The following was originally posted on ComixFan.com:

Greg Pak has been making quite an impact over at Marvel Comics in recent years. He is responsible for the current Planet Hulk story in the The Incredible Hulk and the soon to be released sequel to Phoenix Endsong- Phoenix Warsong. Greg Pak recently found some time to give Comixfan a few details regarding his upcoming work with the Hulk, the X-Men, and his own creation Mastermind Excello.

Comixfan: Now on to some Planet Hulk related questions. Part one of Planet Hulk just came to an end and Anarchy is fast approaching. Are there any details you can share on what to expect in the upcoming issues?

Greg Pak: If the Exile story arc of Planet Hulk was Star Wars, the Anarchy arc is The Empire Strikes Back. Just as thrilling, but darker and deeper. We're learning more about the horrors of the Emperor's rule, the mythic role the Hulk seems destined to play, and how their growing rage is affecting the Hulk and his crew. Big, big things are in store for several of the supporting characters -- Miek, the four-armed Native, and Caiera, the gray-skinned female Shadow Guard Lieutenant, in particular. They're going to become major characters in the Hulk's life - keep an eye on 'em! And of course, the smashing continues.

Also, don't miss the Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook which hits stands on July 19. It's an incredibly detailed guide to the history and inhabitants of Planet Sakaar - with tons of juicy details about the members of Hulk's crew that you won't find anywhere else.

Comixfan: Hulk recently went head to head with the Silver Savage. Will any other Marvel characters be stopping in for a brawl or two?

Incredible Hulk # 98 CoverGreg Pak: Jarella of K'ai, who some say was the Hulk's greatest love, made an appearance in Giant Size Hulk last month. And don't miss Incredible Hulk #100 - a slew of major Marvel characters will pop up there.

Comixfan: Are there any other characters you would like to work on or will be working on in the future?

Greg Pak: The X-Men I think about the most these days (aside from the characters I'm working with in Warsong) are Storm, Nightcrawler, Angel, and Magneto. I'm hoping to get my hands on some of those characters someday. Other characters I've always loved include Deathlok and Morbius. But the character I'm probably the most excited about this instant is Amadeus Cho, aka Mastermind Excello, the genius kid on the run who first appeared in a story I wrote for Amazing Fantasy #15. Marvel.com polled readers to find out which character from Amazing Fantasy #15 should get a miniseries, and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada recently announced at Newsarama that Mastermind Excello won. I'm working on plans for him to appear in an upcoming comic I'm writing now - keep your eyes open!

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on WizardUniverse.com:

Incredible Hulk is doing the incredible. Since Greg Pak’s debut on the book, he began an epic story called “Planet Hulk.” Instead of buzz tapering off after the first two issues, the buzz continued to grow on the project, with sales drifting upwards and fans clamoring for more (Wizard magazine chose it as its September Book of the Month).

Pak sat down with Wizard Universe to talk about how he got the gig, why the book has grown in popularity, and let something slip out about a huge guest-star for the upcoming issue #100 that will have fans buzzing.

How’d you get the Hulk gig?

PAK: While working with “Incredible Hulk” editor Mark Paniccia on an entirely unrelated project, I ran my yap at every opportunity about how much I loved the Hulk and all the great ideas I had for Hulk stories. So when it came time for him to pick a new Hulk writer, I guess it wasn’t hard for him to remember my name.

Were you a fan of the book before?

PAK: I’ve loved the character since I was a kid. In particular, I can remember reading and re-reading that Hulk-Submariner fight from Origins of Marvel Comics. And the television show blew my little mind.

Who are your favorite Hulk creators?

PAK: Probably Bill Mantlo and Peter David. I love Mantlo’s “Crossroads” stories. And Peter David’s “Future Imperfect” and “Hulk: The End” are classics. And of course, I have to give it up to Stan Lee for creating the character, and for developing the intelligent, surly Hulk in those first few issues. That version of the Hulk has definitely helped inform the way we’re depicting the character in “Planet Hulk.”

What drew you to the character of the Hulk?

PAK: On that fundamental, visceral level, I love the Hulk for losing his temper. There’s huge vicarious pleasure in watching the Hulk. He does what we’d all like to do when things or situations or stupid puny humans get in his way: he smashes! So that’s all kinds of fun. But Hulk stories become great when they explore the effects of all that smashing on a real emotional level. Is the Hulk a monster or a hero? Is his smashing just plain wicked or is it sometimes justified or necessary? Can he ever find a place where he can belong, or does his inability to control his anger, righteous though it may be, doom him and the people he loves to tragedy? Those are the compelling, dramatic questions I can’t get enough of.

Who’s idea was it to put Hulk in space?

PAK: I first heard it from Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, who told me of his vision of the Hulk in armor with a big battle axe fighting monsters in an arena on an alien planet. And I said, “Yes, please!”

How did that expand into the “Planet Hulk” event?

PAK: Joe and the other editors tossed a few plot points at me and I went into my dark cave to work my magic. My job was to fill in all the story details, develop the big themes and emotional arc, create the supporting cast and the political, historical, social, mythological and zoological reality of the world itself. It’s been a huge kick in the pants, particularly since editor Mark Paniccia has been an amazing story collaborator and pencilers Carlo Pagulayan and Aaron Lopresti and cover artist Ladronn have been nothing but amazing to work with.

But why put Hulk in space?

PAK: It was time for the Hulk to cut loose, time for the Hulk to smash. And an adventure on an alien planet would give us the time and space to have him really discover himself in all his destructive glory without having to shake the Marvel Universe to the core. There’ll be time for that later...

Did you always envision it being this big and epic?

PAK: At first, the story was only going to be about half the length. But after the editors saw the scope of the outline I submitted and mulled over what was happening in the Marvel Universe as a whole, they gave us a full 14 issues. It’s an incredible opportunity. As a result, we’ve been able to open up the story, delve deeply into all of our supporting characters, and build a whole mythic subtext to the Hulk’s giant emotional storyline which is going to pay off in a huge way as the tale comes to its climax.

Tell us about the characters that jumped on board the story in the first arc

PAK: Miek is the six-limbed insectivorid slave who attaches himself to the Hulk as a sidekick. As the story progresses, we’re going to see that Miek has a huge emotional storyline of his own, he’s suffered horribly from the Empire’s oppression, and he’s learning from the Hulk never to stop making them pay. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing remains to be seen: don’t miss issues #97 and #98 in particular if you’re interested in find out!

Korg is the brick of the Hulk’s crew, a Stone Man from Kronan whose quiet moral authority might help the Hulk fulfill his real heroic potential. Hiroim is a Shadow Warrior whose strategic expertise may help the Hulk and his crew survive against the Emperor’s armies. And perhaps the most important supporting character of all, Caiera the Oldstrong, is another Shadow Warrior, the Emperor’s bodyguard, who has been sent to kill the Hulk. As our story progresses, she’s going to become an absolutely key player: look for her story to pick up major steam in issue #98.

How worried were you about how fans would react to such a drastic change in storytelling?

PAK: Old-time fans know that the Hulk has a tradition of periodically heading out for science fiction adventures in other worlds, most memorably, in the Jarella tales and the Crossroads stories. So I was pretty hopeful that folks would at least give the storyline a shot. But what gave me the most confidence was that we all knew it was time for the Hulk to be the Hulk, for the Hulk to have the chance to cut loose, and “Planet Hulk” would be a great place for him to do just that.

And how has fan reaction to the story been so far?

PAK: We’ve been pretty overwhelmed. The fans have been enormously generous with their praise, and for that we’re as grateful as can be. It’s been exciting to see the book actually gaining readers; it’s a very rare thing for a book to climb from month to month without a major change in writer, artist, or storyline, but the fans are spreading the word about “Planet Hulk” and I can’t thank them enough.

Tell us about the book’s artists.

PAK: Aaron Lopresti is penciling issues 96 to 99, the “Anarchy” arc. Aaron’s doing an incredible job. Career-best work, in my opinion. Wait ‘til you see the battle scenes in Issue #98 and the climactic moments of Issue #99: they’re gorgeous and powerful and tragic and heroic and monstrous and everything else you could want for an epic Hulk story.

