Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The Point of World War Hulk?

So, at first, after hearing about this upcoming event, I was quite excited.

Basically, its Hulk Smash those who pissed him off, shot him into space, blah blah blah.

Great! Who doesn't like to see Hulk Smash? I mean, that's what he is best at, right?

So, some slothed through Civil War, others read about it, some casually overheard about it, some outright avoided it (good luck with that if you are a Marvel reader.)

We had fight(s), and at the end, no real change other than:
1. Every fan and their mother basically thinking Tony Stark is a pompous dick.
2. Dead Clor, some other dead people, some now already ret-conned (or whatever the term is.)
3. A new law.

Anyone ever mentioned laws get challenged and sometimes thrown out every day? (I would like to claim that I am happy that years ago the state of Washington disallowed all airplane radar speeding tickets- and that was back in the 80's, so may have changed 89 times since then.)

Anyway, back to my point...

What the hell is the point of World War Hulk? Is anything really going to change? Does it matter that Hulk comes back and beats up some heroes, and, rumourly speaking, has heroes either lining up with him, or against him?

I mean, so what? Its not like Hulk is going to kill Tony Stark, or Professor X. Is all this just going to make Hulk "feel better" that he punched a bunch of people in the face?

Hulk comes back, smashes people, then its back to status quo for Hulk, et al. Oh boy!!

I mean, technically, can't we see this in any issue of Hulk? Oh no, Hulk meets Tigra in the Arizona desert, and punches her. OK, next panel.

I"m still interested in seeing what Hulk does upon his return, but I"m starting to lose the excitement. EXCEPT, if the rumour mill is also true, about the last ish being Thor vs. Hulk. Not Clor. But hopefully a segueway (ugh, spelling) into the new Thor series.

I seem to be choosing sides...the Hulk side...and didn't we all read some kind of ad about 'choosing sides' not too long ago on a whole 'nother event?

My excitement for this has suddenly lessened even more just now. I think I've had too many friggin months to soak this all in.

Any other thoughts out there on WWH?

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28 Comments:

Blogger Nick said...

I think your over-thinking it dude, HULK SMASH!!!

My only thought on this series is how will She-Hulk play into all of it, especially considering she's working on Tony's pro-reg. side.

12:04 PM  
Blogger thekelvingreen said...

I think it says something that the main point of WWH is in the Hulk getting revenge on a bunch of Marvel "heroes" who've acted like jackasses to him. Woo. How cheery.

12:26 PM  
Blogger Darren said...

Well on one hand I have no problem with a storyline/crossover not making major changes to continuity just for the hell of it. If all that comes out of WWH is that the Hulk gets back to more smashing and less Conanesque adventures then that's fine by me. And in Marvels defence they aren’t touting WWH as an “everything changes!” event like they did with CW, so for me there’s bound to be less disappointment on reading it compared to what I felt at the end of CW.

And of course none of the Illuminati will die, but hey the killing off of characters just to drive sales or create some artificial excitement for a storyline which has been unable to live up to it’s own hype, is not something I particularly want to see more of (although I am sure someone will kick the bucket in WWH it just won’t be anyone important, but hey they won’t be able to help themselves).

On the other hand, your comment regarding having “too many months to soak it all in” I can totally relate to. Event fatigue has become very real for me after the past year, and having an upcoming storyline pushed for months before it’s actual release just makes me go “mmmeh” now.

I think I’d prefer to see Events kept shorter (although how you could make one longer than CW I don’t know) and paced out over time - nothing that hasn’t been said before obviously, but even with the current pacing, if they didn’t make such a huge deal about them so early on maybe I’d be more excited when they arrived. I mean the summer X-titles crossover started to be pushed by Marvel what, around the holidays?

They’re making it too hard for themselves – how are they supposed to live up to their own hype?

By the way hello all! First time posting here.

4:17 PM  
Blogger Guy LeCharles Gonzalez said...

I was actually enjoying Hulk in Space (first time I've regularly read a Hulk comic) so WWH only had me mildly curious when it was first announced. I'm not expecting much from it beyond Hulk laying the smackdown on those who betrayed him, but I'm also not planning to buy anything but the main title. I hope the super-smart kid from Incredible Hulk #100 gets some significant play, though. I like the concept, and he could be the X-factor that makes the whole thing work.

6:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What I'd like to see is Hulk establish a militarily defensible territory on Earth a la his lost kingdom or Cable's island. Then they might have him funnel all sorts of strange aliens and other off-worlders as embasadors and freak the hell out of everyone.

6:42 PM  
Blogger Kyle Latino said...

Well, unless I miss my guess (and I probably will cause this idea rules too much) I think they will try to placate their transgressions against the all mighty Hulk by letting him rule Japan.

6:57 PM  
Blogger Chris said...

Nick: Yeah, I'm looking for Hulk Smash, and that's about it.

Kelvin: Indeed.

Darren: Welcome! And very nice points.

Guy: I share your buying pattern on this one. I'll read the main series, but that's it. If Marvel really need tie-ins to tell "Hulk Smash", then we need to seriously rethink the whole operation.

8:13 PM  
Blogger Darren said...

Yeah, I'm only pulling the main story line as well.

I just don't see how Frontline of all things is appropriate for a supposedly Hulk Smash! storyline.

9:41 PM  
Blogger thekelvingreen said...

Darren, it's an excellent point. If they weren't hyping these things for so long, maybe people wouldn't get sick of them, and if the hype wasn't so inflated, people wouldn't be so disappointed in the final product.

And hey, embedded reporters are cool and realistic! So of course we're going to need a series to show how Marvel's press are reporting on the Hulk breaking stuff. You talk as if Marvel just looked at the sales for the first Frontline and haven't actually thought any of it through...

3:04 AM  
Blogger joncormier said...

I started out buying Planet Hulk but dropped it for really no good reason. I liked it but not really enough to keep buying it. I'll read the (eventual) trades.

Besides I thought World War Hulk was the new Marvel Editorial Policy? Huh.

5:35 AM  
Blogger Michael May said...

Is all this just going to make Hulk "feel better" that he punched a bunch of people in the face?

I don't know, but it'll sure make me feel better. That's all I'm hoping for from this thing. Lots of smashing. And maybe Tony Stark's being ripped in two.

7:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My cynical side says that Hulk will come to Earth, beat the crap out of the Mighty Avengers, Thunderbolts, and the various SHIELD/Initiative teams (a bunch of new characters coming all at once basically has to equal cannon fodder, right?). That brings back Reed and Sue Richards, who try to stop the Hulk but only hold him off. Finally, the New Avengers (possibly with Thor and a resurrected Captain America) join the battle, which ultimately stops Hulk and his alien hordes.

Uneasy alliance, group hug, status quo restored. A pretty classic superhero crossover story arc, right?

It is a little soon for them to retcon Civil War out of existence, but what better way to get back to "normal"?

Alternatively, the Initiative structure could actually hold off Hulk, giving Tony Stark lots of credence and cementing the status of the anti-registration characters as outlaws. But I don't think that's where they're going.

8:03 AM  
Blogger thekelvingreen said...

Perhaps they'll do one of those "Marvel is real" stories they used to do before they decided comics were "serious", and the Hulk will rampage through the Marvel offices before squashing Quesada into a dirty red smear?

8:53 AM  
Blogger thekelvingreen said...

Too much?

Okay, maybe I'll settle for Hulk opening Iron Man up like a can of Spam and eating Stark's gibbering remains, a la Hyde with the Martians in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen II.

8:56 AM  
Blogger Randy said...

Yes, I am expecting Hulk Smash, but can't I get that in any ol' Hulk Book?
Its special just because its revenge?

At least we don't have to buy 47 tie-ins, as this is supposed to be pretty "self-contained", as far as x-overs go.

Yeah, you are all absolutely right- they have been marketing it as "Hulk Smash", so that is a huge positive.

LOL, and the votes are in:
All in Favour of Iron Man getting ripped in two- EVERYONE!
All Opposed- I hear crickets chirpping!

9:29 AM  
Blogger thekelvingreen said...

Well, given how extra, unsolicited, Civil War tie-ins kept appearing, I wouldn't be surprised to see stuff spinning off all over the shop.

Also, expect Cable/Deadpool to take part unannounced, as Fabian Nicieza loves his crossovers! But at least his entry will be fun and worthwhile.

