I am a huge Hulk fan. When I was a kid, it was one of the comics I would pick up each month. When Planet Hulk arrived, my fanfare for the Green Goliath was renewed. Even though this story might be a bit lacking in plot - it is supposed to be. I have learned that when the Hulk is really mad, he smashes and usually doesn't stop for a while. That is basically what this story is about. I think everyone knew that going into it, so I am really not sure why people seem so upset about the story. After the long-winded, highly policital (and still not over yet) Civil War Saga, I just wanted to beat the living snot out of most of the Marvel Universe. Luckily, the Hulk did that for me. If you want to see the Hulk barrel through the entire Marvel Universe, this is the story to get. If you are looking for plot, look elsewhere - there is only smashing here.

It was good to see the Hulk get back to mindless smashing of opponents instead of reading months of puny Banner hiding from the big bad secret organization that was out to get him.

Nice change of pace and a fun read.

I have been a HULK fan for decades. Although I do not buy HULK comics at the comic store, I often buy HULK trade paperbacks and Graphic Novels with HULK in it.

Highly recommended are HULK and Thing: The Big Change. Planet Hulk. Various Peter David HULK runs. HULK: The End. HULK: Future Imperfect.

This is supposed to be a no-brainer recommendation,but I cannot recommend it for casual comic fans. I think HULK fans will tolerate this limited series, but it can easily be forgettable. First off, the art is not that great. I'm not a fan of John Romita Jr. and I acknowledge he's a living legend, but his drawing style is hit or miss. I'm opting for pass on his art here. The writing should be superb, as it is written by HULK savior Pak. but I cannot see his genius nor can I feel the intensity of HULK's smashing in this series.

World War HULK has a lot of Marvel Universe heroes, but the smashing is at times boring and all too generic. Heroes weren't born and villains weren't terrifying. Hulk smashed but so what? Where was the major characterization or the major significance that resulted or arose? This needed to be major and for 19.99, it didn't deliver.

I do not recommend this book for casual fans and for those who want to try out HULK, try the recommended books above. Don't bother with this one. Marvel comics puts out books much better than this and so spend your money elsewhere.

The comic book media (Marvel)hyped it, and hyped it. It was big, check, it was big,... that's it. As for story line, don't expect much. I was surprised at the huge sales this title made. Shows that Marvel is sort of WWE, more glitter than substance, judging by this title. (SPOILER ALERT folks!!) Not to mention, Civil War (take the ending itself) was a rip off. ANother 'slugfest' between super types, who quickly pick sides like teens, and squabble where they should more realistically be (after a long established trust) reaching a juncture of agreement, with a few displaced allegiances here and there between the less stellar characters. The only good twist in this story: 1) Hulk blindsiding Dr. Strange by breaking his hands, showing off a dangerous new level of intellect coupled with his ferocity, 2) The arena in which he makes the 'heroes' fight each other, trying to vent off some of that pent up frustration he feels toward them. As for the rest of the story, Sentry's angle was pushed indeed, a little too much perhaps. Rushed is more like it. Even the action is not quite 'just' and fair to the other characters. Seems they pushed Hulk a bit too far here. Black Bolt, another good character from Marvel, lost all his credibility in 1 swift moment. True, Hulk has strength. But where the hell did he get the power to clog his ears???? How did gamma radiation do all that? His powers to me were always bordering on the side of realism, sort of driven by science and consequently, primal rage. But here, Black Bolt, who shatters mountains with a whisper, lost in a jiffy. That is why they never showed this most aniticipated of brawls: it was off panel. Black Bolt could probably go on whispering, at the least to keep Hulk at bay, and the inhumans have a load of science at their disposal to escape, relocate (like they have done before), while Hulk and Black Bolt laid it down. But Greg Pak rushed it, as it was difficult to show the fight to obtain that result: Hulk knocking out Black Bolt. Next, for a 'Sorcerer Supreme', it seems Strange really really has limits. Seems his billing as 'supreme' is also another 'overrating'. It seems Hulk is above magic, with Strange coupling with an extra dimensional magical demon, and yet coming up short, whatever the scenario. Anyhow, if it is a straightforward (minimal twist) slugfest between good guys you wish to see, this is for you. If you are indeed somehow looking for indepth turns and twists that were found in earlier Hulk tales (Planet Hulk, if you ask me was a very good angle), this is going to dissappoint. Cheers.