Carlo Pagulayan penciled issues 92 to 95, the “Exile” arc, and returns with issue 100 for the “Allegiance” arc. Carlo’s got an exquisite sense of dynamism and detail and he keeps topping himself with every issue. Carlo also designed most of the characters and buildings and technology in the story: he has an incredible eye and has done a tremendous job of making this alien world come to life.

Finally, Ladronn, the cover artist, deserves a huge amount of praise for the amazing images he keeps producing. The Hulk/Silver Surfer cover to #95 is my favorite comic book cover of the year, bar none.

What’s coming up in the 100th issue?

PAK: It’s the first issue in the climactic “Allegiance” storyline, featuring incredible action and some shocking emotional developments for the Hulk and his key allies. There’s also a 10-page backup story that gives us a glimpse of what’s happening on Planet Earth. And I’ll go ahead and spill the beans. Issue #100 will feature a few surprise guest stars, including Reed Richards and Amadeus Cho, a.k.a. Mastermind Excello. Who the heck is that, you ask? He’s a character I developed for the Amazing Fantasy #15 anthology issue, and he won the online contest Marvel.com ran to see which character from the anthology would get his or her own miniseries. In the Amazing Fantasy story, Amadeus Cho is a genius kid on the run who has an unexpected encounter with our big green friend. As we’ll see in Incredible Hulk #100, Amadeus may end up playing a very important role in the Hulk’s future...

Any hints as to what else is happening?

PAK: Major twists and shocking developments and smashing galore. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think it’s safe to say that “Planet Hulk” and the story arc that follows it will have more emotional impact on the Hulk than anything we’ve seen for years.

How long are you planning on staying on the book?

PAK: As long as they’ll have me! Editor Mark Paniccia and I have a couple of years worth of good story ideas already. My fingers are crossed that I’ll be able to stick around and write ‘em all.

What do you hope fans remember from “Planet Hulk” years from now?

PAK: Wow. That’s a tough question. I’ll just be honest, we’re telling a hugely ambitious story here. We’re shooting for wildly entertaining epic adventure, mind-blowing action and non-stop smashing, fully-formed, three-dimensional characters, genuinely mythic storytelling, enormous emotional development, and, in the end, a revelation of fundamental human truth. (Did I mention we’re ambitious?) If any fraction of all of this comes through and is remembered with fondness, I’ll be thrilled.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Greetings, rebels and revolutionaries of Planet Sakaar! My name is Arch-E-5912. I'm a communications bot and former slave who now serves the Green Scar, aka the Incredible Hulk, as he leads his band of gladiators and refugees in battle against the oppressive Imperial forces of the Red King. Because of my ability to create encrypted data streams, I've been tasked with communicating with the outside world, providing potential allies like yourself with the chance to meet members of the Hulk's crew and ask whatever questions you may have about the Green Scar and our struggle against the Emperor.

The Green Scar does what the Green Scar does best, from "Incredible Hulk" #97, hitting stores Wednesday.

So please, post your questions on this interactive device I call a "message board." I'll return in two weeks with a new report containing all the answers I've been able to collect from our crew.

In the meantime, here's a missive describing our current status from one of the Hulk's closest gladiator allies:

Greetings, Sons of Sakaar. I am Elloe Kaifi, daughter of Community Representative Ronan Kaifi, who was murdered in the Maw by the Emperor's minions. Once I was like you, quiet and obedient, turning my eyes from the horrors that our Emperor perpetrated every day. But I've seen my own father imprisoned and killed for merely questioning the Red King's policies. I've seen Wildebots slaughter children while the Red King's lackeys just laughed. I've seen innocent Imperial farmers murdered in cold blood by Imperial soldiers. And I weep with shame for the silence I once kept.

You may have heard the collaborationists amongst you say that all we rebels want is to be left alone, that all you need to do is sit by, let us disappear into the Steppes, and life will return to normal. But those traitors are wrong. We will not -- we cannot disappear. Not while the Red King rules. Because his hunger for power and blood will never stop. And if you're foolish enough to stand by him, you'll deserve what you get when he burns you in the streets.

Do you still doubt his wickedness and our determination? Then let me tell you the story of our latest adventure.

After breaking out of the Great Arena with his band of warbound gladiator allies, the Green Scar led us to a small village to regroup and train. Miek, the scrappy Native who has been the Hulk's closest companion from the beginning, revealed that the headman of the town was the Imperial soldier who exterminated Miek's hive years before. Some within the ranks believed Miek should forego his vengeance in hopes of forming an alliance with the villagers. But the Green Scar saw true. He told Miek that in Miek's skin, he'd "never stop making them pay."

Miek was young. Weak. He let the Headman live. But then we discovered that the villagers had been hiding Miek's enslaved brothers in an underground pit. Chained for years like animals in the darkness and filth.

We razed the town and left the puny pinkies weeping in the ashes.

So let the Imperials know - the next step in our struggle comes soon - let the killer of my father beware! For we remember. And we do not forgive.

Now this is your chance to ask whatever you want of those of us who follow the Green Scar. So ask. Learn what you need. And then join us. Because when the end comes, and this world is saved or destroyed, you'll want to live or die knowing that when your time came, you did the right thing.

Incredible Hulk #97 hits comic book stores on August 9 - see what Elloe's talking about when she warns her father's killer to beware! For the latest about "Planet Hulk" and the rest of writer Greg Pak's comics and films, visit www.pakbuzz.com.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

NRAMA: One from "JoeMaggio": Here's an easy one for you... why did the recent issues of Giant-Size X-Men continue the numbering from the 1975 series, but the recent Giant-Size Hulk didn't? Did everybody forget about 1975's Giant-Size Hulk #1?

JQ: Hey, Joe, why don't we asks David Gabriel who makes these kinds of decisions, what the reasoning behind it was.

David Gabriel: Nope, no one forgot, it was supposed to be Giant Size Incredible Hulk #1...which there never was... somewhere it got lost in the production schedule and came out as Giant Size Hulk.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

Let's talk about some subjects outside of "Blade" as we wrap up. Is there any chance of you getting back to writing comics? Something at DC or Marvel? Allright, do you have a specific character in mind?

There are a couple of different ones. I will say if I ever do anything at Marvel I'd love to do the Hulk one day. At DC, we're talking about some specific characters, yeah, and I'd be interested in doing the Demon at some point.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

From this past weekend's Cup of Joe @ the Baltimore Comic Con:

"Ultimate Wolverine Vs. the Hulk"-what happened? "'Lost' is what happened," Quesada said. "Damon [Lindelof] bit off more than he could chew." Later in the panel, Quesada appeared to confirm that Lindelof had finished script three and that they were just waiting on art.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

Marvel's Big Plans Revealed at Baltimore Retailer Conference

Following the events of "Planet Hulk," "World War Hulk" breaks out with Greg Pak continuing to write the adventures of our favorite green skinned fighting machine with John Romita Jr. handling the art.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Question: This story is Marvel’s big summer blockbuster event for 2007

Answer: What is World War Hulk?

NRAMA: Now you’ve promised no major Civil War-type scope events next summer, Joe. Civil War to “World War” sounds pretty big and escalating to us. This still a smaller scale event, or do you need to amend your earlier promises?

JQ: In scope and as to what it means to the Marvel Universe, World War Hulk is every bit as important and huge as Civil War, it’s actually a story that is made possible by the events of Civil War.

However, with respect to the sheer number of tie in titles, this will nothing like Civil War. It’s a giant story but not a giant publishing event so the investment for fans will be minimal and it will be constructed very similar to our past Ultimate Universe events. But, the story will involve almost everyone, will have lots and lots of smashing and will answer some questions once and for all that have been troubling Marvel readers for some time now.

World War Hulk. or “WWH” as I’m sure we’ll be calling it will be written by Greg Pak and drawn by John Romita Jr. and will be shipping in May. More details to come!

