This is the volume where David elevated Hulk from a pedestrian comic book cliche' into one of the more genuinely intelligent, interesting and pyschologically engaging reads of its time. This is one of Peter David's best volumes of comics' work, with one major exception, and that's saying quite a bit for a writer like David who has written some excellent stories and whose career in comics now spans some decades. Rhino battle during Christmas shopping season at the mall, and the second contains a Doc Samson spotlight issue. The two stores in question are not bad by any means, they're just jarring when read in context of the larger storyline. These were written by David, but the artwork was by non-series regular pencillers and were intended as one-offs to give primary series artist Dale Keown a chance to catch back up on the series. My only (very, very minor) complaint is that there are a two filler issues contained within. While these issues were sell outs and extremely popular at the time of their initial publication, time has not dulled their enjoyment one iota! I enjoyed them just as much as I did nearly 20 years ago! Also, the supporting cast swells with the introdution of the Pantheon (a super secret think tank dedicated to pushing mankind headlong toward their ultimate future destiny) are seen fully for the first time, and would factor into the series for several more years.

All loose ends from David's beginning on the Hulk nearly 3 years prior are tied up and new plots are started! The New Hulk (later known as the Professor Hulk) is a merger of the green hulk, the gray Joe Fixit Hulk, and Banner himself. The issues contained inside this collection feature the climax of a years-in-the-making storyline highlighted by the introduction of a New Hulk. While the first couple of Hulk: Peter David volumes (with artwork by a young Todd McFarlane and containing the first appearance of the Las Vegas Joe Fixit persona of the Hulk) are excellent, this collection is really the pinnacle of David's entire run on the series. I'm hard pressed to find a more enjoyable tradepaperback than this collection, the latest in Marvel's Hulk: Peter David Visionaries line of books! Watch as Banner transforms from the green Hulk to the gray Hulk and even both at the same time! MPD at it's finest!

Hulk visionaries peter david