Tom Brevoort sent me a photocopy of the Lee Weeks cover for the first issue of "Tempest Fugit." I have to say, it looks absolutely kick-butt. My understanding is that it's going to appear in an upcoming issue of "Wizard," along with an interview with me about "Hulk." Should be interesting since it's the first time in quite a while that Wizard has spoken to me extensively about, well, anything. In any event, at some point in the future when we have a fully colored version, I'll post it here.
Also, C.B. and the Marvel editors have approved my script for "What If General Ross Had Become the Hulk?" Here's the summary that I wrote up for the solicits (I don't know that this is what it will say word for word, but it was my description.)
"Meet again, for the first time, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross...a veteran army officer who believes that the time for talk is long past, and all that matters is his country's ability to develop weapons that will annihilate its enemies. Experience with him what happens when he himself becomes the mightiest weapon on two legs...but is trapped within that weapon, unable to communicate with former allies who only want to destroy him."
PAD
Posted by Peter David at August 26, 2004 02:40 PM | TrackBack | Other blogs commentingGreat teaser for the upcoming "What If General Ross Had Become the Hulk?" comic Peter. I can't wait to read it. And thanks for the head's up regarding the Wizard article. I haven't been picking up Wizard for the last few months, at least now I have a reason.
Regards:
Warren S. Jones III
Hey!!! Thats right.. I don't recall anything in Wizard really about Fallen Angel. Thats odd considering Fallen Angel keeps getting heaps of praise from all the fan sites. Hmmmm I guess Wizard plays to the suits of the companies and not to the fans. I'm sure you'll get a lot of attention for Maddox...I mean, it is an X-book. Wizard should be spelled WiXard with all the Wolverine covers they do.
Unlike Bruce Banner General Ross does not suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder so I don’t get how Pad’s going to explain him undergoing a personally change that reduces him to having childlike intelligence that severally hampers his communication skills. It will be interesting to see how Peter explains how Ross becomes a mindless hulk. It will be even more interesting what Ross does with the power of an unstoppable juggernaut. His character mirrors Batman in the sense that he is a driven fanatic that must to do what he thinks is right no mater what the cost is to him and others around him. What a person like that does with unlimited power to back his beliefs should make one hell of read. I hope Ross’s being the Hulk in the pages of What If will be told in a series of issues providing of course he survives his first issue.
Lee Weeks is great (and performs great card tricks to boot), let's hope he bucks the stale trend of iconic/pin-up covers that Marvel has been putting out for waay to long. Let have covers have something to do with the story again.
I think people are being overly critical of Wizard coverage of Peter’s Hulk run, but not covering the excellent Fallen Angel series. Wizard is only a reflection of the comic book market and the bulk of comic stories are produced for a hormonally driven teenage male that has a very short attention span and likes to be told the same story over and over again. I know this post sounds bitter but I am sick of seeing my favorite titles, y’know the ones that try something different, being canceled right and left due to lack of sales. Comic book fans always complain about lack of innovation, character development, erratic shipping schedules in their favorite titles but still support those titles month in month out. Given these feelings of negativity you would think that when a company such as CrossGen or individual tiles like Captain Marvel gives comic book fans what they want these titles would be supported in the market place but such support is only reserved for the titles that they complain about.
In this post I do not wish to condemn the comic book medium or those that support as I think readers or prose fiction have a misunderstanding of what comics are all about. I enjoy titles such as Batman, X-men, and Spider-man as much as anybody else. I’m just upset that a few years, from now, these will be the only titles I will get to enjoy as no publisher in their right mind is going to what to take a chance publishing comic books that deviate from stories that focus exclusively on young men and women with superpowers wearing costumes fighting their counterparts.
God, I need to read more carefully or get more sleep.
I thought I'd read "Experience with him what happens when he himself becomes the mightiest weapon between two legs..."
JSM
Lester said: Unlike Bruce Banner General Ross does not suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder so I don’t get how Pad’s going to explain him undergoing a personally change that reduces him to having childlike intelligence that severally hampers his communication skills. It will be interesting to see how Peter explains how Ross becomes a mindless hulk.
