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Hulk #1 by John Byrne and Ron GarneyEven my 3 year old son knows it's "The Incredible Hulk," not just plain Hulk...the first of many mistakes this issue is representative of. I won't rehash the editorial malpractice that resulted in Peter David leaving The Incredible Hulk after years and years of doing good work about a seemingly very limited character. Suffice to say what happened to David was insulting, both to him and to the readers. So, John Byrne and Ron Garney have taken over the title. Byrne has failed spectacularly in his attempt at rebooting Spider-Man, an opinion I hold despite high hopes his Chapter One would be able to breathe new life into that dead franchise. Likewise has he failed here with the Hulk. While featuring many of the hallmarks of Hulk storytelling (Banner gets off a bus in a new town and meets new people whose lives he can muck up), the story is so flawed and illogical as to be laughable. Banner wakes up from a a night dreaming of destruction only to find he really did "Hulk out," and wipe out much of a town. Why, then, does he agree to stay the night with the town's Sheriff and his young daughter, when he should be afraid the same thing could happen again? Why does the Sheriff allow his daughter to be babysat by Bruce after knowing his only one day? Surely someone in law enforcement would have some concerns leaving his young daughter with a virtual stranger? This may all be moot, as previews in the back of the book show the cover to issue 3, which appears to be Banner in some sort of Virtual Reality suit. Okay, so the plot holes in this issue are all a dream. That's my guess, and I'm betting I'm right, but the story is not compelling enough to justify playing those sorts of games with the readers in what should be a premier effort, the first issue of a new title. Garney does serviceable work, but the heart appears to have gone out of his pencils since he impressed me so on the original run he did on Captain America with Mark Waid. In a month where Marvel has made one bad decision after another (Ladronn off Cable, for example), this book is yet another example of why the entire Marvel editorial staff should be fired, and fired fast. They are turning out garbage, and turning away talented creators like Peter David and Jose Ladronn, whose only sin was turning out good work for a loyal fan base. Avoid this book at all costs, it ain't worth the cover price. Note: In July of 1999, Marvel fired Byrne after only 7 issues, likely due to spectacularly bad sales and even worse storylines. Bravo, Marvel!
Reviews Copyright (c) 1999 by Alan David Doane
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