The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 1: Return of the Monster

The Incredible Hulk (1999) (Collected Editions) #4

by Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr. (Illustrator)

Believed to be responsible for the murder of a child, Dr. Bruce Banner and his destructive alter ego, the Hulk, flee both the police and the attentions of a sinister organization with an unknown agenda.

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

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2002

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading comics since I was four and the Hulk has always been at the top of my list of favorite characters. There were a few Hulk issues that I would read over and over again. The first one that comes to mind was I believe titled: Here Dwelleth the Monster. Yeah, written by Stan Lee. The Hulk vs. Namor. In this one, Namor has just returned from the surface after a month of stalking Sue Richards, to find Atlantis in shambles. * He’s outraged. Hulk is going through his “me-want-to-be-left-alone” period and is out for a swim in the ocean. Subby wrongly blames Hulk for the destruction. The battle is on. I do remember this issue had very little dialogue (bonus points for that) – Hulk was under water, holding his breath and Namor is never one for small talk. After an epic, tsunami-like collision between the two, the Hulk is knocked half way around the world. After Namor recovers, he pursues the Hulk but only finds Banner. Namor is nonplussed. This was back when the Hulk still had a secret identity.

Another dog-eared issue had Hulk on the cover sandwiched between an on-rushing Abomination and Rhino. Way to ramp up the tension. Gosh, what’s the Hulk going to do? Well, here’s what the Hulk did. He grabbed Rhino by the horn and bitched slapped The Abomination with him. Game over.

Back in the Neolithic Era of comics that was pretty much what you could expect from the Hulk. Hulk, his speech, unimpeded by helping verbs, usually tried to avoid conflict but conflict always found him. He usually had the thought process of toddler and the quick temper of a strung out junkie stripper on crack. Then Peter David took over the writing chores.

David skillfully and humorously explored all of the finite possibilities that are inherent in the Hulk. He brought back the cunning Grey Hulk, he split Banner from Hulk, Hulk went on a rampage, nobody could stop him (check out Hulk Vs. Iron Fist), Dr. Strange banishes Hulk to another dimension, those Canadian idiots, Alpha Flight reel him back with a cosmic fishing line, Hulk fights Wolverine a thousand times, Hulk and Banner psyches get merged and Hulk retains Banners intellect. Finally after ten years, David just got burned out with the writing chores.

Skip some mediocre storylines (sorry, John Byrne) until we come to Jones run. Jones took a page from the Bixby TV show and squeezes Hulk into “smaller” storylines. Bruce Banner on the run, chased from small town to small town by a secret government entity. Posing as a Mr. Green, he is in contact with a Mr. Blue via email.** A literate (he’s a college professor) Abomination is a major player.

This run also has some of the cleverest, funniest cover art I’ve ever seen. It includes cereal box art, back–handed Norman Rockwell tributes, movie posters and the covers drip with meta-humor, skewering the then cultural zeitgeist.

I also used a Hulk action figure for my son as a learning tool. When he was younger, he was in and out of the hospital quite frequently. Hulk would be used as a surrogate for what to expect with anesthesia, needles, recovery from surgeries and anything my wife and I could anticipate. If the Hulk could calmly endure this, then my son could as well. And my son hung there like a super hero. Thanks, big guy!

*Kids, this is the consequence for letting little Sub-Mariner think for big Sub-Mariner.

**They used this in The Incredible Hulk movie. It isn’t Stearns in the comics.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This felt a bit like that old tv show with Lou Ferrigno & Bill Bixby.
I'm still debating whether or not that's a good thing...



Banner wanders from town to town trying to keep one step ahead of the government agents (and other organizations) on his tail. All the while, he's trying to keep Hulk leashed. Ish.



He's being accused of killing a child on his last rampage, and the dreams that Banner keeps having lend credence to this claim.
Sad Hulk = Sulk
But was Hulk really responsible for the death of a child?
Or does it even matter? If the press said he did it, then it has to be true.
Luckily, there's someone out there looking out for our big green friend. Banner may be alone, but he's got a little help in the form of Mr. Blue.