Well, it sure is an awesome title. I suspected something like this was in the offing, a very large number of years ago, and I'm glad it finally saw the light of day. But... ugh. I mean, yeah, hulk was never my favorite character... but. Geez, I don't really know what to say here. Reading this volume reminds me of how much marvel has changed in the last 15 years (roughly when I started reading them). Back then I was entranced by the epic storylines, the intricate drawings of McFarlane and erg, Larsen, the complicated characters... It all just came together, back in the early, mid 90s. Then I sort of grew up, ran off to college, forgot about it for a while. Suddenly, there's all these marvel movies at the theatres so I figured, well, might as well pick up a few titles.

I've never felt so ripped off in my life. I spent about 80 bucks, and got 3 titles. This, Planet Hulk and something about the Skrulls. First... hulk is drawn very differently from what initially attracted me to the title, and his intelligence has also increased. But... I dunno, I hate to say this about a comic, but... it's just not believable. I didn't find anything emenating from the pages that I identified with. I guess the problem is that Marvel is sort of like a franchise. The product lives on, but often in very different conceptualizations. Gruenwald (one of my favorite writers) died a few years ago, and now Quesadia (or something) is head of the M guys. He must be a spy from DC, cuz this just feels all wrong. Sorry Marvel, my caveat was `until Captain America dies...' and he's dead now, so make mine something else. ADIOS.

As another reviewer said, this novel seems more like an action packed summer blockbuster filled more with eye candy than real character development. It was fun to see certain characters being beat up by the Hulk, but I was never drawn into the story (no pun intended) like I was with Planet Hulk.

This book is really good, has a lot of good fights, the story is basic but is a good final to planet hulk, Jonh Romita JR's art is espectacular, if you compare this book with Pplanet Hulk it is a mistake because planet hulk is a very complex-interesting arc, and world war hulk delivers the final, now i want to read Hulk (red hulk) and find out what happens to our green/red goliath.

In short, there's good news, and there's bad news. The good news: WORLD WAR HULK is a good story. The bad news: WORLD WAR HULK is a good story. Following up on the success of PLANET HULK was not going to be any easy task: in PLANET, the green giant was exiled by a group of Marvel superheroes to an alien world known as Sakaar where he was forced to fight for his life in arena-style combat, eventually triumphing alongside a group of other alien outcasts, and he ruled the world ... for a brief stint until the world was destroyed by his spacecraft. WORLD WAR HULK picks up detailing the events of the Hulk's return to Earth, where he's declared war on the Marvel universe. Accompanied by the small band of allies he made on the planet Sakaar, the Hulk makes a last stand against the forces of Earth, and ... well, the conclusion is best left to the reader, but it is worth the time.

Whereas PLANET HULK had depth and a massive scope to the tale, WORLD WAR HULK pretty much hits one or two notes: it's a massive (and impressive) slugfest of the Hulk facing off against Earth's mightiest heroes -- one-by-one -- in what could be argued are some pretty predictable outcomes. This tale ain't destined to end pretty (and it doesn't!), but "end" it will ... even that's open to interpretation after reading the final few pages. The Hulk's rage is all that fuels the tale; the bond of friendship rears its head a few times, and the pathos of the Hulk character -- a man trapped within a monster -- tries to find common ground amongst the slugging ... however, all that works here is the rage, given plenty of artwork. While the scope is admirable, it's nowhere near the complexity of the preceding tale.

However, it's still worth the read. Enjoy it for what it is -- a suitable wrap-up to what time may show as the Hulk's greatest adventure -- and keep your fingers crossed that there will be another installment.

When a comic is called World War Hulk, you shouldn't expect Shakespeare.

If you expect a whole lot of people getting punched in the face by the green Goliath, along with the usual property damage, you wont be disappointed.

The meagre plot is only there to drive confrontation and confrontation is what this book is all about. I like the Hulk as a character but have never really followed his book because it's always so repetitive, [with the exception of the fantastic recent 'Planet Hulk' story] so this was a good opportunity to grab a dose of some mindless Hulk Smash action and see those smug bastards Tony Stark, Mr Fantastic, Black Bolt & Dr Strange get their comeuppance.

If you like big superhero battles and explosions, this is one of the better books to give you what you need.

So here it is... the highly anticipated conclusion to the Planet Hulk saga! The Hulk is angry, and not just regular "Hulk Smash!" angry. He's borderline psychotic now that he thinks the Illuminati (Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, et al.) purposefully set off a bomb on his exiled planet that wiped out millions, including his beloved Queen. Flying back to Earth on his custom spaceship along with his fellow gladiators, the Warbound, the Hulk gives NYC one warning: Surrender the Illuminati or prepare to be destroyed! Yup, if you hate slow beginnings, you have nothing to worry about with Hulk: World War Hulk because all five volumes collected in this TPB are pure smash 'em up goodness.

