Upcoming issues of “Hulk”

Posted By: Kathleen DavidPosted On:

Although this has been announced at various conventions, I haven’t stated it here,and word hasn’t apparently filtered through to the on-line community. So I figure I’ll clarify matters, especially since I see folks on Newsarama wondering if “Tempest Fugit” is going to be a $3.50 per issue price point similar to the current Hulk/Thing limited series.

Bottom line is this: The combination of the positive fan response to the “Hulk” limited series by Lee Weeks and me, and the fact that Bruce Jones is now exclusive with DC, prompted Marvel to say, “Why the heck are we doing this as a limited series instead of as part of the ongoing?” So rather than it being issues 1-6 of “Tempest Fugit,” the Hulk series will simply start up again in January after a four month hiatus and my storyline will be issues 77 through 82 of the regular book. Which means that, to all intents and purposes, I’m back writing the Hulk.

Whether I’ll stay beyond that hinges on a few things. First, I want to make sure that I’m comfortable back writing the Hulk. So I’ve really only committed to six issues Then again, I initially only committed to six issues of “Young Justice,” so it’s not unprecedented for me to stay around.

Second, of course, is fan and retailer response, and third is whether Marvel wants to keep me around on the series. But naturally those two aspects are inextricably bound. If the retailer and fan support is there, that will send Marvel one message. If it’s not, that sends them another. And they will act accordingly, and I wouldn’t blame them.

So ultimately what it comes down to is, I’m back on “Hulk.” Whether I stay or not is up to a variety of factors, not the least of which is you guys.

PAD

89 comments on “Upcoming issues of “Hulk””

  1. *does her Carly Simon impression*

    Nobody doooooooooes it betterrrrrrrrrrr… 😉

    Congrats, Mr. David. Looking forward to it.

  2. I already pre-ordered these issues in my Local comic shop, which they told me in confidence that they are ordering alot because they’ve had alot of fan intrest with you returning to the Hulk title.

    PAD, dont worry, I think the sales are gonna be fine. You should start brainstorming and talking with Tom on what kind of storylines you want to work on in Hulks future.

  3. All I’m sayin’ is, if you hang around longer, I want an update on Hector, Prometheus and Atalanta.

    That’s all. I mean, last I remember those three had gone off on their own and y’know, they were my faves from the Pantheon and I’d just like to see they’re still kicking around…

  5. I think that we should reverse things and have Bruce Banner write PAD’s life for awhile. What do the rest of you think?

  7. That is the best news that I have had all week, and it is only Tuesday.

    I think that the last thing you will have to worry about is a positive fan response Peter.

    You should be more concerned with the endless crossover events that have the tendency to disrupt whatever story arc momentum that you are currently building.

    Other than that I hope that I have another decade of Peter David Hulk storylines to look forward to reading.

    Regards:
    Warren S. Jones III

  8. I guess the one pitfall comes from the idea that fans often have about a cancelled show or series; that the creators have spent the hiatus doing nothing but thinking up great plotlines. So when the show or book resumes, they are inevitably disappointed when the stories are not absolutely groundshaking (“He had 5 years to think about it and THIS is the best he could come up with?”)

  9. Bill:

    >I guess the one pitfall comes from the idea that fans often have about a cancelled show or series; that the creators have spent the hiatus doing nothing but thinking up great plotlines. So when the show or book resumes, they are inevitably disappointed when the stories are not absolutely groundshaking (“He had 5 years to think about it and THIS is the best he could come up with?”)

    True. Another is that many tend to remember the previous run as brilliant and as time goes on, they build it up even moreso, to the point of being beyond reproach…. certainly better than any new story can top.

    As I said earlier, I’m hoping that there aren’t too many that go the way of Waid’s Cap fanbase. Instead of viewing it simply as “going home again”, perhaps a better way of looking at it is going home again to add on a few new wings, a patio, and other additions. 🙂

    Fred

  10. I echo the approval of all the fans above.

    Late last year, I finally came to my senses and wrote letters (actual letters) to Quesada and Alonzo regarding my disgust with Jones’ Hulk, and informed them that I was dropping the title (after more than 27 years of collecting it) and would only pick it up again if and when another writer came on board. I guess I will be writing another letter telling them I am coming back (as it seems are many other fans).

    Welcome back Peter. We’ve missed you.

