Review by Ian Keogh

Hulk Must Die picks up with the Hulk’s restoration to his own regular feature in 1965, but only in ten page segments. By then Stan Lee had more or less settled on who the Hulk was, his power levels, and most importantly that his transformations were prompted by agitation and anger. It removed the constant changes in why Bruce Banner became the Hulk afflicting material collected in Man or Monster?

These may have been the stories that solidified who the Hulk was and ensured a lasting popularity the earlier material hadn’t, but collect three years worth of these ten-pagers between two covers and how Lee relied on repetition really becomes apparent. The soap opera melodrama is generally well handled, and the addition of handsome career soldier Glenn Talbot to the cast as a potential love interest for Betty Ross broadens the dramatic possibilities. Mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner feels he can’t reveal his interest to Betty on account of, you know, being the Hulk, and while in his ordinary human form he’s inordinately intimidated by General Thunderbolt Ross.

Steve Ditko draws slightly less than half the book (sample art), his Hulk squat and powerful, and his surroundings fitting the military base where much of the action is set. It may not be a popular view, but his storytelling is better than that of Jack Kirby, who poses everyone in an exaggerated manner, be they green monster or ordinary soldier. Kirby also reaches a point where he’s only providing layouts, and the results are mixed depending on who’s doing the actual pencilling. Bill Everett is notable whether following Kirby’s layouts or pencilling himself, while Gil Kane’s Hulk being more angular is different and eye-catching.

The Hulk’s arch foe the Leader is introduced in these stories, the gamma-created intellect a permanent transformation contrasting the Hulk’s rage. However, much of it is Lee on autopilot repeating the same scenario as the Hulk faces increasing numbers of the Leader’s androids. The ending is a shocker, though.

It’s almost at the end that the highlight occurs, as Lee modernises The Island of Doctor Moreau. Here it’s genetic tinkerer the High Evolutionary responsible for humanoid animals who’ve reverted to their feral nature and are dismantling his work. It’s a parable about hubris, introduces a legacy character and the Hulk’s involvement is well considered as a disruptive presence.

The volume closes with a hint of things to come as future creative team Gary Friedrich and Marie Severin produce a Hulk parody. The concluding Jolly Green Giant joke will probably fly over the heads of most younger readers, but Severin’s version of a comedy grumpy Hulk is beautifully rendered, and many of the jokes still hit home.

Hulk Must Die exemplifies the curse of the collection. What were perfectly serviceable stories if read individually a month apart reveal their considerable flaws when combined.

In Epic Collection form, the next volume is The Leader Lives. This material is also available in black and white spread over Essential Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and was previously available spread over the Hulk Marvel Masterworks collections Volume 2 and Volume 3. If money’s not an issue, everything in this and the previous volume is found in the first oversized Hulk Omnibus.