Peter David Returns to the Hulk

[Sass 0]

From NEWSARAMA:

 

And six years after he wrote his final Hulk issue (#467), he's back. At his webblog, Peter David has announced that he's the new hulk writer starting with issue #77, which will be the first installment of the previously announced six issue miniseries, Tempest Fugit. David wrote:

 

Although this has been announced at various conventions, I haven't stated it here, and word hasn't apparently filtered through to the on-line community. So I figure I'll clarify matters, especially since I see folks on Newsarama wondering if "Tempest Fugit" is going to be a $3.50 per issue price point similar to the current Hulk/Thing limited series.

 

Bottom line is this: The combination of the positive fan response to the "Hulk" limited series by Lee Weeks and me, and the fact that Bruce Jones is now exclusive with DC, prompted Marvel to say, "Why the heck are we doing this as a limited series instead of as part of the ongoing?" So rather than it being issues 1-6 of "Tempest Fugit," the Hulk series will simply start up again in January after a four month hiatus and my storyline will be issues 77 through 82 of the regular book. Which means that, to all intents and purposes, I'm back writing the Hulk.

 

Whether I'll stay beyond that hinges on a few things. First, I want to make sure that I'm comfortable back writing the Hulk. So I've really only committed to six issues Then again, I initially only committed to six issues of "Young Justice," so it's not unprecedented for me to stay around.

 

Second, of course, is fan and retailer response, and third is whether Marvel wants to keep me around on the series. But naturally those two aspects are inextricably bound. If the retailer and fan support is there, that will send Marvel one message. If it's not, that sends them another. And they will act accordingly, and I wouldn't blame them.

 

So ultimately what it comes down to is, I'm back on "Hulk."

 

Whether I stay or not is up to a variety of factors, not the least of which is you guys.

 

Sass's Thoughts: All I can say is: Thank Jeebus Bruce Jones is leaving the book. From issue #34 to #76, the Hulk only fought 3 super villains. Only 3 villains got face time in a story that ran for 40 + issues and 3 years. The irony here is that the last villain the Hulk fought before Jones took over was the Leader (issue #32). The irony? Jones' final villain he had the Hulk face turned out to be the Leader who was supposed to be dead for all intents and purposes after the Hulk's last run-in with him, which saw him in a comatose "ghost" like state.

 

I wanted to read this last story arc by Jones' as the Leader's big comeback into comics but all I saw was a dope with a giant brain taking a back seat to what was one of the most convoluted and dragged out comic book stories I have ever read.

 

Comic books can be so fuckin retarded.

 

David hasn't written anything remarkable or substantial in compared quality to his Hulk run since he left the book in 1998. His Captain Marvel run blew and no one wanted to read a Joey-like spinoff with Rick and Margot playing foil to CM. Let's see if he'll finish what he started with killing off Betty (especially now that her corpse clone is running around in the pages of Hulk).

[algrim 0]

How did the leader come back, exactly? I thought he had crossed into another plane of existence or something.

[Sass 0]

His phsyical body was destroyed in Hulk #400. The slipping-into-another dimension thing came in Hulk #29 - #32 when he tried to kill the Hulk via poisoning. The Leader survived these two battles by transplanting a cloned version of his brain into a life chamber that he used to project holographic images along with being responsible for orchestrating the entire Hulk story drama from issue #34 to #76.

 

More than likely the Leader will come back again but this time the Hulk finished him off this time and doesn't look like he'll be able to come back any time soon. He got pretty trashed in this last fight (with Iron Man, Doc Samson and a bevy of beauties helping the Hulk out).

 

You can't kill big brain.

[Steviekick 0]

That is great.

 

I started picking up Hulk when Mike Deodato did an arch last year. However, I read all the issues, and they didn't make any sense. I even wound up reading the previous TPBs that Jones had written to see if that would help.

 

It didn't.

 

I just prey that Marvel doesn't have Jones signed to an exclusive contract and wind up sticking him on another book I may want to pick up.

[algrim 0]

This only proves one thing: the only badass foe the Hulk has is the Abomination.

[SuperJerk 0]

I thought David's Captain Marvel was great.

[starvenger 0]

How did the leader come back, exactly? I thought he had crossed into another plane of existence or something.

I figured that it was because of the "Dead is Dead (but only if you're Bucky or Uncle Ben)" rule at Marvel...

[Sass 0]

This only proves one thing: the only badass foe the Hulk has is the Abomination.

The Leader has one of the best comic book bad ass resume's in comics (read: Ground Zero). But instead he spends 10 years in a freakin tube only to finally get dropped by the Abomination's ex-wife. Irony.

[algrim 0]

The Leader needs to shake off that losing streak he has accumulated since Hulk #400. He needs to do more inhuman deeds like Ultron did in the Ultron Unlimited saga. It's moments like these when you remember that the guy used to be a janitor.

[Guest SP-1]

I wouldn't say David hasn't written anything substantial. Over in the Novel world, his Trek work is the best out there. I'll take Mackenzie Calhoun over freakin Enterprise any day.

[pochorenella 0]

So Mr. Blue was supposed to be Betty or a clone? Is Betty still dead?