  11. This is good news. PAD’s a great storyteller and I llok foward to see what new aspect he brings to the Hulk, being that PAD doesn’t repeat themes. I would like to see less emphasis placed on the healing factor. We see enough of that with Wolverine, Deadpool, etc. Of course the healing factor should still exist, but I would like to see the old invulnerability prevent us from having to deal with the now overused instant healing.

    On another note, I think that PAD could have done wonders with Ultimate Hulk. The vile behavior of the character could easily have been delt with through Banner gaining a degree of control as is the case with the Merged Hulk of regular continuity. This balance would have still left a cold, obscene creature of questionable morality who has some desire to be in the spotlight as a hero. Kinda like the way PAD dealt with the insane Genis-Vell.

  14. Congratulations! I’ll look forward to reading it.

    And best of luck knitting together the plot threads that you want to use.

  17. Also:

    WHAT IF GENERAL ROSS HAD BECOME THE HULK?
    Written by PETER DAVID
    Art by BART SEARS
    Cover by GARY FRANK
    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.
    32 PGS./MARVEL PSR ?$2.99

    I won’t be getting this for one reason, Bart Sears.

  18. Fabulous News!
    Congratulations PAD! You have my support and I hope you become comfortable enough with the character to provide many more years of excellent stories.
    I think your creativity is amazing and I wish you good luck. Personally I’ve been cutting back on comics. They lack the giddy “I can’t wait till next month” feel I used to get. I’m getting that now the Transformers G1 and I’m feeling that now with your return to HULK. I always had that feeling with you when you were the writer 6 years ago.
    Best wishes!

  19. Borovan wrote:

    “Great news! I’ll be sure to pick up the trade when it comes out.”

    Why wait? Pick up the individual issues as a vote toward having PAD on the book full-time–it’s the only language Marvel will listen to. You can always pick up the trade if/when it becomes available and pass the singles on to less fortunate souls.:-)

    ~Gary
    Leader of the H.A.R.P.ies
    http://www.comicmonsters.com/hulk

  20. EXCELLENT!!! I hope this works out and you feel good writing it and continue on. I loved your run on Hulk. I having collected it since, but I’ll definitely be picking it up again now.

    Cheers.

  21. After reading and collecting the Hulk since around issue 280 (and a whole bunch of black and white Marvel UK issues before then) I stopped getting Hulk after the first Marvel Knights issue. It just wasn’t fun anymore.
    I loved PADs issues, the laughs, and the tears. And I couldn’t be happier that he’s back, if only to put the book back on the right tracks.
    Really looking forward to it!

  23. I have just started reading Fallen Angel and have marveled at Peter David’s range as a writer. I’m really looking forward to his return on the Hulk but, too tell you the truth, I just look forward to reading anything written by him.

    Please get your friends to check out Fallen Angel. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric series with terrific complexities.

  24. PAD,
    Congrats! The Hulk is the character and title that really got me collectind comics, starting with the great Bill Mantlo’s run. Yet neither Byrne, Jenkins or Jones’ runs excited me, and after “The Absorbing Man” mess of a “story”, I swore off the character for the first time in 22 years!
    So welcome back! I think the book will be a success with you on it and being on a high profile character like the Hulk will raise your profile again and help you attract new/younger readers to your other books.
    Heck, you may even be in Wizard’s Hot Writers list again!
    Congrats again!

  25. Sir, the only thing that could produce the amount of joy at hearing this if they also announced that they were going to put your Dreadstar run into a collectable (a lot of young whipper-snappers never got the pleasure and I can’t lend out my originals anymore.)

    When if comes to the Hulk you were an extremely tough act to follow. And honestly it showed. Bruce Jones did some incredible stuff, but the ending just didn’t do it for me (and I absolutely LOVE the Leader as THE Hulk arch enemy.) Hopefully in these mature times and comics broken so far out the “code” it almost feels like nastalgia to think of those little shredded tags that used to hang on every issue, maybe you’ll have the flexibility this time to do more of what you wanted. And if your run is long I hope cross overs don’t get in the way this time around.

    Good luck Mr. David (yeah, you owe me money), I can’t think of a better writer for the big green guy. Ironically I was just re-reading your New Universe Justices, and I think I just got a prize for it (even though it was more of sometime to read in the Laundry last night thing.)

