The Good the Bland and the Ugly: Godzilla vs. Hulk #1 (2025)

Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Penciler Giuseppe Camuncoli
Artist: Inker Daniele Orlandini
Cover Price: $4.99
Secondary Market: $3.99-$64.99
Variants: 10
  • Cover A
  • Koblish Variant
  • Diaz Variant
  • Vs. Variant
  • Bradshaw Variant
  • McGuinness Foil Variant
  • Romero Variant
  • 1:25 Bressan Variant
  • Stonehouse Variant
  • 1:100 Stonehouse Virgin Variant
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I was really looking forward to this 1-shot since it was announced! The whole issue is a decent read but not good enough to get a full “GOOD” rating. I like the idea of the elseworld’s Thunderbolts led by General Ross who is a monster hunter. This is a great idea that could of have been a great non-cannon series. Now, from now on you are reading at your own risk as the quick review will most likely contain spoilers.

Ross has taken down all sorts of monsters, including Fin Fang Foom, whose skull is proudly mounted over the Thunderbolt Ranch entrance, and has even killed the Hulk. This is news to us as we know the Hulk will be in the issue. The last monster to take down? Godzilla! Ross has his crack team of monster hunters, Dr. Banner and Dr. Demonicus to help him take down the famous Kaiju! Both Doctors have their own dangerous secrets but right now they get ready to take down Godzilla

They lure Godzilla by using the humongous spider monster Kumonga to torture Mothra. The plan works and Banner and Ross attack Godzilla with their Mecha-Gozilla suits. They aren’t exactly effective but Dr. Demonicus releases his own secret weapon, a monster spliced together from all of the other monsters they’ve killed, a slime monster called Hedorah!

This Kaiju uses its acidic slime and sludge like body to kill Godzilla. Banner is about to bite it when he releases his alter ego who immediately attacks Hedorah. Even the Hulk’s might is no match for his giant sludge monster, so the Hulk comes up with a new plan! Revive Godzilla with electricity, allow some Hulk blood to seep into his body, and have the Godzilla-Hulk destroy the unbeatable monster!

Demonicus is killed when the sludge body of his own creation comes pouring into his control room. Banner and Godzilla calm down revert back into their alter-egos. Banner then lets Ross know that he did not kill the Hulk but instead that Banner framed Rick Jones as the monster.

I liked the fight and all the monsters, I even liked the insanity of the idea of Godzilla-Hulk, but I wasn’t so much of a fan to make Banner such an unforgiving, despicable character. I am never a fan of the “villainous Banner” type of characters. I guess I just need Banner to be the moral compass of the stories. Overall, not a bad outing – but not that great either. If your curious, I prefer the Stonehouse cover over all the others.

Villains:
  • Dr. Demonicus
  • Hedorah
Good/ Bland/ Ugly BLAND

The Good, the Bland and the Ugly Comic Reviews – The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 (2024)

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Writer: Derek Landry
Artist Geoff Shaw
Artist: Colors Frank Martin
Cover Price: $4.99
Secondary Market: $2.77-$6.99
Variants: 4
  • Regular Cover
  • Infinity Watch Variant
  • Design Variant
  • Shaw Variant
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I usually get excited to read the new Hulk issue, especially the new series which seems to be finding a real focus. This annual takes a small detour – much like the one-shot and quick story in Blood Hunters for the Blood Hunt event – but this one pits Thanos against the Hulk! I was somewhat excited to see what this issue would show, would Marvel actually take the opportunity to fix the unjust way the Hulk was portrayed in the uneven movie; Avengers: Infinity War.

I know that the movie was the MCU which differs from the comic universe but these writers seem to be taking notes from the franchise. The Thanos beat down of Hulk in the start of Infinity War really began the de-powering of the Hulk. They used the Hulk as a punch-line or a measuring tool to show how powerful OTHER characters are.

With this new annual I was excited to see if the Hulk vs Thanos show down would be better represented. Spoilers: yes and no. The battle was kind of fun with some great art by Shaw with the two opponents trading blows over and over. It wasn’t a simple knock out and the battle itself was fine. It was the end that bothered me.

The Hulk gets stronger the angrier he gets – so the Hulk doesn’t need to take a cheap shot when Thanos turns his back. Alas, that is what happens:

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But it doesn’t end there – after Colleen Wing stabs Thanos in the head – the Hulk takes another cheap shot and hits the unconscious titan to make sure he stays asleep longer:

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So, as much as I liked the issue it left me with a bad taste in my mouth as the Hulk doesn’t need to take cheap shots to beat his enemies.

Villains:
  • Thanos
  • Bad Writing
Good/ Bland/ Ugly BLAND

Co-Creator – Roy Thomas

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There is a lot of chatter about Roy Thomas being added to the list of creators of Wolverine.  Thomas, with urging from John Cimino, has claimed creator credit since 2017 and now even in the credits of the new Deadpool movie, Thomas is added in the list along with Romita Sr., Wein and Trimpe.

