World War Hulk

[stray]

I'll get this when it's TPB'ed or something.

As I've said a hundred times, Planet Hulk rocked. So I look forward to him getting some payback.

Also, it's very hard for someone to screw up a Hulk story for me. I'd be surprised if someone actually managed to do it.

[Llava]

Also, it's very hard for someone to screw up a Hulk story for me. I'd be surprised if someone actually managed to do it.

Believe in the power of the Bendis.

[Teleku]

Especially considering Reed's revelation that he helped engineer the entire fucking Civil War mess because he was able to forsee an even worse set of events with his predictive algrebra or whatever that retarded plot device was called. I mean, you can predict a cataclysm because you don't reign in super-heroes, but you can't predict mechanical failure or the Hulk bashing the shit out of a rocket?

The whole thing is predicated on everyone involved being a complete dumbass.

Sounds like somebody has been stealing ideas from the Foundation Trilogy.

Uh, in the comic thats exactly what he says actually.  That he was inspired by reading foundation as a kid, and so he ended up creating psycohistory himself.  Wasn't really like the authors were sneakily trying to steal the idea.

And Haemish, if you read foundation (and they also said this in the comic), psycohistory is useless for predicting any type of small scale event at all.  It can only be used to predict massive trends in society on a global/galactic type level.  IE, you cant use it to figure out Doctor Doom is going to attack New York at such and such date.  Or that the Hulk is going to Smash your rocket.  Now, of course, for the last one, common sense should stand in easily, but oh well  .  But I actually liked that they threw in the psycohistory thing as a good way of explaining Reeds actions, so I guess we just see things differently.

The rocket bashing thing doesn't really bug me much either.  I mean, it would have been alot better if they had just said the rocket unexpectedly got knocked off course by an unseen asteroid/wormhole/Galacticus or what ever, but thats just one small plot point.  Could have been completely changed with a couple of panels.  So just pretend they did that, heh.  After that, the planet hulk story was still quite good I thought, and now I'm looking forward to World War Hulk.

[Trippy]

Sounds like somebody has been stealing ideas from the Foundation Trilogy.

Uh, in the comic thats exactly what he says actually.  That he was inspired by reading foundation as a kid, and so he ended up creating psycohistory himself.  Wasn't really like the authors were sneakily trying to steal the idea.

Ah well that explains it.

[Furiously]

I take it he also destroyed the guidance computer and the backup as well?

Oh sorry - this is a comic.

[Velorath]

I'm sure if Reed and Tony just offer Hulk some Hostess Fruit Pies, with their light, flaky crust and real fruit filling, everything will be ok.

[Velorath]

First issue has been released.  The Black Bolt fight was way too short and the Iron Man fight was a little too long (regardless of what armor modifications he's made to what looks like some crazy version of the Hulkbuster armor Hulk is noted to be at his most powerful right now, and thus should have pretty much finished Tony off in one blow).  On the plus side all the characters pretty much agree to ignore all that Civil War related shit for the moment which is a fucking relief.

[Lantyssa]

So is it basically the Hulk is pissed and everyone tries to stop him for whatever reason?  Is it directed rage or is any target fair game?  Is anyone staying out of his way?

[Velorath]

So is it basically the Hulk is pissed and everyone tries to stop him for whatever reason?  Is it directed rage or is any target fair game?  Is anyone staying out of his way?

His rage is mostly targeted on Black Bolt, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, and Mr. Fantastic.  He gives civilians 24 hours to evacuate NYC, so he's at least giving people who aren't involved a chance to get away.  Of course he's also threatened to wipe everyone on the planet out if his targets don't present themselves for their beatings.

[Lantyssa]

Sweet.  G'luck Hulk!

[HaemishM]

I just read it. It's a lot more solid than any of their big crossover events have been lately. I'm still not sold on the subject, since it again follows off of that premise that those 4 characters are authoritarian jackasses who were too stupid to think through their decisions. But the story was decent, reservations aside. There did need to be much more Black Bolt and much less fucking Iron Man.

And can I say again how much I hate what they've done with the Sentry? How much he really just fucks up the entire universe?

Also, when did She-Hulk regain her Hulk form? Last I saw, she'd been nanobotted into losing her powers.

[Velorath]

Also, when did She-Hulk regain her Hulk form? Last I saw, she'd been nanobotted into losing her powers.

Might have been in an issue of the Hulk.  I seem to recall Mastermind Excello coming up with a way to disable the nanobots.

