An epic story of anger unbound! Exiled by a group of Marvel "heroes" to the savage alien planet of Sakaar, the Hulk raged, bled and conquered through the pages of last year's "Planet Hulk" epic, rising from slave to gladiator to king. Now the Hulk returns to Earth to wreak his terrible vengeance on Iron Man, Reed Richards, Dr. Strange and Black Bolt ? and anyone else who gets in the way. Stronger than ever, accompanied by his monstrous Warbound gladiator allies, and possessed by the fiercest and purest rage imaginable, the Hulk may just tear this stupid planet in half. Collects World War Hulk #1-5.
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38 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
World War Hulk is the comic book equivalent of a summer action movie: long on action and fun, but short on plot. If that appeals to you, then grab your popcorn, sit back, and enjoy! Pretty much the same thing happens in all 5 issues: a succession of Marvel's heroes all line up to stop the Hulk, who's madder than he's ever been -- and one by one, they all fail. Up until the last issue, which seemed a little cliched (see spoiler alert below).
The Hulk has always been one of my favorite characters, and it was nice to see him in a big "event" comic which affects other Marvel characters. Then again, it doesn't really affect other characters much, because, by the end, lots of people have been beat up, and lots of property damage has occurred, but nothing else really changes. Nobody dies, nobody's life is changed, and the status quo is pretty much the same at the end as the beginning.
The fact that the Hulk is prepared to wipe out the entire eastern seaboard makes it a little hard to root for him. And the fact that no heroes have any success at stopping him makes the storyline seem a little repetitive -- like it doesn't really matter what anybody tries next, because the result is only going to be the same as with the last hero who tried. That is, until the last issue, when ...[SPOILER ALERT]... the Sentry fights Hulk to a standstill, and the Hulk finally calms down. Sentry is referred to all throughout the book as one of the Hulk's closest friends, and the one character who could always calm Hulk down, which does build up anticipation for the final battle, but to me it also raised another question: Who in the world is the Sentry? I've collected almost 250 Hulk comics, from each decade that the Hulk has been published, including all issues of the then-current "Incredible Hulk" series that ran at the same time as WWH, and I'd never even heard of Sentry before. When did he and Hulk meet? How did they become such close friends? Sentry seemed a little like a deus ex machina, thrown in to give the storyline some resolution. It would have made more sense if the final character who turned the tide had a more familiar history with the Hulk (like Rick Jones, She-Hulk, Leonard Samson, the Bruce Banner persona, or even the recently-resurrected Betty Ross).
Well, these are all criticisms of the story, which is fairly pedestrian. But most people won't buy this for the story. As a simple, straightforward action story, which shows "the Hulk doing what he does best," this book is a lot of fun. He smashes everyone and everything in sight.
The strongest selling-point for this book is the art: I have seen about 40 artists portray the Hulk, and John Romita Jr. is one of the best, and probably my all-time favorite -- and here, he cuts loose like never before. One reason for the paucity of story is the high number of splash pages and oversized panels, which really show off JRJR's beautiful art. He captures such rich emotion in the faces of the characters, and his Hulk displays a primal ferocity which almost makes you feel his anger yourself. Also, the covers by David Finch (if they're reprinted in this volume) are wonderful -- easily equal to the gorgeous covers Ladronn put out for the earlier "Planet Hulk" issues.
If you're interested in a smash-em-up fun-read, or if you're upset with the way Marvel's "Civil War" ended, then you'll probably like this book, because two of the strongest proponents of the "Superhero Registration Act" (Iron Man & Mr. Fantastic) are among the first to get it. If you open it up expecting a prolonged, intense, lavishly-illustrated battle royale, involving all sorts of superhero guest stars, and you don't expect much in the way of plot development, you won't be disappointed.
The Hulk has always been one of my favorite characters, and it was nice to see him in a big "event" comic which affects other Marvel characters. Then again, it doesn't really affect other characters much, because, by the end, lots of people have been beat up, and lots of property damage has occurred, but nothing else really changes. Nobody dies, nobody's life is changed, and the status quo is pretty much the same at the end as the beginning.
The fact that the Hulk is prepared to wipe out the entire eastern seaboard makes it a little hard to root for him. And the fact that no heroes have any success at stopping him makes the storyline seem a little repetitive -- like it doesn't really matter what anybody tries next, because the result is only going to be the same as with the last hero who tried. That is, until the last issue, when ...[SPOILER ALERT]... the Sentry fights Hulk to a standstill, and the Hulk finally calms down. Sentry is referred to all throughout the book as one of the Hulk's closest friends, and the one character who could always calm Hulk down, which does build up anticipation for the final battle, but to me it also raised another question: Who in the world is the Sentry? I've collected almost 250 Hulk comics, from each decade that the Hulk has been published, including all issues of the then-current "Incredible Hulk" series that ran at the same time as WWH, and I'd never even heard of Sentry before. When did he and Hulk meet? How did they become such close friends? Sentry seemed a little like a deus ex machina, thrown in to give the storyline some resolution. It would have made more sense if the final character who turned the tide had a more familiar history with the Hulk (like Rick Jones, She-Hulk, Leonard Samson, the Bruce Banner persona, or even the recently-resurrected Betty Ross).
Well, these are all criticisms of the story, which is fairly pedestrian. But most people won't buy this for the story. As a simple, straightforward action story, which shows "the Hulk doing what he does best," this book is a lot of fun. He smashes everyone and everything in sight.