Two camps emerged from this announcement: Those who are outraged that Thomas, the editor in chief at the time, wants credit saying he was one of the main drivers of the character, and those who… don’t care. For the record, editors are not usually credited with creator titles and, rumor is, Thomas never seemed to care until Cimino really pushed for the credit – seemingly to draw more interest in Thomas for the con circuits.

Now, as far as I can tell, Thomas said to put a short, bad tempered, Canadian superhero in the book and he named him Wolverine. Not sure if the name should get you credit for anything as he didn’t invent “Wolverines”. 1984’s Red Dawn did that. But he has said he came up with everything else. He also invented Adamantium in the Avengers some time before that – although the metal claws that Logan sports is attributed to Romita alone.

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When I discussed this subject with Herb Trimpe many years ago, he never thought he really deserved credit for the creation of Wolverine even though his introduction was drawn by the illustrator. He always claimed that he just drew what Romita had drawn and what Wein had written. That is characteristic of the ever humble Trimpe, always down playing his role in Hulk history.

Thomas, on the other hand, has been adamant that he belongs on that list and badgered Marvel for the credit for years. He finally gets the credit but true to form – when you give an inch, some people want a mile – Thomas was disappointed that he wasn’t listed first.

What is my position? Well, Thomas seems to need attention in his twilight years and this is how he is going about getting it. With Cimino buzzing in his ear, he found the courage and drive to get what he wanted, and it worked. I really don’t have a dog in this fight, so I kind of land in the latter camp of not caring – BUT – when you have legends in the field weighing in saying that they didn’t agree with this stance – I think you have to listen.

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Creators like Waid, Nicieza, Sienkiewicz, and others have made their opinions known and they all agree Thomas has stepped over the line of decency. Even the moron, Liefeld, says Thomas shouldn’t be there in the credits since all the others creators are no longer with us. I think that’s a fair assessment, but my opinion is going to do little to change the outcome. Ultimately, Thomas is now on that list – deservedly so or not – but at least he didn’t get everything – at least his name is not listed first.

It’s Been a While – Catching Up June ’24

I know posts on this website are few and far between, but I haven’t stopped in my pursuit of Hulk Nirvana! I focus more on the figures and comics these days, with other Hulk items still capturing my glances but I don’t clamor to pick up everything and clutter the Hulk vault with confusing purchases.

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That being said, I continue to add on to the insane amounts of comics that are in the collection – trying to keep up to date on the “to read” pile. This past weekend I pulled out two Wolverine comics that were $1 boxes finds. Each book had no indication that the Hulk appeared on the pages inside. Those are my favorite finds as they feel a little like Christmas morning!

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The reason I picked up Exiles #85 was because I was currently reading the Weapon X mini-series – one that features this cover that promises a Hulk appearance but doesn’t deliver!

In the recent Weapon X, they collect Wolverines from around the multi-verse, which is what they did here in Exiles almost 20 years ago. (Boy, they really have done everything at this point!) We do get a flashback of Zombie Hulk ripping some ass across the zombie landscape. This is a quiet, 1 panel appearance (it’s insane how many of these there are) but Paul Pelletier does a gorgeous job of illustrating this issue.

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In a more questionable appearance, we have the pure revenge issue of Wolverine Annual #1 from 2007. It’s a fun 1-shot that follows Logan as he pursues a group of bank robbers and dismantles them one by one. As we follow the history of the narrator, we see a poster of the Hulk hung up on the wall:

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I also picked up an Adam Hughes variant cover X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 with She Hulk featured. While I don’t think it’s a great cover – not by Adam Hughes standards – It was still an easy pick up. While there are at least 9 variant covers I don’t think I will actively seek out the other covers.

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Upon inspection if the interiors, the Hulk has a one panel shot accompanied by Captain America, Hulkbuster Iron Man and Black Widow right in the beginning of the issue.

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So, just a few issues to think about nabbing if you have the chance, Hulk-sters!

The Good, The Bland and the Ugly Comic Reviews – The Incredible Hulk #9 (2024)

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Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Danny Earls
Artist: Colors Matthew Wilson
Cover Price: $4.99
Secondary Market: $3.77-$29.99
Covers: 4
  • Regular Cover
  • Capullo Cover
  • Marvel ’97 Cover
  • 1:50 Capullo Virgin Cover
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Frozen Charlotte: Part 1

Another town… another monster. Now Banner and Charlie find themselves in New Orleans. While I like the direction of having the Hulk fight monsters this series is starting to feel a little late 90’s CW prime time.  The guest artist didn’t help much into making this issue exciting. While Danny Earls did a proficient job, following series regular, Nic Klein, highlights how much better Klein’s style fits with the tone and feel of this book. Even the gruesome transformation scene didn’t have the impact that other artists seemed to have nailed.

