By: Jeff Parker (writer), Carlo Pagulayan (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Jesus Aburtov (colors), Ed Dukeshire (letters), Jake Thomas (assistant editor) & Mark Paniccia (editor)
The Story: Yes, you’ve seen the general story before. Red Hulk is sent to a distant planet where he has to fight to survive.
What’s Good: I don’t know about you, but Greg Pak’s Planet Hulk story from several years ago was the best Hulk story I’ve ever read. So I really don’t mind Marvel going back to the well to let Jeff Parker put his own personal spin on that type of story with the Red Hulk.
In typical Parker fashion, he moves the story along briskly. There’s no overwrought decision by the Illuminati to send the Red Hulk away. It just kinda happens and by the end of the issue, Parker has covered the same amount of material that most writers would milk for an entire 6-issue arc. It’s really amazing. All in one issue Red Hulk goes from being on a rescue mission in space, to being lost in space, to landing on the alien planet, meeting natives, establishing conflict and having a big set-piece battle! Life is short and time is precious, so it’s nice to read a writer like Parker who doesn’t dick around.
And we get all the stuff that you expect in a good Hulk story. He’s shown hopping around, unprotected in outer space, falling from orbit without getting burned up and generally kicking ass. The thing I love about Hulk stories is when the writers can find a way to put Hulk (Red or Green) as a disadvantage and have them get smacked around for a minute….the whole time as a reader, you are thinking, “Just you wait, buster! When Hulk escapes the control of those ______ he’s going to beat the snot out of you!” We get that moment in a BIG way in this issue.
This series had been drawn by Gabriel Hardman, who is probably my favorite artist working in comics right now (in the 10+ issues/year division), so I really worried about him being replaced on this story arc. It turns out that concern wasn’t warranted as Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki & Jesus Aburtov pick up with missing a beat. Sure, it looks a little different than Hardman’s Red Hulk, but they still deliver the raw sense of power that you need from a Hulk artist. And Pagulayan draws pretty ladies too. Has there ever been a Filipino artist who couldn’t draw pretty ladies? It’s like a national trademark or something. Really nice colors too!
What’s Not So Good: Very little. Probably the biggest groan is going to come from those who are going to see this as a retread of Planet Hulk because that seems to be precisely what it is. For what it’s worth, Parker is just embracing that retread nature and even makes mention of the Planet Hulk story in this issue. I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t mind the story concept, but the easily offended will find fault.
Conclusion: Wouldn’t it be cool if Planet Red Hulk turned out even better than Planet Hulk? That would be a tall order, but this first issue was so good that the possibility is still there. Very nicely done!
Grade: A-
-Dean Stell
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Filed under: Marvel Comics Tagged: | Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki, Dean Stell, Ed Dukeshire, Hulk, Hulk #34, Hulk #34 review, Jake Thomas, Jeff Parker, Jesus Aburtov, Mark Paniccia, Marvel, review
