare to read through those faded colors. I also didn't like how Betty was talking like maybe my major flaw of this comic but then again its of its times. But yeah great read and there's a reason why this is such a valuable book establishing the origins of our favorite green goliath!

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you ever want a testament to how good Stan Lee could market Stan Lee, look no further than this collection of the first six issues of The Incredible Hulk. Because it's a hot mess, start to finish.

When you read the first six issues of the Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man, or the Avengers, while you do see Stan and Jack finding their way, and settling into a groove, but with the Hulk? Yeah, Stan had a single idea: a big angry guy. That's it.

And it's pretty obvious he had no clue what to do with him. Does he change into the Hulk at night? Sure, for a bit. Is he gray? Sure, for the first issue. Is he smart or dumb? Depends on what the story needs. Is he a rampaging monster out of control? Maybe, until he suddenly has to listen to Rick's every command for...reasons. There's no consistency here, other than Rick following him around, and Betty falling in love with a guy who's literally never there, and only shows up kind of exhausted and with the flimsiest excuses as to his absences.

And yet, if you flash forward a decade or so to Stan Lee's marketing masterwork, ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS, you get the impression that he and Jack had this thing nailed down right from the get-go, that it was just the next great thing from the House of Ideas after the FF.

It wasn't. And I totally get why it was canceled six issues in. Even Ditko's really gorgeous linework in that last issue couldn't save the weak storyline.

[Daniel Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 1 by Stan Lee is a great six comic books compilement of some of the first Incredible Hulk comics. These comics are well-known and action packed, filled with mysteries, heroes, and explosions. We start this book off with our simple yet intelligent scientist, Dr. Bruce Banner helping the American military create a very destructive bomb that would hopefully help them dominate the field. When Bruce notices a person parked near the bomb site, he runs out to save them but as the general grows impatient and starts the bomb. Bruce is effected by the horrible gamma rays and becomes the incredible Hulk. Destroying things uncontrollably, the public begins to fear him and so Bruce decides to lock himself away every time he turns into the Hulk. Although seemingly like a monster, the Hulk sometimes unleashes his rage on the villains. From a person who has undergone an unwanted transformation and wants help from the Hulk to a group of aliens coming to destroy the Earth, and even a man that can bend metal with his powers. I don't want to spoil it all, but you need to read this. I reccomend this book to superhero and comic book lovers.

[Molly Lazer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My four-year-olds became interested in the Hulk a while ago because he is big, green, and strong, so I got this Masterworks volume to read with them. Little did I know how close it was tone-wise to the current IMMORTAL HULK series I have been reading. I was shocked to see how horror-esque this comic is, and it is clear how Al Ewing's current work has been inspired by this 6-issue run. My kids liked these six issues because, as I mentioned, Hulk is big, green, and strong. I enjoyed it more than I expected to because of its Jekyll and Hyde plotline and how dark it actually is.

Fun fact: my father wrote to Marvel back in the 60s to complain after they cancelled the INCREDIBLE HULK series after these six issues. Luckily for him (and everyone else!), they eventually brought the Hulk back.

One other thing: the quality of these six issues notwithstanding, Marvel could have stood to have lowered the price a bit, since this is four issues shorter than every single other MASTERWORKS I own.

[Trey Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collects only issues 1-6, since got moved to Tales to Astonish afterwards.
The Hulk is the 2nd silver age hero that Marvel out out after the Fantastic Four, and you can really tell. The typical early Marvel Stan Lee way of having the Narration box, the talk bubble dialogue, AND the art all telling you the same thing is at an all time high here. Interesting that they didn't have the way The Hulk would "work" fully perfected yet. At first, Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk only at night. Later on, he has to blast himself with a gamma ray to change between forms. Rick Jones also is more of the main character here, since he is always the hero and usually playing catch up when the jade guant decides to wreck some army vehicles or destroy artillery.

Not the best read from Marvel, but glad that I did. A little too clunky for it to truly be "Incredible". Hopefully there's more to be seen later on

[Ross Kitson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first run of the Hulk collects the short lived Hulk 1 to 6 before he became a feature in Tales to Astonish, initially with Giant Man. They are typical of the time, with an origin issue, which is good and features the communist Gargoyle., then a range of alien issues (Toad Men and Metal Master) and some super villains like Tyrannus ( a rival of the Mole Man) I think). There,s plenty of General Ross and the army blasting the Hulk, Betty Ross being simpering, and Rick Jones with the formation of the Teen Brigade. You can accept so much for nostalgia and the early 60 s style of comic but there’s a way to go before he became our Hulk we love: here we have full articulate dialogue, changing initially with the dusk and dawn, then latterly with a gamma beam. It’s all confused and I’m not surprised they went for the safer option of a shared comic, like Thor, Dr Strange, and even Captain America and Nick Fury at the time.

[Bill Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Hulk stories had some ironing out to do, going back and forth with Banner's brain
and Hulk's body, Hulk growing more sullen, gamma rays making Banner weaker, etc.
But some of the concepts that would fuel greater stories are here. Stan and Jack were
feeling their way on this one, as with most new series.

While I prefer the "Hulk Smash" stories when he was more like a child and less like a rage
against the machine type, early stories give some clues how a genius like Stan Lee could
develop the humor that accompanies later Hulk works. Probably working from a Frankenstein kind of outlook early on, then developed Hulk into his own persona.

Always glad to read Stan's stories. It's never quite been the same without him. There are other good writers, don't misunderstand me, but there's a way Stan told stories that were like a good mentor, giving you just enough to let your own brain take it to the next place.

[Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIGNIFICANCE: The Incredible Hulk is created.

In the few months before the release of the first Incredible Hulk, all of Marvel’s comics had text on every few pages, saying lines like “WHAT IS THE HULK?” and “THE HULK IS COMING!”

It was a slight surprise when the Incredible Hulk was finally released, since so much hype was put into it. I’m sure many people thought this would be another Thing-type character, but Stan Lee managed to deliver something new, with a fresh backstory. In the first issue, we learn of Bruce Banner, his accident with Gamma rays, and his zero-control of transforming into the Hulk. (In the first issue, he was also grey, but by the second issue, he was green, and that became the Hulk’s main trademark. Ironically, about 300 issues in, a Grey Hulk is introduced, but it’s not the same Hulk as Bruce Banner.) By the sixth issue, Bruce is able to control his transformations.