The strongest selling-point for this book is the art: I have seen about 40 artists portray the Hulk, and John Romita Jr. is one of the best, and probably my all-time favorite -- and here, he cuts loose like never before. One reason for the paucity of story is the high number of splash pages and oversized panels, which really show off JRJR's beautiful art. He captures such rich emotion in the faces of the characters, and his Hulk displays a primal ferocity which almost makes you feel his anger yourself. Also, the covers by David Finch (if they're reprinted in this volume) are wonderful -- easily equal to the gorgeous covers Ladronn put out for the earlier "Planet Hulk" issues.
If you're interested in a smash-em-up fun-read, or if you're upset with the way Marvel's "Civil War" ended, then you'll probably like this book, because two of the strongest proponents of the "Superhero Registration Act" (Iron Man & Mr. Fantastic) are among the first to get it. If you open it up expecting a prolonged, intense, lavishly-illustrated battle royale, involving all sorts of superhero guest stars, and you don't expect much in the way of plot development, you won't be disappointed.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
After the tragic events of the spectacular Planet Hulk, Marvel's green goliath returns to Earth with revenge on his mind in World War Hulk. Setting his sights on the ones that tricked him and shot him into space: Tony "Iron Man" Stark, Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards, Doctor Strange, and the Black Bolt, the Hulk takes on all those that stand in his way (including the New Avengers, the rest of the Fantastic Four, and more) as he and his Warbound turn New York City (and Madison Square Garden) into a total warzone. While the overall story of World War Hulk is great fun, the story as a whole just feels short. While there are a number of tie-in's to the event (but thankfully not as many as there were with Civil War), the main World War Hulk story just feels like there is a lot missing, especially the involvement of Hercules, who you will find plays a pretty big role in other featured tie-in's. While it isn't the classic that Planet Hulk was, writer Greg Pak still continues to be the best Hulk writer since Peter David (and Bruce Jones to a lesser degree), and the artwork from the great John Romita Jr. and veteran inker Klaus Janson impresses, even in the cataclysmic final battle between the Hulk and the Sentry, which is the comic art equivalent of an exploding sun. All in all, World War Hulk may be too short, but it is an enjoyable Marvel event, and ends up being more satisfying than Civil War ever ended up being.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By M. burns
Format:Hardcover
World War Hulk is a good series which sees the Hulk returning to Earth for retribution on those that in his mind betrayed him and their freindship for the good of humanity. What makes this comic really good is that the Hulk is going after some of the "superheroes" that I have always wanted to see get killed/crap beaten out of them, notably Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic. Unfortunately, as is commonplace with Marvel, the series falls apart with a typical Marvel ending. I won't spoil anything but if you have read any Marvel series you already know how they conclude things and how ultimately the story has no impact on the Marvel universe expect to set up another 2-3 series (an example but not related is the killing of Captain America only to say he wasn't killed but transported to an alternate dimension).
Good
- Story (9/10): Strong up until the end. Finally a story that lives up to the Hulk's brutal nature.
- Graphics/Drawings (7-8/10): Most of the comic looks good (but not awesome) but has small areas here and there that look amateur.
Bad
- The ending.
- Nothing major happens.
Good
- Story (9/10): Strong up until the end. Finally a story that lives up to the Hulk's brutal nature.
- Graphics/Drawings (7-8/10): Most of the comic looks good (but not awesome) but has small areas here and there that look amateur.
Bad
- The ending.
- Nothing major happens.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh Yeah!
Man, Hulk is a complete beast in these Comics. If you've read Planet Hulk, this is a definate must to read after!
Published 1 day ago by Jacob
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
great sequel to Planet Hulk, not even a fan of The Hulk, but i couldn't put this series down, highly recommended great read
Published 5 days ago by WMKzelis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great series!
This had a fantastic story, though it drags a bit at points. It's a more intelligent version of the hulk than I'm used to seeing, but I enjoyed it a great deal! Read more
Published 26 days ago by John Christopher Scott
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fitting Enough Payback for a Wronged 'Hero'
While unable to maintain the all around brilliance found in 'Planet Hulk' Pak still manages to convey the Hulk's rage better than anyone in recent years. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Craig Medaris
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hulk most certainly smashes.
If you enjoy Hulk, this is a no-brainer. While not the biggest fan of the big lug, from time to time I enjoy reading some excessive violence and WWH certainly delivers that. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nick Lew
4.0 out of 5 stars
All hail the worldbreaker!
This was a very good Hulk story that follows the Planet Hulk story. I have not read that yet and am still trying to get a hold of a copy. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Nelson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't live up to PH
Get it to finish the story. But it simply doesn't live up to Planet Hulk. Shorter, little to no character development (for a graphic novel anyways), lack of that sympathy you had... Read more
Published 6 months ago by noelv
3.0 out of 5 stars
World War Hulk: Slightly Disappointing
I bought World War Hulk because I bought Planet Hulk years ago and enjoyed it immensely. I liked the continuation of the story from the previous comic, however I found the story in... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Des
2.0 out of 5 stars
Hulk bores
Hulk was sent away from Earth in a spaceship by Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Dr Strange, and Black Bolt, because he's too dangerous/unstable. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Noel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible!
This (along with Planet Hulk) is by far my favorite Hulk comic. Great story and artwork. I highly recommend to any Hulk/Marvel fan.
Published on February 14, 2011 by Caniac Man Cave
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