Post by goldenfist on May 30, 2008 22:50:03 GMT -5
Here is an interview with Mark Paniccia on the Future of the Hulk.
IGN Comics: I'd like to start off by going back a couple years to the beginning of Planet Hulk. From an editorial point of view, what led to the approval of Planet Hulk? What was missing from the franchise or what did Greg Pak's storyline have that convinced you to move the franchise down this path?
Mark Paniccia: The general feeling at Marvel was that the Hulk really needed to get back to smashing but that he needed to be somewhere that he could realize his full potential and not kill innocent civilians (as we really wanted to start presenting him in more of a heroic light).
Joe Q. mentioned at an Editorial Summit that he thought might be cool for Hulk to be on an alien planet with a broadsword. The "Peace in Our Time" mini was in progress and, while unrelated to what would be Planet Hulk at the time, gave me the key to getting Hulk off planet in a way that made sense. We modified the end so the shuttle could rocket away and exile Hulk to a world where he could literally cut loose. This element ended up playing perfectly into the Super Human Registration Act and Illuminati storylines that lead into Civil War.
It's then that we approached Greg. We'd meet weekly, sometimes more, discussing the long term outline of the arc. It was originally going to be seven issues but when the Civil War idea came into play, we were asked to expand it by seven more issues. That really wasn't a problem because there was so much material already that we thought we were going to have to cut. It worked out perfectly in the end, giving us enough time to develop Sakaar and the path that Hulk was being taken on.
Why Greg? We'd worked on Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects together which was a very challenging third-party project. We learned a lot from each other as editor/writer relations go--what our strengths were and where we could improve. I saw how vivid Greg's imagination was and how he was a great problem solver, willing to go the distance to make something work within whatever limitations were presented. And he'd made no secret of his love for the Hulk.
IGN Comics: There has been much publicity in regards to Planet and World War Hulk being a part of a trilogy. Were they, and the final piece, pitched together or was that concept developed farther down the road?
Paniccia: In the early stages we knew there would be three acts to Greg's epic. One of the strongest themes in the run is about the consequences of one's actions. With that in mind, Greg and I knew there was a story back on Sakaar, but it was going to depend on the successes of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk. As we moved forward it became apparent how the mythology and history of the planet that Greg was building could become part of a bigger picture and launch an incredible new character.
IGN Comics: Including Skaar, there will be three books in the Hulk line-up. Was expanding the franchise always part of the plan or was that based more on seeing the positive reaction to these epic arcs?
Paniccia: If you mean going back several years ago when I inherited the book, the answer would be no. The goal was to take what had been, at the time, a hard character to sell to the market and find an angle to generate interest. I wasn't expecting that we'd wind up with Red Hulk, a Son of Hulk title and an ongoing Hercules book. But that's the great thing about the creative process. You get on a roll and suddenly all these things fall into place and the story sort of takes on a life of its own. Every element of what is part of the current publishing plan was something that grew organically from Hulk's exile.
IGN Comics: The Hulk has seen many different incarnations and evolutions over the years. Do you feel one particular version/color/intellect is the key to driving sales?
Paniccia: Red is currently my favorite color as the new series has sold out three issues in a row. But I'll always love Greg's version from Planet Hulk.
IGN Comics: As storylines, franchises and characters progress, there is often talk of what boundaries will break a character (i.e. - bringing back Uncle Ben). Does the Hulk have boundaries like that? Is it possible to give the character an extensive supporting cast without breaking the "lonely monster" archetype? Is the archetype necessary?
Paniccia: Boundaries were meant to be broken, but the key is how you break them. It always comes down to execution. You can have the coolest idea in the world and if it's not thought out and presented in just the right way you wind up with bad comics. Things need to have a reason for happening and they need to serve the story. Additionally you don't want to do anything to corrupt the core character. Needless to say, it's often easier said than done.
IGN Comics: The end of World War Hulk resulted in a few changes, most notably restructuring the franchise's landscape. What were your goals with Incredible Hercules, Hulk, and Skaar? Was each designed to reach a different audience? Say you have a new reader looking for a Hulk book - how do you characterize each one?
