The following was originally posted on Attakus.fr:

Click here to see the in progress shots of this awesome sculpture.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

From this week's New Joe Fridays:

Q: “NielsVanEekelen" - Joe, any chance we'll get to see Scorpion (Carmilla Black) again soon? For a while, she was being worked into the fabric of the Marvel U in a way that I really like, by guest-starring in all sorts of stories where she fit. But in Civil War, the superhero who was already secretly working for S.H.I.E.L.D. is nowhere to be seen.

JQ: Hey, Nie - - NielsVa - - NielsVanEekelen (man that’s a mouthful), you’ll be happy to know that Scorpion will be showing up in a little thing we like to call…

WORLD WAR HULK!

Booyah!

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Q: Anything new on Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine? Still plan on getting those scripts, etc.? Or is it just quietly cancelled now? And hypothetically speaking, if Lindeloff sends you the scripts tomorrow, who would the artist be, now that Yu is knee-deep in New Avengers?

JQ: I just heard from Damon this week, and apparently he’s working on the next script and as far as we know and desire, Leinil will be finishing the series. The beauty of Leinil is how incredibly fast and dedicated he is. He’s a joy to work with and does his monthly project and usually gets a side project done in drips and drabs on the side.

I hate him [laughs]

Q: “MazingMan728” - Where has America's Favorite Side-kick Rick Jones been during Civil War and will his thoughts and choosing of sides be addressed?

JQ: Rick shows up in Captain America #26 and will have a role to play in World War Hulk.

Q: “Hrungr” - Carlo Pagulayan had a fantastic run on Planet Hulk, but with Gary Frank apparently taking over the main book and John Romita Jr. on World War Hulk, I was wondering what he was up to next?

JQ: Hrungr, Gary is working on some of the World War Hulk tie-in issues, not “taking over” the book. Carlo will be back on starting with Hulk #108.



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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

NRAMA: With the end of Civil War one week away, eyes are obviously starting to turn towards other upcoming events within the Marvel Universe in the coming months. As far as information that's out has revealed, Planet Hulk leads into summer, and then the X-Men crossover event... what are the respective scopes of those events? How many ancillary specials or minis will we see, say, compared to Civil War?

JQ: I think you meant to say, World War Hulk.

World War Hulk’s crossover title list will be revealed next Friday at the New York Comic Con.

You gonna be there, I hear it’s supposed to be a big thing [laughs].

What I can tell you is that it’s one third the number of titles of Civil War and about a half of what House Of M’s title count, so for a big event, it’s pretty contained.

As for the X-event, as of this moment, it’s completely self-contained within the X-titles.

NRAMA: With both Planet Hulk and the X-event, (does it have a name?) are…

JQ: World War Hulk!

NRAMA: Oh yeah, sorry. With both World War Hulk and the X-event, (does it have a name?) are…the "reigns" tighter, that is, that chances of Civil War-size delays are being minimized? If so, how

JQ: We certainly think so and we believe it will all go off without a hitch, but you can never foresee if the train is going to fall of the tracks this far into the game. Johnny Jr. is already working on issue #1 and Greg Pak has written ahead so we’re looking good so far. The X-event, which is named but we haven’t publicly said what it is yet, is still in the writing stages, but that happens much later in the year so we’re still within the comfortable buffer zone. But yes, we always take steps to give these big stories a fighting chance to come out on time and we hope to maintain that.

NRAMA: Joe – speaking of World War Hulk (got is right that time), we're seeing a lot of "war" in comics these days, not soldiers and "True Tales of the Battlefield, obviously, but "war" in titles - Civil WAR, World WAR Hulk, and now, from DC, World WAR III - all major events, all flashing the word “war”. Just a coincidence of titling and marketing, a close tie/reflection to the zeitgeist that we're all living in? In any case - it's a popular title for big things these days...

JQ: It is interesting and yes, I’m sure it has much to do with the zeitgeist of today, which by the way is also the very same zeitgeist that has made the word “zeitgeist” so prevalent a part of our vocabulary. I mean, don’t you think the current zeitgeist is responsible for our over use of the word “zeitgeist?” I never heard it overused like this in the previous zeitgeist. [laughs].

I believe “juxtaposed” was last zeitgeist’s word.

Let me add that the word “war” has been part of the marvel fabric since Secret Wars, so there is some precedence within Marvel for our use of the word in out events. It’s kind of like the word “Crisis” is synonymous with DC.

NRAMA: Speaking of which then, thoughts about a “war” event from DC after and before your “war” events?

JQ: Are you referring to DC’s announcing their “World War” thing after Civil War’s success and a several months after our announcing our next big storyline, World War Hulk? It’s all cool, it’s just a name and I don’t think anyone will be confusing or mistaking their event with what we just did or will be doing.

That said, I guess no one can ever complain or throw accusations about our Identity Disc mini series from several years back anymore.

Q: “superhulkman” - I realize that there have been questions relating to Jeph Loeb's work since coming back to Marvel, but can you please tell us more about the new Hulk project that Mr. Loeb and Mr. McGuinness will work on please? I only ask, because it was mentioned in the article talking about their Ultimates 4 run and there would also be a Hulk project. I love Marvel, Jeph Loeb's work, and Hulk and Wolverine rule!!!

JQ: Why don’t we ask the Loebmesiter and see what he has to say.

JEPH LOEB: It's a little too early to talk about, superhulkman, but let's just say it's going to make World War Hulk look like a Sunday picnic with Grandma! McGuinness came to Marvel with one thing in mind -- to reestablish the Hulk as "The Strongest There Is" -- in any Universe!

JQ: Ah. Mssr. Loeb does have the gift for hyperbole, while I don’t doubt that his and McG’s Hulk will rock, World War Hulk is going to be pretty darn amazing and will certainly raise the bar and make their job harder [laughs].

Note to self: make sure Loeb drinks the Kool-Aid.

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The following was originally posted on ComicsContinuum.com:

ORLANDO -- A few days before Civil War #7 is released and a week before a slew of announcements is expected in New York, several of Marvel's top artists gathered early Saturday for a panel at MegaCon.

Following are the highlights from the panel:

* Finch is also working on covers for the upcoming World War Hulk event.

* Finch noted that something that happens to someone close to the Hulk helps trigger the events of World War Hulk. "It's basically everybody against the Hulk," he said.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

As readers will learn in the upcoming Civil War: Front Line, reporters Ben Urich and Sally Floyd will have reason to continue to work together in the future, and as Marvel’s World War Hulk panel at New York Comic Con revealed, there’s a pretty big story for them to cover coming down the pike.

That story will be told in World War Hulk: Front Line, a six issue mini-series written by Paul Jenkins, with art on the Ben/Sally story by Ramon Bachs. As with the Civil War version, WWH Front Line will run alongside the main World War Hulk storyline, showing the Marvel Universe as it reacts to the events that occur after an angry Hulk returns to earth for a little payback. That said, it comes as no surprise that Ben and Sally’s story will center around the evacuation of Manhattan.

The series will run from June through September, with one issue shipping in June, two issues in both July and August, and the concluding issue in September. Both the first and last issues will be full stories featuring Ben and Sally; the secondary story – a Costumed Division murder mystery – will see Danny Grandville teaming with a new partner who's very familiar. Additionally, issues #2-#5 will feature two page stories illustrated by Chris (Sidekick) Moreno which will take a less than serious look at the unfolding drama.

We caught up with Jenkins for a quick chat about the upcoming miniseries.

Newsarama: Paul, essentially, this is the Front Line model that was used in Civil War applied to the World War Hulk event. Was this something that was pitched to you, or did you look at the horizon and figured that telling about the Hulk’s return from the man on the street’s perspective would be something worth doing again?

