King In Black Writer's Next Marvel Event Is Changing The Hulk Forever
Marvel Comics has announced Donny Cates (King in Black), Ryan Ottley (The Amazing Spider-Man), and Frank Martin (Venom) will be taking over the reins of the Hulk for the publisher and will introduce a destructive new chapter to the longtime hero. Cates, Ottley, and Martin's arc will come after Al Ewing and Joe Bennett's iconic The Immortal Hulk series, which officially concludes later this year.
The Hulk has been in good hands over the past couple of years at Marvel Comics. Ewing and Bennett's The Immortal Hulk is a full-blown horror series, featuring plenty of body horror, death, and epic moments. The pair brought new life to the hero and introduced a number of elements to his mythology that will forever be part of the character. The series is one of Marvel's most critically acclaimed comics in a long time. Cates, the popular writer of Venom, the current run on Thor, and King in Black has teased a project with Ottley for the past few weeks. On Wednesday, Marvel unveiled Cates' Hulk as the long-awaited next project following the end of his Venom series and the King in Black event.
Cates, Ottley, and Martin's Hulk will feature Bruce Banner learn a "radical way to control the monster within." Marvel teases Banner's discovery will either mark the end of the Hulk or will create something new entirely - and considering Cates' fondness for introducing new histories to popular Marvel Comics characters, it's a safe bet to assume the latter. Marvel suggests the series will take a deep dive into what makes the Hulk tick and will explore his destructive legacy "in a way no one has dared to before." Check out the cover for issue one by Ottley below.
Marvel also released a small teaser for the series, which shows the Hulk doing what he does best: smashing things. In the preview, Hulk's knuckles get bloody as he continually throws punches at something.
Cates, Ottley, and Martin are some of the most exciting creators in comics, so to see them team up for a Hulk series is incredibly exciting. The trio is known for bringing jaw-dropping spectacle to the pages of their comics, so readers should expect some truly destructive Hulk-ing out. It's also quite funny that Ewing and Cates are effectively swapping titles, as The Immortal Hulk writer will be taking on Venom next for Marvel.
For those who want a glimpse at the series, Cates, Ottley, and Martin's Hulk will have a preview in the upcoming Free Comic Book Day 2021: Avengers/Hulk story. That comic from Marvel Comics will be out on August 14th, 2021.