Hulk #34 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (writer), Carlo Pagulayan (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Jesus Aburtov (colors), Ed Dukeshire (letters), Jake Thomas (assistant editor) & Mark Paniccia (editor)

The Story: Yes, you’ve seen the general story before.  Red Hulk is sent to a distant planet where he has to fight to survive.

What’s Good: I don’t know about you, but Greg Pak’s Planet Hulk story from several years ago was the best Hulk story I’ve ever read.  So I really don’t mind Marvel going back to the well to let Jeff Parker put his own personal spin on that type of story with the Red Hulk.

In typical Parker fashion, he moves the story along briskly.  There’s no overwrought decision by the Illuminati to send the Red Hulk away. It just kinda happens and by the end of the issue, Parker has covered the same amount of material that most writers would milk for an entire 6-issue arc.  It’s really amazing.  All in one issue Red Hulk goes from being on a rescue mission in space, to being lost in space, to landing on the alien planet, meeting natives, establishing conflict and having a big set-piece battle!  Life is short and time is precious, so it’s nice to read a writer like Parker who doesn’t dick around.

And we get all the stuff that you expect in a good Hulk story.  He’s shown hopping around, unprotected in outer space, falling from orbit without getting burned up and generally kicking ass.  The thing I love about Hulk stories is when the writers can find a way to put Hulk (Red or Green) as a disadvantage and have them get smacked around for a minute….the whole time as a reader, you are thinking, “Just you wait, buster!  When Hulk escapes the control of those ______ he’s going to beat the snot out of you!”  We get that moment in a BIG way in this issue.