  26. I just wanted to add to the hoopla-HOO RA!

    Hope you find a passion and desire to want to stay on Hulk, PAD.

  27. The Hulk has sucked since you left and I stopped reading it after Bruce Jones came aboard. I sure as Hëll hope you stay on after the six issues and, other than word-of-mouth, if there is anything I can do to make sure that happens then I’ll do it. Here’s to hoping we get our Hulk back.

  28. PAD,

    I stopped reading “Hulk” when you left the title (nothing against the new writing team, it just seemed a logical time to stop; the end of an era, as it were), and with the exception of a single issue, haven’t glanced at the title since then. So I can’t speak one way or another to what Bruce Jones or others have done with the book.

    What I _can_ say is that I will be picking up those six issues you’ll be writing; and who knows? If you stay longer, maybe I will, too. I guess it’ll depend on what you do with the character and if I like the direction you take him.

    Actually, I generally give a title a one-year trial run (unless it’s really bad) before deciding whether to keep buying it. Knowing your past record of quality, if you end up staying for a significant tenure, I probably will, too.

    Rick

  29. Umor hath posted the following:

    Good luck Mr. David (yeah, you owe me money), I can’t think of a better writer for the big green guy. Ironically I was just re-reading your New Universe Justices, and I think I just got a prize for it (even though it was more of sometime to read in the Laundry last night thing.)

    A prize? lol…

    I have fond memories of those old JUSTICE books, and PAD knows full well I do (Practically the only guy bugging him at cons about John Tensen? Right here!). Of special significance to JUSTICE fans: the new HULK creative team is the same as the old JUSTICE one: PAD and Lee Weeks.

    Now, if we can just get (a) Justice to appear, even for a panel, and (b) Mike Gustovich to ink an issue, we’ll be set. (Kidding! But not about having Tensen appear;-))

    ~Gary

  31. > So ultimately what it comes down to is, I’m back on “Hulk.” Whether I stay or not is up to a variety of factors, not the least of which is you guys.

    You can count on me, PAD. 😀

    –Don aka Ygor

  32. I hope this doesn’t get me into trouble, but a few years back, when I was running a D&D campaign with a homegrown pantheon of gods, I assigned the position of Lawful Good deity to Tensen, Lord of Justice…

    …on the plus side, his paladins weren’t the endlessly-forgiving little wimps one so often finds in these games… 🙂

  33. Sounds like fun, Jonathan…

    I didn’t pick those JUSTICE books up when they first came out–I was a lot more into standard superheroics than I am now (forgive me, I was 9!)…but around ’96 or thereabouts I rediscovered the entire New Universe. The brightest star of the whole line was PAD’s JUSTICE stuff. Together with Tensen’s use in SPIDER-MAN 2099, it made me write a whole lot of fanfic based on the character (continuing, natch, where PAD left off in 2099). Later I found out from PAD that a version of Tensen appeared in his PSI-MAN novels under the name of Tom Jensen, the Magistrate–but whose storyline logically followed from JUSTICE #32. Very cool stuff.

    John Tensen’s one of those impeccably cool, perfectly-nuanced characters who hardly anyone ever knows about these days. Heck, I’d be happy for a name drop in a book.:-D

    Tensen’s sword and shield against the Hulk’s pure, unbridled rage…hmmm….

    ~Gary
    http://www.comicmonsters.com/hulk

  34. Finally! I knew you would be reunited with the Hulk eventually, Peter. And not a moment too soon–Big Green needs ya! It’s been far too long since I waited with anticipation for the latest issue of Hulk, and even longer since I read the book with a smile on my face. I have no doubt that with you back on board, this will change in a hurry.

  36. This could be really good. I loved David’s run on the hulk right up until the hulks merged into the pantheon leader hulk. When David’s on his game, he’s by far the best hulk writer. Hopefully his writing holds up.

  37. It’s going to be great to finally be buying the ongoing Hulk title again. I haven’t bought it since Romita Jr left the title and I haven’t ENJOYED it since Peter left the title. (For those of you wondering why I continued to buy a title that I wasn’t enjoying… I was hoping that one month it would start getting good again. Needless to say, it never happened.)

    I did enjoy the first issue Marvel Age Hulk, though.

  38. I do hope that the Hulk featured in “Tempest Fugit” is somewhat recognizeable as a Hulk from Peter’s first run, though.

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