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The Incredible Hulk (1999) (Collected Editions) #14-15
Hulk: Planet Hulk Omnibus
The strongest one there is in his most savage story ever! After a brutal battle between the Hulk and the Fantastic Four, Earth's greatest heroes decide that for the good of all, they must shoot the Hulk into space! But when he lands on the savage world of Sakaar, an epic for the ages begins. This one has it all: Strange alien planet! Oppressed barbarian tribes! Corrupt emperor! Deadly woman warrior! Gladiators and slaves! Battle-axes and hand blasters! Monsters and champions! And the Incredible Hulk! Let the smashing commence! Plus: an alternate "What If?" take, a guidebook to Sakaar and Amadeus Cho's totally awesome debut! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #533-535, INCREDIBLE HULK (2000) #88-105, GIANT-SIZE HULK (2006) #1, WHAT IF? PLANET HULK, PLANET HULK: GLADIATOR GUIDEBOOK and material from NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI (2006) #1 and AMAZING FANTASY (2004) #15.
656 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2007
19 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Greg Pak
1,652 books585 followersGreg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 13, 2022
WOW! WHAT A READ!
Okay so this was epic. It pretty much starts with a FF story with Reed and sue maybe losing their childrens and Human torch and the Thing fighting the Hulk and we see the danger he represents and Reed making aplan to launch him into space and he does and we see the consequences of that and omg where it takes him is awesome into Planet Sakaar and well there he fights the gladitorial arena and all and then we see the consequences of that and also him meeting the warbound and its different members, fighting silver surfer, getting free, becoming rebels and fighting various threats like the imperials, the wildebots and the spikes and Caeira until she too joins and finally the adventures that take them to fight the Red king and ultimately the fate of the hulk but what is really a prologue to WWH and the ending omg it is like one of the saddest moments in Hulk's history! :(
What happens in the end changes everything but omg I love this comic for its epic nature and I love the way they explore the fights and in the end we get some what-ifs which are irrelevant and kind of boring but we also get like 50 pgs of text showcasing the planet and its world and the people which I appreciate but didn't read through fully but it really shows how much effort they put into making this planet. The world building is insane but its the conflict and the fights and Hulks journey that will keep you hooked and finally an epic ending that leads to another great story! One of my fav Hulk stories easily!
Okay so this was epic. It pretty much starts with a FF story with Reed and sue maybe losing their childrens and Human torch and the Thing fighting the Hulk and we see the danger he represents and Reed making aplan to launch him into space and he does and we see the consequences of that and omg where it takes him is awesome into Planet Sakaar and well there he fights the gladitorial arena and all and then we see the consequences of that and also him meeting the warbound and its different members, fighting silver surfer, getting free, becoming rebels and fighting various threats like the imperials, the wildebots and the spikes and Caeira until she too joins and finally the adventures that take them to fight the Red king and ultimately the fate of the hulk but what is really a prologue to WWH and the ending omg it is like one of the saddest moments in Hulk's history! :(
What happens in the end changes everything but omg I love this comic for its epic nature and I love the way they explore the fights and in the end we get some what-ifs which are irrelevant and kind of boring but we also get like 50 pgs of text showcasing the planet and its world and the people which I appreciate but didn't read through fully but it really shows how much effort they put into making this planet. The world building is insane but its the conflict and the fights and Hulks journey that will keep you hooked and finally an epic ending that leads to another great story! One of my fav Hulk stories easily!
October 14, 2017
It was nice to finally read this, having already read the sequel World War Hulk first. This volume starts out as the story of Spartacus, wherein Hulk is a slave and works his way up from there. It's an old tale, retold from a Hulk/alien perspective and goes a few steps further. While enjoyable, I found it slightly predictable, with only one or two surprises, mostly at the end. Along the way, there's an examination of Why does the Hulk do certain things? How much is guilt, knowing he's caused destruction? How much is him just wanting to be left alone? How much is wanting to NOT be left alone? When are his actions driven solely by pride? All of these are brought up, but none of it is really answered. Perhaps that's at least some of the appeal of the Hulk, his simultaneously simple and complex personality, both good and evil, never really knowing what he will do next.
The art is solidly above average but never rises to jaw-dropping. This omnibus also includes a couple short stories that surround Planet Hulk, including the introduction of Amadeus Cho as well as a surprisingly heart wrenching What If? story. Also included is a very detailed "touristy" guidebook detailing all about the planet Hulk is stranded on.
A fun and entertaining run, but not really anything ground-breaking (ahem).
The art is solidly above average but never rises to jaw-dropping. This omnibus also includes a couple short stories that surround Planet Hulk, including the introduction of Amadeus Cho as well as a surprisingly heart wrenching What If? story. Also included is a very detailed "touristy" guidebook detailing all about the planet Hulk is stranded on.
A fun and entertaining run, but not really anything ground-breaking (ahem).
September 29, 2017
Vom Beginn in den frühen Sechzigern an hatte der Hulk etwas Tragisches: Seine beiden Persönlichkeiten, die sich zueinander wie Jekyll zu Hyde verhalten und seine Monsterhaftigkeit, die ihn zum ewigen Außenseiter macht wie Frankensteins Geschöpf.
