Customer Reviews

Incredible Hulk, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

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...but Marvel has finally decided to release the MM series in softcover formats at half the price. Here's hoping that stick with it.
Nothing spectacular in this set, it's the original six issues of the Hulk's 1962 run. Unlike the previous HC set, however,the color restoration process is based off of the original issues. Meaning, the Hulk's hair and skin are all one bland yellow-green, and Banner is shown with black hair.

I love the masteworks series. the hardcover looks better than this one though. Still even this looks better than the original comics which were printed on cheap paper. At least it doesn't look like the awful dc archives series in which the they just copy yellowing comics. YEUCK. This is the birth of a legend. And as the six issues progress you see a change in the hulk. He starts out as a grey monster, this version was revived in the 80's and it was a good one. He starts out smart and gets less so as the series goes on. He learns to jump high in issue three, he becomes green in issue two by the way. He then begins to change at night only, this eventually changes to him changing by use of a gamma ray gun with rick jones (his teenage sidekick) help. In spite of all this it still makes sense that the hulk would change alot due to his nature of creation. And some of these early changes return in much later story lines. but for the midsixties to the mid80's hulk would not have most of these early traits. They would return later though and that's pretty cool. They only did the first six issues here and then volume two comes along to give you alot more. Jack kirby's art is featured in five of these issues, dick ayers and paul reinman do a fine job of inking and were two of the king's better inkers back then. And of course Steve Ditko does a great job with issue six and he inks issue two as well. whenever he inks something it becomes very ditkoesque to be sure , so you may think he penciled that one but he didn't. The softcvers are a great deal and I hope marvel keeps this up because the hardcovers ,while better are much more expensive. The book has some extras too, like original art and various cover reprints to marvel collector item classics. (that title reprinted marvel stories and later became marvels greatest comics) .

If you are looking to read these first stories of the Hulk this is the book for you. What I don't understand why Marvel deviated from the norm and only included the first six issues instead of the first ten like they did for the rest of the Masterworks line.