<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Downright Frightening. One Of The Best Hulk Stories Ever
Review: Reprints #s 34-39 of the current ongoing "Hulk" series, featuring the debut of Bruce Jones, and a great jumping-on point for anyone who hasn't read the series in a long time, or an ultimate treasure for longtime fans.
Without giving too much away, Bruce Banner is on the run from just about everyone, with the Hulk accused of killing a child in a rampage. The trouble is, the evidence that this ever occured is in short supply, and ulterior motives seem to abound. The six comics reprinted here are all absolutely top-notch (and include one issue from Marvel's "Nuff Said" event, where the comics unfolded entirely without words. I don't know about all the others, but this one worked incredibly well, and blended into the larger story seamlessly) Flawless dialogue, stunning art (including the stunning reprinted covers from the original issues) and a somewhat different incarnation of the Hulk than we've seen before. The thing about the Hulk is that it's been established many years ago that the Banner/Hulk split cracks in more than 2 directions (remember Joe Fixit?) so you can do stuff like this without contradicting continuity.
One of the very best Trade Paperbacks on the market. If you've never read a comic book before, or you haven't read one in decades, this book alone could hook you into the wonderful world of comicdom.
Rating:
Summary: hulk in best hands
Review: Bruce Jones is a godsend for this Book after the mess that was made when Peter David departed. Jones' takes his time, some would say a bit too much, with the characterization and conspiracies that happen to Banner. Bald, on the run as a fugitive for killing a child, Banner has all sorts of trouble coming to haunt him. He seems more fragile and wiry then shown before, the Paranoia take that the whole world is after you rings very true for Bruce, with seemingly hidden clues coming out of nowhere changing the direction of the story. this is comics at its best and most dynamic. Romita's art. This guy is a genius, if the critical acclaim for Jones isnt enough, this book needs to be checked out for the prowess Romita shows. While his art is simple and not too outstanding for my tastes, what really delivers is how Romita visually conveys a sense of cinematic style not seen for a long time. And thats where he bags 12 out of 10 for me. Case in point: Banner's run in at the cafe with an Autistic Child, Banner's dreams morphing into real world circumstances etc. The man is on top of his game here and fluid with a capital F. he draws Banner as a broken fragile man, it seems as if him and Jones share some intuitive thoughts about this Title. I cannot think of a better Artist to add to Jones magnificent take on the Hulk. His panels are just spot on with a little homage to Kirby coming through when the Hulk makes his few appearances. Yes, the Hulk does not come around much in this book but this is so good that you dont even think twice about it. A page turner a must. Volumes 2 and 3 are a must buy should you want to continue with the story arc
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Return For the Old Hulk
Review: Bruce Jones strips away much of the Peter David history of the character (I suppose it's still there, but it's deeply buried) to return Banner and the Hulk to something like the old days when Bruce had to control his rage in order to control the beast within him. It's not an unwelcome change of pace for a character who seems to embody change, but it's not a homerun either.
The stories presented in this volume are sparse and bare - intentionally. Where Peter David relied on verbal dexterity and wit, Jones often allows the images to speak for him. It's therefore a quick read and in some ways I was disapointed by that. I have nothing against John Romita Jr.'s artwork (except, perhaps, the sameness which he brings to everything he does - Thor, Spider-Man, etc. I long for him to experiment further with his style) but there were times when I longed to read more banter between the characters. If you're looking for serious character development, you're not going to get it here, as the emphasis is clearly on action. Jones did hook me with one thing though - I'm deeply curious about the identity of "Mr. Blue." All in all a welcome departure and a return to tradition. Welcome back Purple Pants!
Rating: 
Summary: Vol 1
Review: Great beginning for the Bruce Jones story arc. Great story. Great art. Good for all Hulk fans.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Hulk you remember, but maybe that's a good thing!
Review: Ok, let me start by saying that I became a Hulk fan with Peter David's excellent run on the series. The stories he wrote opened up new variations on the Hulk that no one had yet tried. And the psychological elements he introduced between Banner and the Hulk were great analogies to problems we all face with our emotions. After David's run, the Hulk became, well -- blah, Hulk Smash, blah, Hulk Kill, Blah, Blah, Blah. Apparently, it was back to the same old, same old, and I was ready for the Hulk to sink back into obscurity. Enter Bruce Jones, the new Hulk writer. Now I don't know how or why the Marvel editor's picked Jones to be the new writer. Other than a really good story in Spiderman's Tangled Web, I'd be hard-pressed to remember another one of his stories. But sometimes, when you get a certain writer onto a certain series, things happen. That's definitely the case here. Bruce Jones has taken ownership of the Hulk and, just like Peter David, has given the book a fresh spin that makes the reader hungry for each additional story. And he does it all by barely featuring the Hulk at all! How does he do it? Well, in this graphic novel, we are introduced to a Hulk who (maybe) killed a child while smashing a building. But we don't start with the Hulk's perspective. We start with Bruce Banner's. Similar to the TV series, Bruce is a fugitive on the run -- on the run from his past, as well as on the run from shadowy mystery people whose identities he doesn't know. He's got his own set of mystery people helping him, however, and it's this slow revealing of hidden information that makes this series seem like a cross between 100 Bullets and the X-Files. Another plus for this series is the fact that little things have consequences. In the old Hulk stories (except the excellent "Banner" graphic novel), he would smash lots of stuff and the aftereffects were barely dealt with. But here, he potentially might have killed one person, and it sets off a huge chain of events. When you're reading this, you feel like Bruce Banner is a real person living in a real world, and that anything he does will have real-world consequences. This is about all I can say about the series without giving too much of the mystery away. If you want a Hulk story that reads like no Hulk story before it, pick this graphic novel up! You won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Jones + Romita Jr. + Hulk = Good read
Review: The "Return of the Monster" TPB collects issues of The Incredible Hulk #34-#37. This is also where Bruce Jones takes over writing duties, and John Romita Jr. takes overs pencils. The basic plot of this book is this-- Bruce Banner is accused of the murder of a child named Ricky Myers. His death was captured on television during one of the Hulk's rampages, and now Bruce Banner and his alter ego are public enemy number one. I was never a huge fan of The Hulk; I purchased this book only because of the creative team - Jones/Romita Jr. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised.