Egal, wie oft er ein Held war, erinnert wird er immer nur als Monster. Hier setzt auch PLANET HULK an. Nachdem Bruce Banner aka der Hulk sich bei einer Mission eine weitere Portion Gamma Strahlen eingefangen hat und noch unbeherrschter denn je scheint, nutzen Reed Richards und die Avengers eine günstige Gelegenheit, den Hulk für immer ins Exil zu schicken: mit einer Raumkapsel wird er auf einen fernen Planeten geschossen, wo es kein andere Leben gibt und er "endlich seine Ruhe" finden soll. Kein sehr freundschaftlicher Zug, sollte man meinen.
Aber der Hulk kommt auf dem verlassenen Planeten nie an. Durch ein Portal gelangt er stattdessen auf eine andere Welt, die dringend eines Retters bedarf, der sie von der Tyrannei des roten Königs befreit.
(hier nicht etwas im Kampf mit dem Roten König, sondern mit dem Silver Surfer, der ebenfalls auf dieser Welt als Gladiator gefangen gehalten wird)
Nun liegt dem Hulk kaum etwas ferner, als der Retter einer Welt zu werden, zumal er gerade mies abserviert worden ist. Aber langsam, ganz langsam, wird aus dem barbarischen Helden, der in der Arena für seine Unzerstörbarkeit gefeiert wird, ein Hulk, der seine Menschlichkeit zurück gewinnt.
Von Dauer ist sein Glück auf diesem Planeten - einmal mehr und tragischer Weise - aber nicht und verraten sei nur, dass sein Hass gegen seine "Freunde" auf der Erde sich ins unermessliche steigert.
Die Handlung wird im WORLD WAR HULK=Omnibus fortgesetzt werden.
Über lange Strecken hat PLANET HULK einen Pulp=Charme, der E.R. Burroughs John Carter-Saga nicht unähnlich ist. Viele Elemente lassen sich eins zu eins übertragen, so dass ein Zuwenig an Action nicht zu befürchten ist. Und gegen Ende findet der Hulk sogar - wenn auch nur für kurze Zeit - seine große Liebe, so wie John Carter Deja Thoris fand.
Fazit: Kurzweilig, episch, heroisch, tragisch hat diese Story das Zeug dazu, auch Leser gut zu unterhalten, die mit dem Hulk sonst nichts am Hut haben.
December 30, 2017
Hulk is something of a paradox. The idea of the Hulk is great: A normal guy who, when he gets angry, turns into an unstoppable rage monster. Actually reading a Hulk comic, however, can be a chore. It doesn't seem like many writers no what to do with the Hulk, and he has had more varying incarnations than maybe any other comic book character. Heck, even in the first handful of Hulk issues in the early 60s he went through change after change because even Stan Lee didn't seem to know what to do with him (remember Hulk that only transforms at night? or how about Hulk's body with Banner's head?).
Added to this problem is the fact that many writers just cater to one Hulk extreme or another: either they make their story all punches and explosions or they try to make a Hulk story that is all psychological with Banner vs. Hulk. These two options, however, have flaws of their own.
Enter Planet Hulk, one of the greatest Hulk stories ever written. We don't get pages and pages of the Hulk and Banner wrestling for control, and we don't get mindless punch fests. Here, we get a story that has just the right amount of everything that makes the Hulk good. Do you want the Hulk detonating bombs by jumping into them and tearing mountains in half? You get that here. Do you want a Hulk story where Hulk has to make some tough decisions and find his place in the world? You have come to the right place. Action, adventure, romance, drama, its all here. We have read the "Hulk strong, Banner weak" story for decades now, but here is something truly different and completely amazing.
As a bonus, this omnibus edition has all of the material leading up to and surrounding the Planet Hulk event, and most of it is pretty good.
Added to this problem is the fact that many writers just cater to one Hulk extreme or another: either they make their story all punches and explosions or they try to make a Hulk story that is all psychological with Banner vs. Hulk. These two options, however, have flaws of their own.
Enter Planet Hulk, one of the greatest Hulk stories ever written. We don't get pages and pages of the Hulk and Banner wrestling for control, and we don't get mindless punch fests. Here, we get a story that has just the right amount of everything that makes the Hulk good. Do you want the Hulk detonating bombs by jumping into them and tearing mountains in half? You get that here. Do you want a Hulk story where Hulk has to make some tough decisions and find his place in the world? You have come to the right place. Action, adventure, romance, drama, its all here. We have read the "Hulk strong, Banner weak" story for decades now, but here is something truly different and completely amazing.
As a bonus, this omnibus edition has all of the material leading up to and surrounding the Planet Hulk event, and most of it is pretty good.
April 24, 2025
Planet Hulk begins with a familiar setup—Hulk, considered too dangerous to remain on Earth, is exiled by those he once called friends. Meant to land on a peaceful, uninhabited planet, a malfunction instead brings him to Sakaar, a war-torn world ruled by a tyrant. Weakened and enslaved, Hulk is forced to fight in gladiatorial arenas in order to survive.
While the "hero as a gladiator" trope isn’t groundbreaking—already seen in various media including rival superhero franchises—Planet Hulk manages to breathe fresh life into it. The story is engaging, and the emotional weight behind Hulk’s journey adds depth that elevates it beyond a simple brawl-fest.
