BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO A new version of the Hulk is going to be SMASHING his way into comic shops this week, the one starring in the Marvel Adventures line. For a few particulars on this jade giant, we've got writer Paul Benjamin and artist David Nakayama on tap to talk Hulk, Rick Jones and ... monkeys!
THE PULSE: When I was younger, I always thought of The Hulk as the Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde of the Marvel Universe. How do you regard the character
DAVID NAKAYAMA: There’s definitely that aspect to Hulk, but I guess the interesting question is always which personality we’re dealing with. Will it be the force-of-nature Hulk, bent on destruction? The heroic Hulk?
Maybe the cold, calculating Hulk? He’s got lots of different dimensions to explore.
PAUL BENJAMIN: I think that we explore all of those aspects of the Hulk to some extent, especially in issue #2 where Hulk accidentally gets Madrox the Multiple Man’s powers and starts creating duplicates that each have different aspects of Hulk’s personality. However, for me Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde don’t quite work as a comparison because Dr. Jekyll isn’t as heroic as Bruce Banner. For me it all boils down to the fact that when Bruce Banner sees Rick Jones about to be blown up by a gamma bomb, he risks everything to save Rick.
That is a huge act of self-sacrifice. Bruce didn’t have time to think about it, he just did it because that’s his basic nature. That kernel of Bruce Banner is always there inside of Hulk and that’s why Hulk so often plays the role of hero.
THE PULSE: What is it that you think at his core that makes both the Hulk and Bruce Banner tick
NAKAYAMA: Hulk just wants to be left alone of course, and Banner’s out to cure himself and to make amends for unleashing Hulk on the world, but if you’re asking what makes the character work in general, I think it’s the drama created by the conflicting personas. It’s two people fighting over the same body, and that’s fascinating.
BENJAMIN: Hulk represents that pent up rage and hostility that Bruce tries to keep inside. But like I said above, Hulk also has Bruce’s heroic instincts in his subconscious. Hulk just wants to be left alone, but he also revels in his own strength. That’s why smashing bad guys appeals to Hulk’s basic nature. Bruce, on the other hand, just wants to save the world from Hulk. He sees himself as a ticking time bomb. Bruce lives in constant fear that he’ll lose control and someone will get hurt. In Marvel Adventures Hulk, Bruce also feels like he has to look out for Rick Jones and Rick’s pet monkey, Monkey. Rick feels guilty for his part in the creation of Hulk and he’ll do whatever he can to help Bruce find a cure. In many ways, Rick is the Marty McFly to Bruce’s Doc Brown.
THE PULSE: How do you take something that is like this terrible monster or dark side of a person -- something we all deal with, but doesn't necessarily manifest itself in a large green purple pants wearing beast -- and make it accessible to readers of all ages, without scaring the bejeebus out of littler readers
NAKAYAMA: Well, my style’s played for mainly for action, expression, and humor and stays well out of Jae Lee/Ben Templesmith territory, so I don’t think we’ll be scaring any kids. J Plus, Hulk’s pretty heroic in this book and the mayhem he creates is just pure fun, so I think the kids’ll be rooting for him, actually.
BENJAMIN: I definitely try to focus the story on situations where Hulk can play the role of hero. Even when the army is after him, Hulk enjoys showing he’s the strongest one there is by taking down villains like Radioactive Man (in issue 3). There’s also a great fun factor when it comes to Hulk. In issue 2 (drawn by Juan Santacruz) Hulk meets Madrox the Multiple Man and gets his powers, becoming Hulk the Multiple Monster. Every duplicate has a different facet of Hulk’s personality as they overrun Manhattan. It’s a scary situation, but Romeo Hulk and Heroic Hulk are a great balance against Hulk Prime’s desire to smash all the duplicates.
THE PULSE: What is it about The Hulk that you think makes him relatable to readers of all ages and backgrounds
NAKAYAMA: Want to field this one, Paul?
BENJAMIN: Sure. Everyone in the world can understand the feeling that there is a monster inside of you that you have to keep under lock and key. We all get frustrated or angry and feel a desire to lash out. Most of us manage to keep that beast locked away, but everyone “Hulks out” at least once in his or her lifetime, whether it’s hurting someone physically or just saying something hurtful in a fit of passion. That was the core of the character when Hulk was created. It remains as true today as it did fifty years ago and will be fifty years from now. Unless we all get fitted with RFD chips that the government secretly uses to control our minds…
THE PULSE: What, personally, has been the toughest thing for you to deal with in your life, without blowing up and Hulking out on someone
NAKAYAMA: Hm. Interesting question. For me, it would have to be my last couple years of art school, when the professors and I kept butting heads about comic books. I wanted so badly to learn the craft, and they kept trying to steer me away, even though the other students were allowed to pursue whichever field they wanted.