Unfortunately, he's also got some badass assassins chasing him. And it appears that they have the ability to come back from the dead...
However, an unlikely ally pops up to (maybe?) save his bacon.



This one was kinda sloooooooow.
One of the issues didn't even have words. One was about Banner helping a kid out of a gang (at least I think that's what he did...maybe he just ate him.). One was about Samson helping a kid stand up to bullies. And then the rest were all along the lines of the assassins chasing Banner thing.
Still, it wasn't bad at all, so I'm going to load up the next volume, and see where Jones takes this story.

PS - The art was kinda ugly in spots, but not bad enough to ruin my enjoyment.

[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollywood buddy read with my Shallow Comic Reading pals!



Got this bad boy on sale and man was this a good call. Haven’t read much of the Hulk historically and I’m starting to think I’ve been missing out.



Bruce Jones really surprised me by focusing more on the Banner half the big green guy. Might have skipped this one had I known in advance. Sorry, I like to see Hulk SMASH. In this collection, a lot of said “smashing” happens off camera and Jones frequently picks up immediately following most of the destruction. Turns out in the end that I’m glad I didn’t give this book a pass. Liked the way that Jones strung together what could’ve been a bunch of stand-alone stories into one longer cohesive tale. I wasn’t quite clear on what was up with a couple of the agents and their “powers” that were hunting Banner, but ultimately, it didn’t really matter. I’m guessing it gets addressed in later issues down the road.



Brian Azzarello’s story was completely separate from Jones’ stuff and was more of what I would presume to see in a Hulk story. Wall to wall smashing. General Ross, Doc Samson, and the U.S. Army all make appearances while on the hunt for the green guy. As one would typically expect from Azzarello, it’s dark. Guilt is eating away at Banner and he is really at an all-time low in this one. It was also interesting to get an idea as to what Samson’s all about. Never really knew much about the guy outside of his green hair. Wonder if the carpet matches the drapes?



I’m cool with John Romita Jr’s artwork. Typically, the inker makes all the difference for me with his stuff. He’s a middle of the road guy as far as my tastes. Lee Weeks is about the same. Just ok. Being a fan of the old school Heavy Metal magazine, I really liked Richard Corben’s unique take on the monster in Azz’s story. No mistaking his stuff. Sorta weird really, but whatever, works for me. Although, I can definitely see why others might not appreciate Corben’s offbeat style. Kaare Andrews provides a couple of covers that were off the hook. Loved the riff on the Norman Rockwell classic.



Hulk fan or not, this one’s a good choice for the average comic fan. If you’re only looking to see the Hulk break some shit, you may not enjoy this one as much as I did.

Get this review and more at:

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

"Officer, you need to get out of here . . . NOW!" -- Dr. Bruce Banner, prior to an intentional 'hulk-out' in a valiant attempt to save an injured car crash victim trapped in rising flood waters

Reminiscent of the 1978-1982 CBS-TV series (which was paired with The Dukes of Hazzard on Friday nights - the early 80's were a great time to be a kid!), The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 1: Return of the Monster has the beleaguered Dr. Bruce Banner wandering incognito across the backroads of the U.S. because his monstrous alter ego is accused of a murder. Complicating his quest to stay out of the limelight would be two deadly operatives - the arrogant Slater and the slinkily sensual Sandra Verdugo - hired by some shadowy part of the government to pursue him. Amazingly, the titular big green guy stays out of the action / off-page until the final chapter, and yet this still remained a pretty involving story. One aspect I did not enjoy were the depicted cold-blooded murders of some innocent bystanders during the middle section, because it pushed this suspenseful sci-fi romp into some dark territory.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read a main hulk series. This is my first. I'm digging this one! Anyone have more suggestions?