Matt says: PAD never said that Ross was going to undergo a personality change, that he was going to be childlike, or mindless. All the description said was "unable to communicate with former allies who want to destroy him." That could mean just about anything. Maybe the transformation left him without a mouth, or did some kind of damage to his vocal chords. And remember, every gamma transformation is different, and the ultimate result is based on the psyche of the person who is transformed.
Did Banner have Mult. Personalities (MP) pre-Gamma radiation?
I know he had pent up feelings and emotions - but I thought the gamma bomb unleashed that and in a way gave him his MP.
And that being said - we all have sides of ourselves that come out rarely or never.
Look at She-Hulk (which is a great title). Slott is playing the angle that Jennifer's other personality is a party goer, outgoing and fun loving. Hence her Hulk.
Thoughts?
[Quote]I hope Ross’s being the Hulk in the pages of What If will be told in a series of issues providing of course he survives his first issue.[/Quote]
It's been my experience that "What If" issues run one issue only. As this is the "What If" title, I'm pretty sure they want to do some "what if's" about other characters too.
Kevin asked:Did Banner have Mult. Personalities (MP) pre-Gamma radiation?
Hmmm...I dont think Banner had MPD in the full blown sense before the Gamma bomb.As least i dont recall any reference to it being displayed as such.He did have a lot of pent up anger and rage and suppressed a lot of feelings that manifested as the Hulks(Grey,and Green).
The Paul Jenkins run made reference to Multiples living in his head including an evil Lizard looking hulk the others work hard to suppress.
Since there is a lot of Banner's childhood traumas and life experiences we dont know about it is possible he displayed the behavior before
and we were never told about it.
Lester : While I understand the frustration with the lack of support for innovative comics ,its not just in the media of the comics.Have you watched TV lately?For any well written ,interesting show there is a bunch of dreadful stuff out there.Not that this is going to make you feel better but there is an unfortunate "dumbing down" in our culture that is down right scary.Unfortunaely the bottom line is dollars and if cookie cutter dumbness and unoriginality sells,thats what is going to be on the market.
Lester said: Unlike Bruce Banner General Ross does not suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder so I don’t get how Pad’s going to explain him undergoing a personally change that reduces him to having childlike intelligence that severally hampers his communication skills. It will be interesting to see how Peter explains how Ross becomes a mindless hulk.
Matt says: PAD never said that Ross was going to undergo a personality change, that he was going to be childlike, or mindless. All the description said was "unable to communicate with former allies who want to destroy him." That could mean just about anything. Maybe the transformation left him without a mouth, or did some kind of damage to his vocal chords. And remember, every gamma transformation is different, and the ultimate result is based on the psyche of the person who is transformed.
DID (Disassociative Identity Disorder) typically manifests itself during childhood. In many clinical cycles it is considered almost a gift since it is theorized as being a young child's mind working out an amazing way of dealing with devestating trauma and "evil" acts of abuse. It sounds wild, but it allows the young victim an opportunity to continue living out a childhood in a seemingly normal way, with the abuse or traumatic event being burieddeeply in the subconscious..... but enough with the psycho-babble....
Bruce's symptoms didn't appear, to the best of my recollection, until suffering the adult trauma of the gamma bomb blast. While his childhood trauma may have been the catalyst, any disassociative symptoms were not noticed until the guy gained a 1,000 pounds and turned color. With this in mind, should PAD choose to go the DID route (Which I doubt he will, since it is too obvious.), it could easily be explained and not inconsistant with Bruce's scenerio.
Fred
oops.... in my posting, I forgot to add my own "Welcome Home!" to PEter.
Congrats to you and yayyyyy for us.
Fred
Disassociate Identity Disorder, or the more common term Multiple Personality Disorder is a rare but very real psychosis. It occurs in individuals that suffer profound mental and physical trauma over a period of time. It’s most commonly found in children due to the fact that they can’t escape the physical place where they being abused so they create a separate personality that will experience the pain in their place. It’s really fascinating stuff as people with MPD will exhibit separate brain waves, become left handed when they are right, know languages the other personality doesn’t know, and a bunch of other cool but disturbing stuff that requires far more space to explain than I have here.