The faculty just didn’t ‘get’ comics and didn’t see it as a legitimate art form. So it got to the point where the head professor literally questioned my sanity and actually recommended that I go to his psychologist to work out my ‘issues’. I’d never been more insulted, angry, and humiliated in my life--and yeah, it would’ve been a great moment to Hulk out and ‘smash puny human’. Anyway, I spent the rest of my time at that school concentrating on cartoons for the newspaper, and after graduation I got myself to the Kubert School as quick as I could. They actually appreciate comics there—how refreshing!
BENJAMIN: That’s an easy one, on account of the fact that I was once a teaching assistant for over-privileged sixth graders at a private school in Los Angeles. It was my first job out of college and while most of the kids were great, there were a handful who had just gotten to the age where they were rebelling against any authority figure they could find – just doing whatever they could to push your buttons and see how far they could go.
And some of them… overblown sense of entitlement doesn’t begin to describe it. When mommy and daddy give enough money to the school there’s a sense that they can get away with whatever they want.
There were definitely times when that vein in my forehead started throbbing like a manga character’s and I could practically feel my skin turning green. Of course, they were just kids being kids and I was there to help teach them, so I never did more than give them a stern talking to. The scary thing for Bruce Banner is that he can’t control that frustration and anger the way most of us do. It overwhelms him and makes him lash out.
Imagining the consequences of what a person can do if they act on their anger is truly frightening. That’s why Bruce spends all of his time searching for a cure.
THE PULSE: How is the Marvel Adventures version of the Hulk different from others? What things did you tweak or modernize here
NAKAYAMA: The origin’s a little different, and we’ve added a brand new character to the cast who’s quickly become a favorite of mine. But I’ll let Paul tell the story.
BENJAMIN: Yeah, the origin is slightly different but not as much as I thought it would need to be. At first I shied away from having Bruce creating a bomb since that’s not so kid-friendly. But Joe Quesada encouraged me to aim closer to Hulk’s true origin, which says a lot about the tone of the Marvel Adventures line. The main difference is that the Marvel Adventures gamma bomb is designed to release energy that destroys metal and plastic while leaving people unharmed. It’s a non-lethal way to take out enemy combatants. Unfortunately for Bruce, it’s not quite as harmless to humans as he was hoping.
The new character David mentioned above is Rick Jones’ pet monkey, Monkey. Rick rescues Monkey from the lab and Monkey becomes his loyal sidekick. Originally Monkey was just a one-shot character; a lab monkey exposed to gamma radiation that Hulked out and went all Green Kong on Hulk. But Joe Quesada liked the character so much he asked me to toy with the idea of making Monkey a permanent character in the book. I quickly discovered that having Monkey hang with Bruce/Hulk and Rick made for some great moments. Monkey is useful when it comes to things like bypassing hi-tech security systems to free Bruce from government installations and I try to keep him a valuable member of the team rather than purely a comic relief sidekick (though he is often hilarious, as any monkey should be). The great thing about the character that I discovered once David started visualizing him is that having Monkey around really emphasizes Hulk’s enormous size and strength. Monkey makes Hulk look bigger and tougher and it’s a blast seeing what an artist can do with the character. Also, for those fans who still want to see Hulk fighting a giant monkey, all I can say is wait until issue #5…
THE PULSE: What people seem to really enjoy about the Marvel Adventures line is it doesn't feel like a strict "kiddie" version of anything. Mostly these issues just contain good stories. What kind of guidelines were you given before you began working on the Marvel Adventures Hulk
NAKAYAMA: One great thing about the Marvel Adventures line is its accessibility. Every single issue features a ‘done-in-one’ self-contained story that anyone can pick up and enjoy. And like the Ultimate universe, there’s much less continuity to worry about. Heck, you can get in on the ground floor with Hulk, since the #1 issue comes out this month. (plug, plug, plug)
BENJAMIN: One of the things I love about the line is that Marvel Adventures stories work for new readers and long-time fans alike. I think of the Hulk book as if I were writing a classic Marvel Hulk issue with a few updates and twists. The number one rule I was given is that I should feel free to take chances and write complex stories.
Just because a story has to wrap up in 22 pages doesn’t mean it can’t be rich. To a large extent, being kid friendly just means that Hulkbusters have gas guns and lightning bolt shooting Tesla rifles instead of ordinary machine guns. I shift a few things here and there and keep the tone a little lighter than I might if I were writing a World War Hulk tie-in, but other than that I maintain the spirit of Hulk as a misunderstood monster with the potential for massive destruction. As an added bonus, being unbound from continuity gives me a sense of “anything goes” that is fantastic. It really opens up the creative possibilities for the book.