Paul Jenkins: I think it was half and half. When we started Front Line with Civil War, and it looked like it was popular, and Marvel was somewhat surprised by the sales, Joe Quesada said to me that we should think about doing Front Lines for all the events. The great thing about Front Line was that we got a chance to tell those “man on the street” stories and cover stuff that the main book can’t cover. Like Civil War, Greg’s going to be telling a massive story in World War Hulk, and there’s not gong to be room in there to tell stories like, “How does it feel to be evacuated and not know if you’ll ever return to your home, never mind trying to do it from a pretty small island with a couple of million other people.”

So we’re covering all of that, and the coordination for us is a little bit easier this time, because now we’ve done it, and we all understand how to tie thing back to the main book. Greg’s been a great help with that as well, and I’ve been able to give him input from my book, so there may be a little thing that I do that you’ll see in his story, but of course, mostly I use his book to cross into mine.

NRAMA: And breaking things down – again, you’re using the three-section format, correct?

PJ: Right. We’re not going to do the 32-page issues, but we are going to do the standard-sized Marvel books, which will be 22 pages. But they’ll still be in the anthology format, so a portion is given to Ben and Sally, a portion given to Costume Division…

NRAMA: Can you explain Costume Division a little?

PJ: It’s a blend of Alien Nation and Law & Order - a detective story where Danny Grandville, who’s dating Sally, has to go out and figure out these outlandish crimes, but that’s his job, to investigate all these weird crimes that involve costumes and aliens or other weird things. With that, I’m getting to get into an area that I’ve pitched as a bigger idea for a project at Marvel with Costume Division – detective fiction in the Marvel Universe. Tom Brevoort was really enamored by the idea, but rather than do it right now as its own thing, we’re just going to start doing it in here with Danny and Korg investigating a crime.

NRAMA: So it comes complete with the “Odd Couple” vibe as well…

PJ: Yeah. I think Danny’s feeling throughout the entire story is, “Why me?” He figures he drew the short straw, to have to work with the giant stone man.

And then, there are the final two pages of the four issues in the middle which I’m doing with Chris Moreno, which will basically make fun of the whole thing, so we get our chance to tell two pages of jokes each issue. One of them will follow an idea that I put out there that, with the Fifty States Initiative, no heroes are volunteering for duty in Rhode Island, so the Governor of Rhode Island holds open tryouts for superhero teams, and they decide to hire a musical team, which will now protect the state with song.

So we’ve got four funky little two page jokes.

NRAMA: Touching on the main throughline story with Ben and Sally . . . it's them covering the evacuation of Manhattan, then?

PJ: Right. It’ll be the same kind of format, and that will be part of the backdrop. We’re not going to be doing the same type of story exactly from Civil War, where Ben and Sally found that there is a traitor that played a large role in the Civil War. There’s not traitor in World War Hulk, although there is a mystery involved. Sally and Ben get a mystery benefactor, which purchases Front Line and The Alternative, where Sally used to work and gives them a directive, to nail Jonah Jameson to the wall, and show the world how corrupt his views are.

Of course, even though he’s been abused by Jonah for years, Ben feels that Jonah’s still a friend, so he has questions about doing it in the first place. So there’s a mystery as to who this is who wants to take Jonah down, and meanwhile, Ben and Sally and the other reporters start scooping The Daily Bugle and getting stories that the Bugle can’t get, because the Bugle isn’t quick to move or write the kind of stories that Ben and Sally are going after.

And then at the end, of course, all will be revealed.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

As Marvel discussed today at its World War Hulk panel, the upcoming storyline that features the Jade Giant’s return to earth won’t be as far-reaching and expansive as Civil War, but at the same time, there will be some specific story elements that will spill out into their own projects. Case in point, the three issue World War Hulk: X-Men mini-series debuting in June, written by Christos Gage, with art by Andrea DiVito and covers by Ed McGuiness.

The premise? Simple – Professor Xavier is on the Hulk’s payback list since being exiled into space for over a year. The Hulk’s just being systematic with his revenge here – nothing personal. Thing is, as usual when mutants are involved, it’s a slightly more complicated story. We spoke briefly with Gage about the upcoming mini.

Newsarama: What got you on to this tie-in in the first place?

Christos Gage: Andy Schmidt, the editor. We had worked together on the Union Jack mini-series, and based on my work there he was kind enough to give me a shot at a big event book with the Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War one-shot. Everyone seemed happy with that, it was well received and it sold well, so after Andy moved over to the X-office I guess he figured I'd proved myself enough to send me my draft notice for World War Hulk. When he called, all he had to say was World War Hulk: X-Men and I was in!

NRAMA: That said, had you been keeping up with what was going on in Planet Hulk? What was your overall take on that storyline, as well as the news of him coming back for WWH?

CG: I got in on Planet Hulk late, but when I heard the great buzz on the story I got caught up and I am loving it. Greg Pak has crafted an epic story with a fully realized, complex world, casting the Hulk as a reluctant, underdog gladiator turned rebel freedom fighter all while staying true to the character and using bits and pieces of Marvel history combined with his own original creations to excellent effect. It's a fantastic read. As for the Hulk coming back, that was inevitable from the start. Just as it was inevitable that much smashing would ensue.

NRAMA: More specifically to the story here - an X-Men tie-in. It seems rather a disparate group coming in to the storyline. Why does this make sense, and why would the X-Men be involved in the Hulk's activities in the first place? After all, the X-Men were Switzerland in Civil War - why would they be getting involved here?

CG: Well, the Hulk isn't the type to give you a choice over high tea the way Tony Stark did. If he says you're involved, guess what, you're involved! Basically, without spoiling too much, the Hulk finds out that the guys who sent him into space -- Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt and Dr. Strange -- had planned for Professor Xavier to be a part of the meeting where it was decided. Sure, Professor X didn't show up, but the Hulk has some pointed questions for him anyway. See, the Hulk is kind of like Santa Claus. Santa has his "naughty" and "nice" lists. Hulk has his "smash" and "really smash" lists, and he's trying to figure out which one to put the Professor on. So he shows up at the door of the Xavier Institute, and...well, let me put it this way. If you were writing a book called World War Hulk: X-Men, would you make it about the Hulk and X-Men having a tea party? Me neither.

NRAMA: That said, what was the overall goal of the story here – or is it just to show an old-fashioned X-Men vs. Hulk fight?

CG: There actually is more to it than the fun of seeing the Hulk fight the X-Men as drawn by Andrea DiVito, though that's pretty sweet by itself, in my opinion. One goal was to bring the various X-teams together. It's not going to be everyone -- Excalibur is in England, for instance, so they're probably out of the picture -- but you'll see the extended X-family operating as one to defend the dream that unites them. Another goal was to look at the fact that Professor X has had some of his past actions turn out pretty badly as of late. He used to have a tendency to play god a bit, making decisions that affected peoples' lives without asking them, and others have paid the price - as has the Professor. The situation with the Hulk brings this issue to the forefront, and we're going to see how both the Professor and the team members feel about all of it.

NRAMA: What X-Men are you bringing into the story, then?

CG: As many as I can get away with! And yes, I was able to bring in nearly all my favorites. Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine...Lockheed...it's really a dream come true for me, because I got hooked on the X-Men as a kid and now, my first time writing them, I'm getting to put all my old faves into one story! Of course, some new favorites will be around too, like New X-Men such as Rockslide and X-23, who is really quite a scary young lady.

NRAMA: Lastly, just a minor tease - what gets the ball rolling in the story?

CG: THOOOOM. Knock Knock. And then it all goes to hell...

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Marvel held the first major publisher panel of New York Comic Con Friday, focusing on their upcoming event World War Hulk.

