Broken Frontier

He’s taken Hulk to outer space in Planet Hulk, brought him back to earth in the Marvel Universe-shattering World War Hulk and gave life to his son in Skaar: Son of Hulk. Yet, when we call him the Hulk Architect Supreme in the following interview, Greg Pak passes on the honor, crediting Jeph Loeb instead.

Always the humble scribe, Pak gets to flex his muscle on where it all started for him: Incredible Hulk. Greg makes his astonishing return to the title as of August’s #601, promising to take the Hulk places he hasn't gone before. 

BROKEN FRONTIER: You’re taking over the revamped and renumbered Incredible Hulk series with August’s #601. Was jumping back onboard the core Hulk title always your intention?

GREG PAK: This is the first big culmination of an insane plan the wild-eyed boys of the Hulk office started cooking up over two years ago.  It’s been a thrill to see all the elements clicking into place and to be right here in the driver’s seat of one of the two big books carrying the story to the next crazy level.

BF: Now that the original series numbering is being resumed, do you feel you’re more of an actual part of the Hulk legacy as it was built by legendaries as Herb Trimpe, Bill Mantlo and Peter David over the decades? Or does comic book numbering affect you very little in that regard?

GP: I hadn’t really pondered it that deeply, to be honest. Back when I came on board with issue #92 of the last series for “Planet Hulk,” I definitely had that sense of awe and feeling of walking in the footsteps of giants.  The actual numbers didn’t really matter so much to me -- it was just the honor of writing whatever the ongoing Hulk book at the time happened to be.

BF: Your run starts by building off of the events of Incredible Hulk #600 and Skaar: Son of Hulk #12. What can you give away about the big bang that will pave the way for the Hulk’s future?

GP: Two shocking discoveries and one monumental decision throw our story into motion, resulting in the most insane father/son dynamic on the planet exploding with reverberations in every corner of the Marvel Universe.

BF: Skaar: Son of Hulk will be renamed Son of Hulk as of issue #13. What’s the reason for dropping the word ‘Skaar’ from the title?

GP: What sharp eyes you have, Grandma!  I can’t say much for fear of spoilers.  But there are definitely clues out there that close readers of “Skaar” might already be picking up on...

BF: Why not write both Incredible Hulk and Son of Hulk? What are the advantages or disadvantages of writing both books?

GP: Skaar #12 ends with a massive bang that completes the first major story arc for the character and pays off the major themes and threads I’d been developing during my year on the book.  It just felt like the right place for me to let go, particularly since I’ll be continuing to write Skaar in the Incredible Hulk book.  Meanwhile, the Son of Hulk book is taking a wild twist that’s just perfect for writer Paul Jenkins.  I’ll miss working directly on the book, but there’s also a very special feeling that comes with watching a great writer like Paul bring characters and situations I’ve developed to the next level.

BF: In any case, Son of Hulk is in good hands, as dabbling in the Hulk’s world once again is a bit of a homecoming for Paul Jenkins too…

GP: Absolutely.  Paul and I have played in the same sandbox in the past as well -- he wrote the World War Hulk Frontline series when I was writing World War Hulk.  It’s always a kick to hear his big ideas and brainstorm with him a bit.

BF: A title you are not dropping is Incredible Hercules with Fred Van Lente. Is that book going to move further and further away from its original concept – Herc taking over from Hulk after he was shot into space – or will it reverberate back towards the Hulk’s world?

GP: While it’s still tangentially part of the Hulk Family books, Incredible Hercules has built its own themes, cast, and very loyal (and much appreciated) audience over the past couple of years.  My co-writer Fred Van Lente and I may well dip back into the Hulkiverse from time to time -- as we did in the “Search for Kirby” backup story in issue #126 -- but Herc and Amadeus are on their own crazy journey that will have its own massive pay offs over the next year.

BF: Is this title’s longevity two years after World War Hulk something you had expected? Why do you think it resonates so well with fans?

GP: You can never predict anything in comics.  But Fred and I clicked from the very start and had so much fun writing the book that somewhere in my gut I felt we had to find an audience.  I think there’s something about the contrasts in the book that’s drawn both me and Fred and the book’s readers in -- a kid genius and an incorrigible god who drive everyone they meet crazy is a pretty fun hook.  But fundamentally, I’m guessing that it’s the friendship between Herc and Amadeus that rings true and keeps us coming back for more. 

Oh, and the occasional dirty joke.

BF: Marvel’s done a good job in recent years of creating unified sub-universes around Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Avengers. With three core Hulk books, is our jade giant getting his cake and eating it too?

GP: Absolutely.  The Hulk’s had a pretty sweet run over the past few years with “Planet Hulk,” “World War Hulk,” and “Red Hulk.”  We’re just doing our best to build something lasting and continually surprising with these stories and these characters we love so much.

BF: Some readers have expressed their fears over having to read at least two, perhaps three titles to get the complete Hulk story. Will their fears be proven correct?

GP: Incredible Hulk, Hulk, and Son of Hulk will each tell their own distinct stories that can be fully appreciated on their own.  Rest assured -- you won’t be cheated out of a story if you’re only reading one or two of the books.  But at a certain point, our nefarious master plan connecting the stories will become more evident, and those who are following all the titles will definitely get massive bang for their buck.  Or, to coin a phrase, stupendous smash for their cash.

BF: How does the working relationship between you, Paul and Jeph Loeb work? Are you now the Hulk Architect Supreme?

GP: Heh.  Jeph’s the Hulk Architect Supreme.  I’m the Incredible Hulk Architect Supreme.  We’re going on tour next year with Diana Ross.

It’s been a great collaboration. We’re constantly exchanging emails and jokes and ideas.  I can’t tell you how excited I am for what’s coming next.

BF: Any final teasers on where you’re taking Hulk over the long term?

GP: If all goes as planned, we’ll take him places you’d never guess, but when we get there, it’ll be exactly where you always wanted to go.

Incredible Hulk #601 goes on sale this August. For more on Greg Pak's work check out his website here.