by Mike Collins

For people who might not have followed Planet Hulk can you bring us up to speed on what's happened recently and how we've gotten to World War Hulk?

Last year a group of so-called Marvel "heroes," including Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Dr. Strange, decided the Hulk was too dangerous for planet Earth, tricked him into a shuttle, and shot him into space. The Hulk ended up on the savage planet of Sakaar, where he bonded with a group of monsters and rejects and went from slave to gladiator to rebel to conquering emperor. The Hulk united the tribes of Sakaar, married the woman warrior Caiera the Oldstrong, and became the Green King. And then... disaster. The shuttle that brought the Hulk to Sakaar exploded -- destroying a million people in Crown City, including the Hulk's queen and unborn child. Now the Hulk and his Warbound gladiator allies are on their way to Earth, determined to wreak terrible vengeance upon those they blame for the destruction of their world.

(Incidentally, the hardcover of the "Planet Hulk" saga hits stores on June 13, the same day that the first issue of "World War Hulk" comes out.)

World War Hulk weaves its way through three main books, Incredible Hulk, World War Hulk and WWH: Frontline. Can you talk about what's going to be going on in each of those books?

The epic story of the Hulk's quest for revenge against Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Dr. Strange is told in the five issue "World War Hulk" miniseries, written by yours truly with art by the legendary John Romita, Jr. This is the blockbuster movie take on the story, packed with every essential, giant moment of action and emotion. The "Incredible Hulk" #106 to #110, written by me with art by Gary Frank, Leonard Kirk, and Carlo Pagulayan, tell the story of those Marvel heroes crazy enough to side with the Hulk when he returns. The story includes key figures from the Hulk's supporting cast, including She-Hulk, Doc Samson, Namor, and Rick Jones as well as an unexpected group of new allies that includes Hercules, Angel, Namora, and self-appointed Hulk champion Amadeus Cho. "Incredible Hulk" #110 should be of particular interest to Hulk fans -- Amadeus's mission reaches its terrifying climax with a shocking revelation of the essential nature of the Hulk. Finally, "World War Hulk: Frontline," written by Paul Jenkins, is the street-level view of reporters and cops struggling to do their jobs in the midst of the mayhem of "World War Hulk." Fans of Hulk's Warbound companion Korg the Kronan definitely won't want to miss his star turn in this series.

You've got two of the more famous Hulk artists in recent years coming back for this event. Can you talk a little bit about working with both Gary Frank and John Romita Jr.?

Both of these gentlemen are legends and an absolute pleasure to work with. Nobody draws mighty Marvel smashfests like John Romita, Jr. -- his images have such incredible weight and power they practically burst from the page. And I marveled with every page that Gary Frank sent in -- I tend to ask artists to cram way too much into the foreground, midground, and background of every panel. And Gary always got every detail in there and more while keeping the images clean and gorgeous and powerful. While I'm at it, let me plug Carlo Pagulayan, who penciled much of the "Planet Hulk" saga and returns for "Incredible Hulk" #109 and #110 and Leonard Kirk, who just turned in his last amazing pencils for the Rick Jones/Miek confrontation story in "Incredible Hulk" #108. All of these pencillers are eating this story alive and I can't be happier.

WWH is another "event" comic. Do you worry that fans might be a little burned out after Civil War?

One great thing about "World War Hulk" is it's an entirely accessible epic that won't require you to trace a story through twelve different titles or pick up a million books in which you have no interest. You can get the whole big story just by reading the "World War Hulk" miniseries. And then if you want to go a bit deeper (and I know you do!) you can grab "Incredible Hulk" #106 to #110. And then when you're hooked, you can go nuts with "Frontline" and all of the other awesome tie-ins.

The other great thing is that "World War Hulk" is the culmination of a story that's been building for over two years. The pot's been simmering for a long, long time, and I think we're all ready for it to blow its lid.

Everyone's obviously excited about the big moments coming up in World War Hulk, as Hulk faces off with the members of the Illuminati. But what smaller moments should fans be looking forward to as the series progresses?

Look for unexpected moments with Hiroim the Oldstrong, Iron Fist, and, yes, a skinny dude named Bruce Banner in the pages of "World War Hulk." In the "Incredible Hulk" books, keep an eye out for Namor's appearance and the moment when Herc meets Hulk in #107, the Rick Jones/Miek showdown in #108, and the shocking reveal in #110.

What role if any will Amadeus Cho play in World War Hulk?

Genius-kid-on-the-run Amadeus Cho is the seventh smartest person on the planet and a self-appointed Hulk champion who's taken it upon himself to round up the heroes crazy enough to take the Hulk's side when the Green Goliath returns to Earth. His story began in "Incredible Hulk" #106 and continues in #107 (hitting stands on June 20), #109, and #110 -- wherein he precipitates the climactic revelation I've been ballyhooing. Amadeus is a cocky and confident as they come -- and he's utterly convinced that the Hulk's a hero, not a monster. The big question whether the hero in his head matches the vengeful Green King whom he's about to meet face to face.

Whose idea was it to put Hulk in a tiara?

It's a diadem, my friend, not a tiara. And yeah, those are action figures, not dolls, see?

And yes, it was my very awesome idea. You can even seen a little prototype drawing I made of the diadem in the extras in the back of the "Planet Hulk" hardcover (and did I mention that hits stores on June 13?).

The Hulk is a character with a lot of history and many different incarnations. You have the dumb Hulk, the smart Hulk, Joe Fixit...which version of the Hulk is your favorite?

The smart but savage Hulk that appeared in those very first Stan Lee Hulk stories. That's the version that Peter David left us with and the version that's hacked and slashed his way through "Planet Hulk" and into "World War Hulk." The great thing about that version is that he's smart enough to learn and grow and develop emotionally but savage enough that you're never quite sure which way he might fall on that hero/monster divide.

Looking back on Planet Hulk, are you happy with how it turned out? Anything you wish you had done differently?

I just re-read the whole run, and at the risk of sounding too full of myself, I gotta say I love it. I think everyone involved with the book went above and beyond, working hard to make every panel and every page sing. The one thing that has occurred to me is that we might have been able to tempt a few more readers into picking up the book during the "Civil War" if we'd had a backup feature set on Earth -- like the Amadeus Cho/Reed Richards tale in "Incredible Hulk" #100 -- running throughout the series. At the same time, we needed all the pages to tell the epic tale we told, and that one Amadeus Cho appearance in #100 set up "Incredible Hulk" #106 pretty nicely, so I can't complain.

Aside from your work in comics you've mentioned doing some work in film. Can you talk a little bit about that?

I went to NYU Grad Film and am probably best known in the film world for my feature "Robot Stories," which played in 75 festivals, won 35 awards, and is now available on DVD from Kino.com. For more about my current film projects, please check out my website www.pakbuzz.com for the latest screenings and updates.

You're largely identified with the Hulk. Are there any other characters out there you'd like to take a shot at?

You bet. Magneto, Storm, and Dr. Strange are all characters I've really enjoyed writing in the past as supporting characters -- I'd love the chance to work with any of those characters as leads.

Why should readers want to pick up World War Hulk?

'Cause it's your and my favorite kind of story -- an epic of action and emotion in which every mind-blowing set piece has enormous emotional repercussions.

And 'cause my big green buddy here says buy it.

Watch our video interview with Greg Pak at the last NYCC.



Discuss this article in our forum.