The Non-Fan's Perspective: THE HULK

This time, it's all about Week I've-lost-count of the Superheroes in Comics course, for which we read THE INCREDIBLE HULK: RETURN OF THE MONSTER.

When the facilitators gave a brief, streamlined run-through of the Hulk's publishing history, they understandably tried to keep things simple by entirely avoiding the topic of his multiple incarnations. Then, they raised the floor for questions, at which point the following scene occured:

Man raises hand
FACILITATOR: "This better not be a question about the other Hulks."
RAISED HAND: "It's not."
FACILITATOR: "Okay."
RAISED HAND: "What's the story behind the grey Hulk?"
FACILITATOR: "I just told you not to ask that!!"

And in case any of you are the type who can't stand a story incomplete, the questioner, if I recall correctly, responded with, "I didn't know he was one of the other Hulks!" Interpret that as you will.

Opinions about this trade were amibivalent and mild, decidedly an overall "Eh."

There was some discussion about whether Bruce Banner's efforts to escape capture by the military are heroic or moral, given that there's the danger of a Hulk rampage as long as he's free. All of the arguments in the character's defense were offered somewhat uncomfortably, and there was significant support behind the idea that no, he in fact is not acting morally.

I couldn't find much in the way to justify his behavior myself, which surprised me because I've never considered Banner's behavior to be unethical before. This led me to wondering why that was, why I've been rooting for the poor, pressed-on guy all this time... and it came to me: In the past, the Hulk never killed any innocent people. Well, he never did that in this one TPB either, but the facilitators had mentioned how later trades firmly painted the red on his hands.

And that changes everything.

Which lights the way to my opinion that the Hulk as a character simply doesn't work if he's killed anyone of the non-villain variety. Once he's done that, the reader can't root for Bruce Banner anymore, not if he stays on the run, consequently knowlingly putting lives at risk. When the tanks edge in and surround the Hulk, something's wrong if it's the tanks the reader is championing. But enough; I don't want to side-track. The title of this entry's The Non-Fan's Perspective, not APLOMB's Perspective.

There were a lot of laughs when the facilitators mentioned that the Doc Samson character, like his Biblical namesake, wields strength dependant on his hair length. This reaction, too, surprised me. Is it really much sillier than the rest of the wacky science found in superhero comics? Apparently... yes?

Oh, and it'll come as a surprise to no one, I'm sure, that most of the students did not know of the existence of any version of the Hulk beyond the simple-minded, green one. This even went for, surprisingly enough, one young man who could recite chapter and verse for all the Marvel books that contain X somewhere in their title. I mentioned him far back in my first entry of this series. This guy knew in his heart the *Summers* *family* *tree*. One time, someone asked him whether the character Havok ever had his own series, and I heard firsthand as he went into a thorough answer involving the words "leader of X-Factor" and "Mutant X" and god knows what else. I don't keep track too much of Marvel's mutant fiefdom, but he sounded like he knew the stuff but good. Hunh.

And... fin. The next entry will be up sooner or later, and I proclaim its topic WONDER WOMAN: GODS AND MORTALS.