Planet Hulk: The Gladiator Guidebook

[Soundrave]

I've visited some other message boards where this has been getting some really good buzz. I hear it contains a lot of original maps of the planet, cities, and solar system plus a ton of character bios that will take "days" to read -- but the reviews haven't otherwise been very specific about the book's contents or overall format.

Did anybody here pick it up? Is the format like a traditional OHOTMU issue? Is there a checklist on the back (like they have with most Handbooks) that lists the subject-matter covered inside? If so, could you share? I ordered mine over the 'net (since my LCS always underorders Handbooks for some reason) and probably won't get it until next week.

[Gargus]

I couldnt tell I just flipped through it but put it back. Ive been tricked to many times into buying stuff like that thats virtually useless and just a ploy to cash in on a popular story at the time.

Least its not as shameless as the walking dead issue that had nothing but dialouge from the first 3 or 4 issues in it.

[Soundrave]

Okay, thanks for all your help!

[drwho]

If Marvel was smart they would have included short stories about the more prominent gladiators in it. I havent read it but I'm not into buying pin up and character profile books. If there happens to be any stories please note the fact here.

[Expletive Deleted]

It's less a guide to the characters than a guide to the setting. Details on the planet, the system, the government, the flora and fauna, and so on and so forth. There are maps, diagrams, and all that fun stuff. It's a hoot, if you like this kind of thing.

There are a profiles of Hulk's team and a few of the Imperials, but that's not the focus of the book.

[Soundrave]

Okay, I went to my comic shop and they had one issue left, so I took that as a sign and bought it (I guess I can sell my mail-order copy on e-bay).

If you’re looking for brand-new material then this is the book for you. It’s hard to say exactly what percentage of the book consists of entirely new info because the new info seems to be seamlessly woven in with existing info, but I’d estimate it’s well over 75% new material.

There are plenty of stories in there presented in a textbook-style format, stuff like the Emperor’s father’s rise to power, the emergence of civilization on Sakaar, and the origin of the Wildebots. It’s all very cool stuff which I think foreshadows many plots to come in the series. There also appears to be 3 original, 2-page maps; diagrams on the Natives, Death’s Heads, and Spikes like they did in the old school OHOTMUs; and a sneak peak at the cover to HULK #99.

It’s way too early to tell (I’ve only read about 2 out of 48 pages) but this may be my favorite Handook-style project to date.

There’s no subject-matter list on the back cover, but there is a table of contents on the first page:

Star System
Geography
Society
Wildlife
Wildebots
The Imperials
History
Culture/Society
The Emperor
Ronan Kaifi
Primus Vand
Governor of Wukar
Crown City
Technology
The Natives
History/Culture/Society
Physiology
Shadow People
History/Culture/Society
The Lieutenant
The Spikes
History/Physiology
The Great Games
History/Rules
Great Arena
The Maw
Brood Creature
Green Scar
Hiroim
Elloe
Korg
Miek
Silver Savage
Lavin Skee
Red King’s Emergency Address

[LordEd1976]

Did anyone pick up the Planet Hulk Gladiator guide? If so, can you tell me who's in it?

[Mick Martin]

I'm almost done reading it now, and I like it for the most part. I don't usually go in for guidebooks, but this has a lot of info you wouldn't necessarily know if you just read the comics, whereas most guidebooks pretty much summarize everything you would know anyway if you read the comics. In a brief interview in Giant-Size Hulk #1, one of the writers likened it the the Appendices in the back of The Lord of the Rings, and I think that's pretty accurate. If nothing else, the facts conveyed definitely speak to how far Pak and Co. went to create a setting for "Planet Hulk."

I don't like the formatting, particular how they handle the pictures. With the exception of the various maps (which are cool), most of the pictures are taken straight out of the comics, and in a lot of cases - particularly in the "Wildlife" section - the pics are shrunk so small you can barely see what they're talking about.

[Soundrave]

I'm almost done reading it now, and I like it for the most part. I don't usually go in for guidebooks, but this has a lot of info you wouldn't necessarily know if you just read the comics, whereas most guidebooks pretty much summarize everything you would know anyway if you read the comics. In a brief interview in Giant-Size Hulk #1, one of the writers likened it the the Appendices in the back of The Lord of the Rings, and I think that's pretty accurate. If nothing else, the facts conveyed definitely speak to how far Pak and Co. went to create a setting for "Planet Hulk."