One of the story’s strengths is its ensemble cast. Greg Pak introduces a host of new characters, each with distinct personalities and motivations. They’re compelling from the start, and it doesn’t take long for readers to feel attached to them.
Beyond the arena battles, the narrative explores deeper themes. One subplot involves Hulk being viewed as a prophesied messiah. Despite being intriguing, many of these subplots would have benefitted from more development and subtlety. There’s a tendency in Western comics to rapidly shift from one major event to the next, Planet Hulk being no exception, while occasionally sacrificing emotional depth for momentum.
Another area that left me wanting more was the action. The art is stunning and dynamic, but the fight scenes often feel too brief to be truly satisfying. While I don’t expect every page to be wall-to-wall action, a few more extended sequences would have enhanced the experience, especially in a story centered around arena combat.
Despite these critiques, Planet Hulk remains a highly entertaining arc—thoughtfully written, emotionally grounded, and filled with characters that leave a lasting impression. It’s a standout in Hulk’s mythology and worth the read.
While the "hero as a gladiator" trope isn’t groundbreaking—already seen in various media including rival superhero franchises—Planet Hulk manages to breathe fresh life into it. The story is engaging, and the emotional weight behind Hulk’s journey adds depth that elevates it beyond a simple brawl-fest.
One of the story’s strengths is its ensemble cast. Greg Pak introduces a host of new characters, each with distinct personalities and motivations. They’re compelling from the start, and it doesn’t take long for readers to feel attached to them.
Beyond the arena battles, the narrative explores deeper themes. One subplot involves Hulk being viewed as a prophesied messiah. Despite being intriguing, many of these subplots would have benefitted from more development and subtlety. There’s a tendency in Western comics to rapidly shift from one major event to the next, Planet Hulk being no exception, while occasionally sacrificing emotional depth for momentum.
Another area that left me wanting more was the action. The art is stunning and dynamic, but the fight scenes often feel too brief to be truly satisfying. While I don’t expect every page to be wall-to-wall action, a few more extended sequences would have enhanced the experience, especially in a story centered around arena combat.
Despite these critiques, Planet Hulk remains a highly entertaining arc—thoughtfully written, emotionally grounded, and filled with characters that leave a lasting impression. It’s a standout in Hulk’s mythology and worth the read.
April 21, 2021
8/10
I felt like I should have finished this earlier haha because I was pretty close to the ending already just page count was deceiving because of the What IF stories in the end. The Fantastic 4 issues was actually a great introduction to Planet Hulk in terms of setting up the conflict. Though besides that one most of the tie in issues were somewhat of a miss though they didn't really distract anything from the story just dislike the inconsistent art quality and evidently weaker writing. This is my first proper Marvel Comic I have read which is good as it's a pretty isolated story as it's far removed from everyone and all basically an original setting. I only decided to read this because I disliked how Thor 3 just butchered any potential of this storyline ever being adapted, because of a gag. When it comes to the art I will first state pretty much all of it top-notch. Though my criticism probably comes to the panel work. As the art is really well detailed just they not that much flow regarding the action. But delivered on those action aspects well. The writing actually was pretty solid, not the best I've read from comics but obviously, a ton of care went into that element just look at the end of the omnibus with 46 pages of in-depth notes regarding the lore etc. Anyways it stays true to the name of Planet Hulk pretty well, though if I say criticism maybe just too much build-up and went it occurred wasn't as satisfying as I would have desired. Regarding the romance, it was kinda a miss though I do see they tried which is commendable plus it's a hulk comic so realistic expectations regarding that topic should be noted. Anyways this was a kickass story and keen for the sequel World War Hulk after that I will have no desire to push forward.
8/10
I felt like I should have finished this earlier haha because I was pretty close to the ending already just page count was deceiving because of the What IF stories in the end. The Fantastic 4 issues was actually a great introduction to Planet Hulk in terms of setting up the conflict. Though besides that one most of the tie in issues were somewhat of a miss though they didn't really distract anything from the story just dislike the inconsistent art quality and evidently weaker writing. This is my first proper Marvel Comic I have read which is good as it's a pretty isolated story as it's far removed from everyone and all basically an original setting. I only decided to read this because I disliked how Thor 3 just butchered any potential of this storyline ever being adapted, because of a gag. When it comes to the art I will first state pretty much all of it top-notch. Though my criticism probably comes to the panel work. As the art is really well detailed just they not that much flow regarding the action. But delivered on those action aspects well. The writing actually was pretty solid, not the best I've read from comics but obviously, a ton of care went into that element just look at the end of the omnibus with 46 pages of in-depth notes regarding the lore etc. Anyways it stays true to the name of Planet Hulk pretty well, though if I say criticism maybe just too much build-up and went it occurred wasn't as satisfying as I would have desired. Regarding the romance, it was kinda a miss though I do see they tried which is commendable plus it's a hulk comic so realistic expectations regarding that topic should be noted. Anyways this was a kickass story and keen for the sequel World War Hulk after that I will have no desire to push forward.
8/10
September 14, 2021
The strongest one there is, in his most savage story ever! After a brutal battle between the Hulk and the Fantastic Four, Earth's greatest heroes decide that for the good of all - they must shoot the Hulk into space! But when he lands on the savage world of Sakaar, an epic for the ages begins.
