The Hulk! #10 - Marvel

With this issue, Marvel's really fun Rampaging Hulk b/w magazine simply became The Hulk! and went to full-color.

1978 was the year The Incredible Hulk debuted on CBS, so Marvel bet that the magazine would sell better as a full-color publication; obviously they were right in some respects, since Hulk! continued for eighteen more issues for a total of twenty-eight; a longer run than any other Marvel magazine except for Savage Sword of Conan.

Behind the excellent, dynamic cover by Val Mayerik, is a whole host of Hulk features--first, a color pin-up of Lou Ferrigno as the Greenskinned Goliath; then an article about the debut of the TV show and some plugs for Hulk merchandise like a 1979 calendar, a trade collection of Hulk stories, even a Hulk bank!

The main story is "Thunder of Dawn" by Doug Moench, Ron Wilson, and Ricardo Villamonte. The Hulk goes on a rampage(!) in the redwood forest, and wakes up--as Banner--meeting a woman named Dawn. Dawn befriends Bruce and takes him to the nearby small town, where everyone works at the local mine. Bruce takes a job there, and quickly discovers the owner of the mining company is dumping the radioactive waste unearthed during the mining process.

Bruce and Dawn conspire to get evidence of the company's wrong-doing(Bruce even bedding Dawn down in the process!), so they decided to try and kill them! While Dawn is attacked, Bruce hulks out and attacks! They get away briefly but then Dawn is shot. As she dies, she explains to the Hulk that she knows who he is really is, and asks Hulk to promiser her not to let the bad guys get away with it. This sends the Hulk into an even further rage, and he finds the company's headquarters and, of course, reduces it to rubble, in a glorious two-page orgy of destruction.

Hulk then comes back and actually buries Dawn, in a surprising act of tenderness. The story ends with Hulk leaning over the grave, promising he will never forget her. A really grim ending, but it makes for a solid, very effective tale, and a chance to see Hulk do something more than smash stuff.

There's also an interview with Bill Bixby, a few pages of pin-ups called "Gallery of Villains", including The Executioner, The Chameleon, The Leader, and...Hercules?? In addition to all this, there's a five-page Hulk text story by David Anthony Kraft, plus a two-page letter column! Sure, the price of the magazine went from $1.00 to $1.50, but with the additon of color and all the fun features, you were still getting your money's worth! Hulk approve!