Beginning with a slide showing a green-colored earth with a gigantic chunk taken out of it, Marvel’s World War Hulk panel opened with Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada joking that it looked like rather than conquering earth, the Hulk would eat the earth, as the chunk taken out looked like a bite.

Panelists for the discussion included Quesada, Editor Bill Rosemann, Christos Gage, Frank Tieri, Greg Pak, Editor Mark Paniccia, and Jim McCann from Marketing and Sales.

Pak opened the discussion saying that the upcoming Hulk #104-#105 are the lead in issues to World War Hulk, and will blow readers’ minds as Planet Hulk concludes and the Hulk returns to earth.

The panel’s slideshow then began, with images that showed the various aspects of World War Hulk, starting with World War Hulk: Prologue coming in May. The one-shot, written by Peter David will serve as a primer to Planet Hulk as well as a preview for World War Hulk, it was said.

Moving to the five issue World War Hulk miniseries (written by Greg Pak, with art by John Romita Jr and Klaus Janson), Pak described the story as including “lots of hitting,” which brought applause from the audience. In describing the larger scope fo the story, Pak said that all new readers to the Hulk would need to know is that a group of “puny humans” took it upon themselves to judge the Hulk, deem him an uncontrollable monster, and exile him to space. Now, the Hulk has found his way back to earth, and upon his return, Pak explained, the Hulk has a very different idea of who the monster is – and is looking to do something about it.

The five covers of World War Hulk by Romita Jr. were shown, with each one showing the Hulk fighting various Marvel characters. The fifth cover, which was only a large question mark, will be revealed at a later date. All five covers together form one, connected image.

Pak said that the story is a giant smash fest, as well as one of the most emotional stories the Hulk has had in a long time.

Also describing the story, Quesada said that, in the larger view of the Marvel Universe, World War Hulk is a “sorbet” that is, a palate cleanser after Civil War.

Along with the World War Hulk miniseries, the storyline will extend into the regular Hulk series in issues #106-#109, with art by Gary Frank. The story running through those issues will parallel World War Hulk, focusing on characters who were at one time friends or allies of the Hulk, who now need to figure out where they stand. Two of Pak’s creations, Mastermind Excello (from Amazing Fantasy #15) and Amadeus Cho will appear in the arc, along with more familiar faces.

Moving to the tie-in projects, Christos Gage said “Let’s see him think through that,” when the slide for World War Hulk: X-Men #1 was shown. As Gage explained in detail with Newsarama here the story begins when the Hulk shows up at door of the Mansion, looking for Professor X, as he is a member of the Illuminati who exiled him in space. Gage noted that Xavier was not in the particular meeting that decided upon the exile, the Hulk isn’t exactly looking for a conversation. Likewise, the Hulk knows nothing about Decimation, or the reduced number of X-Men, which makes the battle much more desperate.

Frank Tieri and Carlos Ferreira will also tell a side story of World War Hulk in Gamma Corps, a “villain book,” “but who’s the real villain?” Tieri asked. The writer explained the team essentially as a gamma-powered black ops team, similar in feel, say, to the team seen in Predator.

General Ryker from Paul Jenkins “Dogs of War” story will be involved in the Gamma Corps story . Look for more on the project from Tieri shortly here on Newsarama.

The panel then moved to a discussion of World War Hulk: Front Line, which Paul Jenkins told Newsarama about here. Shawn Martinborough was named as the artist for the Costume Division storyline.

In talking about the various World War Hulk tie in issues of ongoing Marvel series, Gage spoke about Iron Man #19-#20 which he is writing, explaining that as a result of Civil War, the Hulk’s vendetta against Iron Man has taken an interesting twist. Rather than just a man vs. green monster fight, Iron Man now has the ability to throw an army against the Hulk with the agents of SHIELD that are now under his command. “Tony’s left with a difficult decision, being should he now put these brave young men and women in harm’s way in what has essentially has become a grudge match?”

With the Heroes For Hire crossover issues, Paniccia said one of the interesting aspects will be that Humbug, given his ability to communicate with insects, can talk to the Brood that come to earth with the Hulk.

In regards to the tie-in issues with Ghost Rider, it was pointed out that the Hulk and Ghost Rider to have a past, as both were members of the Champions.

Moving to the question and answer portion of the panel, the following topics were touched upon:

Who would stand the best chance of beating the Hulk in a head-to-head battle?

Quesada: Everyone’s going to try, and the fun will be seeing what these heroes will try to do to stop the Hulk.

Where did the idea of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk come from?

Quesada: Alan Fine, of Toy Biz and Quesada had similar ideas, that is, that it was time to get the Hulk back to big, savage action since the character had gone through various eras that moved him away from that type of story.

What about the scope of World War Hulk, and following one event (i.e., Civil War) with another?

Quesada: Understands the concern, but pointed out that World War Hulk is ¼ the size of Civil War in terms of connections and tie-ins.

Paniccia: The story of the Hulk’s return to earth was just too big not to be reflected in the lives of other characters and therefore, other titles.

Hulk #106 will show what She-Hulk has to say about her cousin being exiled.

Hulk #107 will show what Namor has to say about his friend being exiled.

Will there be a Planet Hulk 2

Pak: Likes the idea, but we’ll have to see coming out of World War Hulk, and who’s to say that earth won’t be the new “Planet Hulk” after his return?

Coming soon will be a conversation with Frank Tieri on World War Hulk: Gamma Corps, a four-issue LS with artist Carlos Ferreira, and sometime down the road we'll try to catch up with Jeph Loeb about his and David Finch's World War Hulk: Young Avengers one-shot.

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The following was originally posted on Marvel.com:

Hulk has been exiled, imprisoned, empowered and crowned. Now, he's coming back to Earth and no one is safe.
Check out the full list of books tied into World War Hulk, one of 2007's biggest events.

MAY
WORLD WAR HULK PROLOGUE: WORLD BREAKER #1
INCREDIBLE HULK #106

JUNE
WORLD WAR HULK #1
INCREDIBLE HULK #107
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #19
GHOST RIDER #12
HEROES FOR HIRE #11
WORLD WAR HULK X-MEN #1
WORLD WAR HULK: GAMMA CORPS #1
WORLD WAR HULK: FRONTLINE #1

JULY
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #4
IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #10
WORLD WAR HULK #2
GHOST RIDER #13
WORLD WAR HULK: FRONTLINE #2
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #20
HEROES FOR HIRE #12
WORLD WAR HULK: GAMMA CORPS #2
WORLD WAR HULK #3
WORLD WAR HULK: X-MEN #2
WORLD WAR HULK: FRONTLINE #3
INCREDIBLE HULK #108

AUGUST
INCREDIBLE HULK #109
WORLD WAR HULK YOUNG AVENGERS #1
WORLD WAR HULK GAMMA CORPS #3
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #4
WORLD WAR HULK #4
WORLD WAR HULK X-MEN #3
HEROES FOR HIRE #13
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #5

SEPTEMBER
WORLD WAR HULK GAMMA CORPS #4
WORLD WAR HULK #5
HEROES FOR HIRE #14
INCREDIBLE HULK #110
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #6

Don't forget to visit Marvel's World War Hulk hub for everything related to the event.

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The following was originally posted on WizardUniverse.com:

House of Ideas announces new storyline tied to return of the Green Goliath

Friday’s “Marvel: World War Hulk” panel was welcomed with a thunderclap-level response from fans who were eager to hear about the global damage coming from the Jade Giant!

“World War Hulk is the story of the Hulk returning to Earth, where those puny humans live, and much smashing will ensue,” said current Hulk writer Greg Pak.

