Any fan of the not-so jolly green Goliath will tell you that being a fan of the Hulk entails disappointment and frustration as Marvel editorial struggles to discern just what they want to do with him. The pasty few years have been rife with good and bad attempts to find a new direction for the character with the most recent series receiving somer damning criticism (and rightly so).
But it seems that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel now that Marvel has revealed their master plan for the Hulk in their relaunched universe. The incomparable Mark Waid and the stunning Leinil Francis Yu have been announced as the creative team behind The Indestructible Hulk, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I could not be happier. Waid has a lifetime of accomplishments behind him from both Marvel and DC Comics with his most recent run on Daredevil being one of my all-time favorite comics today. Yu has embellished every hero from Superman to Wolverine with remarkable skill. Together, they are sure to make the Hulk shine.
Click your heels and get happy because this could be a sign that Hulk will finally be stepping into the limelight once again as one of Marvel’s superstars.
Writer Mark Waid and artist Leinil Yu are the announced creative team for “Indestructible Hulk,” which kicks off in November as part of the “Marvel NOW!” initiative.
Here’s how Marvel describes the series:
Through his entire history, the Hulk has always been an indomitable force, more weapon than man. His alter ego, Dr. Bruce Banner, is one of the most intelligent men on the planet. NOW! combined, they have become the strongest, smartest weapon alive – INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
“Banner’s a changed man. No more stooping under the weight of ‘woe is me,’ no longer bespectacled, no longer a fashion victim in purple,” said Mark Waid in an interview with Marvel.com. “For decades, Banner’s felt like he’s no more than the Hulk’s helpless puppet. Now Banner’s USING Hulk to his own mysterious ends”
Marvel describes “Indestructible” as a new perspective on the character of the Hulk.
“Mark and Leinil’s spin on the Hulk mythos will have fans — new and old – exclaiming, ‘Why didn’t I think of that!?’” said Marvel Editor In Chief Axel Alonso in a news release. “It’s the brute force of the Hulk and the brainpower of Bruce Banner, together at last — but not the way you think. And with S.H.I.E.L.D. in the wings, readers can expect a globe-hopping adventure with an unlimited special effects budget.”
Each issue of Indestructible Hulk will include a code for a free digital copy; additionally each issue will feature additional content through the Marvel AR app.
Via Nerdage
The Daily P.O.P. 
I haven’t really read much of the Hulk series in any incarnation. I did buy some issue that had the Norman Rockwell like covers, but really wasn’t much into the story. In recent days I’ve been reluctant to pick up a book because there seem to be so many different hulks at the same time (the Hulk, She-Hulk, a Red hulk and a female red hulk..) and i”m easily confused. 🙂
I expect to treat the Marvel Now comics like I treated the New 52 DC issues – I’ll give each book three issue to convince me to keep reading it, so maybe I’ll be buying this series.
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That’s what they’re banking on!
The Norman Rockwell-inspired covers are from a rather notorious period of the Hulk written by horror scribe Bruce Jones. I have mixed feelings about the start but it went downhill rather fast and was received so poorly by fans that it was basically written out of continuity. The recent years have been unapproachable to anyone not in the loop from Planet Hulk… but Planet Hulk is still one of my favorite comics and I do recommend it (but you can get your Hulk fix there and not proceed if you like).
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I think I liked the idea of Planet Hulk more than the execution.
I had liked the much older Hulk story from around 301-313 or so… where they had an essentially Banner-less dumb/puppy Hulk in an alien dimension on his own… and it almost had a House of Mystery like quality to the stories. That was new, fresh, and ran about the right length before they brought things back to earth.
I thought Planet Hulk meandered a bit and started to feel like something different than what I originally thought it would be… and World War Hulk is around the time that I sort of fell out of regular comic reading so I’ve lost touch with the details since that time.
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Indestructible Hulk Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is such a fantastic and silly idea (and I don’t mean that as an insult). My one complaint is Waid’s crack about Bruce Banner no longer being bespectacled, a weird statement, “My God He Wears Glasses! Loser!”. Bizarre undercurrent to that comment, although the Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a good one, I suspect that the new version of Banner is to bring him in line with the movie version, God Forbid that they be different! As I say, this sounds exciting but it’s weird how some writers – including, seemingly, Waid – are as bullying toward Banner as Thunderbolt Ross and as contemptuous as the Hulk. Strange conservative message. Although that may be Marvel rather than Waid.
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Banner hasn’t always worn glasses either. I think he did originally… and perhaps now… but there were long stretches there, at least in the 1970s and 1980s I think where he did not… and I’m pretty sure no mention of contact lenses.
Also… if you consider the healing factor they have given to the Hulk over time… there’s no logical reason for Banner to need glasses after a few transitions into the Hulk cures his eyesight anyway!
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Um, I know that SJV. The point I was making was that it’s being promoted as an *amazing* thing that he’s not wearing glasses anymore. Also, much of the point is that Bruce IS different to the Hulk, and in various periods the Hulk has hated for his “weakness”. Well, this is all my opinion, only…!
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I figured you knew that… I was just pointing it out for others who might be reading. I haven’t seen Avengers yet so I don’t know if Ruffalo wore glasses. I think Bana didn’t in the first Hulk movie… but I seem to remember Norton maybe having glasses sometimes? TV Banner Bixby didn’t…
I think they are just all over the place… but as far as the glasses=loser mentality… I was recently re-reading those early Hulk issues from the beginning… and Hulk himself coins the phrase “milksop Banner”… so I think there is an unfortunate history in the comic of making fun of Banner just because of the glasses and look… kind of mirrors our society to an unfortunate degree.
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