THE PULSE: What are some of the things outside of comics that you find influencing you the most as you work on this version of the Hulk
BENJAMIN: I take a lot of inspiration from movies, television, literature and music then let that inform my stories. For example, issue 3 features Bruce, Rick and Monkey on a road trip with Radioactive Man. The movie Midnight Run and other buddy road trip flicks were part of my inspiration for the idea. Issue 2 has a film noir feel that gives the story a sense of weight and depth. Issue 4 has some Sound of Music influences and issue 6 is going to be a Law & Order kind of story. I also take a lot in from the world around me. In issue 1, when Betty sees Hulk for the first time she recognizes him as Bruce because his security badge from the lab is still clipped to his purple pants. That came from the fact that my wonderful wife, Lisa always forgets to take off her badge after work. We’ll go out to dinner and I laugh because she’s still wearing it. Little touches like that can go a long way.
THE PULSE: What's the collaborative process between the both of you like? How well are your ideas/visions meshing for the series
NAKAYAMA: Paul’s such a pro. He puts plenty of action and humor into every script, and on those rare occasions when I want to change a panel or two, he’s all for it. I love the stories he’s telling, and I greatly appreciate the freedom he gives me.
BENJAMIN: I was an editor at Humanoids before I was a writer and I’ve been lucky enough to work with a lot of great artists. David definitely continues that trend. His illustrations are always better than I ever could have imagined them. He’s also a great storyteller. I always assume that an artist knows better than I do how to lay out a page. When he wants to change a panel or two it’s usually because he has a great idea for how to make things more clear or exciting for the reader. There’s nothing better than opening my email to find a batch of pages waiting. We mostly correspond by email but we also make it a point to talk on the phone every week or so just to make sure we’re both on the same page. We met in person for the first time when I visited LA a few weeks ago and had a great time. I’m looking forward to hanging out together at San Diego Comic Con and coming up with new and exciting ideas for Hulk stories!
THE PULSE: If you're thinking about the long term, where would you like to see the series go
NAKAYAMA: I’m not sure about the distant future, but I know what’s happening in issues 5-8, and I couldn’t be more excited to draw it.
BENJAMIN: Issues 5-8 are going to be a blast. I can’t say too much right now except that those issues will feature characters from one of the many super hero “teams” to which Hulk has belonged. One of the great things about working in the Marvel Adventures universe is that we get to play with some of the greatest Marvel characters without worrying about continuity. I have a lot of fun imagining Hulk stories featuring different Marvel heroes and villains. I’ve already come up with more stories than I could fit in a year’s worth of books, so there are plenty more great Marvel Adventures Hulk stories to come.
THE PULSE: What's coming up in the first few issues
BENJAMIN: Issue 1 is the origin story featuring Bruce/Hulk, Betty Ross, General Ross, Rick Jones and introducing: Monkey. David draws an awesome version of Thunderbolt Ross and it’s a blast seeing Bruce Hulk out for the first time. Issue 2 is drawn by Juan Santacruz and features Madrox the Multiple Man. As I mentioned above, picture Manhattan overrun by hundreds of Hulks each with a different aspect of the jade giant’s personality. In issue 3, Bruce goes on the run with Radioactive Man. They get along great because Radioactive Man is a brilliant nuclear physicist who, in addition to being able to have an intelligent conversation with Bruce can also absorb his excess gamma radiation to keep him from Hulking out. Rick is jealous of Bruce’s new pal and he’s also wary of this super villain who claims to have reformed. Then issue 4 brings them all together in one big adventure at a mountain cabin near a ski resort where Bruce is building a machine that could help cure him. General Ross brings Radioactive Man and a Madrox dupe in Hulkbuster armor to hunt down Bruce. As per usual, Ross does more harm than Hulk would have on his own when the battle triggers an avalanche. That story is a lot of fun because of the interplay between Madrox and Radioactive Man. Plus David does a great job drawing super powered mayhem at a ski resort!
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on
NAKAYAMA: I’ve got a few cover assignments on the side (including a Sheena piece for Devil’s Due), but my main focus is definitely Hulk right now.
BENJAMIN: I have several projects going at TOKYOPOP right now. My manga series Pantheon High is about a high school for demigods in present day Los Angeles. The gods from Greek, Norse, Japanese and Egyptian mythology still walk the Earth and their demigod children all go to a magnet school in LA. It’s illustrated by Steven Cummings and his wife Megumi whose work fans would know from lots of books, most recently the Deadshot mini-series and Sheena from Devil’s Due. Volume one has gotten rave reviews as a great manga, even from people who usually stick to super hero books. Volume two of Pantheon High will be out in February. Steven, Megumi and I also did a story for Star Trek: the Manga volume 2 from TOKYOPOP that will be out in September. It’s an original series story in which Kirk, Spock and Bones visit Vulcan and find out just how dangerous Vulcans can be when they lose control of their emotions. If you ever wanted to see Spock get mad at Bones for all his anti-Vulcan racist comments, then this is the book for you!
Posts: 21381 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
The Marvel Adventures line just keeps getting better and better. Spidey is still a fun read, the FF book surprises me each and every month, and the Iron Man book has been fantastic. I have no doubt these gentlemen will continue that trend with this book. I'm really looking forward to it.
Posts: 121 | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
