World Famous Comics: Hulk, Vol. 1: Red Hulk (v. 1)
Hulk, Vol. 1: Red Hulk (v. 1)
By: Jeph Loeb Publisher: Marvel Comics Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Marvel Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 176 Publication Date: December 10, 2008 Reading Level: Young Adult
Product Description: Superstars Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness will change the way you see the Hulk! In this startling origin epic, the breathtaking events that ended World War Hulk rocket into this brand-new Hulk title. When one of the Hulk's oldest cast members is murdered, everyone turns to the team of Iron Man, She-Hulk, and Leonard Samson to solve the grizzly case. All the evidence points to the Hulk as the killer - but...! Join us for a brand-new story and a brand-new team who loves the Hulk as much as you do Collects The Hulk #1-6.
Horrible Series Loeb's tenure as a writer on this series has been nothing short of a disaster. He, along with the artist, are pandering to the "ooo...cool...explosions" crowd. You know them...the ones who think Michael Bay is the epitome of film directors "'cause he makes stuff 'splode".
This is a terrible waste of ink and paper, and will be a waste of your money if you buy it.
Oh, Jeph. How far you've fallen... Did someone else write this, and Loeb just put his name on it? It is PHENOMENALLY awful. I guess a few years of writing for TV have caused brain damage. The dialog and characterizations are especially bad. I don't mind the "far out" story, since we've seen the Hulk travel to all kinds of crazy worlds, and this is a comic, after all. But it's really terrible. Check out a copy from your local library and TRY to get through it. I dare you.
When Writers Accomodate Artists There was a point in time when the writings of Jeph Loeb were engrossing, fun, and deserving of high praise. But as a new crop of talented writers such as Mark Millar and Geoff Johns redefine comics storytelling for a new generation, Loeb seems to be regressing to tales with poor pacing and hackneyed dialogue. The man who received critical acclaim at the dawn of the millennium for works such as Superman for All Seasons and Batman: The Long Halloween now offers up muddled, ill-conceived storylines such as Ultimates 3, Wolverine: Evolution, and of course, Red Hulk.
To state that this was an awful story is giving it too much credit. Frankly, there is NO story. Loeb, in the span of the 6 issues collected in this volume, manages to offer artist Ed McGuinness a two-page spread every few pages that showcases the red or green Hulk punching someone. I finished this "collection" in under 25 minutes and was left amazed at how poorly executed this sad chapter in Hulk's life was. The mysterious Red Hulk might have potential as a major villain, but it is NOT showcased here. What follows in the course of this book are pages with very minimal dialogue and a lot of splash pages meant to highlight McGuinness' ability to draw outrageously muscled characters. This type of pandering to an artist is a reoccurring trend with Loeb, but this is probably the most egregious example. At one point, 7 whole pages are dedicated to the Hulk climbing up the Golden Gate Bridge after being tossed into the water below! I can't imagine the frustration that readers felt collecting the individual monthly issues, as it couldn't have been more than a 5 minute read.
Other Marvel superheroes are present in abundance in this tale but do absolutely nothing except prattle on about how the Red Hulk must be stopped or act as punching bags for him. Again, nothing resembling a cognizant, worth-while addition to the Hulk mythos is found in this amateurish tale. The only reason that I even gave it 2 stars is because of the striking art of Ed McGuinness. If ever there was an artist meant to draw the Hulk, it would be him. But stellar art cannot save this poorly executed farce from the mind of a writer who, for some reason, is Marvel's current "go-to" writer. Loeb's next major story involves Spider-Man and a team-up with former Gen 13 artist Jeffrey Scott Campbell. No doubt another crudely written story crafted around showcasing an artist's skills will be the norm once again. For far better Hulk books, check out Planet Hulk, World War Hulk, or some classic stories featured in the Peter David Incredible Hulk Visionaries collections.
trash this book is pure trash. Having the red hulk punch out the watcher is stupid beyond belief, the writing is terrible and the only good thing in the book is the art. I would only pay $2.00 on it.
I red hulk, but not any more This much anticipated Hulk story turned out to be embarrassingly dull, and has been widely maligned by fans. Loeb's run, while brilliantly illustrated by Ed McGuiness, has consisted of endless fights with minimal dialogue and no story to speak of. A definite miss: read Peter David or Greg Pak's stories to see what Hulk is really about.
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