[Velorath]

Issue #2 I think highlighted a lot of the problems one would expect from this story.  First and foremost would be the fact that Marvel can't actually have the Hulk going around killing everyone in his way.  His fights against the Avengers and the FF in this issue have all the tension of a battle scene in an episode of G.I. Joe.  Where are all the 3rd tier sacrificial lambs when we need them?  Oh, Black Goliath, if only we could kill you in every major Marvel event.  Someone get Brother Voodoo or Captain Ultra in this book.

Much like the DC event, World War 3, which had 4 issues of Black Adam fighting everyone in the DC universe, World War Hulk will overstay it's welcome by about 3 or 4 issues if it can't add some more meat to the characters, as well as raise the stakes a little.  Hulk's Warbound have been given nothing to do so far.  One of them has a bit part in the backup feature of Frontline, but it's crap that's at such odds with how events are being portrayed in the main book that it might as well be taking place in an alternate timeline.  She-Hulk and Rick Jones at least each get a scene in this issue which is nice.  Sure, Jen get driven into the pavement, but for the two pages before that she's written as having a lot more sense than most of Marvel's characters have been displaying in the past couple years.  Same with Rick Jones, who, in expressing his wish that the Hulk was around to hit Tony and Reed, I'm sure echoed the thoughts of many of the readers.

And in closing, fuck the Sentry!  I don't need to read this retcon crap about the Sentry being one of Hulk's only true friends, and the only guy that can calm Hulk down, especially when Rick Jones has several decades worth of comic history that show him as the guy that already fills that role.  Pak clearly seems to understand this, as he uses Rick to just that effect a page later, so I can only assume that this Sentry shit was some sort of editorial directive he was given.  There's certainly no compelling reason for including the Sentry in this book, other than the fact that once they established him in the actual MU, you're pretty much forced to put him into any major event like this, based solely on his power level.  He's only the barest hint of a character whose lack of a well-defined list of powers is only overshadowed by his lack of a well-defined personality.

Don't fuck this up Marvel.  This could be a brutal followup to Planet Hulk, or it could be a fucking WWE grudge match.

[HaemishM]

Don't fuck this up Marvel.  This could be a brutal followup to Planet Hulk, or it could be a fucking WWE grudge match.

Oh they will. Shit, they already have. In the span of one week's comics, they have the Hulk fighting everyone in New York in the main book, then fighting the X-Men in WWH: X-Men, and the Warbound are with him at the same time one of the warbound is in that execrable Frontline backup doing idiotic fim noir detective shit. And the worst part is that the whole thing amounts to Hulk beats the shit out of everyone. That's it, that's the story. Fuck character, fuck story, just Hulk SMASH!!! for what 4 issues, 6? That'd be ok if it were just the one book, but it's 3 books not to mention any crossovers. At least Countdown, as bland as it is, has some layers of complexity. This is just excessive.

The Sentry is a shitty character. Always has been. Even the regular mini-series really weren't that interesting, but making him an Avenger has just been a failure. Bendis has to stretch to figure out why the Avengers aren't using him to fix things, then he just brings him in whenever it's convenient, only to have him get his ass kicked for no good reason like in the last few Mighty Avengers. And all the destruction New York has been under bewteen Mighty Avengers and WWH, there shouldn't be one building left standing.

Marvel needs to have a writer and editorial purge.

[Velorath]

Don't fuck this up Marvel.  This could be a brutal followup to Planet Hulk, or it could be a fucking WWE grudge match.

Oh they will. Shit, they already have. In the span of one week's comics, they have the Hulk fighting everyone in New York in the main book, then fighting the X-Men in WWH: X-Men, and the Warbound are with him at the same time one of the warbound is in that execrable Frontline backup doing idiotic fim noir detective shit. And the worst part is that the whole thing amounts to Hulk beats the shit out of everyone. That's it, that's the story. Fuck character, fuck story, just Hulk SMASH!!! for what 4 issues, 6? That'd be ok if it were just the one book, but it's 3 books not to mention any crossovers. At least Countdown, as bland as it is, has some layers of complexity. This is just excessive.

Thing is, I don't really care about the crossover titles, as I pretty much expect them all to be shit.  I just want the main book and Hulk's book to be good, and Greg Pak is certainly capable of it.  The problem is that I'm guessing he had a lot more freedom when he was writing Planet Hulk than he does right now.

[Margalis]

I'm sure if Reed and Tony just offer Hulk some Hostess Fruit Pies, with their light, flaky crust and real fruit filling, everything will be ok.

Oh god damn is this funny, I wonder how many people get this? LOL.