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Greg Pak's massive "Planet Hulk" storyline will wrap up with the two-part finale, "Planet Hulk: Armageddon", in March and April's issues #104 and #105, respectively.

However, the acclaimed writer, scriptwriter and director has more smashing to do when it comes to the Green Goliath.

Announced at this past weekend's Baltimore Retailer Summit, Pak will team up with superstar artist John Romita Jr on "World War Hulk". According to Marvel Editor-in-Chief, "WWH" is "Marvel's big summer blockbuster event for 2007."

"World War Hulk" picks up immediately after "Planet Hulk". The first of a planned five-issue arc debuts in May's Incredible Hulk #106 and it will be spread out over three consecutive months.

Details are still sketchy and we're still knee deep in the "Planet Hulk" multi-issue epic. It's been said that some hints as to the future direction of Hulk would be forthcoming in November's Incredible Hulk #100.

However, "WWH"'s not something that's planned at the last minute. "We've known that "World War Hulk" would happen from the day we started planning "Planet Hulk" over a year ago," Pak explained to Newsarama. "Which means that we had almost two years of storyline mapped out from the beginning. It's been great -- that means that we've been able to seed story elements throughout "Planet Hulk" which will pay off in a huge way in "World War Hulk" -- it also means we've been able to build an astronomically huge emotional story for the Hulk stretching over two epic story arcs. It's incredibly exciting for me to work on this level as a writer, and I think the payoff for readers will be enormous."

Big question: Is the Green Gladiator coming back to Earth in the five-part "WWH"? Or is it set in yet another planet in the vast Marvel universe? The writer's lips are "sealed" but added that "[the Hulk] sure has a lot of unfinished business on Earth, doesn't he?"

But what happens when he does return?

"Some might argue that Hulk's true home is the savage planet of Sakaar, where his anger and strength make him a hero in the fight against the wicked Red King. If he ever comes back to Earth, maybe it'll actually be to help his puny human "friends," to show them the way a real hero uses his power," Pak said.

"But then again, maybe the Hulk isn't a hero. Maybe deep down, he's a monster, and once he finishes destroying Sakaar, he won't stop until he's crushed each and every one of those stupid puny humans who sent him there in the first place...

"Whatever happens, rest assured that "World War Hulk" will be an action packed and emotionally mind-blowing epic — and the Hulk will, indeed, smash."

As for Miek, Hiroim, Korg, the Brood Creature, and Elloe, they're all "Warbound" to the Hulk. "They'll stick with him to the death," Pak said. "Of course, the last story arc in "Planet Hulk" is entitled "Armageddon"... But if any of these Warbound gladiators survive, you can bet they'll join Hulk for whatever comes next, no matter what the cost."

From the title of the arc alone, "WWH" sounds so massive in scale. And it sure looks as though it's bigger in scope than Civil War. Again, Pak assured fans that "H ulk will smash like never before. The physical and emotional intensity of this story will be through the roof -- and with the legendary John Romita, Jr. providing the pencils, you won't want to miss a single panel. JRJR knows just how to make every image pop in that huge, insanely exciting way — I can't wait to see him tear into "World War Hulk."

For those who've been following "Planet Hulk", it hits the halfway mark today with the release of Incredible Hulk #98.

Visit www.pakbuzz.com for the latest updates.

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

In the Marvel Universe, Earth is a planet full of heroes and there the power of the Incredible Hulk can often cause more destruction than good, but what happens when the Green Goliath is transported to an alien world in desperate need of heroes? Will the arrival of the Hulk lead to the planet's salvation or destruction? This is the premise of the current storyline in "The Incredible Hulk," the epic fourteen part "Planet Hulk." CBR News spoke with writer Greg Pak about "Planet Hulk" and the storyline that follows it, "World War Hulk."

"Planet Hulk" was born out of an initial idea from the big guy at Marvel. "The inspiration for sending Hulk to an alien planet where he'd battle monsters as a gladiator came from Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada," Pak told CBR News. "I loved the idea from the minute I heard it, so I was blown away when they told me I had the gig and even more blown away when they basically cut me loose to create the whole world."

Books on history and cultural anthropology inspired Pak and helped him create the alien world that would serve as the setting for "Planet Hulk." "I got inspiration for the story by reading about the real lives of gladiators in ancient Rome and from the stories of figures like Genghis Khan and more contemporary warlords, dictators, and political leaders," Pak said. "Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' and Joseph Campbell's 'Power of Myth' played a big role in helping me think through other aspects of the story.

"Planet Hulk" began in February, but it's not too late for new readers looking to jump aboard the blockbuster sci-fi story. Pak provided a synopsis to catch new readers up. "Exiled by a group of Marvel heroes to the savage alien planet of Sakaar, the Hulk become a slave, then a gladiator, and now the Green Scar, a revolutionary leading his Warbound gladiator crew and a band of rebels and refugees against the planet's wicked Red King," Pak told CBR News. "The non-stop action powers a huge emotional question: is the Hulk a monster or a hero? Or, in Sakaarian terms, is the Hulk the Sakaarson, the planet's legendary savior? Or the Worldbreaker, the destroyer of everything?

"It's a sci-fi epic stretching over fourteen issues - it began in February 2006 with 'Incredible Hulk' #92 and ends in April 2007 with 'Incredible Hulk' #105," Pak continued. "New readers can jump on at any time - 'Incredible Hulk' #98, which hit stands September 13, is actually a great starting point, as it sets up the next major character and conflict for the Hulk. 'Incredible Hulk'#100 is another great entry point - it's a double (maybe even triple...) sized issue featuring the beginning of the 'Planet Hulk: Alliance' story arc as well as a backup story in which someone on Earth finally learns what the Marvel heroes did to the Hulk."

After being forcefully exiled from Earth by a group of Marvel Heroes the Hulk was the physical embodiment of Fury and crashing down on Sakaar didn't help his emotional state. "Through 'Exile,' the first story arc in 'Planet Hulk,' the Hulk was driven almost purely by rage," Pak said. "After passing through the wormhole that brought him to Sakaar, he discovered that he could be cut - maybe even killed. And he teamed up with a group of fellow gladiators in order to survive. But every step of the way, he was driven by anger - against the puny humans who sent him here and against the puny pinkies, the Imperial overlords who threw him into the gladiatorial ring and made him fight.

"Now, in the middle of the 'Anarchy' arc, the Hulk's bonded with his Warbound gladiator allies," Pak continued. "And as they rage across the countryside after escaping from the Great Arena, he's beginning to see how his anger is affecting them. Deep down, the Hulk knows that he could literally destroy this whole world. And he fears that if he keeps fighting alongside his Warbound allies, he just might. But at every step, the Hulk and his crew come face to face with the horrors perpetrated by the Red King. Whatever the cost, the Hulk seems destined to keep smashing."

While the Hulk is wrestling with what to do with his rage, some readers might be wondering how Bruce Banner, the other persona that shares the Hulk's consciousness is coping with being marooned on Sakaar. "A ten page story called 'Banner War' in 'Giant Size Hulk' #1 (June 2006) gave a glimpse of what Banner is thinking - and at that time, Banner was desperate to leave Sakaar," Pak explained. "But now, when it's becoming clearer and clearer what's at stake and what the Hulk's responsibilities are on Sakaar, who knows?"

In the current chapter of "Anarchy," the Hulk finds himself with a new responsibility on Sakaar. "'Incredible Hulk' #98, the third chapter in 'Anarchy,' came out on Wednesday. I don't want to spoil too much - let's just say that the divisions within the Warbound come to a head as Hulk and Miek face off - and another figure steps up to take a huge role in the Hulk's life while a terrifying new threat surfaces."

As "Planet Hulk" continues, the Hulk will confront threats all over Sakaar and there will be some off planet action as well. "The broken moon will indeed play a role in upcoming issues - beyond that, my lips are sealed," Pak explained.

