Hulk/Thing: Hard Knocks

Hulk/Thing: Hard Knocks #1-4

by Bruce Jones, Jae Lee (Artist)

Think you know everything about the unique relationship between Marvel's two most powerful sluggers? Guess again. Bruce Jones and superstar artist Jae Lee bring you the ultimate Hulk/Thing battle Collects a reprint of Marvel's Giant-Size Superstars #1.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2005

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Bruce Jones segues his long Hulk run into Peter David's run with a Vs story that retells the first meeting between Thing and Hulk in an early Fantastic Four issue. The whole arc is a big fight, well two fights, one in the present and one the two monsters are recalling. Bruce Jones' run on the Hulk was everything super hero comics for grown ups should be, and everything they were becoming until publishers started pushing all these events. Unfortunately this is a shallow and weak effort by comparison. There's hardly a story, the dialogue is stupid, and I hat Jae Li's art. The characters just don't look like themselves. This collection also contains a reprint of a silver age meeting of these two. It's not by Lee & Kirby, but it's okay I guess.

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

In far out diner two monstrous men have a chat and a brawl

Ben Grimm, the ever loving blue eyes Thing, has been known to throw down with the angry green giant known as the Hulk in the past so when he shows up to chat in a dive away from most of civilization it is only a matter of time before verbal and physical jabs start flying from these hard headed frenemies.

While I was far less thrill with the art style of this story what it lacks in visual appeal it more than makes up with the amusing back and forth bickering between a smarter Hulk and the Thing as the truth behind Thing's little visit become increasingly clearer as the story continues. Add into that a slightly smarter Hulk being able to keep up with and returning the sarcasm between these giants and you have an interesting book in the life of these two.

After the story don't forget to stick around as we also get a reprint of the Giant Size Super-Stars #1 when Bruce Banner seeks out Mr. Fantastic to help him with his monster problem but soon discovers Ben by himself and a golden opportunity amongst the fantastic inventor.

[Marcela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was genuinely surprised that I did not hate this. I'm not entirely sure it needed to be four issues long, but it wasn't bad.

[Terry Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collected four issue mini-series that contained a single issue’s worth of plot. Interesting, but unmercifully padded with a head-scratcher of a conclusion.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't like Jae Lee but it was a good story. Different than the usual fights and I liked the fact that they didn't get into it till the end.

[Adam Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Artwork was terrible.

Story was mediocre, only the dialogue kept me entertained.

[Pedro Espada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divertido, y con un dibujo muy personal. Relata bien el pique que se tienen estos dos.

[Philip Cosand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must have bought this trade when Bruce Jones was doing a nice Fugitive-esque take on Hulk. (A take many longtime fans found frustrating.) It was a simpler time in a pre-World War Hulk-world.

Essentially, this is a 4-issue slugfest. Except, instead of having a simple (yet boring slugfest), they destroy a bar for absolutely no reason (the civilians thank you for that), and talk about fights that happened decades ago.

Then they really do fight. But for no real reason. They go back to sitting in a bar.

When people talk about stupid fights, super-hero fights that happen for no reason, or padded content? They're talking about stuff like this. And while many like Jae Lee's art, it all seems for too murky for me. The Thing may have a monster-side to his character, but he's not a gargoyle for corn sakes.

[Beelzefuzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the surface, I have to admire this. Jones attempts to make Waiting For Godot with the Thing and Hulk as the waiting characters. There is a core objective landed on near the end to align with an existentialist argument, and it even devolves into the absurd to counter balance this.

However, it is a little boring, very one note, and the art is terrible. The Thing often looks to be made of leather or is just a wrinkly old naked man with sagging skin. The Hulk switches between some kind of Swamp Thing meets a zombie look and Frankenstein. There is one panel of Hulk's profile that looks like a tracing of Sylvester Stallone colored green.

Overall this is a laudable effort with a failed execution.

[Alana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skipped first story after a few pages. Read dated second story. Ugh.

[Timo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate Jae Lee's art but I have liked stories Bruce Jones has written. But on this one, he missed everything badly.

[vr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zzzzzz