The Incredible Hulk #6

 "I hate havin' to become that weakling Banner all the time!"

This is the final issue of The Incredible Hulk... for now. It's one of the better issues- not least because the art is by Steve Ditko rather than an increasingly overworked Jack Kirby. But it's also illustrative of how the title, which apparently wasn't selling well, could fail. 

The villain, who will only have a handful of future appearances. is yet another generic all-powerful alien conqueror. He isn't very interesting, and nor is the trite manner of his defeat- although it's interesting to see Rick Jones establish the Teen Brigade, a bunch of teenage radio hams!

But the interest lies elsewhere, as Stan and Steve experiment a lot with the format, trying to make it work- as it clearly doesn't. The gamma machine, as a gimmick to change Bruce to the Hulk and vice versa, doesn't really work narratively- why shouldn't Bruce just stay as himself? Surely any peril sufficient as to involve the Hulk should be rare? It's suspicious how many threats emerge in his vicinity, conveniently giving Bruce a reason to become the Hulk. After all, why should the Metal Master, who wants to conquer all of Earth, start by attacking this particular military base in New Mexico?

So this issue has the gamma machine be unreliable, perhaps an unacceptable risk, along with such silliness as the Hulk having Bruce's head and having to wear a mask! Interestingly, we seem to end with Bruce deciding to remain as himself, and distrusting the machine. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.

Also, to what extent are Bruce and the Hulk different people sharing a body or variations on the same psyche? Rick tells us at one point that Bruce is "not always responsible for what the Hulk does or says". Yet the Hulk- who has been fairly verbally eloquent right throughout, far from the "Hulk smash!" persona of later pop culture- apparently remembers most of Bruce's science knowledge.

Fortunately, we know with hindsight that The Incredible Hulk will eventually be tweaked and will ultimately succeed. But it certainly needs a break and a rethink at this point. 

The Incredible Hulk #5

 "Listen, daddy-o, I know your secret... and still I tremble when I see 'im!"

Two stories this time, both rather silly, but both rather fascinating for various reasons, not least of which is the fact that the basic format of The Incredible Hulk- that stress makes Bruce become the Hulk- is still not quite there yet. 

First up we get the introduction of mildly prolific villain Tyrannus. One the one hand he feels like a more developed version of the Mole Man, similarly living underground... but, of course, this isn't necessarily a problem as there's still no actual hint (the use of unstable molecules in both Fantastic Four and Ant-Man is arguable but rather tenuous) that all this is yet envisaged as a shared universe.

Still, Tyrannus has at once a deeper and sillier backstory, having been banished underground by Merlin (mentioned once before in Fantastic Four #5) in ancient times, but he's still alive because he has the actual Fountain of Youth. Oh, and he's conveniently found some subterranean-dwelling and scientifically knowledgeable willing slaves down there, which is somewhat convenient. So, yeah, let's pause for a moment to marvel at the bonkersness of all that.

Oh, and he fears the USA's "atomic might", because every Marvel issue at this point just has to allude to the fact that this is the atomic age at some point. 

The actual story is... well, a series of silly set pieces, and the Bruce/Betty relationship is as basic and superficial as that of Don Blake/Jane. It'll be interesting to see if and when that ever changes.

The following story is another riff on the oh-so-ubiquitous theme of "hero fights communists", but there's some interest in the fact that Red China is persecuting a thinly veiled Tibet here, just a few years after the historical invasion in 1959. We also have Taiwan being referred to as "Formosa", yet another reminder that 1962 was an awfully long time ago.

Most interestingly, though... this is not the "Hulk smash" version of the character, not remotely so. The Hulk isn't really unambiguously different from Bruce, personality wise, and he defeats General Fang via an idea he researches in a book! Oh, and they're still using that machine to change the Hulk into Bruce and vice versa, but we get hints that perhaps, one day, the Hulk may refuse to change back into Bruce. Ominous, and also fascinating to see them slowly working through how they want the lore to work.

Bonkers stuff, but there's a lot of interest here. 

 

The Incredible Hulk #4

 "Wow, was that cat for real?"