Paniccia: I think by their inherent nature each will appeal to a different kind of comic reader but the nice thing is that if you're a Hulk fan you're going to enjoy each and every one of these books.
With Incredible Hercules we've tried to focus on the relationship between the smart guy, Amadeus Cho, and the strong guy, Herc, how they depend on each other and what components of the story can task that friendship, maybe even turn it upside down. Greg and Fred have some really interesting and cool things that take mythology in the Marvel U. to another level and it's the kind of stuff you're not going to find in any other Marvel book.
Hulk gives us a new red version of the character and book with a Hulk that's absolutely uninhibited, tactically intelligent and on a crash course with his (or her...or its) past. This is the book where literally anything can happen from having the SHIELD helicarrier smashed on top of Iron Man to the Watcher getting his comeuppance to a cringe-worthy and instant classic battle with Thor. The book is completely unpredictable and Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness and crew give readers a non-stop action film on paper in glorious four-color!
Skaar: Son of Hulk takes the existing mythology from Planet Hulk and spins an intriguing and heart-pounding tale of the power struggle on the fractured planet of Sakaar. If you liked Planet Hulk, you'll love this follow up to events post-explosion Sakaar. And if you like barbarian comics, you'll absolutely love the sword and axe action, twisting turns and classic empire-building drama this book provides. It's got a great supporting cast of villains and allies and a lot of great and exciting reveals.
Hulk fans will love this book. While built off the rich history of Planet Hulk, it has a boat load of connections to classic Hulk both thematically and other (I can't spoil). Then again, you may just want to pick it up for Ron Garney's super-charged pencils!
IGN Comics: I'll admit that when I heard Hercules was taking over the Hulk book, I didn't expect the sales would sustain the concept. What convinced you that this approach would work? What convinced you to keep it going and not have it be a limited run? How did it feel to see those first sales figures coming back, seeing that the series was performing extremely well?
Paniccia: It was actually our intention to spin out a "Renegades" series (featuring Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Namora, Scorpion II and maybe Angel or another former Champion if we could wing it - no pun intended) from WWH but we looked at our line up and saw that we had a lot of team books at the time. We needed to do something to set it apart from the rest of what we were publishing.
One of the things we saw people reacting to was the dynamic between Hercules and Cho, and what Marvel didn't have at the time was a buddy book. It was David Gabriel's suggestion to continue the book under the same numbering and the "Incredible" mantle. To me that felt like a very 1960's Marvel marketing move and I liked it because it was one more unique thing about the book, one more thing to help it stand out amongst the crowd.
The numbers are very good but the critical acclaim is what's very satisfying to us. We've struck a cord with a lot of people who didn't think another Herc book could last very long and it's one of the most highly recommended books out there. And all I've got to say is that it gets even better so you might as well jump on now.
IGN Comics: We've seen smart Hulk, dumb Hulk, savage Hulk... How will Skaar differ from the Hulk? Will he have a different power set? We often see him carrying weapons - does he actually need them or is it just for visual flair?
Paniccia: On a world as dangerous as Sakaar you bet he needs the weapons. He's not invulnerable. But being half Hulk and half Shadow person gives him a unique physiology that only time will tell what his full potential is.
IGN Comics: Are there plans to bring Skaar to Earth or bring either Hulk back to Sakaar?
Paniccia: It's not outside the realm of possibility, so stay tuned!
IGN Comics: I wanted to bring things back to Herc and Hulk to close out - what's coming up for both series? Will the Thor/Hulk confrontation over in Hulk be as epic as we're hoping?
Paniccia: I don't want to spoil too much about Herc post-Secret Invasion, but the next arc is called "Love and War" and will feature an Atlantean blonde that Herc swapped air with during the WWH tie-in and a battle with some very cool women warriors. This arc is illustrated by the fantastic Clayton Henry (don't worry Sandoval/Bonet fans, they'll be back in the next arc) with amazing covers by Arthur Suydam.
And all I have to say about the Thor fight is that it's going to be brutal. When I first read Jeph's script my jaw fell to the ground and rolled down the hall. The art is coming in and Ed is drawing the $@#% out of it.
