A fairly straightforward Hulk! cover by Earl Norem graces this issue, with Ol' Greenskin waving his absurdly-huge fist in the reader's face!
This blog covered The Hulk! #16 a little while ago, which ended with the Hulk leaping away from a remote island which was the home of a proverbial mad scientist. But before we get into all that, enjoy another Hulk pin-up, by the team of Gene Colan and Bob Wiacek:
This issue's story, "The Biggest Game" (written, of course, by Doug Moench) opens with a great splash page by Ron Wilson and Alfredo Alcala, featuring the Hulk raging against the heavens:
This story is unusual in that neither Banner or the Hulk shows up for the first fifteen pages, a fairly gutsy move. Set in Africa, we're introduced to some big game hunters and their guide, a man who specializes in helping hunters find endangered species. Yeah, I really hope the Hulk pounds these guys into paste...
Bruce Banner is on his way to Africa (man, his frequent flier miles must really be racking up) to hunt down yet another serum that might help him. In this case, its not a cure, but it is a step in the right direction: an experimental serum that keeps the user calm for extended periods of time, which of course is music to Bruce's ears.
But Banner is tricked by Jason Strack, the aforementioned big game specialist. As soon as Bruce gets the serum, his pulse starts to race, and:
Strack ends up caging the Hulk, and killing a young hippie who befriended him. When the Hulk sees what Strack has done, he goes into a rage. He chases Strack, who falls victim to one of his own men, in an act of justice that even the Hulk can recognize:
This issue's story is drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz and Klaus Janson, who make a smashing team; perfect for Moon Knight. This adventure is particularly grisly, with bullets and axes flying, and a really downer cliffhanger ending.
These issues of The Hulk! show that the series was really running on all cylinders; Moench was spinning the dial on the lead feature, dropping the Hulk in different settings, usually with great results. And with the addition of Bill Sienkiewicz, "Moon Knight" really came into its own, as well, making for a really solid package, issue after issue.
Bruce Banner is on his way to Africa (man, his frequent flier miles must really be racking up) to hunt down yet another serum that might help him. In this case, its not a cure, but it is a step in the right direction: an experimental serum that keeps the user calm for extended periods of time, which of course is music to Bruce's ears.
But Banner is tricked by Jason Strack, the aforementioned big game specialist. As soon as Bruce gets the serum, his pulse starts to race, and:
Of course, this doesn't stop Strack, who now has a bigger game to sell to his clients--the Incredible Hulk!
As usual, Alfredo Alcala really dominates the art (he tended to, no matter who he was inking), and in this case it makes for some beautiful pages, like this detailed shot of the quiet jungle:
As usual, Alfredo Alcala really dominates the art (he tended to, no matter who he was inking), and in this case it makes for some beautiful pages, like this detailed shot of the quiet jungle:
Later, the Hulk finds himself face-to-face with a charging rhino--but the Green Goliath has no reason to fight the animal, and tries to get it to back down. But it won't, no matter what:
The Hulk, tired of fighting, collapses into sleep, and turns back into Banner. His unconscious body into loaded into a truck, headed for a nearby hospital. For the moment, the jungle is safe again. The End.
This issue again features Moon Knight as the back-up feature:
This issue again features Moon Knight as the back-up feature:
These issues of The Hulk! show that the series was really running on all cylinders; Moench was spinning the dial on the lead feature, dropping the Hulk in different settings, usually with great results. And with the addition of Bill Sienkiewicz, "Moon Knight" really came into its own, as well, making for a really solid package, issue after issue.
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