This novel is basically porn! And I loved it!!! The art is epic and beautiful, I was gushing at seeing the landscapes and character designs while the hulk just rips and tears through the landscape, just smashing everything! Art is powerful and I am one of those people that are drawn to comics because of the art, no matter how epic the story is, if the art is not there, then neither is my attention. Luckily here the story follows the art in it's greatness, the story follows the Hulk as he is forced off earth by the Illuminati for being to dangerous, they call him the monster and now hulk finally knows how what the humans think of him, so if they want the monster, that's what he'll be. Luckily for Hulk he has landed on Sakaar, the land of the monsters that other planets wanted to forget. And what do you do with the mosters? you make them fight other monsters in gladiator style combat! The Hulks weaker than normal here, but still he is a one man army and he rails through everything thrown at him. But next to the art and the epic fights theres true heart and breakthroughs for the character hulk, what he thinks of himself and his relationship with banner and humanity, and his fight between being left alone, but still wanting to keep being the moster and keep fighting, it was really deep and leads perfectly into my knowledge of his character in, "The Immortal Hulk" series of stories, so to see where thoses thoughts and feelings started was really interesting. Overall the art is stunning, and I loved the story/world and meik his dynamic with Hulk was just fantastic! And i highly recommend this story for all hulk fans!
5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
100/100 Hulk Smash 💪🟢
This novel is basically porn! And I loved it!!! The art is epic and beautiful, I was gushing at seeing the landscapes and character designs while the hulk just rips and tears through the landscape, just smashing everything! Art is powerful and I am one of those people that are drawn to comics because of the art, no matter how epic the story is, if the art is not there, then neither is my attention. Luckily here the story follows the art in it's greatness, the story follows the Hulk as he is forced off earth by the Illuminati for being to dangerous, they call him the monster and now hulk finally knows how what the humans think of him, so if they want the monster, that's what he'll be. Luckily for Hulk he has landed on Sakaar, the land of the monsters that other planets wanted to forget. And what do you do with the mosters? you make them fight other monsters in gladiator style combat! The Hulks weaker than normal here, but still he is a one man army and he rails through everything thrown at him. But next to the art and the epic fights theres true heart and breakthroughs for the character hulk, what he thinks of himself and his relationship with banner and humanity, and his fight between being left alone, but still wanting to keep being the moster and keep fighting, it was really deep and leads perfectly into my knowledge of his character in, "The Immortal Hulk" series of stories, so to see where thoses thoughts and feelings started was really interesting. Overall the art is stunning, and I loved the story/world and meik his dynamic with Hulk was just fantastic! And i highly recommend this story for all hulk fans!
5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
100/100 Hulk Smash 💪🟢
August 10, 2021
HULK SMASH
The classic tale of Spartacus, but then with Hulk. To be honest, it is all very very silly... No depth to the story whatsoever. But it is very very entertaining.
The classic tale of Spartacus, but then with Hulk. To be honest, it is all very very silly... No depth to the story whatsoever. But it is very very entertaining.
July 15, 2024
Still the best Hulk you can read.
November 26, 2024
Greatest Hulk Story
This will always be part 1 of my favorite Hulk comic ever! Pt 2 being World War Hulk. It is a great tale of Hulk finally finding his place on a world that embraces his anger as a means towards peace. His Warbound are all fully fleshed out characters and each is unique because of it. While I LOVE World War Hulk, I wish that this tale would've lasted longer before the cataclysmic event that sparks the next chapter. Let Hulk truly have peace and family for once before his next big fight.
This will always be part 1 of my favorite Hulk comic ever! Pt 2 being World War Hulk. It is a great tale of Hulk finally finding his place on a world that embraces his anger as a means towards peace. His Warbound are all fully fleshed out characters and each is unique because of it. While I LOVE World War Hulk, I wish that this tale would've lasted longer before the cataclysmic event that sparks the next chapter. Let Hulk truly have peace and family for once before his next big fight.
June 4, 2024
Una historia imperdible.
Pak logró lo que muchos no habían podido hacer: crear una historia interesante que atrapara a todos sin importar si eran o no fans del gigante esmeralda.
5/5
Pak logró lo que muchos no habían podido hacer: crear una historia interesante que atrapara a todos sin importar si eran o no fans del gigante esmeralda.
5/5
November 5, 2022
#HulkDidNothingWrong
August 17, 2020
Planet Hulk has long been regarded as one of the best Hulk storylines of all time and now that I've actually read it I've got to say that I agree. This book was really good from beginning to end and all the individual components moved together so well to craft a highly engaging story that really makes you feel for the Hulk as a character.
The Hulk is viewed by the people of Earth as a dangerous figure. Due to rising anti-hero sentiment of the time (This event happens at roughly the same time as Civil War, for context) the illuminati decide that Hulk needs to go away to keep things stable. So a plan is concocted to send him deep into space. Towards a peaceful planet without any dangerous wildlife that would keep him happy and content for the rest of his days.
