Greg Pak's Hulk: Banner War
Oct. 17th, 2012 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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scans_dailyPreviously in Planet Hulk
In between Planet Hulk: Exile and Planet Hulk: Anarchy, there was a one-shot Giant-Size Hulk issue. In that issue, there is a short ten-page story called "Banner War" which deals with the big question of what Bruce Banner thinks about his exile into space.
If you're reading through the Planet Hulk, you can skip over this story pretty easily. However, it does touch upon one of the big themes that runs throughout Greg Pak's Hulk stories, so I'm including it here as well.
(3 pages out of a 10-page story)
Following his escape from the Great Arena, the Hulk is dreaming. In those dreams, Banner returns. However, the Hulk is in no mood for talking and decides to walk away instead:
The Hulk is reliving the old times when he had everything. On the micro-planet of K'ai, he was made king and the warrior-queen Jarella was his queen. In the dream, the Hulk has not only Jarella at his side but also his Warbound and the Silver Surfer as well. This underscores a very important thing about the Hulk - even though he says he wants to be left alone, he never really does.
Unfortunately, Banner interferes with the dream, causing it to head in less than happy directions. The Hulk also fantasizes about brutally murdering the heroes who exiled him, which terrifies Jarella:
Banner's words here indicate where he is as a character. This is not a guy who sees the Hulk as a curse that can be removed anymore. He accepts that the Hulk is a part of him and wants to make the most of that. Even later in Pak's run when the Hulk is removed from Banner, Bruce is still convinced that he will return. (Spoiler alert: he's right.)
Finally, we get to see Banner's first appearance on Sakaar...for all of one panel.
In addition to the general theme of the Hulk wanting a family, this story is notable for giving us Banner's reaction to his situation. He doesn't harbor a grudge here. He actually wants to fix up the ship and send it off to the planet it was intended to go to. Meanwhile, it's the Hulk who is living in the past, convinced that Banner wants to get rid of him. Throughout Planet Hulk, the Hulk is pretty certain Banner and the other heroes have it in for him. He says that Banner tried to kill him with the gamma bomb, claims here that Banner wants to kill him, and later says the heroes tried to kill him by exiling him. I guess the latter makes sense to a degree - on a peaceful planet where there is no danger, why would Banner ever turn into the Hulk?
Most significant about Banner's original reaction to his exile is how it changes down the road. By the end of Planet Hulk, he's actually on the Hulk's side, and when World War Hulk comes along, he plays an integral role in defeating Doctor Strange.
In between Planet Hulk: Exile and Planet Hulk: Anarchy, there was a one-shot Giant-Size Hulk issue. In that issue, there is a short ten-page story called "Banner War" which deals with the big question of what Bruce Banner thinks about his exile into space.
If you're reading through the Planet Hulk, you can skip over this story pretty easily. However, it does touch upon one of the big themes that runs throughout Greg Pak's Hulk stories, so I'm including it here as well.
(3 pages out of a 10-page story)
Following his escape from the Great Arena, the Hulk is dreaming. In those dreams, Banner returns. However, the Hulk is in no mood for talking and decides to walk away instead:
The Hulk is reliving the old times when he had everything. On the micro-planet of K'ai, he was made king and the warrior-queen Jarella was his queen. In the dream, the Hulk has not only Jarella at his side but also his Warbound and the Silver Surfer as well. This underscores a very important thing about the Hulk - even though he says he wants to be left alone, he never really does.
Unfortunately, Banner interferes with the dream, causing it to head in less than happy directions. The Hulk also fantasizes about brutally murdering the heroes who exiled him, which terrifies Jarella:
Banner's words here indicate where he is as a character. This is not a guy who sees the Hulk as a curse that can be removed anymore. He accepts that the Hulk is a part of him and wants to make the most of that. Even later in Pak's run when the Hulk is removed from Banner, Bruce is still convinced that he will return. (Spoiler alert: he's right.)
Finally, we get to see Banner's first appearance on Sakaar...for all of one panel.
In addition to the general theme of the Hulk wanting a family, this story is notable for giving us Banner's reaction to his situation. He doesn't harbor a grudge here. He actually wants to fix up the ship and send it off to the planet it was intended to go to. Meanwhile, it's the Hulk who is living in the past, convinced that Banner wants to get rid of him. Throughout Planet Hulk, the Hulk is pretty certain Banner and the other heroes have it in for him. He says that Banner tried to kill him with the gamma bomb, claims here that Banner wants to kill him, and later says the heroes tried to kill him by exiling him. I guess the latter makes sense to a degree - on a peaceful planet where there is no danger, why would Banner ever turn into the Hulk?
Most significant about Banner's original reaction to his exile is how it changes down the road. By the end of Planet Hulk, he's actually on the Hulk's side, and when World War Hulk comes along, he plays an integral role in defeating Doctor Strange.
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Date: 2012-10-18 03:27 am (UTC)oh really? i thought hulk just broke his hands.... can you post that? or are you going in order?
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Date: 2012-10-18 11:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-19 12:14 am (UTC)And i don't know why, but i loved the " I'll always have you" line. It pretty much shows that Banner knows that he'll always have the Hulk.