IGN Comics: I'd like to start off by going back a couple years to the beginning of Planet Hulk. From an editorial point of view, what led to the approval of Planet Hulk? What was missing from the franchise or what did Greg Pak's storyline have that convinced you to move the franchise down this path?
Mark Paniccia: The general feeling at Marvel was that the Hulk really needed to get back to smashing but that he needed to be somewhere that he could realize his full potential and not kill innocent civilians (as we really wanted to start presenting him in more of a heroic light).
Joe Q. mentioned at an Editorial Summit that he thought might be cool for Hulk to be on an alien planet with a broadsword. The "Peace in Our Time" mini was in progress and, while unrelated to what would be Planet Hulk at the time, gave me the key to getting Hulk off planet in a way that made sense. We modified the end so the shuttle could rocket away and exile Hulk to a world where he could literally cut loose. This element ended up playing perfectly into the Super Human Registration Act and Illuminati storylines that lead into Civil War.
It's then that we approached Greg. We'd meet weekly, sometimes more, discussing the long term outline of the arc. It was originally going to be seven issues but when the Civil War idea came into play, we were asked to expand it by seven more issues. That really wasn't a problem because there was so much material already that we thought we were going to have to cut. It worked out perfectly in the end, giving us enough time to develop Sakaar and the path that Hulk was being taken on.
Why Greg? We'd worked on Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects together which was a very challenging third-party project. We learned a lot from each other as editor/writer relations go--what our strengths were and where we could improve. I saw how vivid Greg's imagination was and how he was a great problem solver, willing to go the distance to make something work within whatever limitations were presented. And he'd made no secret of his love for the Hulk.
IGN Comics: There has been much publicity in regards to Planet and World War Hulk being a part of a trilogy. Were they, and the final piece, pitched together or was that concept developed farther down the road?
Paniccia: In the early stages we knew there would be three acts to Greg's epic. One of the strongest themes in the run is about the consequences of one's actions. With that in mind, Greg and I knew there was a story back on Sakaar, but it was going to depend on the successes of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk. As we moved forward it became apparent how the mythology and history of the planet that Greg was building could become part of a bigger picture and launch an incredible new character.
IGN Comics: Including Skaar, there will be three books in the Hulk line-up. Was expanding the franchise always part of the plan or was that based more on seeing the positive reaction to these epic arcs?
Paniccia: If you mean going back several years ago when I inherited the book, the answer would be no. The goal was to take what had been, at the time, a hard character to sell to the market and find an angle to generate interest. I wasn't expecting that we'd wind up with Red Hulk, a Son of Hulk title and an ongoing Hercules book. But that's the great thing about the creative process. You get on a roll and suddenly all these things fall into place and the story sort of takes on a life of its own. Every element of what is part of the current publishing plan was something that grew organically from Hulk's exile.
IGN Comics: The Hulk has seen many different incarnations and evolutions over the years. Do you feel one particular version/color/intellect is the key to driving sales?
Paniccia: Red is currently my favorite color as the new series has sold out three issues in a row. But I'll always love Greg's version from Planet Hulk.
IGN Comics: As storylines, franchises and characters progress, there is often talk of what boundaries will break a character (i.e. - bringing back Uncle Ben). Does the Hulk have boundaries like that? Is it possible to give the character an extensive supporting cast without breaking the "lonely monster" archetype? Is the archetype necessary?
Paniccia: Boundaries were meant to be broken, but the key is how you break them. It always comes down to execution. You can have the coolest idea in the world and if it's not thought out and presented in just the right way you wind up with bad comics. Things need to have a reason for happening and they need to serve the story. Additionally you don't want to do anything to corrupt the core character. Needless to say, it's often easier said than done.
IGN Comics: The end of World War Hulk resulted in a few changes, most notably restructuring the franchise's landscape. What were your goals with Incredible Hercules, Hulk, and Skaar? Was each designed to reach a different audience? Say you have a new reader looking for a Hulk book - how do you characterize each one?
