2009.12.09 – “Incredible Hulk” #605

“Incredible Hulk” #605, written by Greg Pak with art by Ariel Olivetti and Paul Pelletier, hits comic book stores on December 9.
Click here to view a six page preview at ComicBookResources.com.
Here’s the solicitation information from Marvel:

Tyrannus returns! Manhattan crumbles! Moloids attack! And only Bruce Banner and the Son of Hulk can save the day! Unless, of course, Skaar decides to join the monsters…The first big storyline in the all-new “Incredible Hulk” comes to a senses-shattering climax as Bruce Banner discovers whether his take-your-savage-barbarian-son-to-work program has been a rousing success — or the biggest disaster visited upon the Marvel Universe since “World War Hulk”! Plus: the All-New Savage She-Hulk’s quest to find Jennifer Walters reaches its conclusion — with a stunning twist!

CBR interviews Pak, Parker, and Loeb about “Fall of the Hulks”

Kiel Phegley of Comic Book Resources has interviewed writers Greg Pak, Jeph Loeb, and Jeff Parker about their upcoming “Fall of the Hulks” storyline. Here’s an excerpt:

We’ve all been hearing about how the Intelligencia will kick off what will become the battle of “Fall of the Hulks,” but what does this first phase of the event hold for the titular behemoth – whoever he may be – as the story rolls on?
Jeph Loeb: What’s equally important about all of this is, as you guys know, at the heart of our story, both Red Hulk and Skaar are of questionable moral character and can in some ways also be seen as the villains of the piece. The challenge that was put before us was to have us care about them as well, and really the key of the summit was that ultimately, this was a story about Bruce Banner and what he has to face. Part of the reason why it was important in #600 for the Green Hulk to go away was so that we could really put Banner in a world where the alliances that he would have to form and the choices he’d have to make – particularly with Skaar – were going to be completely unpredictable. We got to see a Banner, in what Greg’s been doing in “Incredible Hulk,” that we’ve never really seen before. He’s extremely cunning and very dangerous and, in some ways, more dangerous than when he is the Hulk. It’s dangerous in a different kind of way.
Greg Pak: I’ve really had a ton of fun playing with this storyline and this direction with the character. It was a total blast being able to go to “Planet Hulk” with just the Hulk and have Banner be there on the periphery. Now we’re kind of doing the flip of that, and it’s just as fun for me to write. Hopefully it’ll be just as revelatory for the character in the end. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: “Fall of the Hulks” and “World War Hulks” together, I think, will be the biggest emotional story that has ever been told about Bruce Banner. It really will rock his world to its foundations in multiple ways. It’s big, big, big. It’s Hulk-sized!

Click here to read the whole thing.

Newsarama loves “Incredible Hulk” #604

David Pepose, writing for Newsarama’s Best Shots crew, has given “Incredible Hulk” #604 a rave review. Here’s an excerpt:

What do you call two exceedingly divergent tastes coming together for one delightful result? Incredible Hulk #604, whose unlikely alliance between Bruce Banner and Skaar — as well as two mish-mashed but surprisingly complementary art styles — makes for the most entertaining Hulk series I’ve seen in the history of… well, ever.

Click here to read the whole thing.
“Incredible Hulk” #604 was written by Greg Pak with art by Ariel Olivetti and Guiseppe Camuncoli. The book hit comic shops last Wednesday.

Marvel.com interviews Pak, Parker, and Loeb about “Fall of the Hulks”

Marvel.com has interviewed writers Greg Pak, Jeph Loeb, and Jeff Parker about which of the Hulks is the greatest as they prepare for the upcoming “Fall of the Hulks” event. An excerpt, in which the writers pick unexpected champions:

Which Hulk is the greatest there is?
Jeph Loeb: It’s ironic, but it’s Banner who makes the Green Hulk the greatest. The idea of a man who was at the top of his field, had people who listened to him, was respected, and lost it all by sacrificing himself for another-Rick Jones-makes the monster all that more tragic. He lost everything. His job. The woman he loved. His family.
While the Hulk has had many different personalities, they are all really different voices in Banner’s head. The child, the angry teenager, the concerned adult-all of them. It makes him complex, even though sometimes he talks like he isn’t and just smashes things. And sometimes complex is the most dangerous Hulk of all.
Jeff Parker: I call Skaar! And Skaar is easily the most metal of all Hulks. He slays dragons, he has an axe, and whenever faced with a dilemma, he will always make the most metal decision possible, like throwing Juggernaut off the planet or dooming billions to Galactus. He’s like a UniMind composed of Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy, and all of Judas Priest.
Greg Pak: Look, I know Jeph and Jeff are whispering sweet nothings into your ear about the mightiness of the Green Hulk and his savage son Skaar. And I can appreciate their wishful dreamings-after all, the Hulk’s my favorite comic book character of all time and I’ve spent the last couple of years lovingly chronicling the insane adventures of his bouncing barbarian boy. But let’s face facts: the contest is already over. And the Red Hulk won. In INCREDIBLE HULK #600, he took down the Green Hulk-took down the “Strongest One There Is!”-by touching him. Okay? He grabbed the guy and drained him of all his insane gamma-fueled power.
Red wins.

Click here to read all about it.

“Assault on New Olympus” recs and reviews

The “Assault on New Olympus Prologue,” written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with art by Rodney Buchemi, has gotten some nice recommendations and reviews. A couple of excerpts:

“So, yeah, this is a comic where Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente writes a fight between Spider-Man and Hercules over a seemingly airhead goddess. It has everything that makes Pak, Van Lente, Incredible Herc, Spider-Man, MarvelComics, mythological superheroes, and comics in general great.”
— Brad Curran, Comic Book Resources
“The stellar team of Pak and Van Lente unleash the next arc of the Hercules series in this one shot. Hercules, Amadeus, two teams of Avengers, the Agents of Atlas, and Ares all feature in this event, and Olympus itself will never be the same. Step-Mommy Dearest Hera has been a really bad girl as of late, and Hercules has a few things to sort out with her. Pak and Van Lente are responsible for one of the best series out there today, and backstopped by artist Rodney Buchemi, they’re going to give us even more in the next few months.”
— William Keogh, ComixFan.com

2009.11.04 – “Assault on New Olympus Prologue” #1

The “Assault on New Olympus Prologue” hits comic book stores tomorrow, and Newsarama has an early review. Here’s an excerpt:

It helps, of course, that the terrific writer combo from “Incredible Hercules”, Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, are on the case. They manage to cram that past few years of exposition into the story in a way that builds momentum while catching you up. This is one of those rare cases where a new reader could jump right in, while the “constant readers” will no doubt appreciate the updates provided.

Click here to read the whole thing.