SUP E RH E RO E S
Washington Green Fine Art proudly presents The Incredible Hulk collection of Superheroes: iconic comic book covers, created, orchestrated and masterminded by the legendary Stan Lee. Penned and inked by some of the greatest artists to emerge from the comic book industry, these 10 classic covers feature one of Marvel's most popular characters, The Incredible Hulk (a.k.a. Dr. Bruce
Banner). He leapt from the pages of comic books in 1962 when he starred in THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1. Since then, the Hulk has been a central character in several other comic book series, including The Fantastic Four, The Avengers and Tales to Astonish, not to mention the live-action TV series and Marvel feature films.
HU L K SMASH !
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the first issue introduces Dr. Bruce Banner as a scientist working on the gamma bomb. Upon seeing a teenager named Rick Jones at the test site, Banner runs out to warn him and gets caught in the blast. The side effects of the radiation cause Banner to transform into an angry monster at nightfall. Over time, Banner’s transformations become a consequence of his emotional state rather than the time of day. Drawing inspiration from classic monsters like Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Quasimodo, The Incredible Hulk was born. Interestingly, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s debut issue shows the original Hulk as grey, not the iconic green superhero we know today. This was because Stan Lee wanted to use a neutral colour to avoid any association with a particular ethnic group. However, the printers struggled to keep the Hulk’s grey skin consistent, so it was quickly changed to green for the second issue. It wasn’t until later in his appearance in Tales to Astonish that his emotional
state would be the trigger for changing into the monster that has graced so many of Marvel’s comic book covers over the last 56 years. The cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. It is both a statement and an advertisement that will encourage the reader pick the comic up and buy it. Well executed, it can entirely transform the viewer’s understanding of a character and plot. Whether the cover shows one or more of our heroes on the brink of death, or indeed the comic world as we know it coming to an apocalyptic end, the chances are that the inner pages will right the wrongs shown on the cover, and good will once again triumph over evil. Therein lies the delicacy of touch needed by the revered Marvel cover artists. The balance of visual information must be enticing yet elusive, with just enough of the plot played out for the reader. As both a head-turner and a page-turner, it presents a new mythology for the 21st century.
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