Peter David's Hulk? [Archive] - Comic Book Resources Forums

Netley

03-25-2008, 04:38 PM

I have a real fondness for his run, since it began a couple years before I started reading comics and was the most consistently good title I had ever read for a looong time. He was on that title for like a decade, and built quite a bit of Hulk mythology throughout his tenure (though Marvel has since scrapped a bunch of it). The best part about PAD for me is his humor (especially in his Hulk run). The man is literally a walking pun.

One of the first comics I ever read in my life was David's Incredible Hulk #374, which had stunning art by Dale Keown (THE premier Hulk artist, imo). I must have read that issue at least 20 or 30 times in my childhood, it was just so damn awesome! Incidentally, it featured Skrulls infiltrating a town in a very sneaky way, and Bruce Jones being confronted by Skrulls impersonating Captain Marvel, Bucky, and Kid Hulk (or something) to try and make him go insane for brainwashing purposes.

Hulkamaniac

03-25-2008, 05:07 PM

PAD's run on Incredible Hulk I would say is inarguably one of the top three runs of any Hulk writer.It happens to be my personal fav. I'd say that qualifies it for a "marvel visionaries" tag! :cool:

beetheb

03-25-2008, 05:17 PM

PAD's Hulk is the comic that got me into comics. The dialogue was decades ahead of it's time, the interpersonal relationships remarkably complex and intriguing at a time when Liefeld-esque "Big guns, big muscles and bombast" stories dominated the medium.

I'd say PAD's Hulk, if put to a vote, would ultimately come out to be the best Hulk run yet. Stan, Jack and Steve's first 6 issues were groundbreaking, but only the Genesis of the character, and a fleeting (6 issues) one at that. So aside from maybe Len Wein, I can't see any other real competition.

So yeah, I'd say it's worthy of a Marvel Visionaries line and then some.

Netley

03-25-2008, 05:37 PM

PAD's Hulk is the comic that got me into comics. The dialogue was decades ahead of it's time, the interpersonal relationships remarkably complex and intriguing at a time when Liefeld-esque "Big guns, big muscles and bombast" stories dominated the medium.

Couldn't agree more! Hulk existing in the context of the Liefeld years seriously emphasized its greatness. PAD, Keown, and Frank consistently delivered stories that made me both think and laugh in the midst of chromium covers, unnecessary pouch-belts, and splash page orgies.

Let's talk favorite issues/arcs! Another one of mine (and I'm sure a lot of peoples') is #377, where things get really psychological and the split personality aspect is explored in depth. I loved how Keown drew such distinct versions of the 3 different Hulks - and I loved them all interacting inside Bruce's mind! (Don't worry, that's not really giving the storyline away.)

Marcus_Maximus

03-25-2008, 05:56 PM

What do people think of PD's first run on Hulk? Is it worthy of the 'marvel visionaries' tag or is this just a marketing ploy?

Definitely. His last issue on this run was the best.

CBikle

03-25-2008, 05:56 PM

Definitely one of my favorite runs as the stories were a lot more different than what we'd gotten used to and I kind of wished they had kept the status quo that PAD had established from the book

Banner in a stabilized and permanent Hulk form had married Betty and made his peace with Thunderbolt Ross and was in fact, working with him to deal with other gamma-menaces and threats

agrich

03-25-2008, 07:37 PM

Yeah, it's great stuff.

I should mention that I read the Hulk all while growing up and have a run from about 136 right up through David's last issue (367). I quit in the early 300s, right after Byrne left the book, because it had finally just really sunk in quality to a point where I couldn't read the thing any more.

A couple of years later I picked up a couple of David's issues, curious about this Gray Hulk. Got hooked again. Picked up all the ones I'd missed and continued through the end of David's run. Quit shortly thereafter again -- ironically, right around the time Byrne was writing it again, for 7 issues at the beginning of the current volume.

I didn't care much for the last couple of years of David's run, but by and large from 330 (331?) right on through the 430s or so, it was really fantastic stuff. Especially the Gray Hulk stuff, which ran through the 370s. I really miss that character, still.

Netley

03-25-2008, 07:52 PM

Definitely. His last issue on this run was the best.

It was a really cool ending, huh! With the narrator reading the book, and all - I liked that a lot. I read an interview where PAD says he had to a planned-out, eventual ending to his massive run that he had to cram into a couple issues. That's a shame. I wish he was able to give an epic send off to that book and expand on that cool story at the end.