Overall, I am still along for the ride, but I am hoping to begin seeing a more focused direction. What is Banner’s ultimate goal? It’s not like he WANTS to fight monsters. Is Charlie just a magnet for evil? I hope Johnson begins giving his narrative a purpose rather than just introducing a new monster every storyline while changing the setting to make it seem new.

Villains: Frozen Charlotte
Rating: Good
BLAND
Ugly

More Hulk Items Not Added to the Collection

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As usual, these are items I have come across in my travels that I decided not to purchase. As much as I would love to buy every Hulk item, these days, I am being a lot more selective about when gets added to the collection. I love the little backpack (above) but not for an astounding $70.

The price was not the reason I didn’t purchase the little fat, plush Hulk below, instead, the reason lies with the fact that I just have way too many of these stuffed figures. I just don’t need anymore!

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Kohl’s is where I found the Disney Junior Hulk. It was a fine price and I would have certainly been fine adding him to the collection. This time, the reason he wasn’t added was because I was with my wife when I found him. You know that look that you get when you find a new Hulk item and you think about purchasing it and you see your wife staring daggers at you? Yeah, that was happening. I went back later to grab him when I was solo – but he was gone. I’m sure I will find him somewhere else in my travels.

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The Good, The Bland, The Ugly Comic Reviews – Daredevil #5 (2024)

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Writer: Saladin Ahmed
Artist: Farid Karami
Artist: Colors Jesus Aburtov
Cover Price: $4.99
Secondary Market: $4.49-$16.99
Variants: 5
  • Regular Cover
  • Wolverine Cover
  • Parel Variant
  • Hildebrant Cover
  • Hildebrant Virgin Cover
Publisher: Marvel Comics

It’s always nice to see old friends which is really how this whole issue begins. Jen Walters runs into Matt Murdock on the subway and after the very casual lunch they head out onto the street where Jen continues her odd behavior, like destroying cop cars. Matt realizes something is up so he knocks the emerald beauty out and reveals the real villain, Mr. Hyde. After a quick scuffle, Matt realizes Jen is possessed by the demon, Gluttony. If that demon is around then the other 6 sins are lurking somewhere. He needs some help and who better than Dr. Strange himself? Is here there to help or fight? That’s a question for the next issue, I guess!

Villains:
  • Mr. Hyde
  • Demons
Good/ Bland/ Ugly BLAND

The Good, The Bland and the Ugly Comic Reviews – The Incredible Hulk #8 (2024)

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Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Nic Klein
Artist: Colors Matthew Wilson
Cover Price: $4.99
Secondary Market: $3.77-$29.99
Variants: 3
  • Regular Cover
  • Hardin and Silva Cover
  • Nguyen Cover
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Don’t the flowers smell sweeter now that there is a Hulk book is on the racks that isn’t a huge dumpster fire? The art is gorgeous, the writing is amazing, the Hulk is acting.. like the Hulk! It’s all good! Life is good!

Well, not exactly, the Hulk is currently being possessed by War Devil. Maybe the other demons out there should start a social club to let each other know that possessing the Hulk isn’t a real good idea, It never works out for the demon. Still, War Devil currently has the Hulk readying to destroy his hanger-on, little Charlie. Thankfully, WWII Rider comes to the rescue. Well, him and his rocket launcher.

The battle is packed with bad-assery and the Hulk forces the War Devil out. Now, the two heroes combine their strengths and beat the wart-hog looking creature to the ground.

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In the end, with the town saved and everyone cheering, the Hulk is ready to move on. The Ghost Rider offers up some sage-like advice about keeping Charlie safe and how she’ll be the one to save him.

Villains:
  • Sunset Monster
  • War Devil
Good/ Bland/ Ugly GOOD

The Good, The Bland, The Ugly Comic Reviews – Blade #7 (2024)

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Writer: Bryan Hill
Artist: Penciler Valentina Pinti
Artist: Inker KJ Diaz
Cover Price: $3.99
Secondary Market: $2.77-$6.99
Variants: 1 Wolverine Variant
Publisher: Marvel Comics

In this issue, the Hulk makes a fantastic guest spot. The Hulk is having a heck of a time trying to kill these demons but Blade shows up to help. He quickly slices through the evil beings and then sits down for a cup a joe with Banner. Bruce brings Blade up to speed about what’s happening in the little town so Blade agrees to stay and help exorcise the demon out of its host. Once accomplished, the Hulk goes on a classic “Hulk Squish!” rampage! It was a fun issue, way better than the She Hulk and Thanos guest spots that the Hulk appeared in.

Villains: Demons
Good/ Bland/ Ugly GOOD
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