Bruce Jones decides to do what I would love to do with the hulk. Make him a monster. Well, you're sitting there saying "He's always a monster!" Well yes, but here, he's fucking scary. That's something missing in a lot of moments with the hulk. He isn't that "scary" but this series decides to rely on only showing the big green creature when he must, as a scare factor, or as the monster he is.

Bruce is on the run after a child is killed during one of his actions. We don't know if it's true, but it's a great build to it. You can see the Incredible Hulk movie with Ed Nortan took a lot from this. Running from the military, trying to survive, keeping himself away from people, this Bruce isn't whiny or scared, he just wants to keep people safe.

Good: The story is pretty damn fun. Watching Bruce deal with the monster inside him but also the people around him is great. I love the moody atmosphere, and dark moments, but not so dreadful it feels boring. Also everyone betrays everyone, people come back from the dead, and the green hulking monster fucks shit up.

Bad: Some of the art makes it mixed for emotion. I couldn't tell when characters were sad or mad sometimes. Also the ending begins to get a little to "Spy-like" and everyone betrays everyone.

Overall this is really solid fun. Good enough to make me want to continue this run and see if it keeps up. I like Bruce Jones style! A 3.5 out of 5. (I'll bump it to a 4 for it was a surprise.)

[William Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was an article I read a while back, in 'Time' magazine, I believe, about inverse proportions of anger and intelligence. A study had proven that as the levels of anger and annoyance increased in a person, their intellect suffered for a certain time during and after. Problem solving skills were practically non-existent as the rage increased. Logic, the same. I'm sure we all know this from experience, though. Seeing red, we don't really think logically, rationally. So there actually is neuro-science behind the idea of Hulk, even though it may have been by accident that that originally came about.

Hulk is a hard character to write. How do you write a great story for a character whose strength grows as his rage does? The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets. So he's the strongest one there is. So what? How do you write a good story around that, not just a cathartic one? By using the man vs himself storyline and injecting more Bruce Banner into the story and limiting the on-screen appearances of Hulk.

My least favorite Hulk arcs were the ones where he had the brains and the brawn and was permanently stuck in the Hulk state. We didn't see Banner, we didn't see the struggle with inner demons, both literally and figuratively, nor did we get a sense of vulnerability that is absolutely necessary iif we are to identify with the character. I say they are my least favorite, but I don't hate them. They're just not as good. Because they don't have the levels, the same complex emotional states, the inner struggle, that defines both Hulk and Bruce Banner. Some people will probably disagree. Hulk was made to smash and they want to see him smash puny humans. Fine. To me, it just gets really old, really quick.

So that's where Bruce Jones wins as a writer. This entire arc, "Return of the Monster", is about internal struggle. The reader can quickly and readily identify with Banner once again, wrestling with his inner self. Hlding his other self at bay while dealing with other real world problems. Man's struggle against the world and against himself. It may seem to move slowly because he isn't beating the Abmination's brains out on every page, but to me, it's a more honest story than most other Hulk stories. It's heavier. Don't let the subtlety fool you into thinking it's a bore. It's working on you from the start on a variety of levels.

And it's not liek there isn't a whole bunch of conflict here, what with super-assassins chasing Bruce and Doc Samson on his tail. There's plenty of everything you want in a Hulk story. It's damn good.

Art by John Romita is just fine as always.

Writing: B
Art: B

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in 2001, Bruce Jones's 43-issue run started with Incredible Hulk #34, in a collaboration with legendary Marvel artist John Romita Jr..

Bruce Jones skipped the one or two issues (or six - Bendis!) that other writers might've used to set up the over-arching plot of their run on a title, and gets right down to business:

Bruce Banner is on the run, after wrecking a building (as the Hulk) and [alledgedly] killing a maybe-10-year-old kid in the process. A shadowy organisation is after him, as well as professional assassins (each with their own motivations). Doc Samson is also tapped by the organisation to help capture Banner, but his allegiance may surprise you. The mysterious Mr.Blue is corresponding with Banner via encrypted messaging, helping him avoid certain "trouble" areas and evade his pursuers.