If memory serves correct, Marvel told David to write "Savage" Hulk stories that were more analogous to the 70's TV show, to which he said "nope. Have you guys payed attention to what I've done with the Hulk over the last decade?" Then they gave the book to John Byrne, who made sure to tell stories of Bruce wandering from town to town, meeting people who at some point make him angry, and then wandering to the next town (I'm surprised they didn't rename him "David Banner").

(No offense to Mr. Byrne or anything, but that editorial revamp pissed me off back then far more than OMB ever will!)

I guess PAD did get to write Hulk: The End (with Keown art, no less!), but for some reason I didn't really dig that as much as I was expecting. He also wrote Future Imperfect, featuring Hulk and his future self Maestro (and art by Perez!) that was a pretty cool mini.

In fact, thinking about it, PAD's been able to end Hulk a couple times! And that's fine by me.

Catlin

03-25-2008, 09:42 PM

I loved his Hulk run, especially his intro of the Pantheon. I loved those guys.

alexr

03-25-2008, 11:50 PM

dabig2

03-26-2008, 02:25 AM

Two Words: Awe-Some!

He stuff was great and he got to play with Banner's origin, making him tragic. Hey forget, SPider-man The Hulk seems to have lost two wives now!

He also got to work with some of the great Hulk artists: McFarlane (my personal hero), Keown, Frank, and which ever Kubert worked on the book.

And a girlfriend! And unlike all other characters, the Hulk/Banner even obtaining a girlfriend or wife is a special thing in itself. So when he loses one, it's a huuuuge deal ;)

And yeah, I to have to dole out the praises of PAD's run. I'd call it "the" defining run of the Hulk mythos. There was so much character development and a lot of development on the man behind the monster and his relationship to humanity (post-Pantheon mostly). Speaking of the Pantheon, I hear Pak wants to bring them into a couple stories later on. Great news!

beetheb

03-26-2008, 03:02 AM

Couldn't agree more! Hulk existing in the context of the Liefeld years seriously emphasized its greatness. PAD, Keown, and Frank consistently delivered stories that made me both think and laugh in the midst of chromium covers, unnecessary pouch-belts, and splash page orgies.Definitely. Funny you mention storyarcs later in your post, as one of my favorite PAD/Keown arcs was "War and Pieces", which directly satirized (at least in my mind) the "Look how big my gun is" trend that dominated Marvel at the time.

Let's talk favorite issues/arcs!Oh man, can I just cheat and call #347-368 one giant storyarc? Seriously, Joe Fixit more or less embodied the kind of Hulk that appealed to me. The perfect mish-mash of attitude, charisma, compassion (though he'd deny it), humor and balls. I really miss ol' Joe sometimes, even though I saw traces of him reemerge during Planet/World War Hulk.

I'd say Fixit's Jarella's World arc was a stand-out, Purves kicked ass on those issues.
Issue #'s 372-376, and of course the infamous 377 courtesy of Mr. Keown were all a sight to behold. Truly the renaissance of the PAD/Keown era..
"Ground Zero" was exceptional. McFarlane's Hulk was a little too wrinkly, but the Gray Hulks characterization was as appealing as ever. Plus, this arc made The Leader a legitimate villain again.
Hulk's first encounter with The Pantheon, first fight and subsequent joining was a great storyline (what issues were they? 379-383 or somesuch?)
The aforementioned "War and Pieces". Hulk vs. PAD's X-Factor + Rick's moral quandary = great comics.
Issue #405, Hulk's confrontation with Ajax over Achilles and Atlanta stands out in my mind as one of the best single issues of Hulk ever written. It put a lump in my throat the first time I read it, and accompnaied by GF's gorgeous art remains to this day a poignant tale.

Ah, I could go on, but I'll stop there. Someone else will have to chime in on The Troyjan War, Myth Conceptions, Ghosts of the Future and Adam Kubert's run.

Lombardo!

03-26-2008, 03:32 AM

so good. definately a Marvel Visionary

Netley

03-26-2008, 03:32 AM

Oh man, can I just cheat and call #347-368 one giant storyarc? Seriously, Joe Fixit more or less embodied the kind of Hulk that appealed to me. The perfect mish-mash of attitude, charisma, compassion (though he'd deny it), humor and balls. I really miss ol' Joe sometimes, even though I saw traces of him reemerge during Planet/World War Hulk.

Those were great tales! Gray Hulk in Vegas as a casino/mob enforcer...hilarity did ensue! (And Marlo was originally Fixit's girl...awkward! Haha)

I'd say Fixit's Jarella's World arc was a stand-out, Purves kicked ass on those issues.