Then the ship he's in hits a wormhole, thrusts him onto a war-torn extremely violent planet where he's immediately recruited to be a gladiator, and that's the gist of the story. There's an extremely violent, corrupt ruler of the planet who holds little regard for his subjects while having also subjugated every other race on the planet. Hulk is implanted with an obedience disk to ensure he can't fight back, and the story revolves around Hulk and his small band of Gladiators having to survive the increasingly cruel and violent challenges thrown their way, and eventually depose the king to save the planet.
And it's great. Hulk makes for an unlikely revolutionary, and many of the people are unsure what to make of him at first but it quickly becomes clear he cares for doing the right thing and a lot of people are moved by him. There's a rebellious army working against the king, there's a lot of super cool action scenes as Hulk fights off against monsters and stuff.
But at its heart this is a political story. A revolutionary uprising deposing of a corrupt, cruel ruler. As Hulk fights his way through the various problems on the planet he grows stronger and stronger, becoming an even more unstoppable being throughout it all making it feel almost like a video game where he's grinding levels. There's a lot of nice commentary on how even if the king's people are being kept under the king's thumb in a cruel manner, they still subjugate other races as below themselves even which is just pitch-perfect commentary on racial relations and of course the big green guy also punches a lot of things so that's cool
The art is wonderful throughout, all of the bonus material is very much worth reading and adds worthwhile context, and this package truly earns the title of one of the Hulk's greatest stories of all time.
Though I'm not sure how it'd compare to Immortal Hulk now...
The Hulk is viewed by the people of Earth as a dangerous figure. Due to rising anti-hero sentiment of the time (This event happens at roughly the same time as Civil War, for context) the illuminati decide that Hulk needs to go away to keep things stable. So a plan is concocted to send him deep into space. Towards a peaceful planet without any dangerous wildlife that would keep him happy and content for the rest of his days.
Then the ship he's in hits a wormhole, thrusts him onto a war-torn extremely violent planet where he's immediately recruited to be a gladiator, and that's the gist of the story. There's an extremely violent, corrupt ruler of the planet who holds little regard for his subjects while having also subjugated every other race on the planet. Hulk is implanted with an obedience disk to ensure he can't fight back, and the story revolves around Hulk and his small band of Gladiators having to survive the increasingly cruel and violent challenges thrown their way, and eventually depose the king to save the planet.
And it's great. Hulk makes for an unlikely revolutionary, and many of the people are unsure what to make of him at first but it quickly becomes clear he cares for doing the right thing and a lot of people are moved by him. There's a rebellious army working against the king, there's a lot of super cool action scenes as Hulk fights off against monsters and stuff.
But at its heart this is a political story. A revolutionary uprising deposing of a corrupt, cruel ruler. As Hulk fights his way through the various problems on the planet he grows stronger and stronger, becoming an even more unstoppable being throughout it all making it feel almost like a video game where he's grinding levels. There's a lot of nice commentary on how even if the king's people are being kept under the king's thumb in a cruel manner, they still subjugate other races as below themselves even which is just pitch-perfect commentary on racial relations and of course the big green guy also punches a lot of things so that's cool
The art is wonderful throughout, all of the bonus material is very much worth reading and adds worthwhile context, and this package truly earns the title of one of the Hulk's greatest stories of all time.
Though I'm not sure how it'd compare to Immortal Hulk now...
August 20, 2019
Planet Hulk is awesome and you should read it but don’t expect this to be like the MCU’s “Thor: Ragnarok”!
This is kind of a sad story about the tragedy of Bruce Banner. He can never accept himself as he is and destruction is inevitable whenever he is present; the potential for loss of life in his presence is highly probable. He is a hero yet he is shunned by society as a monster. Does he belong on Earth? His friends don’t think so. The Illuminati makes a call — Planet Hulk begins.
However, things don’t go quite as Banner’s friends have meticulously planned. The Hulk arrives on Sakaar, becomes a gladiator, becomes angry, gets stronger, starts a rebellion, gets a team, gets angrier, gets stronger, and winds up becoming part of some prophetic quest Sakaar’s inhabitants have been waiting for. Perhaps, this new, strange planet can become a pathway to redemption for Banner as a savior or will it prove to be the undoing of Earth—if he can get back—as a worldbreaker?
I love Sakaar because it feels new to me with it’s own species and races of beings, cultures while being familiar (Star Wars-y), and helps the Hulk character and mythology stretch and grow a bit more. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll be surprised how different Korg and Miek are, how there is no GrandMaster, no Valkyrie, but it’s a whole other rich experience.
The Omni has a “Guidebook” That goes in depth about Sakaar and it’s inhabitants which enriches the reading experience even more and puts Sakaar in the running to be another repository of stories across different time periods.
I look forward to World War Hulk.
This is kind of a sad story about the tragedy of Bruce Banner. He can never accept himself as he is and destruction is inevitable whenever he is present; the potential for loss of life in his presence is highly probable. He is a hero yet he is shunned by society as a monster. Does he belong on Earth? His friends don’t think so. The Illuminati makes a call — Planet Hulk begins.
However, things don’t go quite as Banner’s friends have meticulously planned. The Hulk arrives on Sakaar, becomes a gladiator, becomes angry, gets stronger, starts a rebellion, gets a team, gets angrier, gets stronger, and winds up becoming part of some prophetic quest Sakaar’s inhabitants have been waiting for. Perhaps, this new, strange planet can become a pathway to redemption for Banner as a savior or will it prove to be the undoing of Earth—if he can get back—as a worldbreaker?
