INCREDIBLE HULK EPIC COLLECTION: GHOSTS OF THE PAST SC (MARVEL COMICS)

PUBLISHER Marvel Comics
WRITER Peter David Ron Marz Roy Thomas & More
ARTIST Dale Keown Jan Duursema Chris Bachalo Gary Frank
COVER ARTIST Gary Frank
PAGES 480 pages
FORMAT Graphic Novel

Volume #19 in the Incredible Hulk Epic Collections. As one Leader falls, another rises! An epic clash between the Hulk, the Leader and the U-Foes is going to end very badly for the Gamma-brained villain. Rick Jones' girlfriend, Marlo, won't fare any better: She dies! But thankfully, that's not the end of her story. As for the Hulk, he's about to get an offer he can't refuse - one that puts him in charge of the Pantheon! He'll have his hands full with the Juggernaut, the Avengers and Doc Samson. But when Dumb Magician, Fish-Man and Shiny-Face show up, it can only mean one thing: the return of the Defenders! Collecting Incredible Hulk (1968) #397-406 and Annual #18-19; and material from Namor The Sub-Mariner Annual #2, Silver Surfer Annual #5, Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual #2 and Marvel Holiday Special #2.0.

Marvel's first Incredible Hulk Epic Collection is surprisingly a continuation of an old series of trades Marvel Visionary Peter David which attempted to reprint all of Peter David's excellent and lengthy run on The Incredible Hulk. These collections started in 2004 and volume #8 of Marvel Visionary Peter David came out in 2011. Now after four years this volume continues right where that series left off.

This collection includes Hulk #397 to Hulk #406 plus two Hulk Annuals #18 and #19 . Plus a story from Marvel Holiday Special #2 and portions of three other Annuals which featured the continuation of The Defenders Return storyline. All of these originally cover dated 1992 and 1993.

The good news for any of you that bought the Epic Collection just prior to this Daredevil: Widow's Kiss is that Marvel had gone back to thicker pulpy white paper and not continued with the glossy ultra thin stock paper. We also get numbered pages again, which were also missing from the DD volume. In all this book contains 470 pages all sharply printed in beautiful color.

Here is my one format suggestion . A single Who's Who page after the contents page would be very helpful. Peter David's books feature a Giant size supporting cast. Knowing who all the members of The Pantheon are would have increased my enjoyment since they are integral to the story.

The book starts out with Hulk Annual #18 . Well in 1992 and for several years prior Marvel had been boosting their lagging Annual sales by doing crossovers. So we get the main story which is the first part of the Return of The Defenders story and four small stories. The smaller stories range greatly in quality. The best is the lead story by Peter David and Travis Charest which is the Hulk Vs. The Thing. The other not as successful stories are built around the Hulk's supporting cast with one each for Rick Jones, The Pantheon and Doc Sampson.

As for the main story in Hulk Annual #18 it is beginning of The Return Of The Defenders. Part one is by Peter David and Kevin Maguire. It is a very fun story with Rick Jones getting a Sub-Mariner personality. Now here is the strange part Marvel also reprints parts 2, 3 and 4 from the Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer and Doctor Strange Annuals . This is strange because previously in these connected Annuals the Epic Collection had only reprinted the lead character chapter and given you either a recap or a some text telling you how it finishes. See Captian America : Streets Of Poison. This turns out to be a Catch-22 . If they had not reprinted it, I would have been disappointed since David's first chapter was so good.

That's OK , because it rebounds nicely with Peter David's return and the five part Ghosts Of The Past storyline which runs from Hulk #397 through the oversized Hulk #400 which has two chapters. Dale Keown pencils parts 1 and 2, Jan Duuresma on parts 3 and 4 and Chris Bachalo on part 5.

This Ghosts Of The Past story involves The Leader , The U-foes and the death of Rick Jones girlfriend Marlo. Peter David reveals that he wrote this poignant story while recovering from his own loss when a friend died.

In Hulk #401 (still penciled by Jan Duuresma ) loose ends are tied up with U-foes. Also Agamemnon goes on walkabout and the Hulk is put in charge of The Pantheon.

Next we get the three part story running in Hulk #402 through Hulk #404. It guest stars The Avengers and features the Red Skull and the Juggernaut as villains. With issue #403 Gary Frank becomes the new regular artist.

In Hulk #405 the Hulk must resolve a love triangle in The Pantheon. While Hulk #406 features the return of Doc Sampson and guests Captain America. Plus we get a resolution to the Marlo sub-plot.

Next we get another Hulk Annual this one #19. Well in 1993 Marvel had finally gotten over the crossovers and moved on to Polybagged trading cards as a gimmick. Each Annual debuted a new villain and that villain got a trading card and at least one story. Hulk's villain was Lazarus. We get two Hulk versus Lazarus stories then a fun little story by Green Hornet Scribe Ron Fortier about a town named Hulk.

We close out with a Doc Sampson story from Marvel Holiday Special #2. Plus we get an additional fourteen pages of extras like ads, pin-ups , original art and a Hembeck story.

Peter David's time on Hulk marks a very long stretch of high quality on the Hulk book. I hope Marvel reprints more later stuff and recollects the Early Marvel Visionary books as Epic Collections. This is a fantastic era for Greenskins and should be in print for everyone to read.

My highest recommendation.

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