Bruce Banner, as envisioned by PAD, is no exception from other MPD suffers. As a child his father subjected him to constant physical and mental abuse. When his dad killed his mother his mind just snapped and in that moment he gave birth to a separate personality called The Hulk. The Hulk was apart of Banner long before the Gamma Radiation hit Bruce. The only thing the Gamma Radiation did was give Bruce shape changing powers which allowed his body to change depending on which personality was in control over his body. I don’t wish to spoil Peter’s run on The Incredible Hulk, but he played with the concept that Banner suffers with MPD for a good portion of his run as writer of that book. There are several graphic novels out there if anyone really interested in Pad’s run on Bruce coming to grips with his mental illness.
Since we are talking Hulk ,is there any possibility that we will ever see the events leading up to the Maestro's reign of terror??I for one am interested in seeing how Banner descends to that level of evil.I know its ultimately up to Marvel but with the new mini,and What if series maybe that story could be told.I thought that was where Byrne was going with his Hulk wrecking towns,and downing airplanes story that turned into a lame ass mind control ,Tyrannus story.
HINT,HINT ,PAD :)
Wizard...
I remember when the Valliant comics started, they had nothing but good things to say. A year or so later, they backpedalled.
Am looking forward to seeing the Hulk article in there.
What I established in my run on HULK was that Bruce had potential for MPD from the get-go. That, given enough time, it would likely have manifested anyway. What the gamma bomb did was take the condition that was already present in Bruce and unleash it to the power of a zillion.
In the "What If," I went with the notion that the gamma radiation affects different people in different ways. At no time did I indicate that Ross is childlike or dumb. I just said he couldn't communicate. People with bad strokes can't communicate either; doesn't mean they're brainless.
PAD
Cool, can't wait to read these books Peter. its been a while since I read a decent hulk story, your giving us two. Thank you.
post the black and white version.....
i can;t wait that long to see the color version!!!!!
On a totally unrelated note, I just read the first issue of MadroX at Mile High Comics (www.milehighcomics.com - First Look, Advanced Marvel Previews) and I really enjoyed it.
I think the last interview with you I remember seeing in Wizard was for the relaunch of Captain Marvel. I also remember them putting you in their top 10 writer list for one month because of Hulk: The End. One stinking month! Those bums....
PAD wrote:
"What I established in my run on HULK was that Bruce had potential for MPD from the get-go. That, given enough time, it would likely have manifested anyway. "
Actually, in one issue (#376, I believe), PAD established that long before the Gamma bomb, bruce had already exhibited both Green Hulk and Gray Hulk personality traits. The situation is this: Doc Samson is working to integrate Bruce's personalities into one via hypno-therapy, and there's a scene (in the landscape of the mind) where Bruce's father, envsioned by him as a monster, grabs hold of both the Green and Gray Hulks, and says the Green Hulk is Bruce as a child, always wanting to be left alone; while the Gray Hulk was Bruce in college. There was also a scene, which I believe was in the same issue, and part of that same hypno-therapy session, in which Bruce gets fresh, in a very Gray Hulk-like fashion, with a coed.
I don't know if PAD piggy-backed on something a previous writer had established about Bruce's college years (even if only in passing), or addressed that era of his life because no one else had yet done so, but either way, it established that Bruce had the Gray Hulk in him for quite a while. I don't think PAD was saying he was manifesting as a separate personality as yet; though, if he was, I'd imagine it was on very rare occasions-- so rare (both in duration and number of instances) that Bruce wouldn't have realized he'd had blackouts.
Or maybe the Gray Hulk personality was dominant for the bulk of Bruce's college years, though I'd tend to doubt it. He doesn't seem the type that would study much. But PAD would have the final word on which it was.
Of course the question becomes when the child Bruce occasionally exhibited the Green Hulk's desire to be left alone (again, with a possible actual personality change, which at that age might not be as noticeable by Bruce or others), did he also exhibit the Green Hulk's limited vocabulary?