I don't like the formatting, particular how they handle the pictures. With the exception of the various maps (which are cool), most of the pictures are taken straight out of the comics, and in a lot of cases - particularly in the "Wildlife" section - the pics are shrunk so small you can barely see what they're talking about.


Good review, though I generally love the Marvel Handbooks and didn't find the images or print too small.

As for that "466 Post" thing in the Korg profile, I'm guessing that it was just a typo that was intended to read something like "566 Post." The Emperor's address in the final pages of the book actually suggests that a Sakaarian year is longer than an Earth year (re: 370th day), so that eliminates your first theory, and I think they would've mentioned Portal-induced time-warps if they existed. So that leaves me with "typo," choice C.

I think Hannibal Tabu summed up my feelings about the Handbook best in his column this week:


Rebounding from that insulting "Westerns" installment, this fascinating reference tome fully paints a picture of a well-developed alien world and culture, doing the sort of world building one would expect from a Kevin Anderson and only relying on two familiar faces to give the reader any thread to the normal Marvel universe environs. If this is indeed a real new direction and not just a diversion from the Hulk's everyday life (like that Jarella thing that was much ado about nothing), this "publication" of an extraterrestrial publishing company is a fantastic way to draw readers in, itself written with great skill by Anthony Flamini and Greg Pak with art helmed by the great Jim Calafiore with contributions from the likes of Aaron Lopestri, Ladronn, Ryan Sook, Alex Maleev, James Raiz and more. Even though the likes of "Wolverine" writer Marc Guggenheim (and yes, it's just taking shots at that guy for kicks these days, more for amusement than for being "mean") don't understand why having such fascinating reference material is crucial and interesting, knowing the facts of things can only enhance and inform any other reading one does with a mental framework of order that only a shared universe can provide.

[steve2275]

bought it
like it
still reading it

[Expletive Deleted]

I've been reading it a bit at a time, and I have to say I'm becoming more and more impressed by Pak's worldbuilding. It's interesting, it's internally consistent, and it seems fairly original (as far as these things go).

Really, this Guidebook is more like a good RPG supplement than a Handbook.

[Beacon]

I've visited some other message boards where this has been getting some really good buzz. I hear it contains a lot of original maps of the planet, cities, and solar system plus a ton of character bios that will take "days" to read -- but the reviews haven't otherwise been very specific about the book's contents or overall format.

Did anybody here pick it up? Is the format like a traditional OHOTMU issue?

The character bios are similar but not exactly the same. If I were to describe them in terms of other Marvel resource material, I’d say the individual bios read a bit like the current Handbooks but without the stat bars. If someone’s abilities are significant enough (such as “Green Scar”/Hulk’s strength) then the writers list it in the text.

Expletive Deleted hit it on the nose when he said the comic was more a guide to the planet than a handbook. In that sense, there’s an insane amount of detail in this thing; maps, notes on the history and cultures of various alien races, ect. That aspect of the book is probably even better than the race entries (the ones for major ones like the Kree or the Skrulls, not the brief ones for minor races that didn’t even take up a full page) way back in the Deluxe Editions.

Is there a checklist on the back (like they have with most Handbooks) that lists the subject-matter covered inside? If so, could you share?

There are solicitations for issues “coming soon” (the Planet Hulk: Anarchy comics) but no actual checklist for the overall story.

[Soundrave]

Really, this Guidebook is more like a good RPG supplement than a Handbook.


But can a 12th-level Imperial Guardsman employ enough 4 HD Natives to destroy a 29th-level Devil Corker?

[Beacon]

But can a 12th-level Imperial Guardsman employ enough 4 HD Natives to destroy a 29th-level Devil Corker?

Saving throw! Do a Saving throw!

[Dirk Anger]

The idea for this book is neat and the overall quality of the presentation is great, but unless you're a Hulk collector I can't see this book being worth the $3.99 charge. There's tons of new, unique content regarding the Planet Hulk storyline, but in hindsight I wouldn't have picked this book up. I enjoy the Hulk and am keeping the Planet Hulk run on my pull list. This one-shot just isn't worth it to me.