The story's suspenseful and grounded, and sets the tone for pretty much the whole of Bruce Jones' run. I noticed that the false names Banner gives to people were either "Mr. Jones" or "Bruce Smith". The writer didn't wrack his brains for these aliases!

Romita Jr's art doesn't always do it for me, but here it's fine, I can't complain.

On to The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 2: Boiling Point!

['kris Pung · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5

Surprisingly light on action especially for a Hulk book but a great start by a new creative team (currently scouring the local Libraries for the 2nd volume).

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a mixed bag, both in the writing and the art department.

I really loved some of the elements like Bruce trying to suppress the Hulk by meditating, and using codes to keep in contact with "Mr. Blue". John Romita Jr. 's artwork is needlessly detailed and overly disproportionate at times, but he does express emotions in the characters' faces quite well.

Bruce Jones does a great job in building the anticipation of what's to come, but fails to execute the climax.

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.

I'm a child of the 80s, so I have always been partial to the Bill Bixby "homeless Bruce wandering from place to place" type stories like this.

[Jedhua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Info: This collection contains Incredible Hulk issues #34-39.


ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}

STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>



When I finished issue #34 (i.e. the first issue), I wasn't quite sure how to feel. On the one hand, I felt hopeful since it seemed like the tone of this book was pretty much exactly what I would have wished for in a Hulk story; perhaps even before I got halfway into that issue, I could tell that the writer opted for the more dark and gritty approach for the Hulk – somewhat akin to what was used in the 2008 movie. But at the same time, I was not very impressed with the writing, which was a bit more concise than I would have liked. Although a part of me could appreciate the blunt, no-nonsense vibe he may have been going for with that, I just knew it would take a little more effort in other areas to pick up the slack.

But starting from that very first issue, and continuing for a short while after, I was pleased to find that Jones further explored the depths of guilt and paranoia that haunted Banner as a wanted fugitive. If I'm being completely honest here, there were times where Jones' attempts at pathos were somewhat transparent and repetitive, but maybe a large part of that feeling came from the acknowledgment of how much more he could have capitalized on this, given the set-up he had available.



In some ways, this reminds me of Daniel Way's Wolverine: Origins . Although neither writer strikes me as particularly talented, I'm glad that Way never tried to take his story further than the confines that his simplistic writing allowed for. Jones, on the other hand, seems not to recognize his boundaries, especially during the final issue, where he clumsily tries to explain everything all at once. I just wish he could have found a way to fill in the gaps during the previous issues. Besides, they could have used the extra substance.

I'm gonna guess that for many folks, neither Jones' writing ability nor his plotlines for this volume we be enough to "wow" readers. The appeal of this book comes more from it's fast pace and supposed action-thriller vibe. But the thing is, it's not really all that exciting at all. But in terms of action, Romita Jr.'s art did the trick. However, I'm not quite sure it was good enough to justify the fact that issue #35 was entirely wordless. I don't quite see this as the best idea so early on in Jones' run; he had barely established much by way of plotting in the previous issue, so resorting to something like that seems premature and a little cocky.



On the surface, it would seem that Jones' decision to focus his story more on Bruce Banner rather than the Hulk is commendable; most Hulk comics I've read tend to give Banner no more than half (if any) of the time on center stage, and this might unfairly downplay the more human avenue Banner could lend to the story. Still, the way Jones does it here, it becomes increasingly more difficult to forget that no matter what kind of sticky situation Banner finds himself in, the Hulk will emerge and save his ass. As hardened and capable antagonists Slater and Verdugo were, I was never truly convinced they were up to the challenge of taking on the Hulk. For this reason, and judging from what little I've read so far, I could see things getting stale in the very near future, under Jones' direction.

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing, I want to mention that this review is not just for “Return of the Monster”; it’s for the entire Bruce Jones run on THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Even though each volume of Jones’ run stands separately to one degree or another, it IS all one long and continuing story and so I think it makes more sense to look at the entire run.