In closing, let me quote an exerpt from a conversation between the two Hulks in an earlier issue, in which, in the landscape of Banner's Mind, the Gray Hulk is trying to shove 'Ol Greenskins back behind a door, even as the latter tries to break out. It's one of my favorite exchanges of the series:
"Ah, put an egg in your shoe and beat it."
"Hulk does not wear stupid shoes."
"Hey, look behind you... Ain't that Lou Ferrigno?"
"Huh?"
SLAM.
There may have been additional dialogue before the "look behind you." I don't recall, and I'm writing this from memory.
Rick
From an interview with Bart Sears at http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17105
"Bart Sears: Cap/ Falcon was always only a four issue thing... initially, they asked me to stay longer, thru #6 or #7, for some crossover thing or something, but then they wanted me to do a Hulk project with Peter David, which they stalled for some reason even before I finished Cap. Then they offered me Sabretooth. The revived Hulk project then went to Lee Weeks, and here I am."
....
Thank god Sears isn't illustrating TEMPEST FUGIT. I don't think anyone at Marvel realizes just how detrimental his art was to CAP/FALCON. If he had been doing the art on Mr. David's HULK issues, I don't think I would have picked them up. I jumped through hoops to justify picking up CAP/FALCON because Mr. Priest was writing it and had decided to drop the book after the first issue after seeing just how horrendous the art was.
There is just is no comparison between him and Lee Weeks. Anyone who wants a sneak at what his HULK might look like, check out BOILING POINT, the second collection of Bruce Jones' run. It's super-cheap as collections go, too.
I hate to sound like an overexcited fanboy...so I won't:-) Seriously, PAD, sounds like a solid story you've got going for WHAT IF...? and I can't wait to see the finished product.
Glad also to see that the T-Voort is editing TEMPEST FUGIT....I could scarcely imagine the horrors if another editor (no names mentioned) got his hands on your work (was that too thinly veiled?). Similarly, I think I'm ultimately glad Bart Sears isn't doing TF--although I know from speaking to him at conventions that he really likes Hulk, from seeing his CA&F work I don't think his style's a good fit right now. Anyway, I'm excited that things are chugging along, and am eager for January to come around. (After a few years of hell, I can finally look forward to a Hulk appearance that isn't outside his own title....technically!)
Looks like you never lost your affinity for the characters that make up the Hulk's corner of the Marvel U, PAD. Keep it up!
~Gary
Did you get the chance to speak about "Fallen Angel" in that interview? When will the issue be out?
Whats funny in the new Previews...in the Marvel Section, they don't have Maddox listed in the X section. He's in with the misc books. NOW THATS ODD! Usually anything even slightly smelling like an X book they do anything and everything to attach the X to it and get it more publicity.
As for the Hulk and General Ross with multiple Personalities.. well... just Because PAD never mentioned it, doesn't mean he didn't. It was just never mentioned.
There's no readily available Madrox thread, so I guess I'll stick this here. Mile High has posted the full first issue at http://milehighcomics.com/firstlook/marvel/madrox1/
Will we ever see "What If Peter David became The Hulk?"
;)
Sears on the Hulk would have been a big mistake!!!
Many people have posted on Priest's blog about how unreadable CAPTAIN AMERICA &FALCON was with his artwork,and Priest even said he was not ahppy with the work.I remember Sears on on of the Justice League titles and enjoying his work there(Europe team i think).Dont know maybe my tastes have changed but his work doesnt appeal me that much, everyone seems overly muscled and squared jawed in his panels to me.Eagerly waiting for Tempest Fugit to come out.
Back to the original thread,I for one always liked the psychological aspects of the Banner /Hulk relationship.Also just because Ross will be the Hulk in the What if does not mean he has multiple personalities.Emil Blonsky,Sterns,Betty Banner have all been Gamma beings(Abomination,Leader,Harpy)and as far as i know none have MPD.
i would by tempest fugit even if JEFF PURVES was illustrating the book :-)
Joe V
Does anyone know whatever happened to Jeff Purves? I really had no problem with his art, even though it wasn't all that exciting.
lol! I see somebody else has already posted about Madrox in here (I posted about in the Fallen Angel thread. Doh!). Sorry about that guys.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to Peter's Hulk mini-series quiete a bit and I definitly want to read the What IF also. Some great projects are going to be coming from PAD. And from Marvel too! I'm really glad he's still working at Marvel!