The best way to describe this book is that it plays out like a good summer action blockbuster at the movie theaters. Don't expect critical acclaim and don't expect a slow page turner, just be ready for a genuine action fest that is good enough to hold you until the end. The rock 'em sock 'em action starts out nicely with Black Bolt as the first target on Hulk's list. After Black Bolt uses his legendary voice projection powers to carve a new valley on the moon's surface in a sea-splitting force that would make Moses proud, Hulk yells, "I don't want to hear you whisper, I want to hear you SCREAM!" The artwork in this panel as Hulk madly pounces on the fearful Black Bolt is classic stuff! It pumps you up for the battles to follow, but unfortunately, this early clash may be the best battle of the entire series.

For those who have had enough of the post-Civil War Iron Man, don't fret, because Tony Stark gets what's coming to him in a downtown aerial battle reminiscent of Neo vs. Agent Smith in the Matrix Trilogy. Eventually, Hulk faces all of those whom he blames for his lover's death, and also several well known Hulk characters such as General Ross, Doc Samson, Rick Jones, She-Hulk and more. When the heroes of Earth realize that they cannot defeat the Hulk, they turn to the one man who can. That's right, the newest "Superman" in the Marvel Universe, Sentry, is once again talked out of his agoraphobia and into the boxing ring.

Sentry and Hulk fight it out in a downtown battle royale that causes insurance adjusters everywhere to faint, and along the way Hulk discovers more details as to who set the bomb on his former adopted planet. You'll have to pick up Hulk: World War Hulk to find out who is at fault and what was their motivation, as well as who wins in the final showdown between Sentry vs. Hulk, but rest assured, you'll enjoy this event if you're a fan of the Hulk or classic comic battles. For some reason, Marvel didn't release a hardcover TPB for this title. That's amazing considering how often the big publishers try to milk HC editions for all they're worth, but it will save you a few bucks. I recommend you pick this TPB up for your collection, and only spend on the spin-offs such as Gamma Corps and Front Line if you just can't get enough of World War Hulk.

World War Hulk. All I can say is that the story is good but seems a little bit rush compare to what they have been doing since Planet Hulk. Also, the artwork of JRJR is just so-so in this collection. No offense to him, but his art in Daredevil, Spider-Man is much more better. I wonder why Marvel don't let the artwork team in Planet Hulk draw this books. Or maybe Marvel should let David Finch draw this entire books instead of just covers.

World War Hulk is the comic book equivalent of a summer action movie: long on action and fun, but short on plot. If that appeals to you, then grab your popcorn, sit back, and enjoy! Pretty much the same thing happens in all 5 issues: a succession of Marvel's heroes all line up to stop the Hulk, who's madder than he's ever been -- and one by one, they all fail. Up until the last issue, which seemed a little cliched (see spoiler alert below).

The Hulk has always been one of my favorite characters, and it was nice to see him in a big "event" comic which affects other Marvel characters. Then again, it doesn't really affect other characters much, because, by the end, lots of people have been beat up, and lots of property damage has occurred, but nothing else really changes. Nobody dies, nobody's life is changed, and the status quo is pretty much the same at the end as the beginning.

The fact that the Hulk is prepared to wipe out the entire eastern seaboard makes it a little hard to root for him. And the fact that no heroes have any success at stopping him makes the storyline seem a little repetitive -- like it doesn't really matter what anybody tries next, because the result is only going to be the same as with the last hero who tried. That is, until the last issue, when ...[SPOILER ALERT]... the Sentry fights Hulk to a standstill, and the Hulk finally calms down. Sentry is referred to all throughout the book as one of the Hulk's closest friends, and the one character who could always calm Hulk down, which does build up anticipation for the final battle, but to me it also raised another question: Who in the world is the Sentry? I've collected almost 250 Hulk comics, from each decade that the Hulk has been published, including all of the current "Incredible Hulk" series, and I'd never even heard of Sentry before. When did he and Hulk meet? How did they become such close friends? Sentry seemed a little like a deus ex machina, thrown in to give the storyline some resolution. It would have made more sense if the final character who turned the tide had a more familiar history with the Hulk (like Rick Jones, She-Hulk, Leonard Samson, the Bruce Banner persona, or even the recently-resurrected Betty Ross).