Rating:
Summary: Good Bruce Hunting
Review: The title alone inspires an expectation that should be nothing short of a reintroduction of the character, and surprisingly, Return of the Monster does not fail to deliver. Along with Straczynski, Smith, Bendis, and Ennis, Bruce Jones has developed Bruce Banner into an individual in conflict not only with his surroundings, but with himself. At any point in time the Hulk comes raging into the pages of this book. Wonderful stuff. I'm not familiar with Bruce Jones' earlier work, but his Hulk story is definitely worth following. Very 'The Fugitive', very entertaining. You get so dragged into the story so bad that you can't wait to get your hands on the next book! You know it's an impossible hunt, but the plot is just too good to ignore. Oh, and John Romita on pencils doesn't hurt either.
Rating: 
Summary: where is the hulk?
Review: this book has 144 pages and of those 144 pages, 9 or 10 pages
(not including the covers)shows the hulk, the rest is banner and his struggle . the plot is bad , by reading the other reviews, is what made me buy this book. now that i read it, i'm wondering if i bought the wrong title, no it was the right book, it just the other reviewers don't know what they're talking about. the art is beautiful, that is the only thing i can say that good about this trade back. the book reads like an X-files episode , meaning the creature (the hulk) stays in the shadows only showing up briefly. the plot really stinks. bruce jones's ideal of a battle with the hulk is to send out 2 hired guns to defeat him (to kill or bring to justice, i'm not sure which) there are some of things that are weak in the writng, for instance why are people who have been shot in the head still walking or thier odd behavior afterwards, the author gives no explaination. to me the hulk should be bigger than life,in the marvel universe ( and ours as well) the hulk is known world wide, he is hunted by the miltary , he is hounded by the the super human teams,( avengers, fantastic 4,, etc..)he is feared by humans, He is a weapon of mass destruction, but he is NOT a sulking figure that hides in the shadows and suppressed by weak knee wimp like bruce jones, ( opps! i mean bruce banner). the book stinks, it reads stupid, do yourself a favor and skip this one
Rating:
Summary: The second coming indeed
Review: To say that horror writer Bruce Jones is the second coming is an udnerstatement. When you have some big shoes to fill, here for example the legendary Peter David, Jones managed to hit the ball straight out of the park in the six issues collected here. He has reinvented the Hulk by focusing the storytelling on Doctor Bruce Banner (rather than on his green skinned alter ego), a fugitive on the run from the law after a young boy is accidently killed during a Hulk incident; and he also soon finds himself hunted by a mysterious conspiracy. Jones weaves such a meticulously intricate Fugitive-style tale that makes Incredible Hulk such an entertaining read; more so than it has been in years. Issue #35, in which Bruce has a run-in with an autistic child, is completely dialogue free, yet all the more powerful thanks to John Romita Jr's cinematic-esque art. Since Jones has taken over writing duties on the Hulk, the book has become one of Marvel's best comics, and with the price this is an absolute must have for any comic or Hulk fan.
Rating:
Summary: The second coming indeed
Review: To say that horror writer Bruce Jones is the second coming is an udnerstatement. When you have some big shoes to fill, here for example the legendary Peter David, Jones managed to hit the ball straight out of the park in the six issues collected here. He has reinvented the Hulk by focusing the storytelling on Doctor Bruce Banner (rather than on his green skinned alter ego), a fugitive on the run from the law after a young boy is accidently killed during a Hulk incident; and he also soon finds himself hunted by a mysterious conspiracy. Jones weaves such a meticulously intricate Fugitive-style tale that makes Incredible Hulk such an entertaining read; more so than it has been in years. Issue #35, in which Bruce has a run-in with an autistic child, is completely dialogue free, yet all the more powerful thanks to John Romita Jr's cinematic-esque art. Since Jones has taken over writing duties on the Hulk, the book has become one of Marvel's best comics, and with the price this is an absolute must have for any comic or Hulk fan.
<< 1 >>
|
