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Back Issue #70 February 2014 (magazine review).

Contrary to the look of the cover of Back Issue # 70, the focus isn’t on Wolverine but the Incredible Hulk, focusing primarily on his own title from the 1970s and the longevity of Herb Trimpe and Sal Buscema runs on the title as Jarrod Buttery relates ol’ greenskin’s history. I’m glad the page from Incredible Hulk # 206 was included showing a sad Hulk panning back to show the military and police watching at a distance. I have a vague memory the scene was repeated in ‘The Defenders’ in a similar way and equally moving.

Obviously, one shouldn’t forget the 5 season TV version as Glenn Greenberg gives the rundown on the subject and why Kenny Johnson threw so much of the comicbook version out to bring things into realistic proportions. Of course, back in the late-1970s, I doubt if the budget was there for too many elaborate effects or we would have had more hulk moments in each episode. It’s also of note that with ‘The Trail Of The Incredible Hulk’ (1989), it was Stan Lee’s first guest appearance, this time as a juryman.

Seeing the mid-80s Hulk merchandise through Chris Franklin’s eyes makes my older eyes wonder now, more so with so many vans let alone a utility belt, showing his image, why would people want some of these non-related things. Then again, back in the day, merchandise wasn’t so rife on either side of the pond. At least we were spared Marvel having any of them included in the comicbooks.

Dewey Cassell’s look at the Hulk’s newspaper strip shows it was a variation on the TV series and nary a super-villain to face. Stan Lee handed it over to his brother, Larry Leiber to ghost write and initially draw until he brought in the likes of Rich Buckler and Alan Kupperberg to illustrate it for its few years run.

As this ‘Back Issue’ is supposed to be all things Hulk, Mark Arnold has a look at ‘Teen Hulk’ from the ‘Crazy’ magazine by the Larry Hama/Marie Severin team.

Did I say, ‘all things Hulk’? John Cimino takes an excursion to look at the Abomination’s history. It did make me think a bit as both him and the Leader were permanently in that form which might has contributed to his instability. I’m corrected that about the Leader in Jason Shayer’s look at the Hulk in the 1980s and Peter David’s lengthy tenure writing the book and ol’ greenskin turns grey and more intelligent as Joe Fixit. Also in the same decade, 1982 to be exact, he also gets his own animated series as related by Christopher Larochelle although I can’t recall it getting an airing in the UK.

Daniel DeAngelo looks at the various team-ups the Hulk gets involved in and his reluctance to do so and yet succeeds with the Defenders. Quite rightly, it does show a contrast between them and The Avengers that is run as a military unit.

Ronnie Deen, with a psychology background, examines how writer Bill Mantlo fleshed out Bruce Banner’s tragic back story and how it influences the Hulk’s personality. Not so much a reworking but a joining of the dots.

If you thought you knew everything about the Hulk, even from 6 years ago, you’re going to find a lot of information you’ve either didn’t know or forgotten about and should consider looking at this ‘Back Issue’. Don’t smash it.

GF Willmetts

November 2020

(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2014. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $ 9.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6904. Direct from them, you can get it for $ (US))

check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=1098

UncleGeoff

Geoff Willmetts has been editor at SFCrowsnest for some 21 plus years now, showing a versatility and knowledge in not only Science Fiction, but also the sciences and arts, all of which has been displayed here through editorials, reviews, articles and stories. With the latter, he has been running a short story series under the title of ‘Psi-Kicks’ If you want to contribute to SFCrowsnest, read the guidelines and show him what you can do. If it isn’t usable, he spends as much time telling you what the problems is as he would with material he accepts. This is largely how he got called an Uncle, as in Dutch Uncle. He’s not actually Dutch but hails from the west country in the UK.

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