That one stood out for me too because, if memory serves correct, the tale is told in a non-chronological order. Doesn't he return from Jarella's world before that story is told or something?

"Ground Zero" was exceptional. McFarlane's Hulk was a little too wrinkly, but the Gray Hulks characterization was as appealing as ever. Plus, this arc made The Leader a legitimate villain again.

McFarlane really did love dousing Hulk with wrinkles, huh. This one had Hulk vs. Wolvie for the first time since Logan's first appearance in Hulk (#181), so that really seemed monumental to me!

Hulk's first encounter with The Pantheon, first fight and subsequent joining was a great storyline (what issues were they? 379-383 or somesuch?)

The Pantheon was a great concept! What a cool addition to the MU (that was never utilized later). They were definitely present in the title by the early 380's, and were a big part of the cast for at least a year, I think.

The aforementioned "War and Pieces". Hulk vs. PAD's X-Factor + Rick's moral quandary = great comics.

This crossover so popped into my head when I first heard about the upcoming PAD's She-Hulk meets PAD's X-Factor. David's gotta give some kind of nod to this one in the new one or something. THat would be cool.

Issue #405, Hulk's confrontation with Ajax over Achilles and Atlanta stands out in my mind as one of the best single issues of Hulk ever written. It put a lump in my throat the first time I read it, and accompnaied by GF's gorgeous art remains to this day a poignant tale.

I remember that. You know what choked me up? The AIDs issue (#419?). That was an incredible comic book right there, especially when you factor in that it was a first-of-its-kind in the mid-90s. Very, very well done. (And talk about a moral quandary: the moral decision the Hulk has to make in this ish is HUGE!)

So anyone remember Piecemeal (sp?) from the Gary Frank era (early 400's)? When they're at the Loch Ness lake in Scottland? Frank was the perfect artist for that crazy weird-ass Piecemeal character!

MythicBrawn

03-26-2008, 07:43 AM

Overall, his run was excellent. I didn't really care for the gray Hulk but then I wasn't supposed to because of his character. The Professor Hulk was really cool. That was before successive writers got their hands on him and screwed him up.

Mike Smash!

03-26-2008, 10:20 AM

It's definitely Visionaries-worthy. Not only is it remarkably well written, but it's the one instance I've seen of an iconic superheroes' limits and versatility being tested in every possible way by a single creator over the course of over 12 years.

PAD took a character that no one wanted to write at the time and turned it into a must read book where anything could happen. He redefined the Hulk himself at least five times, built a body around the skeleton that Mantlo and others had built for him and revamped and improved upon every one of the Hulk's major foes and rivals during that run, while respecting what came before him.

And the variety! He gave us Hulk as a Vegas legbreaker, Hulk as a dystopian dictator, Hulk as leader of the Pantheon, Hulk as kind, Hulk as cruel, Hulk as grey, Hulk as green...

Any Hulk fan should pick those trades up.

Kefky

03-26-2008, 11:50 AM

It's one of those legendary runs in superhero comic runs that you just can't do justice with words. Endlessly entertaining, full of great characters, amazing, naturalistic dialog that was ahead of its time, nice meaty issues that left you satisfied each month.... And of course, some really great art throughout.

But I think the biggest accomplishment by PAD with that run is writing 100+ consecutive comics on a monthly basis, never once jumping the shark. It's a pretty rare achievement in mainstream comics, and one I have a lot of respect for. It's hard to grab people's attention for that long.

bring back leigon

03-26-2008, 04:18 PM

i hardly ever post but had to acknowledge PAD'd contribution
:)
1st comic i ever brought was by PAD, from the arc where hulk was poisoned by madman
i thought it was brilliant, i've been hooked ever since
i was gutted when his run finished and pretty much dropped the book
only thing to compare with PAD's run was planet hulk
it's a pity no one bothered to try and follow pad's vision of the hulk,

gorthon616

03-26-2008, 04:24 PM

I think it's funny that Planet Hulk and Merged (Peter David's) Hulk are probably the best Hulk arcs that have been written... yet it's still not what we think of when we think "the Hulk".... I wonder if one day that'll change.

TheAmazingSpidey

03-26-2008, 09:25 PM

Peter David's Hulk is amazing.

stingerman

03-26-2008, 10:16 PM

PD's Hulk were the first comics I ever collected. They are among my favorites.