The Broken Moon orbits Sakaar and another enigmatic astrological anomaly, The Great Portal, sporadically appears in the space surrounding the planet. It was the portal that brought the Hulk and many other alien castaways from the Marvel Universe to Sakaar. Pak promised a huge reveal about the nature and origin of the Great Portal is forthcoming in "Incredible Hulk" #101.

In addition to the Hulk, the Great Portal has deposited many familiar faces onto Sakaar including representatives from races like the Brood and the Kronans (who battled The Thor in his very first Marvel appearance) and even the Silver Surfer. Pak couldn't reveal if any more familiar faces would be popping up on Sakaar, but he did promise that some established Marvel characters would be appearing in a different setting in an upcoming issue. "There's a twelve page backup story illustrated by the brilliant Gary Frank in Issue #100 that features several familiar faces," Pak stated.

Before issue #100, a new face will appear among the Hulk's growing legion of allies. "Issue #99 will reveal a major addition to the Hulk's team, which will lead right into the first series of twists in 'Allegiance,' Pak explained.

Pak couldn't reveal much information about "Allegiance" or the story arc that follows it "Armageddon," the concluding arc of "Planet Hulk." "For now, I'll let the story arc titles speak for themselves," he said. "But get ready for huge action and a giant payoff that launches right into 'World War Hulk.'"

Before "World War Hulk" begins, readers will finally learn the truth about the legendary figures that many Sakaarians believe the Hulk to be, the Sakaarson and the Worldbreaker. "There will be a huge payoff by the end of the series regarding these Legends," Pak said. "And an even bigger payoff later on down the line. We've got plans we can't even start to hint at yet, but they're big!"

Pak could only provide cryptic hints about his next gamma powered epic, "World War Hulk," which features art by John Romita Jr. "'World War Hulk' begins in May 2007," he stated. "I can't reveal too much. But the events of 'World War Hulk' will come directly from the epic storyline we're building in 'Planet Hulk.' Hulk will smash. And who knows if he'll ever stop."

Whether "World War Hulk" is set on Sakaar or Earth and the identities of the characters that play major roles in the story are two more pieces of information that Pak had to keep under wraps, but he was able to drop another hint about the story. "Hulk is the emotional and physical center of this story," he said. "It's too early for us to reveal who else will be featured, but it might be worth thinking through whom in the universe the Hulk might most like to smash."

The big question of Marvel's "Civil War" story is, "Whose side are you own?" and "World War Hulk" will have a big question about allegiances as well. "The big question is whether Banner will side with or against the Hulk - which may turn on our giant thematic question of whether the Hulk is a hero or a monster," Pak explained. "By the time 'World War Hulk' reaches its climax, all will be revealed."

Many readers hope that the climax of "World War Hulk" will have the Green Goliath getting revenge on The Illuminati, the secret cabal of Marvel heroes who sent him into space. Pak couldn't reveal if this will happen or not but advised fans to check out the Gary Frank illustrated back up story in "Incredible Hulk" #100 for more information on the Hulk's feelings towards the Illuminati and when asked, "How worried should the Illuminati be if the Hulk ever does make it back to earth?" Pak answered, "The short answer: very, very, very worried."

Over the course of "Planet Hulk" readers will become quite familiar with the planet Sakaar and some might be worried that once the storyline wraps and "World War Hulk" begins that they will have seen the last of the unique setting. "Hulk editor Mark Paniccia and I have a couple of year's worth of stories planned out," Pak said. "We can't reveal too much, but rest assured, we're not forgetting Sakaar."

Planning huge sagas like "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" has proved to be a challenging, fun, rewarding, and addictive experience for Pak. "'World War Hulk' may be the biggest comics project I've ever tackled - and I'm thrilled to be working with John Romita, Jr," Pak said. "I was looking back over his work on the 'Wolverine: Enemy of the State' storyline, and I can't wait to see him tackle 'World War Hulk.' It's exactly the kind of insane action that he does better than anyone. I'm also hugely happy to be continuing to develop this epic with Marvel editor Mark Paniccia, who's been my partner in crime throughout 'Planet Hulk.' We're both hooked - we cannot get enough of the Hulk and can't wait to share these insane stories with you."

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

NRAMA: Will World War Hulk be a mini-series or will it run in the Incredible Hulk book?

JQ: World War Hulk will consist of the World War Hulk mini proper, several issues of the monthly Hulk series and perhaps a tie-in book here and there. It will be considerably smaller than Civil War in title count but not in story.

Also, WWH will be a considerably different story than Civil War in one very big respect. Civil War is steep deep in the real world and real world metaphors, WWH will be just wall to wall fun and fantasy and lots and lots of punching and breaking of stuff. We love the idea and its timing because it will be the perfect story to cleanse the palette after the weight of Civil War.

A big green sorbet of sorts.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Jaded Expressions Magazine:

With the amazing success of his work for Marvel Comics, like X-men: Phoenix - Endsong and Planet Hulk, and other books such as Battlestar Galactica, Greg Pak has taken the comic book industry by storm. What many comic fans don't know is that Pak was originally a screenwriter and director. His most notable and recent film being, Robot Stories, which spawned the behind the scenes book about the film, Robot Stories and More Screenplays. The film garnered over 35 film festival awards and has played around the world. What more is in store for Greg Pak? JXM sat down with the talented writer to discuss his work past and future, and how he ended up writing for a living.

Greg Pak

JXM: As a successful writer and director of film and comics, is this something you've always wanted to do growing up? What more do you hope to accomplish in your career?

Greg: I'm living one of my dreams - basically, I'm making a living doing the things I did for fun when I was ten. My big goal is to keep on telling the stories I care about, in whatever medium fits them the best.

JXM: Being a writer with a film background, what brought you to writing comics and the eventual Marvel gig? Were you always a comic fan?

Greg: I grew up reading and loving comics, but as an adult, it never occurred to me to try to get work in the comics industry. I was pretty well-ensconced in the independent film world, making and distributing my feature film Robot Stories. But one day my agent called me to say that Marvel was looking for new writers, and would I be interested? And I said, "Absolutely!" And three years later, here we are.

It's been pretty fantastic, because comics let me play with many of the elements that inspired film projects of mine like Robot Stories. I love genre of almost any kind - science fiction, fantasy, horror, noir. And I think there's something really powerful that happens when you combine genre with genuinely honest, emotional storytelling. The conventions of the genre provide amazing opportunities for building subtext and creating emotional and thematic resonance. And as an Asian American writer, I'm particularly interested in the way the smart use of genre can bring entirely new audiences to stories with multiracial casts.

JXM: Your diverse educational background includes political science, history, and of course film. How have all of these fields helped you in your development as a writer?

Greg: It's all enormously helpful. As just one example, right now I'm writing the Planet Hulk storyline for The Incredible Hulk comic. It's a crazy sci-fi epic in which the Hulk is exiled to an alien planet where he becomes a slave, then a gladiator, and now the leader of a revolution. And all of that history and political science background has been hugely helpful in creating and developing the world in which the Hulk finds himself. Great genre storytelling thrusts us into fantastical worlds which give us new ways to think about our own world - so it's important to have an understanding and perspective on our world in order to create those new worlds.

JXM: As a writer and film director, who are some of your inspirations and influences?

Greg: Akira Kurosawa and Billy Wilder are my big film heroes. Current filmmakers who frequently blow my mind include Spielberg and Ang Lee and Ridley Scott and Hayao Miyazaki. Prose writers I've always loved include Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Lloyd Alexander, and Maxine Hong Kingston. My current literary obsession is Jane Austen - incredibly funny and sharp and humane all at once.

JXM: From your own experience, what valuable pieces of advice would you give to aspiring writers and filmmakers who'd like to make it in this business?

Greg: Three big things - first, do everything you can to learn about the craft. Read books, take classes, join workshops, go to school - the path is different for everyone, but somehow we all need to find ways to seriously study what we do. Second, do the work. If you're a writer, write. If you're a director, direct. There's almost no excuse not to these days - it's possible to make a short film for a hundred dollars or less. Third, ruthlessly seek out criticism and feedback so you can find out the flaws in your work and get better. This can be incredibly painful, but it's absolutely essential if we're to get better at what we do.

