Planet Hulk

With wedding season finally over with (for me at least) I hope I can get back to posting at least a few times a week.

So, I read the entire Planet Hulk story line recently. In the span of a few days as a matter of fact, which is a pretty good endorsement from me. Since the accident I seem to have lost my desire for disposable entertainment, so making it through a year long arc in a few days has to say something for the story. Of course, reading it all at once like that takes a little away from the epic scope Pak tried to achieve. But, that's entirely my fault really, the damn thing was so enjoyable I couldn't put it down.

Hulk is tricked by the puny earthlings, gets rocketed into space, becomes a savior to an entire world of people, becomes ruler of said people and then unwittingly becomes the destroyer of said world. Now he's pissed, he's found a way back to Earth and will make the puny humans pay.

Sounds kind of small when you word it that way, but it really is an epic, maybe one of the best storylines Marvel has produced since Morrison took on the X-Men.

And don't any of you Civil War nuts feed me any crap about that line-wide crossover. What little I've been able to make it through of Civil War I've not enjoyed at all. That includes all the lead up stuff such as Avengers Dissassembled, Secret War, House of M and whatever other crap they'll undo in the next year or two.

Pak borrows a bit from some epic films for the story (Ben-Hur and Gladiator especially...though I wouldn't call the latter "Epic"), but the general idea of sending Hulk into space is a pretty good one. In fact it reminds me very much of Hulk: The End that was published a few years back. It was nice to see some new characters in a book for a change. Sure they won't (or didn't) last, but it lends a lot of unpredictability to and already great story.

The art was fantastic too, done by Carlo Pagulayan, a guy I'd never heard of. The action is top notch and his Hulk is simultaneously menacing, regal and gentle. The battle with the Silver Surfer is some of the greatest action work I think I've ever seen

I have high hopes for World War Hulk, hopefully it won't disappoint, and that we at least get too see Hulk smash the hell out of everyone.

-L