Just recently, Marvel teased us with the mystery of who the TOTALLY AWESOME HULK would be. While we were pretty sure who it would be, the teasers left us guessing. With Greg Pak on board, it made total sense that Amadeus Cho, a character he co-created, would be the lead.
Of course the big question is, how the heck did Amadeus become a Hulk? The other question is, what happened to Bruce Banner? Pak will be working with Frank Cho on the series. We talked to Greg to see what we could find out about the further mysteries of the TOTALLY AWESOME HULK.
COMIC VINE: Did Marvel approach you about writing Amadeus Cho again or did you go to them?
GREG PAK: I got a call out of the blue from editor Mark Paniccia, who said "Amadeus Cho Hulk" and I said "YES, PLEASE."
I know it totally sounds like something I would have pitched, right? But the idea came up during one of Marvel's creative summits and they came to me afterwards. Honestly, I love it even more that way. This isn't just ONE crazy person's dream book; it's a BUNCH of crazy people's dream book. ;-)
CV: Who came up with the title?
GREG PAK: I think Mark came up with the title. I blinked at first, but then I realized it totally fit. Amadeus freaking loves being the Hulk, and the book has a whole different, exciting vibe as a result. The title reflects that. It also means we get headlines that say "There's a New Hulk - and He's Totally Awesome!" Which is pretty sweet.
CV: How did the idea of Amadeus being a Hulk come about?
GREG PAK: As Mark and Axel explained to me, the idea of a new Hulk came up during a Marvel creative summit. And I guess if you think about characters who have a real relationship to the Hulk and who would make for an interesting new Hulk, Amadeus kind of naturally rises to the surface. In his very first appearance back in November 2005 in AMAZING FANTASY V2 #15, he has a close encounter with the Hulk. And during World War Hulk, we discovered he's the world's biggest Hulk fan, and his story's intersected with Banner's multiple times over the years since then. So just in terms of continuity, he makes a ton of sense.
But I think the deciding factor was that Amadeus brings a great new dynamic to Hulk stories. He's a kid -- nineteen years old -- and he thinks he knows everything. And he just might! So he's a ridiculously confident kid who's convinced he's going to be the best Hulk EVER. That's a huge difference from Banner's relationship to the Hulk, and it opens up a whole new set of themes and stories.
CV: Will the series begin with him already able to be a Hulk or will we see how it happens?
GREG PAK: We'll start in mid-adventure, with Amadeus as the Hulk getting into Hulk-sized trouble on a big, Hulk-sized mission. And then we'll gradually reveal how he got there and what the stakes really might be.
CV: Is the device on his wrist a Gamma Ray injector/inducer thingy?
GREG PAK: All will be revealed in issue #1! Tell your local comic shop to pre-order your copy today!
CV: Will we find out what happened to Bruce Banner right away or will it be a juicy mystery playing out over the beginning issues?
GREG PAK: It'll be a big, fat, juicy mystery. I love Banner; I wrote stories about the guy for five and a half years. And I'm thrilled to explore how all of this came about and what the ramifications are for him. There's a lot of great story there.
CV: We’ve seen a smart Hulk before. How will Cho as a Hulk be different?
GREG PAK: One of the great things about Amadeus is that he's ridiculously smart, but he can also be really dumb -- in the way that really smart folks can often make very bad decisions. And being the Hulk may only increase Amadeus's already extreme impulsiveness. So get ready for explosions!
CV: How excited are you to be writing Amadeus again?
GREG PAK: Over the moon. He's always been one of my very favorite characters to write, and I'm hugely grateful to Mark and Axel and everyone at Marvel for bringing me back for this huge new chapter in his life. And a huge, huge high five to all the writers (especially my INCREDIBLE HERCULES co-writer Fred Van Lente!) who have used him in their books over the years and all the readers who have bought the books. We all raised this bouncing boy together!
And let me just give a big shout out to artist Frank Cho and colorist Sonia Oback. They're absolutely incredible, investing every panel and every page with so much energy and humor and excitement. It's a labor of love all 'round, and it shows.
Don't miss out on the upcoming TOTALLY AWESOME HULK, on sale in December. Be sure to let your comic shop know right away to order you a copy.