10:26 AM  
Blogger Ratnok said...

Does anyone wonder what this crossover event is going to do to the new Hulk Movie? Since the fools at Marvel are planning on making Hulk with "no smarts" I think WWH is going to end with the Hulk in purple pants and not able to say his ABC's so they can retcon the character back to the annoying child-like Savage Hulk of the 70's and 80's. Right in time for the movie.

8:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i think WWH is going to split Tony's registration act members. Since Tony is in charge of Sheild and the defense of america, he will ultimately be the one who will have to send his soldiers to stop the Hulk. I believe Hulk will kill alot of superheroes, thus making the superhero community start asking questions as to why it was their problem in the first place when it was The iluminati who shot him into space, therefore turning on Sheild and protesting the reg. act.

8:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I suspect - and I hope - that the real ramifications of WWH will be reflected in - at least - Iron Man's storyline. As the anon above me said, this is going to divide an already divided SH community opinion, and I hope the bottom line is that Stark 1) Gets his f***ing head properly kicked-in (and doesn't just get up from the rubble in WWH#1 and shake the dust off) and 2) Whilst he's lying in hospital recovering from the enormous thrashing he so richly deserves, realises he's become an even bigger arsehole than usual and 1) stands down as director of Shield and 2) repeals all that Registration Act shizz and 3) crawls back into a bottle of whisky and shuts tfu!

If there's going to be any 'magic reset switch' going on, at least let it happen within the context of the characters involved and not just the Marvel Bullpen.

As for the rest of the cast, it looks to me like most of those not directly involved in giving Hulkie the Big Shaft are feeling uncomfortable with the whole thing, although I've no idea how Richards or Prof. X are feeling.

Oh, and lots of SMASH in the meantime would be ace.

3:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello to all
I understand this is about revenge and payback I always love to see Hulk smash I just hope the rage really makes a difference. I am tired of seeing the basic heros stand up to the Hulk if his rage is so powerful and his power has increased. He should back slap every Marvel hero into next week. The Sentry should be his only problem in that should not last. If the regular Thor comes back and from his return issue it seems this is the one. The Hulk should back slap him to Vahalla. Now if he gets his belt of power the doubles his power maybe then he should stand for a while. In short I would just like to see the day when the Hulk who's rage and strength knows no limit pluck everyone from his sight. Know matter how mad he gets it seems the same heros he has fought can stand with him in battle I see know difference. Mainly Thor ad his own book I have seen his villians give him more trouble then the Hulk. So PLEASE MAKE HIS STRENGTH MATTER THIS TIME.

JW3rd

5:37 AM  
Blogger Nard said...

HULK SMASH!
I love those two words. The hulk is putting the fear of green into allot of hero wannabes. He's also put the truth on the doorstep of the public so things are going to change. I don't know why but I sort of hate the sentry he feels like the poor mans Superman so having the hulk beat his hair black would be nifty and swell.
The thing the war is also showing is how much the hulk has been underestimated in the past.
I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

11:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you jus gave away the thor part :@ ..wtf!

7:51 AM  
Blogger Scott said...

Is Captain America back yet?

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

IF there's a point, something has to change. Take your pick from;

* this is the birth of the Maestro. Yep, this is how he came about, and from here on (until they get bored and change the timeline) start looking forward to a beard and receding hairline.

* kill off the Sentry. Please. This is everything Marvel wasn't and DC was, and it offends my sense of World Order for him to exist.

* kill off the Green Hulk. He's got so strong he can't just stick around.

2:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

interesting the meistro what makes ya think that ?

3:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well in Future Imperfect the Maestro told the Hulk stuff like "they'll take it all from you" and the like. Sounds pretty much like what the Hulk feels now.

Since he's so pissed off, it looks to me like he could go down that route quite easily.

12:30 PM  
Blogger g rat said...

All i know is that i just read planet hulk and it was pretty awesome. i loved civil war, too. marvel is probably the smartest comic company out there right now and i think that they're gonna do a good job with wwh.

8:37 PM  
Blogger g rat said...

All i know is that i just read planet hulk and it was pretty awesome. i loved civil war, too. marvel is probably the smartest comic company out there right now and i think that they're gonna do a good job with wwh.

8:37 PM  

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