Paniccia: I think by their inherent nature each will appeal to a different kind of comic reader but the nice thing is that if you're a Hulk fan you're going to enjoy each and every one of these books.
With Incredible Hercules we've tried to focus on the relationship between the smart guy, Amadeus Cho, and the strong guy, Herc, how they depend on each other and what components of the story can task that friendship, maybe even turn it upside down. Greg and Fred have some really interesting and cool things that take mythology in the Marvel U. to another level and it's the kind of stuff you're not going to find in any other Marvel book.
Hulk gives us a new red version of the character and book with a Hulk that's absolutely uninhibited, tactically intelligent and on a crash course with his (or her...or its) past. This is the book where literally anything can happen from having the SHIELD helicarrier smashed on top of Iron Man to the Watcher getting his comeuppance to a cringe-worthy and instant classic battle with Thor. The book is completely unpredictable and Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness and crew give readers a non-stop action film on paper in glorious four-color!
Skaar: Son of Hulk takes the existing mythology from Planet Hulk and spins an intriguing and heart-pounding tale of the power struggle on the fractured planet of Sakaar. If you liked Planet Hulk, you'll love this follow up to events post-explosion Sakaar. And if you like barbarian comics, you'll absolutely love the sword and axe action, twisting turns and classic empire-building drama this book provides. It's got a great supporting cast of villains and allies and a lot of great and exciting reveals.
Hulk fans will love this book. While built off the rich history of Planet Hulk, it has a boat load of connections to classic Hulk both thematically and other (I can't spoil). Then again, you may just want to pick it up for Ron Garney's super-charged pencils!
IGN Comics: I'll admit that when I heard Hercules was taking over the Hulk book, I didn't expect the sales would sustain the concept. What convinced you that this approach would work? What convinced you to keep it going and not have it be a limited run? How did it feel to see those first sales figures coming back, seeing that the series was performing extremely well?
Paniccia: It was actually our intention to spin out a "Renegades" series (featuring Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Namora, Scorpion II and maybe Angel or another former Champion if we could wing it - no pun intended) from WWH but we looked at our line up and saw that we had a lot of team books at the time. We needed to do something to set it apart from the rest of what we were publishing.
One of the things we saw people reacting to was the dynamic between Hercules and Cho, and what Marvel didn't have at the time was a buddy book. It was David Gabriel's suggestion to continue the book under the same numbering and the "Incredible" mantle. To me that felt like a very 1960's Marvel marketing move and I liked it because it was one more unique thing about the book, one more thing to help it stand out amongst the crowd.
The numbers are very good but the critical acclaim is what's very satisfying to us. We've struck a cord with a lot of people who didn't think another Herc book could last very long and it's one of the most highly recommended books out there. And all I've got to say is that it gets even better so you might as well jump on now.
IGN Comics: We've seen smart Hulk, dumb Hulk, savage Hulk... How will Skaar differ from the Hulk? Will he have a different power set? We often see him carrying weapons - does he actually need them or is it just for visual flair?
Paniccia: On a world as dangerous as Sakaar you bet he needs the weapons. He's not invulnerable. But being half Hulk and half Shadow person gives him a unique physiology that only time will tell what his full potential is.
IGN Comics: Are there plans to bring Skaar to Earth or bring either Hulk back to Sakaar?
Paniccia: It's not outside the realm of possibility, so stay tuned!
IGN Comics: I wanted to bring things back to Herc and Hulk to close out - what's coming up for both series? Will the Thor/Hulk confrontation over in Hulk be as epic as we're hoping?
Paniccia: I don't want to spoil too much about Herc post-Secret Invasion, but the next arc is called "Love and War" and will feature an Atlantean blonde that Herc swapped air with during the WWH tie-in and a battle with some very cool women warriors. This arc is illustrated by the fantastic Clayton Henry (don't worry Sandoval/Bonet fans, they'll be back in the next arc) with amazing covers by Arthur Suydam.
And all I have to say about the Thor fight is that it's going to be brutal. When I first read Jeph's script my jaw fell to the ground and rolled down the hall. The art is coming in and Ed is drawing the $@#% out of it.