So: “Return of the Monster” begins with a great and classic Hulk premise, the kind that dates back to the old Bill Bixby TV show—Bruce Banner is on the lam, drifting from one town to another and keeping as low a profile as possible. There are myriad forces after him, from the police and the military to a shadowy group of well-organized villains with their own agenda. The Hulk has been framed for the unintentional murder of a young boy while on one of his rampages (although it’s kind of amazing, the implication that the Hulk has NEVER accidentally killed someone before, but okay). Bruce is practicing yoga and other anger management techniques to keep from Hulking out, and the only ally he has is a mysterious person called Mr. Blue, who alerts Bruce to impending danger via computer.

A pretty solid place to start. The mysterious bad guys dogging him send two agents, one of whom—Sandra Verdugo—has her own secret agenda. She’s also something slightly more than human. Meanwhile, the Hulk’s old sometime-friend-sometime-enemy Samson is scrambling to help Bruce and/or capture him for the so-called good guys.

The set-up here is nicely done, and the pacing is terrific. Jones is in good form. The art, by John Romita, Jr, is, unfortunately, a little weak. Some reviewers have stated their annoyance that the Hulk himself hardly appears in this volume, but I think that works to the story’s benefit at this early stage.

Volume Two is “Boiling Point”. The art this time is by Lee Weeks, and is marginally better, and the story is one of the high points in Jones’ run. Bruce finds himself in the midst of a hostage situation in a Denver convenience store, trying to keep a distraught man from killing all the patrons in the place while not giving in to his impulse to Hulk out and possibly cause more damage. Along comes a disgraced hostage negotiator on her last day of duty, and FBI Special Agent Pratt—who is FAR more than what he seems. The confrontation between the Hulk and Pratt at the end is gold. This is definitely one of my favorite chapters in this saga.

“Transfer of Power” is illustrated beautifully by Stuart Immonen, and delves much deeper into the nature of the conspiracy against the Hulk. Things start to get a bit complicated here, but never so much that you’ll lose the thread. Samson continues to be a key player as the bad guys start closing in on Bruce, the seemingly unstoppable Agent Pratt returns for another round, and we learn exactly what Sandra Verdugo’s deal is. Also, Bruce starts developing some small degree of Hulk-y power even in his non-Hulk form, which proves useful.

“Abominable”, drawn by Mike Deodato Jr, finds the villains employing the nasty brute strength of old Hulk baddie The Abomination. Bruce hide out with a mysterious woman named Nadia, who has surprising ties to the conspiracy against him. We also learn who Bruce’s benefactor, Mr. Blue, really is—a nicely surprising development. The final battle between the Hulk and the Abomination could maybe have been bigger (for a long time during Jones’ run, he carefully avoided most of the “Hulk Smash” stuff, but honestly, I’ve always thought that was one of the character’s most appealing features).

“Hide in Plain Sight” is the only volume that is completely stand-alone—for the few issues this story took, there’s no mention of the conspiracy against Bruce or any of the other key characters. But it’s very good, for all that, and the art by Leandro Fernandez is probably my favorite in the entire run. Old Hulk villain Carl “Crusher” Creel, also known as the Absorbing Man, is incarcerated in a secret government base, but he’s learned to control other people’s minds remotely and is causing havoc and murder in NYC, all around Bruce. There’s a beautifully done extended stand-off when Creel possesses the body of a little girl and forces Bruce and his new ally to escort him to the gov base, where he can engineer his escape. Like previous volumes, this one wraps up with a slugfest as Hulk and Creel go at it—but this is one of the more satisfying battles in Jones’ run.

Artist Mike Deodato Jr returns for “Split Decisions”, in which a lot of our central characters come together for the first time: Bruce, Samson, Sandra Verdugo, Nadia, and the face from Bruce’s past known as Mr. Blue—Bruce himself learns Blue’s true identity, finally, and it’s a bit of a bombshell for long-time Hulk readers. The story is built around a horror movie-like attack on our entrenched heroes by thousands of creepy little critters called “Krill”, sent by the bad guys to get a sample of the Hulk’s blood, and the action is much more fast and furious than in previous volumes.

