While DC is blazing a trail with its' ingenuitive "DRAWING THE LINE AT $2.99" program, MARVEL gives us HULK #30, a perfect example of everything a publisher should avoid.
In a nuthsell, Impossible Man comes to Earth to commentate a fight between
XEMNU and Hulk. But when Xemnu finds Red Hulk instead, Green Hulk jumps in and the two Hulks find themselves getting their butts handed to them by Xemnu's army of brutes. Included in this army is
KLUH: a cloned grey version of the gray Hulk who talks like Thor. Feeling sorry for the two Hulks, Impy whips out a weapon that merges the two Hulks together into a COMPOSITE HULK, (incidentally, 3D-MAN called...he wants his look back) who eventually beat Kluh and Xemnu.
First, bless Ed McGuiness' heart. I love his artwork, and this was the only thing that kept me turning the pages to this "incredibly" disappointing story.
Second, it's an admitted
"jumping the shark" issue, gearing you up for issue #30.5, which is supposed to be a jumping on point for new readers. However, jumping isn't my thing so reading this issue was exhausting for more reasons than one.
Third, I get laughed at when I tell people I read this title.
"WHAT?? You mean you actually get 'RULK' every month?" Yeah, I do. I think the character has alot of potential, even if he is nothing more than a crimson rip-off of the HULK. Change can be good. But no matter what direction this character takes, I get disappointed. I didn't like him when he punched the WATCHER. I don't like it when he punches anything, so why AM I buying this title?
Perhaps HULK #30 has been a psychological look into my own mind as a reader and collector, and I'm trying to find a healthy balance of what I should read to collect, and what I should collect to read? Maybe my need to keep my almost-near complete collection of EVERY ISSUE AND VARIANT of this title is the only thing keeping me dropping $4 on this book instead of $3 on 20 Chicken McNuggets at McDonald's?
But don't worry about the damage down to my psyche for buying this: do yourself a favor and avoid this issue like an ex-girlfriend. It has NOTHING to do with anything.
But be aware, brave soul....you will have a big gaping hole in your
RULK collection...but it beats the big gaping hole you'll want to put in your head for buying it.