Startling Stories: Banner

    (Marvel, 2001)
™ and ©2001 Marvel Characters, Inc.

What if the Hulk wasn’t really a tragic hero at all, but an uncontrollable mass murderer who leaves death and destruction in his wake? And what if Doc Samson, the benevolent super-powered physicist, wasn’t a friend of the Hulk, but a government agent bent on destroying the Hulk—and covering up any evidence of his very existence, by any means necessary?

That’s the basic premise of writer Brian Azzarello’s (100 Bullets, Hellblazer) four-issue limited series, wherein we see the Hulk in a completely new—and yet scarily familiar—light. Azzarello, with artist Richard Corben, makes a real horror story out of this, bringing the Hulk closer to his literary origins—the tale of Jekyll and Hyde—than anyone ever has before. Quite aside from seeing the gory ramifications of a Hulk rampage, we also see the genuine terror of Bruce Banner, who must bear witness to the suffering and devastation the Hulk has wrought—and know that he is responsible for it. Little wonder then, that by the end of the first issue, we find Banner standing alone on a hilltop, putting a gun in his mouth and preparing to pull the trigger. If you were the reason a killer Hulk existed, what would you do?
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  • 1
    #1
    Sep 2001
    Cover: $2.99
    W: Brian Azzarello  ·  A: Richard Corben
    3 copies from $1.50
  • 2
    #2
    Oct 2001
    Cover: $2.99
    W: Brian Azzarello  ·  A: Richard Corben
    4 copies from $1.25
  • 3
    #3
    Nov 2001
    Cover: $2.99
    W: Brian Azzarello  ·  A: Richard Corben
    6 copies from $1.25
  • 4
    #4
    Dec 2001
    Cover: $2.99
    W: Brian Azzarello  ·  A: Richard Corben
    8 copies from $1.25
  • 4/A
    #4 Variation A
    Marvel Universe Cover A by Richard Corben
    Dec 2001
    Cover: $2.99
    W: Brian Azzarello  ·  A: Richard Corben
    1 copy for $3.36