I used to read a newsgroup where a Marvel editor would post. However bad you think the Marvel editing is, it's worse.

[LK]

I just read up on this Sentry fellow in the Marvel Universe section on the main website.

What a shitty, shitty character.

[TenaciousMike]

I just read up on this Sentry fellow in the Marvel Universe section on the main website.

What a shitty, shitty character.

I'm not a big fan of the Sentry, myself.  Basically, they put him in the universe to make a "more managable" Thor-leveled character.  Now that Thor is back, however...  I do enjoy the fact that they made The Sentry a psychopath who is so stuck in his own head that he can't go out and do much to help.  He did one cool thing, however, when he was introduced back at the beginning of New Avengers when he flew Carnage in to space and ripped him in half.

[HaemishM]

STRANGE SMASH!

What... the... fuck?

[Velorath]

STRANGE SMASH!

What... the... fuck?

I don't know, but I'm looking forward to that more than I am the increasingly likely climax of a Hulk/Sentry fight.

[HaemishM]

It's pretty obvious that the end is going to be the goddamn Sentry coming in and depowering the Hulk or some shit like that. A finger snap will end it.

[Velorath]

Hulk will probably end up one blow away from beating Sentry, look around and see all the destruction the fight has caused, and give up.  Then he'll be killed on his way to his trial.


Edit:  Someone needs to write a story about just how much they have to pay people to live in NYC in the Marvel Universe.

[Margalis]

I'm still laughing about the fruit pies.

[Velorath]

I'm still laughing about the fruit pies.

Sadly, the decline of Hostess products in the MU was an indirect cause in the deaths of Captain America and Captain Marvel, as they were proven to be effective weapons against the villains that were eventually responsible for killing them (Red Skull and Nitro respectively, who were both stopped with Twinkes, with their golden sponge cake and cream filling).  However they would not have prevented Batgirl (who utilizied Hostess related tactics on two seperate occasions) from being crippled by the Joker, as the Joker has admitted to not liking them (thus further proving his insanity to the police).  It's debatable whether Thor may have been able to use them to prevent Ragnarok.

[Evildrider]

I want them to sacrifice Tony Stark to the Hulk.  nuff' said.

[LK]

I wish this thread was updated more often.  Didn't #3 come out? I don't really want to pick up the comics, I just want to read about the stories and opinions about them.  You know, like 0.0 PvP in EVE.

[HaemishM]

Here's an update on the story.

Hulk Smash. People talk. People attack Hulk and almost hurt him. Then Hulk Smash. Sentry looks forlorn while sitting around in his jimmyjams. Doctor Strange conjure. STRANGE SMASH.

End of #3.

[Margalis]

I picked up Planet Hulk as per Velorath's suggestion. Not sure when I'll get a chance to read it, I'm stuck at a consulting job working round the clock for weeks.

[Velorath]

Inteview with Greg Pak, Mark Paniccia, and Jeph Loeb about post-WWH plans (possible minor spoilers).

With Loeb temporarily taking over on Hulk after WWH ends, I'll likely drop the book.  While I've liked a couple of his books in the past, he's decended into the realm of really crap writing lately.  His recently completed Wolverine arc was one of the worst stories of the past decade, and for those who haven't read it, if I were to describe it here, people would just assume I was joking.  Pak though, is going on to write a 5 issue Warbound mini which I will be picking up, and will be back on Hulk sometime next year from the sound of it.

[Margalis]

So I read Planet Hulk on Sunday, liked it a lot. Looks like Velorath has taste I can trust.

My favorite character was the Broodling. Does that make me weird?

[Velorath]

WWH #4 came out on Wednesday, giving us the fight between Dr. Strange and the Hulk.  It's a decent fight scene, but it suffered a bit from that fact that it was a really transparent way of making Strange look like he's as big of an ass as his three Illuminati cohorts.  It's almost like they realized at the last minute "oh shit, we forgot to make Strange look like a complete dick in Civil War, we better have him do something really out of character here so we don't actually feel sorry for him when the Hulk kicks his ass".  Mind you, having been a big Dr. Strange fan at times, I could pick out numerous occasions in the past where he's acted like a complete douche, but Marvel somewhat frowns on using any continuity in a story unless Bendis had some hand in writing it.