I love Sakaar because it feels new to me with it’s own species and races of beings, cultures while being familiar (Star Wars-y), and helps the Hulk character and mythology stretch and grow a bit more. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll be surprised how different Korg and Miek are, how there is no GrandMaster, no Valkyrie, but it’s a whole other rich experience.
The Omni has a “Guidebook” That goes in depth about Sakaar and it’s inhabitants which enriches the reading experience even more and puts Sakaar in the running to be another repository of stories across different time periods.
I look forward to World War Hulk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2021
Planet Hulk was my first ever Marvel Omnibus i read.
I started collecting omnibusses in the summer of 2020, before this time i collectecd DC Singles issues. The omnibus format first scared me because of it's sheer size. But once i found the perfect reading position i wouldn't like my books any other way. The omnibus format is big, oversized and complete. After some time i decided to branch out to not only DC but Marvel stories aswell. But where to start? Well many forums and youtube videos later i made a selection of books that i wanted.
Planet hulk was on top of the list of those books and boy was i not dissapointed.
Short summary, after various voilent outbursts of the hulk on earth a group of heroes decides to send the hulk to a remote planet light years away where he can do no harm. After tricking him with the help of Nick Fury the Hulk is blasted off into space. Once in space a video message plays from the heroes explaining their motives. The hulk did not take this news lightly and started to SMASH. And ofcouse broke the ship which crashed via a portal on a planet overthrown by a sadistic leader. From here the story begins hulk must fight his way to freedom with a goal in mind , along the way he meets various characters who look up the the mighty hulk.
For me this was a great story, not much info is needed, you must be living under a rock if you dont know who the hulk is. How he is portrayed in this book was a suprise as he is not a mindless brute.
In short awesome book, awesome story , awesome art.
Af of now 2021 this book is Out Of Print but you will no regret the purchase.
i give it a 9,5 / 10
I started collecting omnibusses in the summer of 2020, before this time i collectecd DC Singles issues. The omnibus format first scared me because of it's sheer size. But once i found the perfect reading position i wouldn't like my books any other way. The omnibus format is big, oversized and complete. After some time i decided to branch out to not only DC but Marvel stories aswell. But where to start? Well many forums and youtube videos later i made a selection of books that i wanted.
Planet hulk was on top of the list of those books and boy was i not dissapointed.
Short summary, after various voilent outbursts of the hulk on earth a group of heroes decides to send the hulk to a remote planet light years away where he can do no harm. After tricking him with the help of Nick Fury the Hulk is blasted off into space. Once in space a video message plays from the heroes explaining their motives. The hulk did not take this news lightly and started to SMASH. And ofcouse broke the ship which crashed via a portal on a planet overthrown by a sadistic leader. From here the story begins hulk must fight his way to freedom with a goal in mind , along the way he meets various characters who look up the the mighty hulk.
For me this was a great story, not much info is needed, you must be living under a rock if you dont know who the hulk is. How he is portrayed in this book was a suprise as he is not a mindless brute.
In short awesome book, awesome story , awesome art.
Af of now 2021 this book is Out Of Print but you will no regret the purchase.
i give it a 9,5 / 10
December 22, 2017
Planet Hulk Omnibus!!! Speaking of nostalgia, one of the first storylines I’ve read, back when I started my interest in comics (college days), was Planet Hulk. Again, due to the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), they are reprinting some classic storylines of the characters from the movies (personally, that’s the only good thing that Marvel is printing nowadays, since current comics seems desperate to cash in on what you see on the movies instead of writing good ones). I haven’t seen Thor Ragnarok yet, but Planet Hulk is the first time I saw Hulk in a gladiator setting (and outfit), and in this book, you get to see him battle it out with the Silver Surfer rather than Thor (which I personally feel to be much more coolerer). The Illuminati (Stark, Black Bolt, Dr. Richards, Namor, Prof. X, and Dr. Strange)deemed that Hulk was more of a liability than an asset so they threw him off Earth, towards an isolated planet with no sentient civilization. Little did they know that the ship and the course wasn’t perfect, and instead Hulk was thrown into a planet under a dictatorship, and almost medieval customs. Here, amidst all the anger and violence, Hulk made friends, a wife, and eventually, a kingdom.
However, it’s never a Hulk classic story if it has a happy ending, so Hulk then decided to attack Earth with his gang. This is the best Hulk story I’ve read, and it’s even illustrated by our country's local comic artist Carlo Pagulayan!
However, it’s never a Hulk classic story if it has a happy ending, so Hulk then decided to attack Earth with his gang. This is the best Hulk story I’ve read, and it’s even illustrated by our country's local comic artist Carlo Pagulayan!
February 26, 2025
Wow, this was a terrific comic series. Written is like an epic fantasy by Greg Pak, it works even if you replace the Hulk with any strong hero of choice. The Marvel/Hulk canon can be ignored altogether. (Which was great for me as I am not a big Hulk fan).
