What Am I Reading?

Well with the Christmas holidays having just past, money is sort of tight. Currently I'm not following any series religiously, but through the local library I am reading the Essential Incredible Hulk by Peter David series of trades.

I originally jumped in about midway through this series WAY back when, just as the Hulk and Banner were merging and we had the time of the Hulk with Bruce Banner's brains. Now getting to read this impressive run (hey there aren't many writers who have a run as long as Peter David's Hulk run) from the beginning has been intriguing.

In some ways it reminds me a bit of the V4 version of Legion of Super-Heroes by Keith Giffen and the Biernbaums. Since as with it, there is a sense of taking things merely hinted at (at best) and running with them to explain changes, takes on and even paths for characters that for one reason or another had never seemed possible before.

The strength of this approach is the break from the traditional superhero track of everything being back to status quo by next issue. Things happen in these stories for a reason, and their ramifications have lasting effects that not only change the characters but the very type of stories that are done.

The only drawback to this is that you can go too far afield from what the characters heart that made them popular. Eventually you get to a point in the story where the writer has no further to go, and the fact that its a corporate toy means you can't just end it.

I sort of wonder if this is why the Hulk comics have sort of struggled for a voice over the years since Peter David left? No one really seems to know how to do a Hulk book currently, be it Bruce Jones's monster take or what appears to be (just from solicits haven't read it) Hulk as intergalactic bad guy take currently.

Other things I'm reading from the library are:

Superman:Back In Action from Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza - I haven't read a Superman title outside of Morrison's All-Star in... wow its been a few years. It was on the shelf though so I'm willing to give it a shot.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Derailed - While its been a few years since I read a regular Superman title, its been since the Clone Saga that I read a regular Spider-Man title. Yet with me being on sort of a Peter David kick and that it has art by the late, great Mike Wieringo made me pick it up for a look.