Hosted by Marvel EiC Joe Quesada, the panel featured the announcement of five new series:

World War Hulk #1-5 by Greg Pak and John Romita Jr.
World War Hulk: X-Men #1-3 by Christos N. Gage and Andrea DiVito.
World War Hulk: Gamma Corps #1-4 by writer Frank Tieri and Carlos Ferreira
World War Hulk: Frontline #1-6 by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs

“With Civil War over, World War Hulk will be the green sorbet to cleanse the palate,” said Quesada. “It’ll be lighter with lots of punching and hitting.”

The panel revealed four interconnecting covers from the World War Hulk storyline by John Romita Jr., with a fifth unrevealed story that Quesada teased tying into the Hulk’s final battle.

“[This will be] one of the biggest emotional stories from the Hulk in recent memory,” said Pak about the event.

Before the main war hits, Pak said he still has a tale to tell in the series that started it all in Incredible Hulk #106-109.

Incredible Hulk will have a parallel story dealing with who will side with the Hulk. The arc will follow a number of characters as they figure out where they stand in the war. Pak did mention the arc will feature the return of Mastermind Excello from Amazing Fantasy #15.

World War Hulk: X-Men

Upon the unveil of the cover of World War Hulk: X-Men #1, drawn by Ed McGuiness, the crowd laughed at the sight of a frightened Prof. X with the Hulk’s hands tight around his throat. After the laughs, Quesada slyly replied, “Let’s see him think out of that!”

The series follows the Hulk’s mission to confront Prof. X about the former Illuminati member’s decision to exile him to space. Even though the Prof. was absent from the meeting to send the Hulk out in space, the Green Goliath’s got some questions for him.

“The Hulk’s like Santa Claus,” said Gage. “Santa has his naughty and nice list, and the Hulk’s got his ‘smash’ and ‘smash really hard list.’”

With the mutant number being limited to 198 mutants, Gage said he’s going to put all the mutants he can fit into to the series.

World War Hulk: Gamma Corp

Tieri called it the “villain book of the series” but questioned who the villains really are. A big reveal is the return of a Tieri favorite character, Gen Ryker, into the series. In the series Ryker assembles a military team to take down the Hulk, who Tieri likens to “the crew from ‘Predator’ with gamma powers.”

World War Hulk: Frontline

Bill Rosemann spoke on the behalf of Jenkins about the project, citing that Frontline will take the street-level, human-look into the war - much like the similarly named series tying into Civil War.

A number of tie-ins will also come into play, crossing over into Iron Man, Heroes for Hire, Ghost Rider, Young Avengers and the Irredeemable Ant-Man.

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The following was originally posted on Marvel.com:

Young Avengers, Front Line, Gamma Corps and more
By Jim Beard

You only think you know big summer events. You only think you know the Incredible Hulk. WORLD WAR HULK will change all that.

The Incredible Hulk is on his way back to Earth, feeling very undecidely merry after his exile in space by the Illuminati, Earth's most secret collection of powerful personalities. When ol' Jade Jaws lands, well, its gonna be WAR.

"Last year, the puny humans of Earth convinced themselves that the Hulk was a dangerous monster," explains gamma-irradiated Hulk-scribe Greg Pak. "So they betrayed him, exiling him to the savage alien planet of Sakaar where he became a slave, then a gladiator and rebel, and finally a conquering king. Now the Hulk is returning to our world, and the 'heroes' of Earth will find out who the Hulk thinks the monster of this story really is."

Thus, WORLD WAR HULK, the summer event that's so big, so smashing, so Hulk-tacular, it needs several other books to contain it all.

Hulk editor Mark Paniccia is determined to give the event both the scope and the depth it demands…that the Hulk demands! "The WORLD WAR HULK companion titles are going to give you the stories we don't have room to tell in the main miniseries or in INCREDIBLE HULK," says Panaccia. "And of course they're designed to give the fans some of the fights they've been begging to see."

The Hulk's special brand of smashing begins this May in INCREDIBLE HULK #106, by Pak and popular Hulk artist Gary Frank, and WORLD WAR HULK PROLOGUE: WORLD BREAKER, by writer Peter David (no stranger to the Hulk!) and a cornucopia of amazing artists.

Then the real fun begins.

June unleashes the core miniseries, WORLD WAR HULK, on an unsuspecting world, and then the first three of four very special companion series will fall into position, ready to strike.

WORLD WAR HULK: X-MEN finds the Marvel's Merry Mutants going toe-to-toe with the Green Goliath, bringing their unique abilities to bear on the problem of a Rampaging Hulk.

WORLD WAR HULK: FRONTLINE will tell the personal tales of the men and women on the perimeter of the struggle, in the same spirit as CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE. Is it any wonder that Marvel has roped Front Line expert Paul Jenkins into penning the title, aided and abetted by his old foxhole buddy, artist Ramon Bachs?

WORLD WAR HULK: GAMMA CORPS, written by emerald-hued Frank Tieri and illustrated by verdantly pastoral Carlos Ferreira "is about a genetically altered strike force, whose lives have been affected by the Hulk," enthuses Panaccia. "With the events of WORLD WAR HULK, they finally get a chance to give Hulk their own special helping of payback."

Artist Ferreira is beside himself with excitement for the project. "I think it's an opportunity to be part of a family when you work for Marvel, which is priceless," notes Ferreira. "On GAMMA CORPS, they gave me great characters to work with and teamed me up with great professionals. What else could I ask for?"

"I'll put a lot of effort and inspiration into GAMMA CORPS, and hope the fans like it…and come back for more!"

Come July, the worldwide battle continues in not only the aforementioned books, but also in WORLD WAR HULK: YOUNG AVENGERS. Confidential information on the tie-in has not yet been declassified, but suffice to say that a certain creative team by the name of Jeph Loeb and David Finch will be putting the already-famous Young Avengers through their paces…and then some!

And the crushing, stomping, and body-slamming doesn't stop there. WORLD WAR HULK's effects will be felt throughout many of the Marvel Universe's ongoing titles, namely INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, GHOST RIDER, HEROES FOR HIRE, AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE, and IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN.

"As far as guest-stars go," says Panaccia. "I'm excited about Hercules, Amadeus Cho, the Angel, the new Scorpion, Namora, and a few other surprise combatants. With WORLD WAR HULK, almost all the Marvel icons will be represented so you just can't go wrong."

"I've had a dream team to work with on this event. Greg Pak is a brilliant comic book writer and has an immense knowledge of the Hulk's history and a great insight into what makes him tick. We were lucky to get Gary Frank to do some spectacular and unforgettable artwork. And John Romita Jr? Good God. WORLD WAR HULK has so much energy you're going to faint from exhaustion when you're done with each issue."

The Hulk editor smiles knowingly. "This is going to be one of the greatest Marvel events ever and you're going to see some of the greatest superhero battles in the past couple of decades!"

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The following was originally posted on Marvel.com:

Images and details from the World War Hulk panel

World War Hulk

Marvel's first panel of the 2007 New York Comic Con was held in a packed room, to a lively crowd of over 200 people. In attendance at the panel were: Jim McCann, Mark Paniccia, Bill Rosemann, Joe Quesada, Greg Pak, Frank Tieri and Cristos N. Gage

Before things kicked off, everyone was primping, drinking water and just waiting. Marketing maven Jim McCann was frantically calling someone and scratching his head like a monkey. Cristos and Bill were looking at some papers while Frank gazed around. Joe, looking very svelt, intro'd the panel and thanked everyone for coming out.

Joe Q. revealed the secret of WWH: there'll be no fighting, just eating. Hulk eats Earth. Believe it.

The World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker gets things started in May. "It's a little book," Joe said. "If you haven't been reading 'Planet Hulk,' the prologue will give you a set up. It's written by Peter David, with art by Al Rio, Lee Weeks and

WWH itself is five issues, and there'll be "lots of hitting." WWH is about Hulk coming back to Earth. Duh!
There'll be four interconnecting covers, the last one is a still a mystery and shows who Hulk battles at the end of the series.

