David returns: Incredible Hulk #77

You just can't go wrong with any comic that starts out with a giant, green man walking along the bottom of the ocean, punching sharks, and munching on the remains like Henry VIII with a turkey leg. I mean, how often do you see that? All too rarely, I say.

Of course, shark mangling is not the only cool thing about Incredible Hulk #77. This issue marks the return of Peter David as the Hulk's writer. To many fans, myself included, David (who wrote the Hulk for something like 12 years) is THE Hulk writer. Years ago, he took a character that most people thought was dead in the water and turned him into one of Marvel's biggest stars. Peter David really knows the Hulk, and it shows in his return to the character.

In this issue, Tempest Fugit-part 1, David quickly delves into what makes the Hulk tick. We see glimpses of Bruce Banner's past and how Banner, past and present, is connected to the Hulk. The way Banner and the Hulk relate to, and deal with, one another is a big part of what makes this character so interesting. David understands that, and it shows in this story. (By the way, this storyline is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, so you can claim you are gettin' an edumacation while reading this!)

The art by Lee Weeks is also excellent. The Hulk looks huge, powerful and grumpy. (Plus, he DOES wear purple pants. Where does Banner buy those elastic, purple pants?) The underwater action scenes have an impressive scale, and Weeks draws one mean squid-monster.

Incredible Hulk #77 has great hulk-out action, a cool story, pretty pictures and a cliffhanger ending that will make you say, "What the ----?" You can't go wrong! Not only that, but this week Hulk #77 is Four Color Fantasies Guaranteed Book of the Week. Trust me, it's worth cover price for the shark-mangling alone!