Hulk No More (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

This third volume of the Hulk, written by Jeff Loeb & artwork by Ed McGuinness, has all the elements of a great story. In the first arc of the volume, The Grandmaster comes to Hulk and offers a way to bring back his dead love, Jarella. He has to put together a team to battle unknown foes. Hulk chooses Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, & Namor....a.k.a. The Defenders. Then The Collector enters the fray with his team led by Red Hulk, The Offenders.

They battle it out, and in the end Jarella is still dead....as is The Grandmaster.

The second story arc guest-stars Spiderman, She-Hulk, Leonard Samson, and Ben Urich (Daily Bugle reporter).

Top 5 Monthly Comics to collect in 2010

I collect about 12 different monthlies in Graphic Novel form, but I’ve narrowed them down to my essential 5 for 2010:

1. Green Lantern. You cannot go wrong collecting this series! Geoff Johns continues to impress more and more taking Green Lantern into uncharted territory and writing stories on par with anything in the market today! The Blackest Night event will blanket the DC Universe into 2010, and Green Lantern will be at the forefront of DC’s heroes.

2. Batman. With the announcement that Bruce Wayne will be returning in 2010, the Batman series led by Grant Morrison should impress as never before! Always a winner and worth spending the money on, DC’s flagship character will carry the DC franchise in 2010.

3. Elephantmen. If your local comic book shop doesn’t carry this title, you should be begging and pleading with them to start! Richard Starking’s story and characters seem to get better with every issue, and the artwork is always phenomenal! A real up-&-comer getting a lot of attention on the comic websites.

4. Daredevil. The man without fear is riding high, and new writer Andy Diggle should keep him that way in 2010. The story is usually for mature audiences and often reads as a detective/crime novel with pictures. Following in the footsteps of Kevin Smith, Brian Michael Bendis, & Ed Brubaker isn’t easy…..but I believe it will bring out Diggle’s best work to date!

5. The Brave and The Bold. With J. Michael Straczynski taking over as writer, I fully expect this to be one of my favorites for 2010! Sales numbers are in the toilet…..but if you love a good story, or just love JMS than you’ll love this title. I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if they cancel this title and then restart it from #1 with JMS as regular writer.

Special Mentions go to Superman and Green Arrow & Black Canary. Both titles are on the brink of disaster, but with good writers on board and “mega-events” coming up in 2010 for both titles, they should be worth reading. Also….Hulk. Despite some fan criticism, the Fall of The Hulks event in 2010 should make this title worth spending the money for.