Book Burn 2016 #2: Planet Hulk: Warzones! and Future Imperfect: Warzones!

Planet Hulk: Warzones! by Sam Humphries and Marc Lanning, et al.

Even if don't read comics, there's a good chance you've heard of the original Planet Hulk storyline (and if not, you can read my review), There was a direct-to-DVD animated feature based on the story, and ever since it became clear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was here to stay there have been rumors that the story would get a live action adaptation.

But in spite of the name and the setting, Hulk isn't really the main character in Planet Hulk: Warzones! Instead, a rugged and scarred gladiator Steve Rogers takes center stage. The many strange, crazy realms of Battleworld include Greenland: a land ruled by tribes of green, red, and gray hulks. Rogers and his warbound partner Devil Dinosaur are offered the opportunity to free themselves from bondage and to save the life of Rogers's old partner Bucky if they will infiltrate the savage Greenland and assassinate the Red King. Doc Green - an intelligent and certainly more Machiavellian version of the Hulk - leads them through Greenland to the Red King's doorstep.

Planet Hulk: Warzones! surprised me. I expected it to be fun, and it is, but there are some unexpected layers to the story. Doc Green presents the idea of being Hulk as more than a physical condition to Rogers, but a philosophy; a conscious way of being. At the same time, Sam Humphries digs into the unexpected parallels and similarities between Hulk and Captain America. Toward the end of the series, I kept thinking of Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones's Marvel Boy, when they merged the two characters into one monosyllabic flag-clad brute. And at the same time, Humphries integrates bits and pieces of the original Planet Hulk story in clever ways.

Future Imperfect: Warzones! by Peter David and Greg Land, et al.

Like Planet Hulk: Warzones!, this was a Secret Wars mini based on a past Hulk story.

It also happened to be a series with a super-villain protagonist, so I reviewed it as part of my column It Takes A Villain over at Trouble With Comics. Rather than reviewing it here, I think a link to the column would suffice.

Hulk News You Need - 10/16/15

THOR INVITES HIS BETTER TO THOR: RAGNAROK

It's been in the rumor mill for a few days and now Deadline is reporting that Mark Ruffalo is in talks with Marvel Studios to appear in Thor: Ragnarok as Bruce Banner/The Hulk.

Along with his supposed potential appearance in the third Thor film, Bruce Banner is heavily rumored to meet Thor somewhere "on a distant planet." This is more fuel for the rumor practically as old as the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself that Marvel Studios is planning something that mirrors Greg Pak's fan-favorite "Planet Hulk" storyline.

TWO THEORIES:

1.  In Avengers: Age of Ultron when Black Widow proposes they run away together, Banner says, "Where could I go where I wouldn't be a threat?

Later, the last person to see Bruce Banner as Bruce Banner (i.e., pre-transformation) before he flies away in the stealth quinjet is Black Widow; the second-to-last person is Thor. Thor blasts into Ultron's base and Banner follows him through the hole in the wall. Soon afterward, Banner frees Black Widow and asks her to go away with him somewhere. 

Taking both of these things into consideration, I wonder if Banner spoke to Thor off-screen, told him about his intention of leaving, expressed his concern that there was nowhere on Earth he could go that would keep people safe from the Hulk, and asked if Thor could both facilitate some transportation as well as keep the whole thing to himself. If that were the case, Thor would know exactly where Banner is and so would know where to go looking for help in Thor: Ragnarok.

2. There are only two Infinity Stones left we haven't seen. One of them is the time gem.

Considering Thor left Earth at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron with the intention of learning what was going on with the Infinity Stones, it's possible if not likely Thor: Ragnarok will give us one of the remaining two stones. If so, it has at least a 50/50 chance of being the time gem.

I would be very surprised if the introduction of the time gem didn't accompany some kind of time travel story, especially since time travel is one of the few big sci-fi elements that's so far been completely unused in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

On the comic book side of things, we know that Amadeus Cho will be the new Hulk in Marvel's Totally Awesome Hulk title. We also know that Marvel's All-new, All-Different comics will prominently feature the Maestro; an evil version of the Hulk from the future.

Put all these things together...Thor vs. Maestro? Maybe?