Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk Vol 1

 

I've been picking up a few of these Mighty Marvel Masterworks reissues in order to relive my youth since the issues where I originally read these stories are long gone (my older brother turned me on to Marvel in the early 60's, well before we knew to care for the comics). This is another Stan Lee/Jack Kirby collaboration, although other terrific artists were involved, particularly Steve Ditko, in some of these issues.

Naturally, being a collection of the first handful of issues, this includes the origin of the Hulk and his various early incarnations, starting as a grey monster and eventually turning green, and with various degrees of articulation, and, at one point, even being controlled by his teenage sidekick, Rick Jones. The Hulk had both the teenage sidekick and the love interest with, once again, a relatively helpless female (Betty Ross - could they have come up with a more all-American name) pining over Bruce Banner, but the love cannot be realized due to the Hulk. The villains include both Toad Men and the Metal Master from outer space, Tyrannus from the center of the earth, a Soviet Gargoyle, the Ringmaster and, on more than one occasion, the Red Chinese. Not always what we would consider to be politically correct these days, but fairly simplistic (and enjoyable) tales of good vs. evil, even if the misunderstood Hulk is often viewed as the bad guy by society at large and the military (and Betty father, General Ross, who is a little too eager to destroy pretty much everything he doesn't understand) in particular (misunderstood heroes are a centerpiece of Marvel's universe).

Of course, a healthy suspension of disbelief is needed as the laws of physics, science and even basic reality are bent - as weapons and various machinery can be created seemingly within minutes or hours - but, hey, these are comic books and are meant to be fun, bottom line. It may be partially nostalgia, but I still love this stuff!