The Hulk first made his appearance in Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 1962 and was met with great fanfare. Becoming one of the most popular Marvel characters, The Hulk gained much fame through different forms of media. The world was struck with Hulk fever. Throughout his career, The Hulk has maintained a titan-like status in the Marvel Mythos, however, he's extremely underrated in his own comics. While he's enjoyed in different mediums, in his actual comics, not many people have read them. That's a shame, because The Hulk is one of the greatest Marvel characters for a reason. Here are 10 Hulk stories that are incredibly underrated and will make a fan of the Jade Giant out of anyone.
10 The Incredible Hulk: NightMerica
NightMerica is an often looked over and underappreciated Hulk masterpiece written by Robin D. Laws and beautifully drawn by Brian Ashmore. This Hulk story follows Bruce Banner as he joins a young girl on a trip to find her friends who are all hiding from a government agency who wants to experiment on them. Bruce comes to find that these friends are test subjects for terrible experiments, and more horrifying discoveries ensue. Full of intense body horror, heart, and some really feels moments, NightMerica is a great Hulk read. Focusing more on Bruce Banner than The Hulk himself, this is perfect for anyone whose main attraction to the character is the dynamic between Hulk and Bruce.
9 Marvel Knights Hulk
Taking place in Paris, France, Doctor Bruce Banner wakes up, riddled with bullet holes in a fountain, with no memory of who and where he is. Found and taken by a good Samaritan, they have no idea the destruction and carnage that has just been released on the City Of Love. Especially with A.I.M. close on his tail!
This underrated Hulk romp written by Joseph Keatinge and drawn by Piotr Kowalski is for Hulk readers looking for a more Banner centered dark take on the Hulk. There's a lot of espionage, destruction, and a high body count to be found in this book. With some great twists and turns, this is a no brainer for any Hulk fan.
8 Mythos: Hulk
Taking a look back at the Hulk's origin story, Mythos: Hulk retells the classic comic but with an extra layer of depth. Going into greater detail on what was going through Bruce Banner's mind just before becoming the Hulk and showing the incredible destruction that he caused on that fateful test day.
Paul Jenkins and Paolo Rivera are to thank for this amazing comic and the entire Mythos series of comics themselves. With the modern writing of Jenkins and the fantastically detailed art of Rivera, Hulk feels brought to life in a way he never has before. You can feel the strength and anger of a monster on these pages. Not only is it thrilling, but touching on account of the doomed romance of Bruce Banner and Betty Ross.
7 Hulk: Gray
Hulk: Gray follows the beginning of Hulk's journey as a character, right when that gamma bomb changed Bruce Banner's life forever. Starting off as a Gray Hulk, this story shows how The Hulk truly is a misunderstood monster who really has simple wants, desires, and doesn't mean any harm. With an encore from the entire Hulk cast and even a guest appearance by everyone's favorite Golden Avenger, Iron Man, Hulk: Gray has a lot to offer.
Written beautifully by Jeph Loeb and drawn with care by Tim Sale, Hulk: Gray is apart of a larger little universe of comics written by the pair such as Spider-Man: Blue and Daredevil: Yellow. Printed under the Marvel Knights imprint at Marvel, Hulk: Gray takes time and care to explore what makes the Hulk tick and to really get you on his side. You can't call yourself a Hulk fan unless you've read it.
6 Marvel Adventures Hulk
Marvel Adventures Hulk follows non-Canon stories of Bruce Banner and Rick Jones traveling the country in an effort to cure Bruce of the Hulk, yet finding themselves constantly in trouble along the way. Doesn't help that the military is hot on his trail, wanting to take in Bruce to make Hulking Super Soldiers. These series of fun one-shot stories that follow a sort of loose plotline are easy to digest Hulk reads that are a lot of fun.
Written by Paul Benjamin and drawn by David Nakayama, this series of Hulk stories may be printed under Marvel Adventures, Marvel's former young audience imprint, but that doesn't detract from the quality of these stories. Marvel Adventures Hulk manages to capture the power and fun of the Hulk, while also dealing with Bruce Banner and his tragedy. A great fun read for readers of any age.
