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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
Thundering out of the night in the cover-dated May 1962 issue of The INCREDIBLE HULK #1 (actually released in February), the 'half man, half-monster' that was MARVEL's newest creation only managed to last six issues before being cancelled due to disappointing sales.
However, the Gamma-ray spawned Hulk was kept alive in a guest-star appearance in The FANTASTIC FOUR #12 (dated March '63, but published in December '62), before becoming a founding member of The AVENGERS in the September '63 cover-dated first issue of their own mag. He quit the team in the second issue (but continued to appear in #s 3 & 5, before taking over half of TALES To ASTONISH with issue #60, dated October '64 (published in July). This followed a full-length encounter with GIANT-MAN the previous month, possibly to introduce ol' Hulkie to new readers and remind old-timers just who he was.
After that, there was just no stopping the green-skinned behemoth (grey in his debut number), and ROBERT BRUCE BANNER's alter-ego went from strength to strength. Presented here, for the historians amongst you, are the covers of all six issues of the Hulk's original, short-lived run. Wouldn't it be great if Marvel reprinted all six as individual issues, instead of just in collected editions? I'd certainly buy 'em.
Issue 5 has really nice cover art, really good halftones, I was wondering about issue 6, is that the first Hulk six-pack?
ReplyDeleteThe Tyrannus story in issue #5 is one of my all-time favourite Hulk tales. And you're probably right about that six-pack, DSE. Kirby tended not to draw his characters with such well-defined abdominal muscles.
ReplyDeleteI love that Ditko cover to number 6 excellent stuff I liked Ditkos take on the hulk in the early years - Did John Buscema draw an early issue of the Hulk I seem to remember seeing this reprinted with his art ina really early issue of MWOM in the 70s - McScotty
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, McScotty, when Ditko started drawing the Tales To Astonish stories, he more or less reverted the Hulk to how he looked in his first issue, not as he drew him in issue #6.
ReplyDeleteJohn Buscema drew the Hulk in three issues of TTA (85-87), which were published in MWOM in due course in the early '70s.
Issue 1,and its interior are just magnificent.
ReplyDeleteEven though I know now that it was Kirby just doing his monster thing, this was somehow different.
And it embedded itself in my psyche!
I feel the same way about the Fantastic Four origin issue also.
I'm pretty much into ALL the early Marvel origin stories. The Larry Lieber-scripted Thor and Iron Man ones were particularly good.
ReplyDeleteI originally read the Hulk stories when they were reprinted in Marvel Collector's Item Classics in the 1960s. The covers were reproduced, along with those of the FF and Tales of Suspense (Iron-Man), although the Hulk stories were often broken over a number of issues.
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of MCIC and Marvel Tales, since those early issues were often not in my brother John's collection. I also have many of those beat of copies still in my collection today.
I've also got a goodly number of MCIC and MT, Nick. Great comics indeed. Marvel did some 'Megazines' (so called because they were mega in size) about 15-odd years ago which were pretty much the same idea as MCIC. (Although not '60s reprints.) They were very nice indeed, reprinting John Byrne's FF, etc.
ReplyDeleteYour blog prompted me to order a TPB of these issues to take me back in time to the 60's when I first came upon these stories reprinted in Smash! and I couldn't wait for the next issue! I believe they printed an original UK only story as well ,any details?
ReplyDeleteThat self-same story is published on my blog somewhere. You'll have to play Captain and navigate its stormy waters, I'm afraid. You're bound to find it eventually.
ReplyDeleteThere was a definite charm to those early issues of the Hulk, however erratic they may have been. I'm lucky to have picked up some battered copies of the originals (with the exception of issue # 1)and I treasure them. Ditko's inks over Kirby in issue # 2 was effective, but I also thought Dick Ayers inking on issues 3-5 worked very well. The image of the Hulk pounding on that wall is iconic.
ReplyDeleteDitko's effort on the 6th issue had some interesting bits, but I don't think he really developed the Hulk until he returned to the strip in Astonish. The Metal Man story seemed a bit awkward; the Hulk working with the Teen Brigade just didn't click.
I could never stand the Teen Brigade for some reason - not quite sure why. Perhaps because they just slowed down the action. I think issue #s 4 & 5 were the best, #6 didn't quite make it.
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