Leocomix

03-27-2008, 02:35 PM

mrc1214

03-27-2008, 02:47 PM

From what I undestand the Marvel Visionaries is for those writers/artists that brought new life to old characters. PAD certainly did that with the Hulk (but what do you guys think of the incoming Hulk Visionaries: John Byrne?)

Byrnes run was great too and definitly deserves to be collected.

As far as the David run of Hulk its amazing and is my favorite run of all time.

Netley

03-27-2008, 03:06 PM

Has anyone ever read PAD's Hulk novel What Savage Beast? I read it in paperback back in the 90's and it's really amazing. It's basically the sequel to the Future Imperfect story, with Maestro and time travel, and it more than lives up to the original! (Though it's been quite some time since I've read either.)

I believe it even had George Perez art, like a black-and-white drawing per chapter or something. Anyway, this thread reminded me of that book, and I just wanted to say it's a good read. David writes prose with as much wit as he writes comics. And bigger-picture-wise, this actually fits perfectly/seamlessly into the continuity of Incredible Hulk (I believe around the early 400's, I think when Gary Frank was drawing it).

beetheb

03-27-2008, 03:08 PM

That one stood out for me too because, if memory serves correct, the tale is told in a non-chronological order. Doesn't he return from Jarella's world before that story is told or something?Yeah, after the events of "Ground Zero" and his supposed "death", Hulk just sort of...turns up in Vegas with a job as Berengetti's enforcer.
The reader was left with a collective "?" over their head till issues 351-352, which told in flashback the missing chunk of plot. I thought it was a pretty clever dynamic that arc had. Very "Memento"-ish.

McFarlane really did love dousing Hulk with wrinkles, huh. This one had Hulk vs. Wolvie for the first time since Logan's first appearance in Hulk (#181), so that really seemed monumental to me!Yeah, that had to have been the best Hulk vs. Wolvie yet. The writing on that issue was just leaps and bounds better than almost anything else being produced by Marvel at the time. I think that may have been the first (Hulk) ish that really made people stop and say "So who is this David Peters guy, anyway?"

The Pantheon was a great concept! What a cool addition to the MU (that was never utilized later). They were definitely present in the title by the early 380's, and were a big part of the cast for at least a year, I think.Oh, they were in damn near every issue up through #425, which was the aptly named "Fall of the Pantheon" arc.

I never thought the dynamic between Hulk, Agamemnon and the Pantheon was quite as cool as in those first dozen or so issues, though. Not even when Hulk took over as group leader.

I remember that. You know what choked me up? The AIDs issue (#419?). That was an incredible comic book right there, especially when you factor in that it was a first-of-its-kind in the mid-90s. Very, very well done. (And talk about a moral quandary: the moral decision the Hulk has to make in this ish is HUGE!)I don't remember being overcome with emotion at this issue, but it was, and is, very jarring. Especially coming right off the emotional high of Rick and Marlo's wedding

So anyone remember Piecemeal (sp?) from the Gary Frank era (early 400's)? When they're at the Loch Ness lake in Scottland? Frank was the perfect artist for that crazy weird-ass Piecemeal character!Yeah, Piecemeal was pretty cool. He died in like, 3 issues or something, but he was cool.

Speaking of the early-400's, #406 is one of my favorite Hulk issues as well. Cap vs. Doc Samson vs. Hulk, a political debate going on in the midst of it, and yet none of it seemed forced or pretentious.

Plus, Marlo's "awakening" at the end was a great moment.

sbcomics

03-27-2008, 03:21 PM

Totally worth it. At one point, my favorite Marvel book - and arguably the best book they were putting out, for a few years, there.
Plus, art by Dale Keown and Gary Frank, two of my favorite artists. I haven't gone back and re-read many of these lately, but I'd say it merits the "Marvel Visionary" tag.

Netley

03-27-2008, 08:19 PM

I think that may have been the first (Hulk) ish that really made people stop and say "So who is this David Peters guy, anyway?"

Ahaha "David Peters"!

Oh, they were in damn near every issue up through #425, which was the aptly named "Fall of the Pantheon" arc.

You're totally right, what was I thinking? They were in it for a few years. For some reason I forgot about the "Fall" arc and everything.

Yeah, Piecemeal was pretty cool. He died in like, 3 issues or something, but he was cool.

Yeah, he was totally a throwaway character. I could see his creation stemming from Gary Frank asking PAD to create some wacky shape-shifter so he could play around and have fun with face structures and such (which I think is one of Frank's many strong points).