“Dead Like Me” features pretty solid art from Dougie Braithwaite, and finds all the elements of the conspiracy coming together at long last. Hulk battles an ugly-as-hell genetic variation of himself and the other central characters try to determine if Bruce is really Bruce. The decisions each of them make about that very important question will ultimately affect Bruce’s ability to trust the ones he cares about.

This is my advice to you, and I really hope you listen: stop here.

Seven volumes of very good story-telling, most of the important issues resolved by the end, and a pretty satisfying ending. I implore you. Because, well… it all goes horribly off the rails in the last volume, “Big Things”. Most reviewers seem to agree that it’s one of the most depressingly disappointing endings to any run ever, and though I’m loathe to get on the bandwagon, I have to agree. It’s as if Bruce Jones stepped out and some other, lesser writer took over. And honestly, unless you NEED to know what villain has been behind the conspiracy against Bruce this whole time, there’s absolutely ZERO reason to read it. I submit that it’s not important who is in charge of the bad guys. It’s enough to know that they’re bad guys and they want the Hulk, don’t you think?

Anyway, here’s the deal with “Big Things”—first we have a four-part story featuring Iron Man that has nothing at all to do with the ongoing saga. It’s a poorly illustrated and very boring diversion that adds nothing. Then there’s the two-part wrap-up to the Jones run, in which Bruce wakes up in a post-apocalyptic future for some reason, learns the identity of the baddie behind the conspiracy, and fights him. The other main characters show up to lend assistance. The end.

But as bad as “Big Things” is, it doesn’t ruin the whole run, as some reviewers have suggested. In fact, if I hadn’t read it, I’d have given Jones’ Hulk a solid 4 ½ out of 5 stars, and if we remove that last volume I’d STILL give the whole thing that rating. “Big Things” itself is probably a 1 star, and if I insisted on including it, it would bring the whole thing down at LEAST a star.

But you know what? I’m not including it. There’s no reason to. I prefer to remember the Bruce Jones run at its best, one of the most solid and memorable run of Hulk comics anyone has ever done.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is even better upon rereading; Thanksgiving 2023, now, again. (The late, great) Tom Palmer shared some of the original art on his Tumblr, his ink art and embellishment over JR JR's fine pencil art. It made me wonder if I actually caught the beginning to this, which I had forgotten, as it was a reboot and change in tone. Not too much superhero stuff, as the emphasis on suspense and the "Banner on the run" angle and a supporting cast including flirty assassins. Flirty adult thrillers are in the wheelhouse for fine scripter Bruce Jones. [I miss his art, most enjoyed in 1970s sf stories.] I always love Romita Jr.'s art, and Palmer's ink art, and the team here sets up a fine run. Seriously, I must reread the rest of this work now!
Oh, some may wonder about the wordless issue/chapter, which I thought worked fine here. That month, as Marvel was reinventing itself, pulling itself out of 1990s bankruptcy, trying things with new editorial and management team, an executive named Bill Jemas, together with Joe Quesada, mandated a month of stories told in silence, with no dialogue, labelled on covers [in the words of Stan Lee] "Nuff Said." The stunt, though unusual, leads to interesting storytelling and a good use of comics strengths, in addition to giving the letterer a break.
Recommended, highly, as a great jumping on point, with no history or continuity needed.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan - again.

[Sonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how good this was and by how much I liked it! Superb writing and art all throughout!

[Jesse A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really care for the art on this one. The story was fine just ugly.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

На місце Пола Дженкінса, який видав досить горорний і містичний ран на «Неймовірному Галку» з #34 номеру заступив на ран Брюс Джонс.

У арці «Неймвірний Галк: Повернення монстра» #34-39 Брюс Джонс відходить від звичної поведінки Галка, коли він трощить усе підряд. А коли це відбувається, то воно часто десь за кадрами і ми вже поглядаємо на руйнування, які вчинив зелений монстр.