Hulk's increasing erratic behavior worries the Illuminati and they manage to trick Hulk into a forced exile. Instead of landing on a planet without sentient lifeforms, Hulk's spaceship gets pulled into the portal and he lands in Sakaar, a planet ruled by a tyrant called the Red King. Sakaar has 4 sentient species jostling for survival, each at odds with the others. The ancient native prophecy talks about a World Breaker who will destroy the planet and a "Sakaarson" who will protect it. The Hulk seems to fit both categories, depending on which day you pick. The Hulk makes friends (notably Korg and the Warbound) and enemies (like the Red King), all the while plotting to get back to Earth and make the Illuminati pay for their deeds.
The world-building is fantastic, on par with any epic fantasy series. The Sakaar of the "Thor: Ragnarok" movie doesn't even scratch the surface. The appendix even has a detailed account of the history, geography, culture, wildlife, technology, etc. that runs for around 40 pages! What you get then is a delightfully detailed retro-futuristic world.
Hulk's increasing erratic behavior worries the Illuminati and they manage to trick Hulk into a forced exile. Instead of landing on a planet without sentient lifeforms, Hulk's spaceship gets pulled into the portal and he lands in Sakaar, a planet ruled by a tyrant called the Red King. Sakaar has 4 sentient species jostling for survival, each at odds with the others. The ancient native prophecy talks about a World Breaker who will destroy the planet and a "Sakaarson" who will protect it. The Hulk seems to fit both categories, depending on which day you pick. The Hulk makes friends (notably Korg and the Warbound) and enemies (like the Red King), all the while plotting to get back to Earth and make the Illuminati pay for their deeds.
The world-building is fantastic, on par with any epic fantasy series. The Sakaar of the "Thor: Ragnarok" movie doesn't even scratch the surface. The appendix even has a detailed account of the history, geography, culture, wildlife, technology, etc. that runs for around 40 pages! What you get then is a delightfully detailed retro-futuristic world.
April 23, 2025
Good, but not great. Pak's story quickly fumbles into a fairly familiar, foreigner saves the natives story that bears too much of a resemblance that all that has come before. It's a simple story, and a story that I think leans too far into its pulpiness rather than taking some greater chances. The Hulk has always felt like character ripening for the right writer to come by and exhume the nuances back from the grips of storytellers who were far more intrigued by the strength of the Hulk than his weaknesses. And while seeming the Green man live a life elsewhere sparks something truly bonkers, it never quite finds its emotional footing I feel. That said, Pak still does a great job in creating this world of creatures and cultures and Pagulayan, Lopresti, Santacruz, Frank, and Miyazawa make for a great team of artists. But its a bubbly curves and bright shadows haven't aged well for my taste. Still, this Gladiator meets Mad Max story is an intriguing premise with little heart, a team of creators carrying a powerful character the hard way instead of leaning on the pathos to ease the burden.
September 20, 2021
Planet Hulk
I finally got to read this omni after having it on the shelves for over 3 years. I have to say, it wasn't anything groundbreaking. Now, the thing here is that I haven't read much of Hulk - so I have nothing to compare it to. My guess, however, is that for someone who has read the Hulk for years, this was a nice change of pace. For me, well, it was Tuesday...and it doesn't help that I know what happens in the book.
In the book, Hulk ends up in a strange planet (after having been betrayed by his fellow heroes). What follows is a demonstration of Hulk's prowess and various Gladiator-like battles. I enjoyed most of it, but it wasn't amazing, per se. The art is pretty decent, particularly some issues in the mid 90s.
A fun and entertaining run, but not really anything ground-breaking (ahem).
I finally got to read this omni after having it on the shelves for over 3 years. I have to say, it wasn't anything groundbreaking. Now, the thing here is that I haven't read much of Hulk - so I have nothing to compare it to. My guess, however, is that for someone who has read the Hulk for years, this was a nice change of pace. For me, well, it was Tuesday...and it doesn't help that I know what happens in the book.
In the book, Hulk ends up in a strange planet (after having been betrayed by his fellow heroes). What follows is a demonstration of Hulk's prowess and various Gladiator-like battles. I enjoyed most of it, but it wasn't amazing, per se. The art is pretty decent, particularly some issues in the mid 90s.
A fun and entertaining run, but not really anything ground-breaking (ahem).
December 24, 2024
(Zero spoiler review)
If you looked up painfully generic comic in the dictionary, there would be Planet Hulk. The literary equivalent of two mentally deficient children smashing action figures together in the sandpit. No story, no dialogue, just mindless, pointless action that rings as hollow as the moon (it's true, look it up). It's a shame as the opening two Hulk issues and the Avengers Illuminati issue actually featured those fiendishly difficult concepts of storytelling that illude so many. Concepts like; Dialogue, characterisation, meaningful plot progression. But this is a bland and boring alien world full of characters and creatures I couldn't give less of a shit about. If this is Greg Pak's magnum opus, then I sure wouldn't want to read anything else he 'wrote'. 2/5
OmniBen.
If you looked up painfully generic comic in the dictionary, there would be Planet Hulk. The literary equivalent of two mentally deficient children smashing action figures together in the sandpit. No story, no dialogue, just mindless, pointless action that rings as hollow as the moon (it's true, look it up). It's a shame as the opening two Hulk issues and the Avengers Illuminati issue actually featured those fiendishly difficult concepts of storytelling that illude so many. Concepts like; Dialogue, characterisation, meaningful plot progression. But this is a bland and boring alien world full of characters and creatures I couldn't give less of a shit about. If this is Greg Pak's magnum opus, then I sure wouldn't want to read anything else he 'wrote'. 2/5
OmniBen.
