Customer Reviews

Incredible Hulk Visionaries - Peter David, Vol. 2 (v. 2)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the second volume in the Peter David/Todd McFarlane run, these issues hit their stride as Peter David gives us the Wolverine/Hulk smackdown and then lets the supporting characters call them idiots for fighting in the first place. This moment is one of many (there's a similar Rhino story) that show both Peter David's affection for the genre and his willingness to break "the rules" when it suits believable story telling. (in other words, comic book logic dictates that big muscle bound mutants fight. Real world logic dictates that most men avoid fights. David lets the RL logic invade.)

The 80s were an interesting time for comic books as Alan Moore and Frank Miller were breaking the established rules and telling stories that fell outside the tedious standards. Peter David's run on the Hulk was very similar to Moore's Swamp Thing revolution, in that he took a long established storyline (in Moore's case it was Swamp Thing's thwarted yearning to be 'human again', in David's case it was Banner's inability to control his raging green id.) and shifted it into something new. His version of the Hulk was funny, witty, mean-spirited and grey. He also allowed the weird experiments to change the rules of the Hulk (he became a werewolf more or less).

Sadly, Peter David was working against the entropy that is the Marvel universe which decrees that all characters should go back to their original 1964 concept, no matter how boring. Peter David would later make the Hulk green again (but well adjusted) and then left the series to lesser writers who returned the the same old garbage.

For that reason alone, you should buy this book to see what happened when one writer was allowed to play with a character that had been trapped in the ether of "continuity."

Marvel continues its series of Hulk Visionaries: Peter David trade paperbacks with a re-release of the conclusion to the famed writer's "Ground Zero" storyline, this time with all the pages and scenes fully restored!

In addition to the Gray Hulk's legendary battle with Wolverine, and his subsequent skirmishes with the Leader and minions Half-Life, Rock, and Redeemer, this collection also includes the first two issues where the Hulk loses the torn pants and dons a three-piece suit and hat to become "Mr. Fixit", an enforcer and legbreaker for a Las Vegas casino, one of the most unique takes on the character to date.

Peter David continues to astound, taking the earliest concept of the Hulk as an "atomic age Jekyll and Hyde" and developing it into something truly remarkable: a Hulk who finally has the life of his dreams, constantly fearing that Bruce Banner will one day resurface and take it all away from him. Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, and Jeff Purves lend their artistic talents to these stories, fittingly marking the ending of one era and the beginning of the next.

Also featuring a battle with the Hulk's longtime sparring partner, the Absorbing Man, Hulk Visionaries: Peter David 2 is another classic milestone in the existence of the gray goliath. Keep them coming, Marvel!

The second collected volume of Peter David's unheralded run on the Incredible Hulk, this TPB is more ample proof that no one has ever written Marvel's jade (or gray as he is here) giant better. This volume of Hulk Visionaries finds the Hulk taking on the Leader and an assortment of villains, as well as a knock down, drag out brawl with Wolverine. Also in this TPB is the first appearance of the suit wearing "Mr. Fixit" Hulk who takes a job in a Vegas casino. It's truly something that has to be seen to be believed, but for longtime Hulk readers who fondly remember the heyday of David's run, they know that this was the beginning of something really special and unique in the history of the character. All in all, whether you enjoyed the first TPB or are a fan of Peter David's monumental Hulk run, Hulk Visionaries Vol. 2 is a must own.

In volume 2 of the Hulk visionaries; Peter David wraps up his first arc, while beginning a new one. The first issue in this collection is probably my favorite because it involves a bloody brawl with Wolverine. While other writers would have made the entire issue about this fight, David writes it off as a pointless battle, making both characters look like total idiots. It also let readers know that this was a writer who wouldn't rely on petty skirmishes to sell an issue, but was more interested in telling an engrossing story. I mean, let's face it: "Hulk Smash!" gets a little old after 300+ issues. Anyway, this volume also sees the culmination of the hunt for the gamma bombs, as the Leader enacts his final solution for the Hulk. Let's just say it involves a big bang! Todd McFarlane completes his run on the book( he would go on to make a name for himself on the amazing spider-man). The final 2 issues of this collection start the Mr. Fix-It era of the Hulk, and are drawn by Jeff Purves

While technically the majority of the comics reprinted in this volume had been collected before in the "Ground Zero" TPB over a decade earlier, long-time fans will notice that pages that had been accidentally swapped in one issue and left out in another have been restored in this edition.
PAD and Todd McFarlane's break-out issue begins here with HULK #340, a bloody battle between Marvel's most popular mutant and revitalized gamma monster. McFarlane continues to astound with his art during these issues, but leaves on a lackluster note with a poor showing on #345 and layouts for Erik Larsen to fill in for #346.
The final issue in this volume kicks off with a new artist, Jeff Purves, and a new direction for the gray goliath as a Las Vegas enforcer named Mr. Fixit.
On a personal note, these comics were a constant companion during my 5th and 6th grade years. Whether it was a trip to the store, someplace to eat, or on a camping trip, this stack of Hulk comics went with me. It's nice to know that instead of pulling out these battered and beaten copies from 20 years ago, I can now read them together in a set.