І це не просто так, адже Джонс вирішив акцентувати увагу на почутті провини, яке з’їдає Баннера із середини. І в цьому він дійсно на найнижчому рівні, бо думка, що він знову перетвориться на монстра і завдасть шкоди комусь, неймовірно гнітить його.

Відразу відчувається, що це кардинально інша історія, не схожа на ран Дженкінса. Тому якщо ви хочете лише побачити, як Галк вибиває лайно з навколишніх, можливо, вам це не дуже сподобається. Мені виглядає досить непогано. Було б краще, але тут малює мій улюблений художник — Джон Роміта мл. If you know what I mean.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

After plowing through a long string of stinkers from Marvel and DC, I finally found a decent one. And to my surprise it's from Marvel, which I generally consider to be the inferior of the two.

How did they do it? Mainly by giving up the tired old cliches, of course. The writing style is very sparse; there are whole pages with no dialog at all. What dialog there is, is actually handled surprisingly well. It's not aimed at the usual 9-year-old level, but more at the late teens.

Rather than the usual over-explaining (so many comic books seem to be written with the assumption that the readers are morons), there's a nice sense of mystery; you actually have to think a little while reading, which is a remarkably refreshing change from the usual Marvel fare.

The art is different from the usual style, too. There's a touch of manga to it, I think; it works, though.

As for the plot, it's based on Banner-as-fugitive with a fairly interesting admixture of mysterious super-agents and an X-Files-like quality.

The Hulk himself is extremely well-handled; he's seen only fleetingly, no dialog, with a sense of sheer size that's truly impressive. Kudos to the artist; the Hulk reminded me of Godzilla more than anything else, simply in terms of size, power, and danger.

Unfortunately the book leaves off without any sort of resolution. It also gets into an area that could potentially be a problem in the long run; the organization behind the agents chasing the Hulk can apparently bring back the dead with ease, which could deprive the series of a lot of threat potential down the road. If death becomes virtually meaningless, a major motivator has been lost!

This book left me wondering that the hell had happened. How did Marvel end up greenlighting this? Was it their main Hulk book? That seems inconceivable. Perhaps it was a mini-series? That seems more plausible. If this was a regular series (and I had the cash to spare), I'd definitely consider subscribing. Not that I was ever a huge fan of the Hulk, but I DO like decent writing and art.

I'd call this a strong 3.5, and if I liked the character more or if it hadn't ended on a cliffhanger, it could easily have been a 4.

[DayDay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still one of my favorite openings to any Hulk story. It’s so dark and suspenseful. I remember reading this as a kid and was in fear for Bruce Banner trying to keep the beast inside. I love Bruce Jones dark tone of writing here. Still hold up.

[Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grade: 61% (D)

Incredible Hulk: Return of the Monster is a quick, readable comic that moves efficiently thanks to lean dialogue and extended silent sequences that let the art carry the story. The premise, Banner suspected in the death of a young boy, sounds compelling on paper, but the execution defaults to a generic fugitive on the run formula that rarely justifies the setup. Sandra Verdugo shows some potential as a character with her regenerative abilities, but a quick look beyond this run confirms she remained an obscurity for two decades, making her feel more like a plot device than a meaningful addition to the Hulk’s world.

The biggest disappointment is simply the lack of Hulk. For a comic with “Return of the Monster” in the title, it’s mostly Bruce hitchhiking between cities and exchanging emails with a mystery contact while generic enhanced assassins give chase. The premise promised something far more interesting than what was delivered, and finishing it leaves you feeling shortchanged rather than satisfied. Fans of the classic Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno series might find some nostalgic familiarity in the tone, but anyone coming in specifically for the Hulk should look elsewhere.

Recommend? No​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[Derek Moreland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember when Bruce Jones first came on the Hulk. The first issue was incredible, a taut thriller that harkened back to the days of the 70s television show. I remembered the rest of the issues I read at the time not living up to the potential of that first issue, but not really having a sense of why.