5 Incredible Hulk: The End
Incredible Hulk: The End follows the majorly depressing and sad story of Bruce Banner trapped in a world that's been destroyed by nuclear war and polluted with intense radiation, with him as the only human left. The only thing that keeps him alive is The Hulk himself, who refuses to let Banner die because that's the only way he can keep living. However, they hate each other and Bruce Banner wants nothing more than to die.
This very somber Hulk story by all-star Hulk team Peter David and Dale Keown really pulls at the heartstrings and goes to the center of the Hulk/Banner relationship in its ugliest form. Showing just how “Immortal” The Hulk really is, this story isn't for the faint of heart or those who easily find themselves too wrapped up in the fate of a character, lest you want to be crying in a fetal position in the corner of your room.
4 Red Hulk Saga
Everyone knows about Bruce Banner aka The Green Goliath aka The Incredible Hulk, but did you know there's a reason his color has got to be specified? With the introduction of the mysterious Red Hulk, this storyline on The Incredible Hulk that runs from Hulk #1 to Hulk #57 follows the exploits of not Bruce Banner, rather...well, we won't spoil that mystery.
Written by Jeph Loeb and drawn with great finesse and power by Ed McGuinness, The Red Hulk saga was a chapter in Hulk's career that was loved by those who partook in it but wasn't necessarily checked out by everyone, which is a shame. Bringing in a majority of the Marvel Universe to solve this puzzle, the Red Hulk saga is something that every Hulk fan should experience, especially those who know the lore.
3 The Birth Of Professor Hulk
Many audiences after seeing Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame left a bit confused on who exactly Professor Hulk is and where he came from. The Smart Hulk, as he's more commonly called, first appeared in Incredible Hulk #377 and is the perfect amalgamation of The Hulks and Bruce Banner. Now, when we say “The Hulks,” we mean the multiple versions of The Hulk that Bruce Banner has inside of him. Ranging from the Savage Hulk to The Grey Hulk, these split personalities were all joined together by Doc Samson and The Ringmaster in an attempt to not cure the Hulk, but for Bruce to embrace it. With this issue, we learn about Bruce's past with his abusive father and where the Hulk personality actually came from.
With Pencils by Dale Keown and script by Peter David, the Hulk boys, this Hulk story has gone down in infamy for starting many Hulk storylines and answering many questions with the Hulk. Despite this, it's still under appreciated and under-read by fans of the character. If you want to explore the Hulk further and find what makes him tick, this is the Hulk story for you.
2 Joe Fixit Saga
The Joe Fixit Saga follows the reappearance and antics of the Grey Hulk. Originally, when Bruce Banner first transformed into the Hulk, he didn't turn into the Savage Green Hulk, rather the Grey Hulk. This Hulk, also known as Joe Fixit, is a more aware personality than his green counterpart who's transformations depend on the time of day. Almost acting as a Werewolf, the night is when the Grey Hulk comes out to play. His adventures range from fighting Skrulls, becoming a Las Vegas enforcer, and even fighting Santa! Starting on Incredible Hulk #324 and running all the way to #377, the Joe Fixit saga is a rather forgotten and looked down upon chapter of the Hulk's history, because he really stopped smashing for a while. This is a shame, because, with his humor and dry wit, Joe Fixit is probably one of the best Hulk incarnations out there.
1 Skaar Son Of Hulk
In the aftermath of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, we were given another one treat and consequence of Hulk's time on the planet Sakaar. When The Hulk and Caiera conceived a son during Planet Hulk, the planet was destroyed and everyone except Hulk died in the planet's destruction. Or so that's what Hulk thought. In actuality, that child he had conceived survived the onslaught in a cocoon and was born on the now Savage planet. His name is Skaar, and he once again claims the title of Sakaar's ruler and king.
Written by legendary Hulk writer Greg Pak, Son Of Hulk is a well-deserved sequel to the Planet Hulk Saga and one that brings the best of both worlds. Feeling like a mix of Hulk and Conan, this Hulk doesn't play by the same rules that Bruce Banner does, making him a very interesting character to follow. Definitely something any Planet/WWH Hulk fan needs to read.