During the panel, it's described as the "Green sorbet of the MU, cleansing of the palate, with lots of punching;" a bit lighter than other Marvel stories of late.

Editor Mark Paniccia and company talk about INCREDIBLE HULK #106–#109. They show a slide of Iron Man, Black Bolt—the people who shot Hulk into space.
The question is posed of whether or not Hulk has any friends on Earth. The series will be rife with unexpected characters. Where do they stand--with or against Hulk?

Expect the return of Mastermind Excelo from Amazing Fantasy #15!

They start introing a few of the tie-in titles, announcing the books including World War Hulk: Gamma Corps, WWH: Young Avengers, WWH: X-Men and WWH: Front Line.

WWH: X-Men is three issues long. The crowd oohs and ahhs over the Ed McGuinness cover to WWH: X-Men #1. The book is by Chris Gage and Andrea Divito. The crowd is legitimately stoked. Even though Chris' name is misspelled. JIM! It's Gage, not Cage.
Anyway, Gage assured the crowd that all the X-Men will be in it--or as many as they'll let him use. More applause. This could be the break-out fan-favorite WWH book.

WWH Gamma Corps is, according to writer Frank Tieri, a villain book. Tieri's bringing back General Riker. He's back and he wants to save his wife's life and wants to bring down hulk. Tieri cursed a lot when describing the book and everyone got wrapped up in the enthusiasm. Maybe this will be the break-out book?

WWH: Front Line #1-#6 sees Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs return to the Front Line. They show the cover to the first issue and Mark Paniccia admits that he's afraid of toe hair. Front Line will again be a street level look at this event.
For more on Front Line, see our World War Hulk: Front Linestory.

Paniccia says that scripts for tie-ins have been coming in and they're exciting and great, bringing new nuances and emotional angles to the giant event.

Get more info on the official World War Hulk tie-in mini-series here.
But in addition to the tie-in mini's, several issues from ongoing series will slide into the giant event, including IRON MAN, HEROES FOR HIRE, GHOST RIDER, Avengers and more. Check out our World War Hulk checklist to see all the books.

Iron Man will focus on Tony's first big challenge as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Hulk is targeting him, there's a new set of dynamics because Tony has big a defense system. Will Tony clean up his mess? Why does Hulk feel strongly about this? It's something that will be explored.

Heroes for Hire will feature some freaky stuff. 'Nuff said. Seriously.

There's some Champion action going on in GHOST RIDER. One of Hulk's former teammates in comes back.

And the rest? Well…too early to talk about.

That was followed up by a lively Q&A session that actually spilled over, ever so slightly, into the Civil War Fallout/Initiative panel.

Some highlights:
-Will Tony be disbanding S.H.I.E.L.D.? The short answer from Joe was "He is going to change the culture of S.H.I.E.L.D., not everyone will like it.
-Is the Sentry involved? Yes, every hero is.
-In Avengers Iluminatti #2, it was revealed that they all are in possession of an Infinity Gem. Will that be addressed in how they wouldn't just wish Hulk away? Yes!
-Without Thor around, who will stand the best chance against Hulk? Squirrel girl? Joe said, "That's the beauty of WWH--everyone will try, some will know that they are not at that level--but they will try to get to that level.
-There was talk of some tie-ins and WWH is only 35 tie-ins over 4 months. That's not very heavy on the wallet, especially compared to Civil War.
-It seems like the last few Hulk writers have had their own spin on the Hulk. Is there any core description, set of concepts boundaries that a Hulk writer gets to not cross? Joe said "Writers bring their own styles to the books. Different interpretations. Different editors have different voices as well. That's going to happen with any character. You have to allow creators a certain amount of leeway."

Dan slott showed up at 5:07, shoulders slumped, realizing he was totally late. He hung out in the front row. Coincidentally, he showed up just as Greg Pak began talking about She-Hulk and Marvel staff brought in copies of Wolverine #50 Comic Con variant. A wonderful arrival, indeed.
After two questions, Dan came on stage. He said he was late because he was scripting. All is forgiven!

There were several more questions, but you'll have to catch the video of the event, soon to be up on Marvel.com. And don't miss out on any New York Comic Con coverage.

For the complete article, including images, click here.

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

On Friday afternoon, Joe Quesada presided over Marvel Comics' first panel at the second annual New York Comic Con. With “Civil War” finally over, the EIC of the House of Ideas and the assembled panelists were anxious to talk about the company’s next big event, “World War Hulk.” Greg Pak, the man behind not only “Planet Hulk” but also the green goliath’s pending return to Earth, was in attendance. Also on the panel were writers Frank Tieri and Christos Gage, editors Bill Rosemann and Mark Paniccia, and Jim McCann. They were joined later by latecomer Dan Slott.

Quesada began the panel with a tantalizing secret about “World War Hulk”: “There’s no fighting, he just eats Earth. One big bite.” All joking aside, Quesada launched into the slide show. The “World War Hulk” mini-series proper will be penned by “Incredible Hulk” scribe Greg Pak, and illustrated by legendary artist John Romita Jr. Before “Civil War” broke out, the “puny humans” known as the Illuminati recognized that the Hulk would be a liability, and they exiled him from Earth. “’World War Hulk’ is the story of the Hulk returning to Earth where those puny humans live,” Pak said. “Much smashing will ensue.” Pak also promised that it will be “one of the most emotional stories for the Hulk in recent memory.”

“World War Hulk” kicks off in May with the prologue, with writer Peter David, and artists Al Rio, Sean Phillips and Lee Weeks. “The prologue shows readers why the Illuminati did what they did and what the Hulk’s feelings are towards those characters,” Paniccia said. But Slott assured those assembled that, “It’s not just a recap something important happens. So you must buy it.”

Greg Pak will be continuing to write “The Incredible Hulk.” And while everyone knows who the Hulk’s enemies are going to be in the coming conflict, the “Incredible Hulk” tie-ins will focus on his allies. Issues 106 through 109 feature the return of Mastermind Excello (a new character from the recent “Amazing Fantasy” #15) and Amadeus Cho. Hercules and Angel were also pictured on a cover image. In addition, issues 106 and 107 deal with the repercussions of the Hulk’s return on his longtime ally Namor, and Bruce’s cousin Jen Walters, aka She-Hulk. In Slott’s run on “She-Hulk,” Jen Walters has become the “surrogate Hulk,” doing her best to deal with the Hulk’s rogue’s gallery of villains who have been running amok in Bruce’s absence. Slott urged readers to pick up “She-Hulk” 18, as her appearance in “Incredible Hulk” 106 picks up 10 seconds after the end of the former.

Professor X was a member of the now-disbanded Illuminati, and he was not present when the decision was made to send the Hulk into space. In “World War Hulk: X-Men,” writer Christos Gage and artist Andrea DiVito (“Annihilation”) show what happens when the Hulk comes calling on the 198. “Hulk has some pointed questions for Professor X,” Gage said. The cover of the first issue of the 3-issue mini pictures the Hulk’s fist closed around Charles’ throat. When asked which of the 198 would be appearing, Gage said, “All of them. As many as they’ll let me use.”

Frank Tieri will be writing the 4 issue mini “World War Hulk: Gamma Corps,” in which General Ryker puts together a military unit designed specifically to take the Hulk down. “Imagine the crew from ‘Predator’ with gamma powers,” Tieri said (with a few choice expletives deleted). “Gamma Corps” will “deal with the consequences of having someone like the Hulk around.”