Well, these are all criticisms of the story, which is fairly pedestrian. But most people won't buy this for the story. As a simple, straightforward action story, which shows "the Hulk doing what he does best," this book is a lot of fun. He smashes everyone and everything in sight.

The strongest selling-point for this book is the art: I have seen about 40 artists portray the Hulk, and John Romita Jr. is one of the best, and probably my all-time favorite -- and here, he cuts loose like never before. One reason for the paucity of story is the high number of splash pages and oversized panels, which really show off JRJR's beautiful art. He captures such rich emotion in the faces of the characters, and his Hulk displays a primal ferocity which almost makes you feel his anger yourself. Also, the covers by David Finch (if they're reprinted in this volume) are wonderful -- easily equal to the gorgeous covers Ladronn put out for the earlier "Planet Hulk" issues.

If you're interested in a smash-em-up fun-read, or if you're upset with the way Marvel's "Civil War" ended, then you'll probably like this book, because two of the strongest proponents of the "Superhero Registration Act" (Iron Man & Mr. Fantastic) are among the first to get it. If you open it up expecting a prolonged, intense, lavishly-illustrated battle royale, involving all sorts of superhero guest stars, and you don't expect much in the way of plot development, you won't be disappointed.

For the most part I'm not a fan of the Hulk, but I do enjoy him as a story element. So even though I don't like the character I like seeing characters I do like deal with him. Since the Hulk is like a force of nature in the form of a man it can make for an interesting read given the right setting. But I was hugely disappointed with World War Hulk.

-POSSIBLE SPOILER- The book should have been titled "Hulk Beats Up the Marvel Universe" cause thats pretty much what the thing is. Theres very little actual "war" in this, no back and forth, just a basically invincible Hulk beating on everyone and insisting that they deserve it, despite his main reason for the war is over a misunderstanding, meaning that he is actually wrong in the end.

The Book also fails to really touch on the the other side of the "war" in that the characters who sent Hulk away may have been justified in doing so, regardless of the outcome.

So in the end it just felt like the whole story failed to deliver on the very premise. But if you like seeing the Hulk smash stuff then I'm sure this is the book for you.

If you're like me then I'd recommend Ultimates vol. 1 and vol. 2 some awesome moments with the hulk in those books.

After the tragic events of the spectacular Planet Hulk, Marvel's green goliath returns to Earth with revenge on his mind in World War Hulk. Setting his sights on the ones that tricked him and shot him into space: Tony "Iron Man" Stark, Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards, Doctor Strange, and the Black Bolt, the Hulk takes on all those that stand in his way (including the New Avengers, the rest of the Fantastic Four, and more) as he and his Warbound turn New York City (and Madison Square Garden) into a total warzone. While the overall story of World War Hulk is great fun, the story as a whole just feels short. While there are a number of tie-in's to the event (but thankfully not as many as there were with Civil War), the main World War Hulk story just feels like there is a lot missing, especially the involvement of Hercules, who you will find plays a pretty big role in other featured tie-in's. While it isn't the classic that Planet Hulk was, writer Greg Pak still continues to be the best Hulk writer since Peter David (and Bruce Jones to a lesser degree), and the artwork from the great John Romita Jr. and veteran inker Klaus Janson impresses, even in the cataclysmic final battle between the Hulk and the Sentry, which is the comic art equivalent of an exploding sun. All in all, World War Hulk may be too short, but it is an enjoyable Marvel event, and ends up being more satisfying than Civil War ever ended up being.

I love Pak as a writer. He's great. However, compared to Planet Hulk, this story just didn't work for me. Yeah, the Hulk wanted revenge for being shot into space by Stark, Richards, Strange, and Blackbolt, and yeah I'd probably be pretty mad if my wife was disintegrated as well, but compared to Planet Hulk, this story was pretty lame. It was cool that the Hulk's Warbound allies were included, and the betrayal revelation was amazing and totally unpredictable, but I think the art was the main reason that this didn't hook me. John Romita Jr. is not one of my favorite artists out there, no matter how many awards and accolades he gets. In fact, I think the only things that he has done that really worked for me are his Eternals run with Neil Gaiman and his work on the new series Kick-A@#. I am sorry that Marvel, with the abundance of talented artists that they have out there, had to choose JR JR to do this book. They should have kept the same artist from Planet Hulk if you ask me. Anyway, asides from the art, the story wasn't that bad, but it's nothing to write home about. Peace and Love, Jake (This is reviewing the paperback version, which is available by the way).