Speaking of the early-400's, #406 is one of my favorite Hulk issues as well. Cap vs. Doc Samson vs. Hulk, a political debate going on in the midst of it, and yet none of it seemed forced or pretentious.

And that's one of PAD's many strong points: being able to get political without being preachy or one-sided. He also does that well (which I think you mentioned earlier) in the Hulk/X-Facter crossover. Another time I think he really shined in this way was that death penalty 1-parter (370-something? 380-something?) that starred Doc Samson visiting a female death row inmate. That's one of my fav Hulk issues and Hulk is literally not even in the book. (I remember they even had a disclaimer on the cover: "Warning - Hulk does NOT appear in this issue" haha!)

Carl Creel

03-28-2008, 08:54 PM

I loved PADs first run on Hulk. He developed the character and introduced so many new ideas and concepts. It was without question one of the better story arcs in the Hulk's history, with all due respect of course to other Hulk writers. His stories do deserve to be put into trade form.
I was not a big fan of his second run on Hulk. His making the Bruce Jones run a dream was kind of arrogant on his part. His Hulk Destruction mini series was a complete mess. How he can say that Doc Samson appeared before the Abomination is beyond me. The Abomination appeared about 50 issues before Samson! I consider the series to be non-canon and I wish I didnt waste my money on it. When I sold it on Ebay a few months ago I took a loss but such is life.

Dr. Banner

03-28-2008, 08:57 PM

How he can say that Doc Samson appeared before the Abomination is beyond me. The Abomination appeared about 50 issues before Samson! I consider the series to be non-canon and I wish I didnt waste my money on it. When I sold it on Ebay a few months ago I took a loss but such is life.

Isn't it loosely tied into the video game that came out at roughly the same time? It used basically the same storyline.

HouseSolo

03-30-2008, 09:08 AM

I have a pretty big section of his run, but I can't remember exactly where it runs from like issue #a to issue #b so if anyone knows that'd be great, thanks.

agrich

03-30-2008, 10:13 AM

Byrnes run was great too and definitly deserves to be collected.

Not to quibble, but are you serious? Byrne's run was about 7 issues, interesting only for the minor idea of having the Hulk and Banner separated (which had been done before), and proving just how uninteresting a mindless Hulk really was. He then quit the book mid-story, leaving it careering along aimlessly for almost a year (lowlighted by the ridiculous long-haired Rick Jones Hulk) until David came in and saved it.

I like a whole lot of Byrne's work, but certainly not his forgettable Hulk run.

beetheb

03-30-2008, 03:24 PM

I have a pretty big section of his run, but I can't remember exactly where it runs from like issue #a to issue #b so if anyone knows that'd be great, thanks.He did a fill in issue for Milgrom, which was #328, then took over as series writer from #331-#467.

At one point, I had every PAD written issue, but my collection has slowly eroded over the years for various reasons. I'd say I still have about 90% of it, though.

Not to quibble, but are you serious? Byrne's run was about 7 issues, interesting only for the minor idea of having the Hulk and Banner separated (which had been done before), and proving just how uninteresting a mindless Hulk really was. He then quit the book mid-story, leaving it careering along aimlessly for almost a year (lowlighted by the ridiculous long-haired Rick Jones Hulk) until David came in and saved it.

I like a whole lot of Byrne's work, but certainly not his forgettable Hulk run.Quoted for truth.

Marcus_Maximus

03-30-2008, 04:38 PM

It was a really cool ending, huh! With the narrator reading the book, and all - I liked that a lot. I read an interview where PAD says he had to a planned-out, eventual ending to his massive run that he had to cram into a couple issues. That's a shame. I wish he was able to give an epic send off to that book and expand on that cool story at the end.

If memory serves correct, Marvel told David to write "Savage" Hulk stories that were more analogous to the 70's TV show, to which he said "nope. Have you guys payed attention to what I've done with the Hulk over the last decade?" Then they gave the book to John Byrne, who made sure to tell stories of Bruce wandering from town to town, meeting people who at some point make him angry, and then wandering to the next town (I'm surprised they didn't rename him "David Banner").

(No offense to Mr. Byrne or anything, but that editorial revamp pissed me off back then far more than OMB ever will!)

I guess PAD did get to write Hulk: The End (with Keown art, no less!), but for some reason I didn't really dig that as much as I was expecting. He also wrote Future Imperfect, featuring Hulk and his future self Maestro (and art by Perez!) that was a pretty cool mini.