Rosemann spoke about “World War Hulk: Front Line,” Paul Jenkins’ follow-up to “Civil War: Front Line.” Rosemann described it as a “street level look at this event.” Like “Civil War: Front Line,” this book will have multiple storylines. The primary focus will again focus on reporters Ben Urich and Sally Floyd. In addition, there will be story about Sally’s boyfriend Danny who is a cop in the Cosutme Division, and a backup story by Chris Moreno which will present a more humorous take on the situation.

When Tony Stark accepted the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the end of “Civil War,” he never expected that one of his first challenges would be the return of the Hulk. But in “Iron Man” 19 and 20, Christos Gage delves into how Tony deals with doing exactly that. “Heroes for Hire” 11-14, “Avengers Initiative” 4, “Irredeemable Ant Man” 6 will also tie in. “Ghost Rider” will tie in as well, and Jeph Loeb and David Finch are writing a “Young Avengers” one-shot.

Dan Slott briefly spoke about his upcoming “Avengers Initiative.” In the wake of “Civil War,” all of the Marvel heroes have been forced to register their identities with S.H.I.E.L.D. Now they’re being drafted into the 50 State Initiative. The Initiative’s stated goal is to create a government-run super-team in each of the 50 U.S. States, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Tony Stark has put Jim Rhodes in charge. “Marvel’s army of superheroes is now a superhero army,” Slott said. “And when Hulk lands, you send in the army.”

When a fan asked what heroes in the Marvel Universe could go toe-to-toe with the Hulk now that Thor is out of the picture, a heckler shouted out “Squirrel Girl!” Squirrel Girl’s name was invoked yet again by Joe Quesada himself when someone else asked who the new Ronin was. Believe it or not, there were no fewer than three Squirrel Girl references over the course of the panel, which Quesada boasted was a first. “It means that Mark Millar will kill her soon,” Slott quipped.

Another fan asked why there was such a pervading “event culture” and Marvel and DC. “For me, it’s about keeping reader interest,” Quesada answered. “Right now, it’s what readers are asking for.” Quesada did estimate that “World War Hulk” would be a quarter of the size of “Civil War,” with 35 issues all told. Quesada even insisted that larger events like “Civil War” had many storylines that had to be left on the cutting room floor. “To keep the quality of an event as high as possible, we have to whittle them down as much as possible.” Gage assured readers that you didn’t have to read any of tie-ins to enjoy and understand the 5-issue “World War Hulk” series. But Pak was quick to follow up that if you read the event in its entirety, “you’re gonna love everything even more.”

When asked about the many changes that Hulk has undergone over the years, Quesada said: “When a creator takes over a character, you expect a particular style. If not, we could write these books in editorial.” But he did say there was a certain “consistency of character” which he enforces with every creative team on every Marvel book.

“Hulk has gone through radical changes,” Pak said: The smart and crafty, “werewolf analog” who initially only changed at night, the “caveman-talk Hulk,” and the “tortured, silent Hulk of the TV show” to name a few. Pak loved all of these takes on the character, and to him it’s not contradictory that as Bruce Banner the man changes, the “face of rage” inside him changes as well.

“It’s not gonna end with somebody crying and giving up, right?” one fan asked Quesada of the end of “World War Hulk.” Quesada did not confirm or deny.

For the complete article, including images, click here.

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The following was originally posted on IGN.com:

The Green Goliath returns for revenge

Marvel's first panel at the New York Comic Con focused on their upcoming event World War Hulk. Creative details were revealed for several of the tie-in titles and writers and editors discussed what was to come.

The core World War Hulk series will be five issues and written by Greg Pak with John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson handling the art. Pak mentioned that the event will be one of the most emotional for the character. "We're past Civil War in the Marvel Universe. This is the green sorbet — something lighter with more punching and more hitting," said Joe Quesada, Marvel's Editor in Chief. Pak also mentioned that the storyline would reveal interesting things about Bruce Banner and his relationship with the Hulk. He noted that it's an evolving relationship that will play out over time. He said World War Hulk and its companion storyline in Incredible Hulk would have some answers.

World War Hulk will be preceded by a prologue written by Peter David with Al Rio, Sean Phillips and Lee Weeks on art. Marvel also revealed several more titles: World War Hulk: X-Men, World War Hulk: Gamma Corps and World War Hulk: Front Line. First the panel discussed Incredible Hulk, which is designed to be a great complementary piece to the main story. The company was also clear that this event would be smaller than ever, with only 35 side titles, including any affiliated books, spanning 4 months.

Incredible Hulk will be written by Pak with art by Gary Frank and Carlo Pagulayan. It will run parallel to World War Hulk. The series will answer questions like who will aide the Hulk and who will bother to listen to his story. Mastermind Excel will return as well. Marvel also mentioned that issue #106 will guest star She-Hulk, while #107 will feature Namor.

World War Hulk: X-Men will cover the fact that Charles Xavier was missing from the Illuminati when the Hulk was sent into space. Despite Xavier being absent, the Hulk still has questions. When the Green Goliath arrives, he only finds Beast and the New X-Men present. The alarm is sounded and virtually every X-Men answers the call. Chris Cage will be writing with Andrea DiVito on interiors and Ed McGuiness on covers.

Gamma Corps, by writer Frank Tieri and artist Carlos Ferreira, will take a look at the dark side of the war with Hulk. General Ryker is set to return and he's bringing an elite military squad to take down the Hulk. The four-issue mini-series is set to focus on the consequences of the Hulk's existence. Tieri made it clear that this book focuses on villains and said the military unit was definitely not nice.

Front Line, which first launched during the Civil War, will return. Once again looking at Ben Urich and Sally Floyd, the series will revisit its multiple-story format and focuse on the street perspective of the conflict. Paul Jenkins teams with artist Ramon Bachs and cover artist John Watson. Danny, Sally's boyfriend, will star in the second major arc running through the title. There are six issues planned for this tie-in.

Many other Marvel books will be affected by World War Hulk. Iron Man will give two issues to the story, with Chris Cage as the writer. This will be Tony Stark's first big challenge as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel mentioned that Heroes for Hire will be affiliated as well as Ghost Rider. Avengers: The Initiative will factor in as the government sends in the superhero army to contain the threat. Tony Stark taps Jim Rhodes to lead the assault. The Young Avengers will get a related one-shot that will be developed by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. Ant-Man will also have an issue for the event.

The audience Q&A revealed a few details. The editors said that Iron Man would be trying to revamp the culture of S.H.I.E.L.D. during his tenure there. The concept of the Illuminati possessing the Infinity Gems would also be resolved so that the Hulk can't simply be wished off the planet. The creators also emphasized that only World War Hulk is important for the main plot. The side titles are just filling in ancillary concepts.

Thor and villains came up during the panel. Though Quesada wouldn't comment on the God of Thunder, communications manager Jim McCann scrolled to a slide that featured a mystery cover. The cover, the fifth of five interlocking pieces, features Hulk fighting an unnamed character. Will Thor arrive in time to duel with the Hulk? Perhaps. Villains were swept into the Gamma Corps category. None of the participants wanted to say too much.

Quesada said that there was a certain level of consistency that editors look for when new writers take over characters. The Marvel EiC mentioned that some level of flexibility had to be present since different writers and editors have varying points of view.

The company also stressed that this event would not undo the changes brought about by Civil War.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Will we ever see Ultimate Wolverine/Hulk? Quesada: The script for issue #3 is in, and Damon Lindeloff should have the script for #4 soon. While Damon is mortified that it's taken this long, he does have this little thing called Lost that takes up his time.

Will anyone die in World War Hulk: Quesada: DC's sales.