The other letdown is the last couple of pages continuing to lead up to the inevitable Sentry related conclusion that I've feared throughout this entire story.  I don't know how many times I can say that this character has been a complete misfire.  The fact that the entirety of his dialogue in New Avengers since issue #1 could be written down on a napkin with and only fill up one-half of one side, coupled with the problem that the writers can't seem to keep straight what sort of psychosis the guy actually suffers from, leaves us with a character whom I can only hope has his involvement limited to a quick, painful death possibly leaving the Hulk to feel guilty for a short while.  Really, with Thor back, the MU doesn't need the Sentry (not that it ever really did).

So what did I like about this issue.  Brief as it was, I liked the conversation between Rick Jones and the Hulk.  It was important in letting us know that there really doesn't seem to be any conflict between Banner and Hulk in regards to what their goal is.  His wife accepted him as both Hulk and Banner, so it stands to reason that they're both pissed right now.  The fight between Reed, Stark, Strange, and Black Bolt was decent, although JRjr's art seems a little bit rushed, making some aspects of the fight a little confusing.  I assume Strange's spell is what's creating that fire, but I"m unsure why it appears to be consuming him as well, and whether or not they're supposed to be in danger of burning to death in that last panel they're shown in, or what exactly is going on.  It cuts down on the impact a little bit, as I've got now idea what Strange is actually doing.  Maybe it's just an illusion Strange is casting and that's why they're being a little vague about it?

Also, more Warbound plz.

[HaemishM]

Meh. The whole series has been a disappointment to me (and I had no real hope for it anyway) but not nearly as bad as Civil War. The last issue of Hulk had that Amadeus kid try to give some explanation for why no one has ever been killed in a Hulk rampage (though I think they've flip flopped on that one numerous times in just the last year). It's a TORTURED, badly lame explanation, about as lame as Reed Richards pyschofuturism or continuity wall punches. I actually think it's worse than those two because Marvel can't keep straight whether or not the Hulk has caused civilian deaths.

You are correct about the Sentry. It was a moderaly interesting idea that never made any sort of entertaining book. The second series was worse than the first, and now no one can even keep his pyschological problems straight. He's been waiting in the wings the whole time, and I can only hope that they manage to kill the character off at the end of #5 so no one will be tempted to use him ever again.

The whole Marvel Universe is in serious need of a reset.

[Velorath]

Meh. The whole series has been a disappointment to me (and I had no real hope for it anyway) but not nearly as bad as Civil War. The last issue of Hulk had that Amadeus kid try to give some explanation for why no one has ever been killed in a Hulk rampage (though I think they've flip flopped on that one numerous times in just the last year). It's a TORTURED, badly lame explanation, about as lame as Reed Richards pyschofuturism or continuity wall punches. I actually think it's worse than those two because Marvel can't keep straight whether or not the Hulk has caused civilian deaths.

You are correct about the Sentry. It was a moderaly interesting idea that never made any sort of entertaining book. The second series was worse than the first, and now no one can even keep his pyschological problems straight. He's been waiting in the wings the whole time, and I can only hope that they manage to kill the character off at the end of #5 so no one will be tempted to use him ever again.

The whole Marvel Universe is in serious need of a reset.

Bendis (big surprise there) pretty much fucked up the whole thing with whether or not the Hulk has accidentally killed anybody.  Up until that first Illluminati one-shot I believe, it was pretty much understood that through the magic of comics, none of the Hulk's rampages had caused any deaths.  The reasoning was that if Bruce Banner had been responsible for killing even one person, his sense of guilt probably would have caused him to off himself to prevent it from happening again.

It's one of those things that silly in a comic book sort of way, but as long as nobody mentions it, than it's easy to ignore.  Bendis though decided he didn't like all that, so all of a sudded Hulk became a killer after a rampage through Los Vegas.  Dan Slott, who had recently mentioned in an issue of She-Hulk that Hulk had never been responsible for any deaths, got a little irate about this, and now it looks like Pak is trying to undo the damage.  It's a stupid explanation, and one we'll likely never hear about again after this storyline, but it mostly seems like it's a band-aid designed to fix another Bendis fuck up.

[LK]

I like Dan Slott.

All his She-Hulk stuff was spot on and very entertaining.  It was one of the reasons I started picking up comics and realizing that, holy shit, certain writers make excellent stories.

I hear he's doing Spider-man now, which must be a nice promotion, but now I worry for Shulike. =\

[stu]

For some reason, Velorath has managed to intruige me enough to check out what is going on with Marvel. I came across a pretty cool sounding What If? story involving the Planet Hulk storyline, which, even though I didn't read it, seems like the freshest thing to happen to the character in a long time.

What If? Featuring Planet Hulk is the third title featured on the page.

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