For fellow filmmakers interested in more detailed practical advice and articles on low-budget filmmaking, please feel free to check out my website www.filmhelp.com. Also, the Robot Stories and More Screenplays paperback (available for purchase at Immedium.com) has detailed introductions describing the writing and production of many of my films.

Robot Stories

JXM: Tell us a little bit about your critically acclaimed feature film, Robot Stories.

Greg: Robot Stories is science fiction from the heart, four stories in which utterly human characters struggle to connect in a world of robot babies, robot toys, android office workers, and digital immortality. The film stars Tamlyn Tomita and Sab Shimono and has won 35 film festival awards. It's now available on DVD from Kino and the book of the screenplay can be bought at Immedium.com or Amazon.com.

JXM: What brought about the decision to portray your themes of human emotion and the human need for connection through, first of all, robots, and secondly, four little stories, as opposed to one?

Greg: Science fiction in general and robots in particular provide ideal means through which to explore the human heart. First, because one of the best ways to make something interesting is to work with contrasts, to play with surprise. So combining science fiction with genuine emotional storytelling is the kind of creative contrast that can spark fun, surprising stories. And second, because when you think seriously about robots and artificial intelligence, you end up asking the kinds of questions that are vital for all of us - who am I? What am I doing here? What is this thing you humans call love? Great stuff.

Regarding the decision to make an anthology film, I actually never wanted to - anthology films are notoriously hard to market and sell. But sometimes things creep up on you just because they're the absolute right thing at the right time. I'd written three of the four stories in Robot Stories at different times over several years. I didn't originally see the connections between them, but at a certain point, I was going through my file of unproduced screenplays and realized I'd written three scripts that dealt with robots and the human heart. So the project sort of ambushed me. These were all stories I'd been compelled to write, and suddenly I realized they shared a thematic thread and just about had to become a feature film.

JXM: Was there anything specific that initially inspired Robot Stories?

Greg: Years ago I heard about a production company that was looking for Mother's Day stories to make into short films. I mused over the challenge and came up with a few ideas. Of course, my stories involved a woman who had to take care of a robot baby and a mother who became obsessed with finishing her dying son's robot toy collection. These were not, apparently, this particular production company's idea of appropriate Mother's Day stories. But I loved the ideas, so I wrote the scripts anyway, and they eventually became the first two tales in Robot Stories.

Comic Books and Film

JXM: With a growing library of Marvel books under your belt, what characters, Marvel or otherwise, would you like to tackle?

Greg: I've had great opportunities at Marvel to play with most of the characters I've loved over the years. But I'd love to have a chance to do more with Storm - she's always been one of my favorite X-Men. I'm also a big fan of the Deathlok, Cyborg, and Morbius. But I'm most excited right now about telling more stories with Amadeus Cho, aka Mastermind Excello, the Korean American boy genius on the run I created for Marvel's Amazing Fantasy #15 anthology book. I'll spill the beans right here - the character will pop up in a prominent role in Incredible Hulk #100, which hits comic book stores in November. Dontcha dare miss it!

JXM: In addition to The Incredible Hulk, X-men: Phoenix - Warsong, and Battlestar Galactica, are there any other books you can tell us about that you're working on?

Greg: I have a few more projects in the hopper, but nothing I can reveal just yet, alas. But readers can always find the latest news at www.pakbuzz.com.

JXM: What's next for you in the world of film? Any upcoming projects?

Greg: I have a couple of short films in festivals right now - a sci fi short called Super Power Blues and a loopy comedy called Happy Hamptons Holiday Camp for Troubled Couples. Both films are screening around the country in September and October - for the latest screening times and venues, check out www.pakbuzz.com.

JXM: Thanks for chatting with us Greg!

Greg: Thank you!

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Moving on…re: our Gary Frank comment from last week. C’mon, he’ll be drawing Incredible Hulk the ongoing series while John Romita Jr. draws World War Hulk, right?

JQ: Okay, you got me... Yes, Gary will be illustrating some issues of Hulk! And, just to be a tease, you’ll see some of Gary’s first Hulk pages in a special 12 page story in Hulk #100 (it’s even Civil War related).

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on IGN.com:

Today, Marvel held a conference call to discuss the continuing events of the Planet Hulk storyline. Among those on the line were Hulk writer Greg Pak and Editor Mark Paniccia. It may be hard to believe, but the epic Planet Hulk is nearing its conclusion. Hulk #105 marks the finale of Planet Hulk. But the story won't end there as World War Hulk begins immediately after.

Issue #100, which ships November 1, marks the "very first ever Hulk #100," Pak was quick to point out. Hulk was originally a regular featured star in Tales to Astonish, with the series officially changing its title to The Incredible Hulk with issue #102.

To celebrate the centennial issue, Marvel is offering a 104-page spectacular, which includes four backup stories. The most significant of these is a tale told parallel to the events on Planet Hulk. Drawn by legendary Hulk artist Gary Frank, we will "finally see somebody [on Earth] discover what is going on with the Hulk." Pak declared that "this qualifies as a Civil War tie-in." And that's about as close as the Hulk will come to Civil War. Sorry folks, but Planet Hulk will still be raging when Civil War comes to a close.

As for Frank's work on the backup tale, Pak did not withhold his enthusiasm. "It's amazing. We've been looking at these pages and they're gorgeous... I think this backup story... the [readers] who are discussing if it was justified to blast the Hulk into space... these questions are going to be put to some of these decision-makers in an interesting way. There's some important moments from Hulk history that we're going to see depicted in an interesting way." The events in this story will pave the way for World War Hulk.

The other backups include reprintings of Hulk #152 (the trial of the Hulk) and Hulk #300 (where Dr. Strange first banishes the Hulk from Earth). Both tie in thematically with Planet Hulk. The final back-up is an origin tale. You know, in case you've been reading Planet Hulk the past year and have no clue how this dude got big and green.

Over the past few issues of the Hulk, we've seen the Green Behemoth "become a rebel and gradually begin not just to smash things, but [to] realize there's a reason to smash things," Pak explained. "He's on a planet where his rage and his strength has become a virtue. 'Allegiance' starts with issue 100. These different groups are starting to come together and we're going to see if [Hulk's] really going to become [savior] or the Worldbreaker."

Hulk #100 sees the return of Carlo Pagulayan, who pencilled the first Planet Hulk arc. "We're going to do some tag-team between Pagulayan and [Aaron] Lopresti," Pak said. "The art is through the roof and I think the story is going places that I think is going to be pretty surprising."

Details were sparse on the actual events of issue #100, but Pak made one bold claim: "I will humbly say [it's] mindblowing."

Rather than dish out the secrets of the final leg of the Planet Hulk storyline, Pak talked in-depth about his take on the monstrous hero. "There have been many different versions of the Hulk and many classic versions of the Hulk.... The Hulk that we're dealing with now, this savage but crafty Hulk, [this] Hulk has roots in the first six issues of the [original series]. We're able to work within a great tradition. As Bruce Banner and the Hulk go through different changes in life, he has different emotional issues he's grappling with and the Hulk is manifesting in different ways. That's cathartic and that's great... but what's the cost of that? There are different ways you can explore that.... The character allows for this kind of exploration and this was the right time to jump on this version of the character. It was time for the Hulk to be the Hulk... [and to] be confronted with real moral challenges."

"Banner has absolutely not been forgotten.," Pak assured. "We've seen him mentioned a number of times and see him appear in the flash in the backup story of Giant-Size. But on a day-to-day basis, he's not running around on Planet Hulk. We're building up to a pretty mind-blowing climax with the Banner/Hulk relationship." Pak added that there would be "some pretty good Banner stuff in issues 103 and 105. You may see something there. Keep your eyes open for those."

As for World War Hulk, Pak explained that there would be a separate miniseries for WWH, but that the main series would "tie in to [it in] a special way." Gary Frank will take over art chores on Incredible Hulk beginning with issue #106, with John Romita, Jr. handling the art for the World War Hulk miniseries.