Question from a younger fan: could you make an alternate universe story where the Venom suit would go on Hulk? [entire panel stops, thinks, and says, "Wowwww"] Quesada: Pak - write that down. And here's a new exclusive - this kid is the new writer on Mighty Avengers - Bendis, you're fired.

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The following was originally posted on ComicsContinuum.com:

NEW YORK -- How big is World War Hulk?

At the panel devoted to the next Marvel event, editor-in-chief Joe Quesada noted that, in all, with tie-ins, there will be 35 total issues over four months.

"There's always going to be tie-in books," Quesada said. "That's the essence of publishing."

Quesada and several of the creators -- writers Greg Pak, Frank Tieri, Christos Gage and Dan Slott, editors Bill Rosemann and Mark Paniccia -- discussed the main story of an angry Hulk's return to Earth as well as the tie-ins.

Following are highlights:

* Things start in May with World War Hulk: Prologue by Peter David, Al Rio, Sean Phillips and Lee Weeks. "It gives you a primer in you haven't read Planet Hulk," Quesada said.

* Pak is writing the World War Hulk mini-series and the event in the monthly Incredible Hulk.

"It's an incredibly giant smash-fest as well as one of the most emotional Hulk stories in recent memory," Pak said.

* Incredible Hulk #106-109 will be drawn by Gary Frank and feature those who are actually on the Hulk's side. "It's an interesting group of people," Pak said. "Who are these renegades and why do they come together?"

* World War Hulk: X-Men is a three-issue mini-series dealing with the Hulk's reaction to Professor Xavier being part of the Illuminati, which sent him into space. It is written by Gage, with art by Andrea DiVito and covers by Ed McGuinness.

"I'm going to use as many as of the X-Men as they'll let me use," Gage said.

* World War Hulk: Gamma Corps is the villain's book, according to writer Frank Tieri, who is joined by artist Carlos Ferreira. General Ryker puts together a crew to take down the Hulk.

"Imagine the crew from Predator with gamma powers," Tieri said, who added the mini-series will show the consequences of a Hulk battle.

* World War Hulk: Front Line will mirror the Civil War book with a similar title, writer in Paul Jenkins and main artist Ramon Bachs.

* Editor Bill Rosemann said the book will have mulitple stories, with the lead story centering on reporters Ben Urich and Sally Floyd. Back-ups will feature Sally¹s boyfriend Danny who is a cop in the Cosutme Division.

"These people with god-like powers come to Manhattan with their own agenda, but what about the people who live there?" Rosemann said.

Sean Martinborough is providing art for the back-ups and John Watson the covers.

Each issue also will have a two-pager drawn by Chris Moreno, Jenkins' collaborator on Sidekick, that will have a humorous take on events.

* Gage is writing Iron Man #18-19, which tie into the event. He said the story deals with one of Tony Stark's first issues as director of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Should he put his forces in danger against the Hulk for what is basically a personal score?

* Heroes for Hire #14 deals with Humbug and his ability with insects, which should extend to Brood and Miek.

* Other tie-ins will include an Young Avengers one-shot by Jeph Loeb and David Finch, Ghost Rider #12-13, New Avengers: The Initiative #4 and the Irredeemable Ant-Man #10.

* Pak noted that what happens in World War Hulk: X-Men will have a lasting impact on the X-Men.

* Pak noticed that the reaction of She-Hulk will be seen in Incredible Hulk #106 and the reaction of Namor will be seen in Incredible Hulk #107.

* Slott noted that Incredible Hulk #106 starts 10 second after She-Hulk #18. "Jennifer will find out Tony and the rest did to her cousin," Slott said.

For the complete article, including images, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Kennethjohnson.us:

The Season Two will be released in mid-2007. Kenny is recording an on-camera interview for it and supplying rare, behind-the-scenes photos.

If legalities can be cleared there may be a short gag reel by the Season Three release.

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The following was originally posted on WizardWorld.com:

When the Green Goliath returns in 'World War Hulk,' the Marvel U's track record against him ain't good...

While the Hulk looks for some serious payback on various heroes throughout the Marvel Universe as part of the upcoming “World War Hulk” event, it won’t be the first time he’s gone toe-to-toe with the colorful cast of powerhouses—but it could be the last, because the Hulk’s never been madder. And you know the old saying: “The madder Hulk gets…the stronger Hulk gets!” And considering the Jade Giant’s been exiled in space for over a year—by none other than former teammates and Illuminati members Dr. Strange, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner to name a few—the collected heroship of the Marvel U. may wanna keep these past slobberknockers in mind when the Hulk returns to Earth in May.

HULK VS. WOLVERINE
(Incredible Hulk #340)

These bruisers have battled more times than you can count, but this showdown was the first time Logan came up against a smart Hulk—and it gets ugly in a hurry. The then-gray Hulk survives evisceration and several killing blows to dish out some serious punishment on the X-Man. “You’ve…spent years laughing at me, taking advantage of me. I was the dumb green giant…but now I want to start giving it all back,” the Hulk tells Logan. That resentment has only grown after a yearlong exile in space, and while Bruce Banner’s intellect now guides the Hulk, if anything, he’s grown craftier thanks to his gladatorial experience, which doesn’t bode well for the heroes on Earth.

HULK VS.THOR
(Defenders #10)

When a rampaging force of nature like the Hulk starts destroying a major city, you send in the big guns—in this case, it’s the God of Thunder, Thor! The two batter one another with the force of an A-bomb, and Hulk shrugs off several hits from Thor’s enchanted hammer Mjolnir. They eventually lock horns, Indian wrestling-style, with neither combatant giving an inch for over an hour! This brawl only ended when the combined Defenders and Avengers intervened to make peace, but there’s one thing to keep in mind regarding Hulk’s forthcoming return—the only Thor around is a carbon copy clone.

HULK VS. THE THING
(Fantastic Four #320 & Incredible Hulk #350)

For years, the Thing played second banana to Hulk in terms of strength, because he lacked Green Genes’ stamina. However, this ultra-Thing, whose powers were increased by additional cosmic rays, is more than a match for gray Hulk. But Mr. Fix-It, as he’s also known, uses stealth and guerilla tactics to get the better of Ben Grimm, showing that Hulk’s combo of brains and brawn is nearly unbeatable. And keep in mind: The green Hulk’s stronger and now smarter than he ever has been before. And the Thing? He’s hanging in France, a conscientious objector to the Civil War. Want some cheese to go with that wine?

HULK VS. THE AVENGERS & DR. STRANGE
(Incredible Hulk #300)

In this rematch, the Thunder God faces a Hulk of pure rage with no trace of Banner’s intellect to guide him—and it’s more than even Thor can handle. But his teammates, including heavyweights like Vision, Starfox, Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel, can only look on helpless. Realizing he must kill the Hulk to stop him, Thor unleashes all his might, but the Hulk just keeps getting up. When Jade Jaws starts using an adamatium statue of himself as a weapon, it looks like the Avengers are in for a serious pounding, one that’s only averted when Dr. Strange arrives and exiles Hulk to another dimension. Hmmm, sounds kind of familiar…

HULK VS. IRON MAN, WONDER MAN, HERCULES & SUB-MARINER
(Incredible Hulk #316)

The heroes themselves say it best: They’re the four biggest guns in the Avengers arsenal, but they don’t add up to a hill of beans against a mindless, rage-fueled Hulk. The Green Goliath shrugs off every attack: Iron Man’s repulsors, a haymaker from Wonder Man, a drop-kick from a mile up by Hercules and a full-speed collision from Sub-Mariner do nothing but make the Hulk madder (and you know how the rest goes). In fact, the heroes’ attempts prove so futile, the Hulk actually gets bored and wanders off for stiffer competition.