In fact, thinking about it, PAD's been able to end Hulk a couple times! And that's fine by me.

yeah, that was such a sad ending. It was like the end of an era. I was hoping for the return of such good stories and was always disappointed until Greg Pak got onboard, culminating with WWH...now we have this new Red Hulk and I'm not feeling it at all!

HouseSolo

03-31-2008, 06:32 PM

He did a fill in issue for Milgrom, which was #328, then took over as series writer from #331-#467.

At one point, I had every PAD written issue, but my collection has slowly eroded over the years for various reasons. I'd say I still have about 90% of it, though.

Quoted for truth.

Alright, good deal. I've got 328, 331- about 420ish. I'll find the rest at random dollar boxes at shows, hopefully.

ForeverTaskmaster

04-08-2008, 09:17 AM

Peter David's Hulk was partially a good run.
Some parts were really good like the Mr Fixit period, Acts Of Vengeance, Countdown, the Merger, the beginning and end of the Pantheon, the Rick Jones-Marlo wedding and the Jim Wilson issue.
Other parts were less great.

And Jeff Purves was really the ultimate artist for Mr Fixit. Nobody had a better version. Mr Fixit really looked mean when Purves was drawing him.

I would still like to know what Purves is up to these days.

Optimus

04-08-2008, 11:58 AM

ChrisIII

04-08-2008, 12:57 PM

"What Savage Beast" I think takes place after the fall of the Pantheon but before the events in "Ghosts of the Future" (Where the Hulk temporarily becomes the Maestro) and Onslaught, issues #325-340 I believe.

agrich

04-08-2008, 01:17 PM

The biggest problem with the Fixit era was the art. It was really bad. Especially when you compare it to the Dale Keown stuff that succeeded it. The art is the only reason I don't have these trades. I did pick up the newest one though: Volume 5 which starts with the Countdown storyline, and is mostly Keown Art, plus the good Mr Hyde issue with Sam Keith. I plan to keep picking them up for a while.

One of my favorite Hulk issues during Peter's run is #380. The Hulk isn't even in that issue, but it's the story of 'Crazy 8' I loved how she got her name because the cop didn't know what the infinity sign was and thought it was 'some kind of crazy 8'

Jeff Purves was definitely not for everyone, but as the post above yours indicates, some people liked his stuff a lot. I did too; I thought it was perfect for the crafty, leg-breaker persona in the storyline. Neither MacFarlane nor Keown's style really fit with a Hulk wearing a suit. (The Hulk returned to Vegas for two issues during Keown's run, if memory serves, and then I think the Fixit persona also appeared in Spider-Man 328, by MacFarlane.)

I know some people didn't care for it, but I thought it was good. (Incidentally, I also have a soft spot for issue 380 -- I had a letter printed in that one.)

Mike Smash!

04-08-2008, 02:15 PM

Robogeek28

04-09-2008, 09:35 AM

While I agree that Jeff Purves' early stuff on Hulk was iffy at times, I feel that his later work on the title, as he found his legs, was some of the strongest I've seen on the title.

He really tightened up his pencils and improved by leaps and bounds over the course of his run.

I feel that he drew the definitive Gray Hulk, especially in his Vegas suit and tie.

I hafta agree. When he first came on I absolutely HATED his work, it didn't look good to me at all. But after awhile he just kept getting better and better and I really started to enjoy his last few issues. Too bad he didn't last until the end of Countdown though, but whatcha gonna do?

matthewaos

04-11-2008, 09:37 AM

beetheb

04-11-2008, 03:58 PM

His first run is one of the best in marvel. That's why I was dissapointed by his second one. I didn't knew he was staying just for a year, and I was waiting an epic long run. It was not bad, but it wasn't half as good as the first one.I think that was partly due to the fact that he knew he wasn't going to remain on the title for long, and so was more or less taking it an issue at a time. I'm not sure he had the time to make any grand, over-arching plans.
That said, Tempest Fugit wasn't at all bad, and the one-shot issue drawn by Jae Lee, where Bruce is helping the woman sorceress find her killer, was actually pretty damn good. I wasn't disappointed.

RE Jeff Purves: I liked almost all of Purves' stuff. He really had the ability to draw a lot better than he did sometimes, and there were certain issues, panels and covers that were really amazing. He had great storytelling abilities, and while his stuff was never very flashy, it was always dynamic and eye-catching.

There really haven't been many Hulk artists I couldn't find something to appreciate in. Even Liam "distended-veins" Sharpe had his good qualities.