Don't let the name fool you, World War Hulk doesn't mean Big Green is battling the heroes of the Marvel U. "Who knows if Hulk will be coming back to Earth," Pak teased. "The themes that run throughout Civil War and the themes that run throughout Hulk are similar in many ways. Pak described Hulk as the "misunderstood monster of the Marvel Universe." Heroes have differing views on how to deal with the Hulk. In this way, it is "similar to Civil War, [in] that you respect characters on both sides of the argument."

Look for Incredible Hulk #100 on November 1.

For the complete article along with images, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Comicon.com:

Today Marvel Comics hosted a press conference to discuss their incredible Hulk and his upcoming anniversary issue # 100. Greg Pak was on hand to talk about Planet Hulk and give some teasers about the series, two of the biggest being Gary Frank returning to the Hulk in a back-up story for issue # 100, will be the new regular artist on the series after Planet Hulk; and that a new limited series, World War Hulk, drawn by John Romita Jr that will tie into the monthly Hulk series, begins after Planet Hulk as well. Now, read the article or HULK SMASH!

Greg Pak, who was hanging out at the House of Ideas, began by giving us some details about what's been happening in the pages of Hulk to the jade giant, for those of you who haven't been following the Planet Hulk story. He started noting that the upcoming issue # 100, due in stores this November, would be the first time the Hulk ever had an issue # 100 since the original Hulk issues ran for six and then returned at # 102. Then he enthused, "The actual contents are mind blowing. I'm really excited about this one. The art is through the roof!"

There's no reason why the art shouldn't be through the roof though. Marvel Comics has tapped superstar artist Gary Frank to illustrate the back up story, a Civil War tie in which takes place on the planet earth. "One of the back up stories finally will show someone discovering the fact that the Hulk has been exiled."

A fact that most followers of this story already know, but in case you missed it, just before the Civil War began a group of heroes including Dr. Strange, Iron Man and Reed Richards, to name a trio of the Illuminati, decided to be judge and jury on The Hulk and send him off to a planet where he couldn't ever hurt anyone again. However, their little rocket ship went off course and instead of Hulk landing at their planned destination, he crash-landed on a dangerous planet where he isn't the biggest, baddest mother on the planet. He could be hurt, killed or, maybe, turned into the greatest hero the planet has ever know. But all that's playing out in the pages of Incredible Hulk.

Issue # 100 begins the third act in the Planet Hulk storyline, Allegiance. The first part, Exile, was issues # 92 - 95, drawn by Carlo Pagulayan. "There Hulk went from being a slave to a gladiator," Pak said. "The second act, Anarchy, ran through issues 96 - 99 (# 99 just came out yesterday), there Hulk becomes a rebel and gradually begins to not just smash things but find there's a reason to smash things. He begins to pull together a crew of rebels and forms an alliance, which is very unusual for the Hulk, but he's on a planet where rage and strength are virtues. Here people need him and he may be stepping up to the responsibility, but is he a hero or a monster? In the beginning of Allegiance, we see groups under the Hulk and find out if he will be, in the mythology of the planet, the savior or the world breaker."

Pak is also glad to be re-teamed with artist Carlo Pagulayan and glad to still have Aaron Lopresti on board for issues as well. "He was the artist who started the Planet Hulk arc with issue # 92," Pak said. "Aaron Lopresti penciled the second arc and now Carlo is back for the third, tag-teaming with Aaron. Aaron has been drawing these mind blowingly mighty Marvel slugfests. The pencils he's turning in for Allegiance are through the roof. Carlo's panels are amazing as well. He is the heir apparent to Michael Golden, who was one of my all-time favorite artists growing up. Carlo has some of that same funky dynamism. Aaron, too. I'm thrilled to be working with both these guys."

"The back up is drawn by Gary Frank - the legendary Gary Frank, who is still beloved for his Hulk run with Peter David," continued Pak. "He's probably best-known recently for his work on Supreme Power. So, Gary is drawing this back up story in our Civil War tie-in and it's just amazing. We've been looking at the inks and these pages are gorgeous. I think the back up story will also be answering the questions was it justice to send the Hulk into space and did the Hulk really deserve that - is he really a monster? These questions will be put to the decision makers in a pretty interesting way. Gary Frank is through the roof with the splash pages."

Marvel also prodded Pak to tell listeners what this story by himself and Frank is leading up to for the future of the Incredible Hulk. Pak revealed that there's an upcoming miniseries coming from he and John Romita, Jr. "World War Hulk succeeds Planet Hulk," Pak said. "This is the next big step for the Hulk and whatever will happen for the character begins here. Gary Frank will be working on the Incredible Hulk monthly series while the World War Hulk miniseries is going on. John Romita, Junior will be drawing World War Hulk. All the issues tie in together - you'll want to get them all, folks. I'm thrilled to work with Gary Frank on The Incredible Hulk and John Romita, Junior on World War Hulk."

Then the conference opened up for the question and answer session.

QUESTION: How tough is it to portray Hulk with the depth you're using here?

ANSWER: There have been many different versions of the Hulk. A lot of us grew up with the silent monster Hulk on TV, the "Hulk, Smash!" caveman talk Hulk, then Peter David went nuts with many different incarnations. But when you look at the original Hulk in those first six issues, it's like the savage but crafty Hulk we're dealing with now: mean, smart and angry. He has roots in the first six issues of Hulk. That Hulk was talking in full sentences. He was mean. He was smashing things right and left. Was he a hero or a monster? You never quite knew. So it's nice I can work within a great tradition that's not like we just decided to throw away the Hulk and do something different. This is a part of the Hulk.

It makes for a great character: the argument could be as Bruce and Hulk go through different periods, he has different emotional problems he's grappling with; so Hulk manifests in slightly different ways, but still the central issue is the price of anger.

One of the things I love about the Hulk is exploring him in many different ways. The character allows for this kind of exploration and this was the right time to jump on this kind of story or this version of the story. It was time for the Hulk to cut loose and it was time for him to just be the Hulk and smash things. It was also time to be confronted with real moral and emotional challenges. Suddenly he is in an environment where he has to cut loose, but maybe there's a reason.

This version of the Hulk is a version who is smart enough to know what he's doing, but he has to take responsibility for smashing things. I feel really lucky to come on board when these were the options to do with the character.

QUESTION: Out of all the new aliens is there one you've grown particularly fond of?

ANSWER: The Hulk has a posse. There are a few characters I just love. Korg is probably one of my favorite characters. He's a Stone Man. Back in the very first appearance of Thor, one of his first opponents were Stone Men from Saturn - these big rocky guys with Easter Island shaped heads. For Planet Hulk I was thinking of who should be on this planet with him and his buddies? This was a perfect character to play with. He's rooted in Marvel Mythology and it was a way to take his fight with Thor and look at it from a different way. What if we made him a good guy? I love Korg. He's a rock, and we all need rocks in our life. He kind of knows what life is about in a way - and I, for some reason, just really love writing him.

The artists will also run with the characters and give them great moments and faces and expressions. When Carlo and Aaron draw Korg, he has a gravity about him and depth and sadness in his eyes. Similarly when they draw Miek the six limbed bug character. In the first four issues, Carlo drew all these crazy facial expressions for Miek. As a result Miek got a lot of fun one-liners and tweaks.

So Miek and Korg, I've really had fun writing.

The character I'm most excited about right now is the Lieutenant Caiera, the Oldstrong the tall gray shadow warrior, who started out as the evil red king's bodyguard. As the story progresses her allegiances are shifting.

QUESTION: Percentage wise what are the chances of him making it back to earth to interact in the Civil War?

ANSWER: I think it's out there that the main action of the Civil War - if you just look at the schedule - it will be done before World War Hulk begins; but who knows if he will come back to earth for WW Hulk? He has a great reason to come back, seeing as he was exiled by those guys, but who knows.