These early issues of The Incredible Hulk are, while variable in quality, strangely thoughtful and philosophical at times. Yet it's also fascinating to see how they take so long to settle on the rationale for the Bruce Banner changing into the Hulk. It's no longer a day/night thing, but even by the end of the issue they're far from sure of what they ought to be doing.

After a nicely non-linear start we get back to Betty Ross and a nice character moment- she pines for Bruce, she's noticed he's been a bit off ever since the Hulk... and, more to the point, Bruce is missing. So Betty tells her rather dim father that, juuuuust perhaps, Rick Jones might have some connection to Bruce and the Hulk. So Thunderbolt Ross grabs Rick and demands answers- a tricky situation as Rick could find himself in trouble here.

 The format of the series at this point is so very interesting. Rick can command the Hulk. The Hulk seems stuck in that form, unable to change to Bruce. Rick ultimately uses the machine to change the Hulk to Bruce... and at this point there's no other mechanism for doing so.

Then we have another twist, as Bruce uses the machine to become the Hulk but keep his intellect... but there are interesting hints of personality changes. And these continue into the second story, which had me laughing out loud. So many of these early Marvel issues have throwaway one-off aliens or communists as villains, so of course we get an alien who is really a plane full of Soviet communists in disguise.

We end with some scenes of the Hulk saving people but still being feared and hunted, something I suspect won't be changing... and Bruce and the Hulk can still only change bodies via the machine! 

The Incredible Hulk #3

 "If I make one false move now, it'll be curtains for this cat!"

After a so-so second issue, this one is pretty damn good. It introduces the Ringmaster and his circus (not yet the Circus of Crime) who are pretty solid minor villains who we'll see a fair amount of over the years. Yet the key strength of the issue is the thoughtful way it looks at the title's status quo and makes some changes for the better.

We begin with Rick Jones supervising as the Hulk languishes in the stone undersea prison that he and Bruce built for him- with Dr Banner turning into the Hulk as night falls. Yet, with a rather underhanded ruse, General Thunderbolt Ross tricks Rick into helping send the Hulk into outer space. This little ruse is soon rather conveniently undone, but the point is clear: Stan and Jack had realised that the whole night/day thing just wasn't going to work. Hence the Hulk receiving an extra dose of space radiation... and Rick discovers, to his surprise, that the Hulk can now exist in the daytime. And he has to obey Rick, for good measure. 

Not only that: the Hulk is beginning to look more like the iconic image we know, with those purple trousers with holes in the knees. His speech is getting less articulate. And, by the end of the issue, it's unclear when, or if, the Hulk will change back to Bruce Banner.

If I have a criticism it's the retelling of the origin story- we really don't have to do this every other issue! But it's both amusing to reflect that, er, Bruce just shoving Rick into a crevice in the ground apparently gives him total protection from the gamma rays(!) and interesting to see that the Hulk, in this flashback, is shown as grey. The change of colour is actually diegetic. Unecessary retelling of the origin aside, though, this is pretty damn good.

The Incredible Hulk #2

 "Hate you? Why shouldn't I hate you? Why shouldn't I hate all mankind?"

So... the Toad Men? Cartoonish generic alien invaders with their magnetic tech and tendency to spout convenient exposition between themselves? They're... yeah, these are early days, still very cheesy, with what is slowly becoming Marvel still emerging from a world in which comics are seen as disposable, throwaway fare, and the Toad Men are a clear symptom.

So much here is fascinating here, though. The Hulk appears grey when outside at night, but I think he's supposed to be green, in only the second issue. It's still very much the case- and integral to the plot- that Bruce becomes the Hulk at nightfall and changes back at dawn, regular as clockwork. This is very Edward Hyde and, indeed, the Hulk is drawn (pencilled by Kirby, inked by Ditko) with sinister, Hyde-like facial features right out of an EC horror comic. And he's pretty smart: it's implied that he could have flown the Toad Men's ship if dawn hadn't come.

One interesting point... the Toad Men refer to Bruce as the "greatest mind on Earth". I immediately thought, well, what about Reed Richards? But I then realised that we've had, as yet, no indication whatsoever that any of these titles are part of a shared universe. I'm very much on the lookout for when that changes.

This is very Silver Age silly, yes. But it's fascinating to see how different the Hulk is at this early stage. 

