Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk (Comics) | Review

Imagine waking up on an alien planet where your greatest weakness becomes your only strength. Planet Hulk by writer Greg Pak (Death of the Silver Surfer, Silver Surfer: Devolution) strips Bruce Banner away entirely, leaving us with pure Hulk in a gladiatorial nightmare that makes Mad Max look like a children's story.

This isn't about rage management or inner demons, it's about what happens when the monster everyone fears becomes the hero everyone needs. The story throws Hulk into Sakaar, a brutal world where strength determines survival and slavery is the default for anyone without power.

Here's the brilliant part: for once, being the Hulk isn't a curse but an advantage. Pak creates a world so savage that Banner's transformation becomes liberation rather than loss of control. The psychological shift changes everything we think we know about the character.

After being exiled from Earth by the Illuminati (including Doctor Strange, Reed Richards and Tony Stark), Hulk crash-lands on the alien planet Sakaar. The world operates under gladiatorial rules where warriors fight for the entertainment of the Red King, a tyrannical ruler who's turned planetary oppression into sport.

Hulk gets enslaved immediately, fitted with an obedience disk and forced into the arena as a gladiator. The brutal system strips away his Earth identity, leaving only raw survival instincts and the desperate need to fight for basic freedom.

What starts as survival quickly evolves into something bigger. Hulk forms an unlikely warband with fellow gladiators: Korg, a rock-like Kronan warrior; Miek, an insectoid native with hidden depths; Elloe, a Sakaarian rebel; and others who've been broken by the system.

Their bond transcends species barriers, creating a found family dynamic that gives Hulk something he's never had: genuine acceptance without fear. The arena battles showcase Hulk's raw power but Pak smartly uses them to develop character relationships rather than just spectacle. Each combat becomes deeper storytelling.

Each fight reveals more about Sakaar's complex society, from Shadow People underground to religious prophecies that predict a worldbreaker's arrival. The political intrigue runs deeper than typical superhero fare, exploring themes of colonization, slavery and revolution.

Hulk's journey from slave to rebel leader feels earned rather than inevitable. He doesn't want to lead a revolution but circumstances and his growing connection to his warband force his hand. The transformation happens gradually, making his leadership feel organic.

The Red King's increasing desperation leads to planet-threatening decisions that turn personal conflicts into apocalyptic stakes. Pak balances intimate character moments with epic scope, making Hulk's transformation from monster to king feel both surprising and logical. Character development creates harmony between growth and events.

The story builds toward a massive confrontation that reshapes Sakaar's entire civilization. Without spoiling specifics, Hulk's final choice between destruction and leadership defines not just his character arc but sets up major consequences for both Sakaar and Earth.

The emotional weight comes from seeing Hulk finally find a place where he belongs, only to have that peace threatened by forces beyond his control. This cruel irony drives the story's most powerful moments and devastating consequences.

Planet Hulk serves as direct setup for World War Hulk, where consequences of this exile return to haunt Earth. The storyline also references Civil War events that led to Hulk's banishment, connecting it to broader Marvel continuity. These narrative threads weave together to create a cohesive chapter in Marvel's interconnected stories.

Later stories revisited Sakaar multiple times, establishing it as a permanent part of Hulk mythology and inspiring elements in Thor: Ragnarok. The planet became a recurring location that continues to influence Marvel storytelling across different media formats.

Artwork by Carlo Pagulayan (Deathstroke: The Professional, Deathstroke: Twilight) deserves special recognition for bringing Sakaar to life with stunning detail and imagination. His alien world feels genuinely foreign rather than just Earth with different colors.

The gladiatorial scenes pulse with kinetic energy, while quieter character moments showcase subtle emotional work that gives weight to Hulk's relationships. Pagulayan excels at showing Hulk's physicality without making him look cartoonish.

Greg Pak's writing transforms what could have been simple arena fighting into sophisticated political drama. He understands that Hulk works best when external conflicts mirror internal struggles. The dialogue feels natural despite the fantasy setting and Pak gives each warband member distinct personalities that make deaths matter.

The pacing strikes an excellent balance between action sequences and character development. Pak knows when to let battles breathe and when to focus on interpersonal dynamics. The supporting cast gets enough development to feel like real individuals rather than plot devices.

Planet Hulk succeeds by treating Hulk as a complete character rather than just a rage monster. Pak and Pagulayan created something that works as both standalone adventure and crucial Marvel continuity chapter. The story respects Hulk's extensive publication history while pushing him in bold new directions that feel unexpected.

This storyline works whether you're a longtime Hulk reader or someone who's only seen the movies. It tells a complete story with clear beginning, middle and end while setting up future plotlines that matter. The narrative achieves balance between accessibility and continuity.

Planet Hulk stands as one of the best Hulk stories ever told because it understands what makes the character compelling beyond just smashing things. It's about finding family, fighting oppression and discovering that sometimes being a monster is exactly what the world needs.

Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk is collected in the Planet Hulk trade paperback, hardcover and omnibus editions, widely available at comic shops, bookstores and online retailers. For digital readers, it can be accessed on ComiXology, Kindle and Marvel Unlimited.