MARVEL: Hulk won't have an impact on Civil War but Civil War will have an impact on what the world is like when and if Hulk returns.

PAK: One of the things exciting about issue 100 is the themes that run throughout the CW and Planet Hulk are tied together in a great way. I've been joking about the CW tie-in in Hulk 100, but the great thing about it is it's the perfect next step for carrying forward some of the themes of Planet Hulk. The tie in isn't a sales game, it actually works. It's a huge gift to work with that on a creative level. Every once in a while, you hear folks complain about working in a tie in, but for this particular case, it's the furthest thing from a burden, it's a great gift.

The story moves each other forward in great ways. The reverberations of the Civil War are certainly going to have an effect on WW Hulk.

QUESTION: When will we see Banner persona return? How will Planet Hulk affect it?

ANSWER: Yes. I can't say too much more. Banner isn't forgotten. We haven't seen much face time, and saw him in the flesh on Planet Hulk in the back up story in Giant Size # 1 issue that came out a few months ago. On a day to day basis, he isn't running around Planet Hulk, if he did, he wouldn't last that long.

We're building up all kinds of stuff with the Banner/Hulk relationship. This is all building up to a mind blowing climax.

I think we probably have some pretty good Banner stuff in #103 and #105. Keep your eyes open for those.

QUESTION: Were the three other back ups included for a particular reason?

ANSWER: Yes. One is the Origin of the Hulk. I think Tom Brevoort was the one who picked the back ups, and he did a great job of doing that. He is the big brain of Marvel. Issue # 300 is a Bill Mantlo written comic from 1984, and that is absolutely germane to all of this story. It's the one that preceded Dr. Strange exiling the Hulk the first time around. It was a story where Hulk was driven insane by Nightmare and tore up Manhattan. It's a 40 page smash fest where Hulk rips through Manhattan and all the major New York characters. It climaxed with Dr. Strange exiling Hulk to the Crossroads, which was like a Twilight Zone type place where Hulk was thrust into different universes to see if he could survive. We're kind of doing that and tackling the same questions in Planet Hulk.

Issue 300 is a big smash fest that may be a teaser for World War Hulk who knows? It also fits into the whole themes of exile and the is the Hulk a monster question.

Issue # 152 is the Trial of the Incredible Hulk. It's the same themes Marvel heroes passing judgment on the Hulk. Did they make the right decisions? What is it? Is he a monster or hero? It's the same themes in the Gary Frank illustrated back up story. These all fit together in a thematic way. It's nice for # 100 to have these stories in it, too. These are critical stories that really explore the misunderstood monster theme. It also provides very different angles on it. Different Marvel characters have different ideas of the Hulk and how he should be treated, based on their experiences with him.

This is similar to the Civil War, there are people you respect on both sides of the argument.

QUESTION: Will you be retro-numbering Hulk?

ANSWER: No plan right now. We know WW Hulk first issue would be Hulk 106 in May. At least that far out and beyond we know at least through 108 in the current numbering.

Pak closed by saying, "I also want to thank all the journalists who have written nice things and given us some props here. This is the funnest things I've ever done in comics and it's nice to have folks like yourself along for the ride."

Hulk # 100 is due in stores November 1st by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan Gary Frank and variant gray and green covers.

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The following was originally posted on The Incredible Hulk Comic Boards by Maineventsmoothe:

In Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine Oct 2006 issues, Stan Lee was asked his opinion about Hulk vs Superman and this is what he wrote, "If I wrote the story, I guarantee the Hulk would win. The way I established the Hulk, the more he fought, the stronger he got. And Superman has a certain amount of strength and thats it. I assume at some point he'll get worn out, but never the Hulk."

The magazine is on stands now.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

NRAMA: crazywwolf - Joe, before the end of Civil War is She-Hulk gonna find out what Tony and Reed did to Bruce and if she does will she turn against them and the Registration act and hand Tony the Butt-whooping he deserves?

JQ: No--but she might become aware of it in the Planet Without a Hulk storyline that begins in She-Hulk #15 in January.

NRAMA: rama7 - Is there any chance seeing Dale Keown penciling the Hulk anytime soon? Hulk fans dig Keown and consider him one of the top artists to ever draw the Hulk.

JQ: My understanding is that Dale is currently working on other projects so we have nothing planned with him currently. And I agree, Dale is one of the best ever on the Hulk.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Marvel.com:

Civil War is going to get a taste of the incredible in the pages of Incredible Hulk #100 as the seeds are planted for next year’s epic World War Hulk. The milestone centennial issue of Incredible Hulk will feature a back-up story penned by Greg Pak with pencils by Gary Frank bringing to readers a very important Civil War story that examines whether the Illuminati was justified in banishing the Hulk into space. Plus, learn more about the Thor clone that debuted in Civil War #3 and killed Goliath in Civil War #4.

Not only will this Hulk-sized issue contain an important Civil War back-up story and reprints of the Incredible Hulk #3, #143, and #152, but this issue continues the instant-classic Planet Hulk story as the next chapter, “Planet Hulk: Allegiance,” begins.

Like the “Road to Civil War” issues, which sold out quickly and had multiple reprintings, Incredible Hulk #100 is sure to be a red-hot issue as the road to next year’s big event, World War Hulk, begins here!

Will the Hulk save Sakaar from the planet’s greatest enemies or will he fulfill the prophecy of the Sakkarson and be revealed as the Worldbreaker? It’s an all-out smash-fest as the Hulk and Caiera the Oldstrong lead their warriors against the horrifying Spikes. And amidst the battle, Miek undergoes a shocking development.

There are 100 reasons not to miss Incredible Hulk #100: Civil War, Planet Hulk, Greg Pak, the return of Carlo Pagulayan, Gary Frank penciling Hulk again, classic Hulk stories, and the list goes on.

INCREDIBLE HULK #100 (SEP062113)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by CARLO PAGULAYAN & GARY FRANK
Cover by LADRÖNN
104 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99
FOC – 10/12, On-Sale – 11/1/2006

INCREDIBLE HULK #100 TURNER VARIANT (SEP062114)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by CARLO PAGULAYAN & GARY FRANK
Variant cover by MIKE TURNER
104 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99
FOC – 10/12, On-Sale – 11/1/2006

INCREDIBLE HULK #100 TURNER GRAY VARIANT (JUL068127)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by CARLO PAGULAYAN & GARY FRANK
Variant cover by MIKE TURNER
104 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99
FOC – 10/12, On-Sale – 11/1/2006

INCREDIBLE HULK BY TURNER POSTER (SEP062189)
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FOC – 10/12, On-Sale – 11/1/2006

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

In a world of "been there, done that, seen it all before" - an attitude that is magnified a thousand-fold by comic fans, next month will see an actual first - the first Incredible Hulk #100 (check the numbering of the original volume). And, appropriately enough, it's a turning point in the current Planet Hulk storyline that marks the 2/3rds point, and starts the ball rolling to its inevitable conclusion.

Last week, Marvel invited a handful of members from the press to take part in a podcast recording with Hulk writer Greg Pak, and he laid things out.

"I was just able to read through it the other day, and it's in my humble opinion, mindblowing. The art is through the roof, and the story is going in places which, I think, will be pretty surprising - and we not only have the next chapter in the Planet Hulk storyline staring, but there's also a backup story which takes place on earth and finally is going to show someone discover what's been going on with the Hulk."

And yes, it takes place during Civil War, so technically, Incredible Hulk #100 is a Civil War tie in.

Back to Pak…

"'Planet Hulk: Exile' ran from issues #92 - #95, wherein the Hulk went from being a slave on this planet to being a gladiator - and then busted loose," Pak explained. "'Anarchy' is currently running, from #96-#99; and that's where the Hulk becomes a rebel and gradually begins to - not just smash things, but begins to realizes there's a reason to smash things on this planet. He pulls together a crew of rebels and forms an alliance - which is very unusual for the Hulk, but he's on a planet where his rage and strength have become virtues, and the people need him. Step by step, he may be stepping up to that responsibility. Of course, you never know with the Hulk - is he a hero or a monster?

