When Marvel's September solicitations were released last month, the creative teams for the three Hulk titles were labeled as "Classified." Word later trickled out, through online retailers and then the Marvel Previews catalog, that Agents of Atlas creators Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman are taking over Hulk with Issue 25.

Curiously, though, the publisher has yet to make an official statement about the change, which follows the conclusion of the Red Hulk saga and the hiring of writer Jeph Loeb to head Marvel's new television division.

The closest Marvel has come to a public confirmation is an article posted yesterday afternoon on its website trumpeting Hardman's new exclusive deal. If the secondary headline doesn't provide enough of a clue to the artist's next assignment -- "The ATLAS artist signs exclusive with Marvel and prepares to tackle The Hulk" -- the story's final two paragraphs stop just short of making it official. Or "official-official":

As for what the future holds for the artist, he plans to continue on Atlas as long as possible, but he also informs readers to keep their eyes open for his take on the green goliath known as The Hulk.

"Me and Parker and [colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser] are going to work on another book that is going to be big and have a lot of explosive punching and other big action things in it."

Marvel had no comment. When contacted by Robot 6, Parker responded only with the following photo: