Hulk: Transformations

Incredible Hulk: Transformations by Stan Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hulk: Transformations collects seven issues of The Incredible Hulk, each set at the turning point in one of his incarnations.

While some of my earliest nightmares have involved the Lou Ferrigno version of the Hulk, I don't have a hell of a lot of Hulk comics in my collection other than the sublime Immortal Hulk. I saw this for four bucks at V-Stock and snapped it up.

Transformations is a good overview of the various incarnations of the Hulk up until sometime in the 1990s. You get Banner who changes into the Hulk at night, Hulk that is a puppet of Rick Jones, Hulk with Banner's mind, Hulk and Banner in two different bodies, Mr. Fixit, the Professor, and points in between.

The art runs the full spectrum, from Jack Kirby to Dale Keown. As for the writing, it's pretty apparent that everyone had their different ideas about the Hulk, from Stan Lee to Peter David. I liked most of the stories, although I don't care for the idea that Bruce's dad called him a monster and that's where the whole Hulk thing comes from.

I get the idea that a lot of writers weren't sure what to do with the Hulk, Stan Lee included. Many of them shaped him into something they were more comfortable with, much like Al Ewing is doing on Immortal Hulk now.

I feel like I know more about the various eras of the Hulk's history having read this. It was worth the four bucks I paid for it. Three out of five stars.



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