'Allegiance' is the next arc, and that starts with #100, and this is where we start to see these groups come together, and we start to see whether the Hulk is going to be the hero on this planet, or if he's going to tear everything down. In the mythology of this planet, is he going to be the savior or the worldbreaker?"

Issue #100 also marks the return of artist Carlo Pagulayan to The Incredible Hulk who hasn't been seen round about these parts since the "Exile" arc. Pagulayan and current penciler Aaron Lopresti will tag-team on the art chores on the final arc, but speaking of art for #100, the issue will also contain a back-up story penciled by Gary Frank.

According to Marvel, the backup story will explore whether or not the Illuminati was justified in sending the Hulk into space. "Why the Hulk? Did he deserve that?" Pak asked rhetorically. "Is he really a monster? These questions are going to be put to some of these decision makers in a pretty interesting way. There are some great moments in the Hulk's history that we're going to see depicted in a very interesting way, and Gary is just through the roof with this."

Though the backup story (which will also offer some more information about the Thor clone from Civil War #3-#4) touches on Civil War-related events, Pak said that the seeds to next year's World War Hulk miniseries will also be planted in the issue.

"Planet Hulk ends with issue #105 of Incredible Hulk, and launches immediately into World War Hulk, wherein the next big step with whatever is going to happen with the Hulk is going to happen," Pak explained. "Gary will be drawing the Incredible Hulk issues while John Romita Jr. will draw the World War Hulk miniseries, which starts in May. The Incredible Hulk issues at the same time will tie in with the miniseries."

Moving on to the questions and answer portion of the podcast recording:

Is it difficult to portray the Hulk as more than just an unthinking brute?

Pak: "There've been many different versions of the Hulk, and many different "classic" versions of the Hulk. A lot of us grew up watching the silent, 'monstrous' Hulk on the television show; we're all familiar with the Hulk Smash! Kind of caveman-talk Hulk, and of course, Peter David went nuts with many different incarnations of the Hulk.

"When you look at the original Hulk, in those first six issues, the Hulk that we're dealing with now, this savage, but savvy Hulk - he's mean, he's smart, and he's angry - that Hulk has his roots in the first six issues of The Incredible Hulk. The Hulk in those issues was talking in full sentences, he was mean, and he was smashing things right and left. You never quite knew if he was a hero or if he was a monster. The nice thing is we're able to work within a great tradition - it's not like we decided we were going to throw away everything the Hulk has been and do something different. This is part of the Hulk.

"It makes for a great character - the argument could be that as Bruce Banner and the Hulk go through different periods in their shared life, there are different emotional problems that they're grappling with, and as a result, the Hulk is manifesting in slightly different ways. But the same central question remains the same, which is: the price of anger. The Hulk cuts loose and goes nuts - that's cathartic and great, and sometimes that's exactly what we all want to see happen, but what's the cost of that? There are different ways you can explore that, and one of the things I love about the Hulk is that there is this tradition of exploring this character in many different ways.

"The answer is that the character allows for this kind of exploration, and this was the right time to jump on this version of the character. It was time for the Hulk to cut loose. It was time for the Hulk to be the Hulk and smash things. And it was also time for the Hulk to be confronted with real moral and emotional challenges. He's in an environment where he can cut loose, and he wants to cut loose, but maybe there's a reason for him to do it. This version of the Hulk is a version that's smart enough, and one that knows exactly what he's doing when he does it, and he has to take responsibility for that. He's not just a mindless Hulk who's smashing things with no character development. This is a Hulk who's actually developing, and it was the right time for that. I feel really lucky that I was able to come on board when these were options that we could do this kind of thing with the character."

Are there any alien characters from Planet Hulk that you've grown fond of?

Pak: "Oh yeah - the Hulk has a posse. There are a few characters that I just love - Korg is probably one of my favorites - a stone man. Back in one of the very first appearances of Thor, his opponents were the Stone Men from Saturn, who were these big, rocky guys with these Easter Island shaped heads, and they were villains. On Planet Hulk, I was thinking who should be on this planet with him, and Korg was a perfect character to play with. He's rooted in Marvel mythology, and it was a fun way that we could take his story - his fight with Thor - and look at it in a different way. What if Korg was a good guy?

"I also love Korg because he is a rock - and we all need "rocks" in our lives. He knows what life is about in a way, and for some reason I just love writing him. Another reason I've fallen in love with him is due to how Carlo and Aaron draw him. They both give him this gravity about him - there's this depth and sadness in his eyes that really works.

"Similarly, when they're drawing Miek - in those first four issues, Carlo was drawing all these crazy facial expressions for Miek, and they were all really fun. As a result, Meek got all these one-liners. The scenes would be capped off by these lines from Miek, just because Carlos would draw him in this funny way in the corner.

"Those are the two I've had fun with, although the character that I'm most excited about right now is the lieutenant, the Oldstrong. She began as the Red King's personal bodyguard, and as the story progresses, her allegiances are shifting in pretty surprising ways, and she's going to be a huge player as the story progresses."

When will see a return of Bruce Banner, and will he be affected by the events of Planet Hulk?

Pak: "Yes. I can't say too much more, but Banner has not been forgotten. We haven't seen that much face time with Banner - we've seen him mentioned a number of times, and we got to see him appear in the flesh in Giant-Size Hulk's backup story, but on a day to day basis, Banner's not running around Planet Hulk. If he did, clearly, he would not last long.

"But as for the Banner-Hulk relationship, we're building up all kinds of things with that - we haven't forgotten it by any means, and all of this is building up to a pretty mind-blowing climax with the Banner-Hulk relationship. Some pretty good Banner stuff is coming up in issues #103 and #105 - you may want to keep your eyes open for that."

Are the backup stories in Hulk #100 [ Incredible Hulk #3, #152 and #300] relevant to the Planet Hulk storyline?

Pak: "Yes. I think Tom Breevort was the person who picked the backups, and did a great job with that. Issue #300 is a Bill Mantlo written comic from 1984 and that is absolutely germane to all of this. That's the story that preceded Dr. Strange exiling the Hulk the first time around. Back during that story - the Hulk was driven insane by Nightmare, and tore up Manhattan and all the major characters in the Marvel Universe as well. It's just nuts. It climaxed with Dr. Strange exiling Hulk to the Crossroads, which was this amazing 13 issue arc that Bill Mantlo wrote, which in many ways is a precedent to what we're doing. I think of it like The Twilight Zone for the Hulk, where he was thrust into different universes, and they were almost like fables that explored how the Hulk would live in certain places and under certain conditions.

"We're taking some of those same themes, and are doing it on a single world, but tackling some of those same questions, albeit in a different genre. So - issue #300, which is a giant smash-fest may be a little bit of a teaser for World War Hulk…but it also fits into the whole theme of exile and is the Hulk a hero or monster?

The other issue is #152, and I believe that's the trial of the Incredible Hulk. And there, again, it's some of the same kinds of themes - Marvel Heroes passing judgment on the Hulk. Did they make the right decision? Does anybody really understand the Hulk? And who is the Hulk, a hero or a monster? Those are some of the same themes that will be explored in the back up story in #100 that Gray Frank illustrated.

"So they all pull together in a nice, thematic way."

For the complete article including many additional images, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

Q: "President Kang" - Why is World War Hulk its own mini? Why isn't the story contained in Incredible Hulk? Why do we have to buy 2 books? (I'm not talking as a gotta-catch-'em-all crossover collector; I'm talking as a Hulk fan who wants to see the continuation of the Planet Hulk storyline.) Why are you mean to us like that? Why don't you love us?

JQ: President Kang, I’ve never liked your haircut, it’s always grated on me and it’s truly influenced how I feel about you. I’m sorry, yes, I am that shallow. But here, come close, let me tell you a little secret, sssshhhhh, you don’t have to buy both books, just by World War Hulk and you’ll be fine.

For the complete article, click here.

Wanna talk about this bit of news? Start a discussion over at the boards.