DF2506
" Too bad Captain Marvel got canceled...*sigh* "
Bart Sears would be perfect for Hulk actually; the reason it didn`t work on Cap/Falcon is that it was too freackish, not a clean enough style. And who`s the quintessential freak? That`s right, The Hulk. I think Sears` Hulk might even ressemble Todd McFarlane`s. Although if Peter`s story is more moody than "super-hero" like Priest`s Cap/Falcon then yea, it would not have been appropriate.
Since this is a Hulk thread does anyone have any news about who is slated to follow Jones on the Hulk????I have not heard where the title is going as far as creative direction.I just read his latest issue(why i dont know) he wrapped some plot threads in a typical i have painted myself in corner pullitout my ass manner that is unfortunately become common in the end of a run that started with promise (Return of the Monster,much maligned Absorbing Man arc ).
SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!
The end of the issue after the Hulk pummeling Doc Samson Betty goes on a rant about getaway from them.Says and im paraphrasing 'All you have ever done is hurt the people who love you and cause pain.You and that ugly ,twisted ,freak inside you"As much as i would like to chalk it up to heat of the moment,it doesnt work.
Betty would never say something like that to Bruce!!!She understands better than anyone the pain,anger,and shame that Bruce has about what is in him.There are certain things that would Betty never throw up in his face and thats one of them.What next "glad we didnt have kids together considering how you turned out!"????
Maybe im reading way too much into it but it doesnt fit the established personality of Betty.Bill mantlo,Stan Lee and Peter established the honest love and compassion Betty had for Banner and this just doesnt make sense.Of course the Doc Samson eyepatch and other things havent made sense either so why would this be different.
When does Tempest Fugit comeout again??
Deano--
Nobody's following Bruce Jones on HULK right now. #76> That's it. The end. Thank you, Bruce, for closing down the title people have learned to hate. [/sarcasm]
That said, Jones is still writing a HULK/THING mini that likely won't have a big battle like we've been promised (just like the Iron Man/Hulk battle didn't come to be in the "Big Things" arc). After those four months, there still won't be a HULK regular book, but we'll have PAD's Hulk mini, TF--which may lead into his return on a new volume of the HULK series if we're lucky and orders are good...which is what my site is trying to promote, natch;-)
Best,
~Gary
Re:Gary
Thanks for the info...No more Hulk regular series?!?!Give me a break!!You know i should have seen the pattern coming.Bad Artwork,inconsistent artwork,bad storyline,storylines that no one seems to care about including the writer and editor.It all spells end of a series.We wont even mention the complete disregard for the characters'past.:(
I know fan support and interest will determine the future so lets keep our fingers crossed.All i ask for is a writer who cares about the characters and an consistent good art team.Everybody buy copies of Tempest Fugit,ignore the Hulk/thing series and damn Bruce jones anyway.
If the series was ending he could have at least given us a decent finale instead of that dreck.
Hulkamania forever!!!(gamma kind not the steroid using prowrestler:))
Deano
Gary
I read (I think in the Marvel Previews) that the Hulk will continue after the Hulk/Thing mini series.
I certainly hope so, as the Hulk is one of my favourite books.
Do you remember where you heard the book was no more?
PAD's series is now a continuation of the ongoing (#76 - 81)
PAD's series is now a continuation of the ongoing (#76 - 81)
Cortez--
I don't think PAD himself has said anything one way or the other on this to confirm--it seemed conjecture on the part of the ComiX-Fan staff in their article on the Canadian comic expo from last weekend. (But if he has commented, point me there?) And anyway, you're quoting the same wrong issue #s the article did (should be #77-82 if they were doing that).
PAD, anything to say?
~Gary