Continuing the review of Marvel’s self-titled Greatest 25 (based on a readership poll).<\/p>\n
The Hulk was a popular character, but his original comic only lasted six issue. Still, he’s become such an iconic character (sharing top billing in the classic Marvel pantheon with Captain America and Spider-man) that the various characters — Hulk, his bookish alter-ego Robert Bruce Banner, “Thunderbolt” Ross, Betty Ross, even Rick Jones — introduced in this first issue are (even when dead) still key members of the Marvel population. Lee and Kirby did another fine job with crafting this Jekyll\/Hyde character, and the battle of the inner beast against the power of will and intellect still reverberates almost forty years later — and have produced multiple cartoons, a popular television show, and, coming soon to a theater near you, a major motion picture.<\/p>\n
As a student of history, I’m leery of anything so recent being voted on as an all-time best. Recent memory — and current taste — rarely equate to lasting, classic value. When, in 2000, Marvel announced its “Ultimate” line — a series of comics based on Marvel’s popular titles, but rewritten, reforged, purged of all that annoying continuity that was choking the X-line to death (and, some thought, driving off readers) — I was dubious. It sounded like a gimmick. And even though some very good talent was lined up … well, I really didn’t need to add any more comics to my stack. Okay, so all that aside, I may have made a mistake. This story — written by Mark Millar, drawn by Adam Kubert and Art Thibert, is crisp, fresh, lean, and quite enjoyable. I don’t know that I’ll add this to my pull list (I’m still kind of leery of the non-continuity sort of elseworld that the Ultimate line represents), but it’s good stuff nonetheless. The question is — in forty years, will anyone still be voting for this as one of the all-time greats (assuming anyone is still buying comics as we know them in forty years)? I don’t know. Somehow … I doubt it.<\/p>\n
This came during Frank Miller’s second run on the title, when I had dropped Daredevil<\/i>, never to pick it up as a regular title again (the incessently dark noir tone finally got to me). That having been said, this is an effective, well-crafted story showing how a betrayal lets the Kingpin slowly destroy Matt Murdock, Daredevil’s secret identity, by slowly, inexorably destroying bits and pieces of Murdock’s life. Art by David Mazzucchelli is almost as good as Miller’s own. For those who follow DD, I could see how this tale would rank in nearly the Top 10 (though I’d probably put one of Miller’s Elektra issues in its place).<\/p>\n This is the follow-up to the previously the 16th-ranked issue, X-Men <\/i>#25. Wolvie, his adamantium ripped out by Magneto, faces death of both body and mind. In some ways, this issue is worlds better than the claustrophic, continuity-cluttered mess that the X-Men <\/i>issue was. It’s about human emotion, loyalty, brotherhood — and, ultimately, it represented a stripping-away from Wolverine of the baggage that being an X-Man entailed. By the close of the double-sized issue, Wolvie is leaving the Mansion, cutting his ties, and going off to discover what his life really now means. Not a bad tale at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Continuing the review of Marvel’s self-titled Greatest 25 (based on a readership poll). 13. 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So \u2013 how can two Hulks exist? Simple \u2013 if you're talking about the Marvel...","rel":"","context":"In "Comics & Comic Books"","block_context":{"text":"Comics & Comic Books","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/media-comics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5752,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/07\/22\/hulk_smash_hulk.html","url_meta":{"origin":1704,"position":1},"title":"HULK SMASH … HULK?","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 22-Jul-04 2:03pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in 1985, Marvel Comics sued the WWF over \"Hulk\" Hogan's ring name. Marvel now says that deal has expired, though the now-WWE say it goes until ealry 2005. And...","rel":"","context":"In "Comics & Comic Books"","block_context":{"text":"Comics & Comic Books","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/media-comics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":159287,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2022\/10\/13\/so-thats-a-wrap-on-she-hulk.html","url_meta":{"origin":1704,"position":2},"title":"So that’s a wrap on “She-Hulk” …","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 13-Oct-22 11:16pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Some fine, fun, comic book action and self-mockery, but never really finding it's spot.","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)"","block_context":{"text":"Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/franchises\/marvel-cinematic-universe"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/She-Hulk-attorney-at-law-poster.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/She-Hulk-attorney-at-law-poster.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/She-Hulk-attorney-at-law-poster.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/She-Hulk-attorney-at-law-poster.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/She-Hulk-attorney-at-law-poster.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6373,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/09\/14\/peter_david_bru.html","url_meta":{"origin":1704,"position":3},"title":"Peter David Bruce Banner","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 14-Sep-04 9:34am","format":false,"excerpt":"Peter David is back -- for the moment, at least -- as writer on The Incredible Hulk. 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