HULK VS. EAST & WEST COAST AVENGERS
(Incredible Hulk #321)

There’s probably no collection of power, brains and resolve like the roster of these two teams combined. And yet with all of that at their disposal, they’re like straw in the wind to the mindless fury of this Hulk, once more a Banner-less monster. Powerhouses like Hercules, Wonder Man, Namor, Iron Man and She-Hulk are swept aside time and time again, while stalwarts such as Captain America, Hawkeye and the Wasp can only stand idly by. The only way this assemblage can possibly win is to sink to the Hulk’s level of savagery…making this both a physical and moral victory for the Jade Giant.

HULK VS. HIMSELF?!?
(Hulk: Future Imperfect)

When the Hulk is at full strength with his Banner intellect intact, there’s no force on Earth that can stop him—with one exception. The Maestro is a future version of the Hulk whose power has grown exponentially after years of constant radiation exposure. After breaking the Hulk’s neck, Maestro looks to corrupt him and solidify his powerbase. But driven by his indomitable will and the horror of what he could become, Hulk combines brains and brawn to defeat the Maestro by sending him back in time into the heart of the gamma bomb detonation that created the Hulk! As smart and strong as he’s ever been, and more determined than ever to get revenge on those that exiled him, the latest hot-button question in the Marvel Universe is: Can anything stop “World War Hulk”?

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

RAMA: You already mentioned the next Hitch project. What else can you tell readers?

MM: An established title. Household name. One of these characters was created in the sixties and another in the forties. Three sexy girls. The opening line in the first issue is “Once Upon A Time”. The villain in the third and fourth issues has been known as Cap. Bruce Banner has some involvement in this series. Likewise, two of Marvel's most popular and famous villains. Hitchy prefers it to Ultimates. Oh, and we're out in September.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

This weekend at New York Comic Con, Marvel unveiled the tie-ins and projects that will connect to the upcoming World War Hulk event, and among them…a black…er, green? ops team named Gamma Corps.

Written by Frank Tieri, with art by Carlos Ferreira and covers by Stefane Roux, the four issue World War Hulk: Gamma Corps begins in July with issues #1 and #2 shipping in that month. We caught up with Tieri for a look inside.

Newsarama: Okay, Frank – the broad scope to start with: who and what are the Gamma Corps? Are they similar say, to the Hulk Busters that we’ve seen from time to time, or are they on the other side of the equation?

Frank Tieri: Well, they’re definitely not pro-Hulk if that’s what you mean by the other side of the equation. But to best answer who and what the Gamma Corps are we really have to go back to the beginning, to the man who started it all—and that’s General Ryker.

For those who don’t remember, Ryker was a Hulk adversary created for “Dogs of War” arc during the Paul Jenkins era of the book. He was a character who ruthlessly went after the Hulk for what we eventually learned were fairly sympathetic reasons—he wanted to cure his dying wife and saw the Hulk as the means to do that. I thought that was interesting and that there was a lot to play with there.

NRAMA: How so?

FT: Well, for one, using Ryker like this is funny because I always hear people say, “Where are all the new characters in the last twenty years or so?” Well, we do have new characters created in the last twenty years, especially villains — it’s just people don’t use them. Every time a new creator comes on a book, he wants to show how creative and revolutionary he is and create his own stuff or put some “cool, new” spin on a classic character - again, usually a villain - we’ve never seen before. No one seems to want to nurture those recent creations that desperately need to be nurtured in order to stand the test of time, so I guess that’s a bit of what I’m doing here. Call it “Frank Tieri’s Villain Reclamation Project,” if you will.

Lord knows I’ve killed enough in my time, so I figured it was time to give a little back, ya know?

So long story short, to answer your question the Corps were put together by Ryker to bring down the Hulk. And each of them has a pretty damned good reason for doing so.

NRAMA: Don’t hold back – why would someone join up with a team like this?

FT: Plain and simple—revenge. This series will deal with the collateral damage that would occur if something like the Hulk actually existed—and we deal with it more than anything else we’ve ever seen before. In real life, a drunk driver crashes his car and seven people are killed—so you mean to tell me nothing happens when a truck is thrown in a Hulk/Abomination fight? In this series we’ll show that the Hulk’s actions do have consequences—and grave ones in the case of many of these characters

And by the way, I wouldn’t think “team” as in super-team. These ain’t heroes, these are soldiers, so thinking unit is probably more accurate. People who are cutting the throats of terrorists and assassinating dictators and cutting off Bin Laden’s head and pissing in it—who also just so happen to have gamma induced powers. If you’re thinking Arnold’s group from Predator with gamma powers, you’re on the right track.

Fans will find that there are plenty of surprises to be had in this series—including the fact that two of these characters hold connections to supporting characters that have been very involved in the Hulk’s life. And that another one of them is actually a former Hulk villain.

Chew on that a while, kids.

NRAMA: Wait - so does this story then state that bystanders die in Hulk fights in the Marvel Universe? That’s always been a point of contention among fans and some creators…

FT: Let's put it this way-- the notion is explored.

NRAMA: Coming into this project, had you been following Planet Hulk as it went along?

FT: Though I haven’t been following Planet Hulk issue by issue, I know the general broad strokes about what’s been happening to the Hulk—the Illuminati shooting him off into space, his “Spartacus” turn on an alien planet and now his return for the huge dose of ass kicking that is World War Hulk.

And I like the notion of WWH. I don’t like my Hulk happy and smiley and hanging with the Avengers or Defenders or whatever. I like my Hulk to be very smashy—that very dangerous wild card that the other heroes should be very weary of. I guess I’m of the mind that the Hulk works best in the Marvel Universe as the ultimate outsider—and World War Hulk very much places him there.

NRAMA: As we've talked about before, you're the guy who loves to wallow in the seedy underbelly of the Marvel Universe. Does this fit that model, or is this a slightly shinier setting for you?

FT: Nah, I’m back wallowing in that seedy underbelly again—I guess that’s what I do best. The question is though is this: Exactly who’s underbelly are we looking at here? The big green monster that smashes stuff up, leaving destruction and misery in his wake—or the people who’ve banded together to stop him?

NRAMA: Whose underbelly indeed. So – tease it out - what gets the ball rolling here?

FT: Well, World War Hulk does, obviously. The Hulk’s back, making all kinds of threats and ultimatums and beating the living crap out of every hero on his hit list. Ryker, who’s been on the run from SHEILD the last time we saw him, sees this as an opportunity to make his move. In exchange for a pardon for what he did in Dogs of War, he and the Corps will take down the Hulk.

The way the whole series works is basically as this build up to this inevitable battle between the Hulk and the Corps. Through flashbacks, we learn a lot about them, their motivations, etc—as well as how Ryker first set the wheels in motion to create such a group and how and why he became so obsessed with the Hulk in the first place.

Throughout the series, we’ll be popping in and out of significant events in Hulk history and how they affected the lives of these characters—as well as how these characters affected the lives of the Hulk. While the series is accessible to anyone, I think that aspect of the series is really going to appeal to the longtime Hulk fan. Lots of Easter eggs to be had here, folks

NRAMA: You’re not making this all sound very…favorable for the Corps coming out of this in one piece, so - are the Corps something that will/can be seen again after this?

FT: Well, let’s see if they survive first. Then again, this is comics so if the fans want it, I’m sure we can figure out a way to bring them back regardless. Especially with all the resurrections we’ve seen lately-- I mean, it’s only a matter of time before they dig up Uncle Ben and prop him up, right? Bringing the Corps back is child’s play in comparison.

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Check out this audio interview with Greg Pak from last weekend's New York Comic Con.

http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/nyccaudio/pakinterview.mp3

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Check out these video interviews with Greg Pak from last weekend's New York Comic Con.

Minor SPOILERS are contained within, so you have been warned.

PART 1

PART 2

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