Revisiting it now, something like 20 years later, I’m shocked at how quick
Y the whole thing goes off the rails. Whoever wants Banner has so many different agents working at so many different cross purposes that it’s impossible to keep track, one character undergoes a complete personality change from one issue to the next for no discernible reason, and the “gimmick” of the mysterious organization (redacted here to keep this review as spoiler free as I can) is so comically overused that it becomes exhausting.

This is a waste of JRJr’s talent, and a waste of a genuinely solid premise. And yet, because I hate myself apparently, I plan to keep reading.

[Shawn Ingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I read most of Bruce Jones' Hulk run as it was coming out in single issues. I loved it then, and it still holds up all of these years later. The Hulk appears very little across this first volume. Instead, it reads mostly like an espionage thriller with Banner on the run from multiple parties while being aided by a secret operative while also dealing with his usual inner demons.

As far as the artwork, this is my favorite stuff John Romita Jr. I'm mostly indifferent towards JRJR's work despite him being a part of some of my favorite runs (Claremont X-Men, Nocenti Daredevil, JMS Spider-Man). But on this Hulk run, he really captures a deeper mood than I'm accustomed to.

Great stuff. Highly recommended.

[Eligos Vespillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Jones takes the reins of Paul Jenkin's fantastic run and goes in an entirely different direction. Set in a very post-9/11 Marvel Universe, the government is no longer the gung-ho jarheads of elder Hulk stories, but clandestine shadow orgs run by televison screens of faceless mouths commanding ruthless secret agents against an at-large Bruce Banner, who is back to wandering with nothing but a laptop and the occasional dumpster meal. Very big shades of Bill Bixby here, modernized by true crime serials like CSI which were exploding in popularity at the time. Hulk himself is rarely present, but when he does appear it is with such horrible power that it makes sense that he be used sparingly.

[Ryan Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic, mature Hulk story that portrays the Jade Giant at his best; an unstoppable force of nature. There's a grounded tone to this story that reminds me of the 1970's TV show and I loved the allusions to the 1931 Frankenstein film. My only gripe would be the lack of a classic villain but aside from that this is the definitive version of the Hulk and Bruce Banner for me. I have little doubt that the MCU version of the Green Goliath was influenced by this interpretation.

[Beelzefuzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This run is what got me back into comics. I found it on a clearance rack somewhere. It's different than I remember. A little less X-Filesy, and more The Fugitive with video game villains following him. Still fun and nice JR JR art. Pretty bonkers with just person after person getting shot between the eyes then getting up to shoot another person. Over the top fun if you like that kind of thing. Very withholding regarding Hulk-out moments. Maybe it is trying to make them more impactful.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moody and atmospheric, with some nice art by JRJR (I'm an admitted fan of his). The hook from the get go of this run is really strong but knowing that little pays off it's tough to rate this much higher. A solid start to a forgotten Hulk run and good for those seeking a more horror focused and melancholic Hulk story.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great example of what a great hulk run looks like. The hulk is not overused, when he shows up it’s a moment. I grew up on Romita Jr (kick ass was my jam in high school) so his art always works for me.

This is a (simple) hulk story that uses the character well.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the art here. maybe the last time I liked JRJR. The stoeybis interesting. Bruce on the run for the death of a child. a secret organisation is also after him. he is talking to Mr blue.
a lot of fun. a good start.

very little Hulk is used. makes it a bigger deal when he shows up.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Bruce Jones' run doesn't end as well as it begins, it does begin pretty darn well. These are good issues, well paced, with mystery and a sense of atmosphere.

[Lavell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artwork: Excellent Story: Very good. This new telling of a hulk story is good. Assassins and agents of a few fractions to throw into the mix make the story move.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sparse text, the sumptuous art. Lead to one of the highlights of Hulk. There was a even a reference to the classic Karloff Frankenstein. Excellent read!