December 14, 2022
The Hulk lands in the distant planet of Sakaar after being betrayed by his fellow superheroes who deem him to be too dangerous to live on Earth. But the Hulk makes the most of his exile - he fights in gladiatoral pits, makes new friends, and has a fun little revolution against the authoritarian regime of the Red King.
It's all a bit predictable and contrived, but I can't deny it's pretty entertaining too. Definitely a fun Hulk story that I would agree comes off as an essential bit of Marvel Comics reading. The artwork isn't quite as bombastic as the story itself, which I also found a little disappointing, but it's still serviceable.
It's all a bit predictable and contrived, but I can't deny it's pretty entertaining too. Definitely a fun Hulk story that I would agree comes off as an essential bit of Marvel Comics reading. The artwork isn't quite as bombastic as the story itself, which I also found a little disappointing, but it's still serviceable.
December 15, 2025
A fantastic sci-fi rebellion story, wrapped in a Hulk story featuring his supposed friends at their most desperate to ‘fix’ the problem of his existence.
The alien world Hulk inhabits here is so rich and satisfying to explore, and it’s super satisfying to see how Hulk adjusts to it.
The omnibus is a brilliantly complete package with the prologue chapter, epilogue, What If? stories, and a near FIFTY PAGE encyclopaedia about Sakaar - the alien planet Hulk is sent to. I’ll be honest; I didn’t read that last part because I didn’t really care for pages and pages about the world’s plants and customs but I respect the hell out of them for writing it.
The alien world Hulk inhabits here is so rich and satisfying to explore, and it’s super satisfying to see how Hulk adjusts to it.
The omnibus is a brilliantly complete package with the prologue chapter, epilogue, What If? stories, and a near FIFTY PAGE encyclopaedia about Sakaar - the alien planet Hulk is sent to. I’ll be honest; I didn’t read that last part because I didn’t really care for pages and pages about the world’s plants and customs but I respect the hell out of them for writing it.
February 22, 2018
One of my all time favorite story-arcs finally gets the omnibus treatment! I've read Planet Hulk and the follow-up World War Hulk before in paperback, and greatly enjoyed them both. Naturally when I realized Planet and World War Hulk were getting omnibuses I had to jump on them, and I'm so glad I did. The stories are great, the books are wonderful quality, I highly recommend the set for any Hulk fans out there.
March 23, 2024
A devastating epic that details the price one pays for anger and grudges. No matter how virtuous the task, no matter how deep the pain. This tell is an allegory detailing that being fueled by rage leads to a destructive path.
This may be one of the best hulk stories ever told. Hulk is portrayed as his own character, not a side-effect of a blast. Instead a fleshed out being with desires and a character arch.
This may be one of the best hulk stories ever told. Hulk is portrayed as his own character, not a side-effect of a blast. Instead a fleshed out being with desires and a character arch.
May 12, 2018
Greg Pak writes a wonderful story here. The Hulk normally isn’t that interesting to me, but this is so well written that I was totally engaged. This shows why Reed Richards is the jerk that Jay and Myles call him. Hulk is sympathetic here and his motivation is never as selfish as even he expects. This is just so well told.
May 23, 2019
Some story points were quite rushed while others stretched a little long but in the end there was a whole lot of smashing. The Hulk always has to suffer pain and losses but shortly after he resurfaces even stronger and smashes. I am not a graphic novel reader, this is actually my first omnibus and probably the first graphic novel since I am an adult.
July 22, 2020
Loved it. Its a cool storyline which introduce the reader to some new and interesting character. Hulk is normally not that deep a character i terms of feelings but this comic really shows these emotions. The story itself have a deep plot with tons of backstory which can be read in the last pages "the gladiator manual". The art of the comic was also AMAZING 5/5.
December 25, 2020
Overrated
Not sure if age has played a factor here but I am glad the way this arc was handled in the movies for the overall benefit of the story. Felt somewhat predictable. It wasn't a bad story but it wasn't all that fantastic as many will have you believe. The art is good enough and may warrant some the cause to own this in their library. For me it is an avoid... 2.75 out of 5 stars.
Not sure if age has played a factor here but I am glad the way this arc was handled in the movies for the overall benefit of the story. Felt somewhat predictable. It wasn't a bad story but it wasn't all that fantastic as many will have you believe. The art is good enough and may warrant some the cause to own this in their library. For me it is an avoid... 2.75 out of 5 stars.
April 22, 2021
It comes off as a little dated now, but it's nice change of pace for the character. Unfortunately it's led too many retellings for the character.
But I like the events leading up to it, and the Illuminati stuff. I also really like the Giant Hulk Special and the What If story in this collection.
But I like the events leading up to it, and the Illuminati stuff. I also really like the Giant Hulk Special and the What If story in this collection.
July 22, 2024
I wanted to love it and I would if it was shorter. Planet Hulk is an interesting premise, but not 600 pages interesting. The concept and many moments throughout the book were entertaining and got me engaged but there were many more that lacked substance. I thing my favorite part was the Silver Surfer fight.
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