The Incredible Hulk #1

 "You keep out of this, Betty! This is man talk!"

There are a couple of short stories from Tales to Astonish in the order, but I'm skipping them. They're standard pre-Marvel Age monster fare, and only in the order because the relevant monsters re-appear much, much later., and only once, as a novelty. It's a wholly subjective thing, but as I'm not sure whether or not I'll be going past the early '90s or so (although, well, we'll see!), they're just too tenuous for me.

So... the Hulk. The first issue is the early version of the familiar origin story. But it's not quite the narrative we will come to know. Most obviously, the Hulk is grey. His clothing is not quite what it will be. And he may be strong and have a bad attitude, but he's perfectly articulate. Moreover, at this stage, Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk at nightfall, not at moments of stress or anger.

These things in combination give much more of a Jekyll and Hyde feel. Like the Edward Hyde of Stevenson's novella, this Hulk feels to be not so much an actual alter ego as a repressed side of Banner's self. This is fascinating.

It all feels very grounded in 1962, though. The atomic explosion is, well, very Atomic Age. The baddies are very crudely drawn Soviet communists- the Cold War definitely shows. And then there's Rick Jones, looking and talking like a specifically early '60s American teenager- no longer rock 'n' roll, the '60s aren't actually swinging yet, and it all feels very American Graffiti.

The Gargoyle stuff is, of course, very silly- I mean, travelling between the USA and the USSR via rocket? The supposedly genius level Gargoyle travelling alone to the heart of America? And his sudden change of heart at the last minute, allowing Bruce and Rick to implausibly escape?

And yet... yes, like previous instalments in the Marvel Order, this is silly stuff... but that's the vibe at this point, deliberately heightened melodrama. It isn't necessarily a fault, just the way things were. Yes, the silliness makes this issue seem ridiculous today... but it's certainly got something.

The Incredible Hulk (1977 TV Movie)

 "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

There is, of course, no guarantee that I'll blog this whole series, and not only because only the extended length pilot is free on Netflix. Despite my childhood memories, I'm conscxious that thius is an American network TV show with a reset button as part of the format.

I admit, too, that after seeing interviews with Kenneth Johnson I'd assumed he was one of those people who despise comics and seeks to arrogantly change anything. Yet, despite the gratuitous changing of Bruce to David Banner (not even "Bob")... this origin story is probably as faithful as ot needs to be. Gamma radiation is involved, and a silly communist spy would not have fit the zeitgeist in 1977, a splendid year, certainly for those of us born in it.

The premise, the direction, the acting of Bill Bixby and Susan Sullivan are all superb. This is better telly than I'd expected. The origin has had so much thought given to ot, Banner's bereavement, his close conection with the brilliant Eleana, thegenuinely intriguing scientific mystery. Jack Colvin is a superb villain- a tabloid journalist, truly a soulless creature.

The connection between David and Eleana is central, and the chemistry is absolutely there. The script is thoughtful, full of concept and character, yet simple. There is an overarching theme of superhuman strength found in adversity. There's a lovely tribute to the first Universal Frankenstein film, for obvious reasons.

Shall I watch more? We shall see.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

"You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry..."

Well, that was a bit disappointing. It wasn't awful, not quite; I'm glad they didn't just do the bloody origin. But, I mean, come on- Edward Norton has no bloody charisma. And, in spite of lots of CGI action, the direction just isn't that exciting.

I mean, it's nice to hear the telly theme tune as incidental music. It's nice to see a CGI Abomination. It's nice to see a sort of origin for Samuel Sterns becoming the Leader but with literally no climax; the actual cinematic equivalent of bad sex.

I suppose the treatment of the origin during the opening titles is neat and, as with Iron Man, it doesn't bother with any of that secret identity nonsense; everyone knows Bruce is the Hulk, so has to wander the western hemisphere like it's the '70s. Plus Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt are all ok.

But, CGI spectacle aside, this film is boring. A good Hulk film needs a charismatic lead actor, and Edward Norton is no Mark Ruffalo. And no, a cameo from Lou Ferrigno doesn't make it right.

So the second ever Marvel film is a proper misstep. It's not surprising how little influence this film has had on what came after. Eminently skippable.