"Banner Doesn't Smash" - Coverage of the NYCC's PLANET HULK Screening @ the Paley Center! SPOILERS!!

Planet Hulk takes Manhattan! Cover painting by Alex Ross, with edit.

The "PLANET HULK" animated DVD from Marvel and Lion's Gate hits store shelves on normal edition, special 2-disc edition, and blu-ray edition on Feb. 2nd. But, New York Comic Con, in alliance with the Paley Center in New York City (along with their branch in L.A.), as well as comic news website Newsarama, held an exclusive advance screening event yesterday, 1/14/10 for a lucky 150-200 fans and spectators, as reported in a prior comic news article here - www.examiner.com/x-19829-Brooklyn-Comic-Books-Examiner~y2009m12d19-Comic-News-for-121909-Planet-Hulk-NY-Screening-JMS-talks-Superman-Singer-on-more-XFilms--More. Whether obtaining the green ducats via in-store promotions (such as the one held by Jim Hanley's Universe at their Staten Island location on 12/23/09) or New York Comic Con's online raffle, this Examiner alongside colleague (and photographer) Mathew Eng arrived outside 25 West 52nd Street promptly at 5 p.m. New York time, and even an hour before the "official" opening of the Paley Center's doors, there were already over a dozen fans lined up outside in anticipation. Easily accessed via mass transit on the D-Train to 47th-50th Street, the weather was  a seasonably warm 40 degrees (it IS winter in NYC), but inside the anticipation for the event was as hot as a green gamma bomb. Fans young and old were prepared for a faithful, as well as action packed, adaptation of the Incredible Hulk story baring the feature's name from 2006-2007, written by Greg Pak and drawn by Carlo Paglulayan and Aaron Lopresti (one of the Top 725 Comics Of The Decade - www.examiner.com/x-19829-Brooklyn-Comic-Books-Examiner~y2009m12d31-The-Best-725-Comics-Of-20002009-End-of-Decade-Special). At six p.m. sharp the seats in the auditorium were filling up and the feature began at 6:30 p.m. Even with blu-ray technology and high definition TV, there is no substitute for a live theater experience with a real audience among you, and for "PLANET HULK" this remained the rule. The animated epic of 81 minutes seemed even larger on the big screen and the musical score even more dynamic with professional movie speakers; it was truly the best way to experience the film for the first time.

From here on in, there are SPOILERS about the film. While the comic book story it is based on is some 3-4 years old, the animated feature itself managed to have it's share of surprises and especially cameo appearances.

While ULTIMATE AVENGERS 1 & 2, released as animated DVD's in 2006, were both loosely based on the first thirteen issues of ULTIMATES from Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, this animated adaptation of the "Planet Hulk" story, which ran in INCREDIBLE HULK (vol. 3) #92-105, is much closer to the source material than those prior films were. Exiled from Earth entrapped inside a rocket ship by a group of heroes called "The Illuminati" (of whom Iron Man and Dr. Strange are shown; Black Bolt and Mr. Fantastic are "implied" due to legal technicalities with Fox), the Hulk (Rick D. Wasserman) is sent into outer space. He causes his rocket to land off course through a worm-hole on the planet Sakaar. Run by the tyrannical Red King (Mark Hildreth), the Hulk quickly finds himself part of a band of gladiators who fight for his amusement; the stone-man Korg (Kevin Michael Richardson), the bug-like Miek (Sam Vincent, who channels Andy Serkis' Gollum from the LORD OF THE RINGS films, voice wise) exiled monk Hiroim (Liam O'Brien) as well as military prisoners Elloe (Advah Soudak) and Lavin Skee (Michael Kopsa). While the Hulk is only interested in escape or survival, the rest of the gladiators form a "Warbond" with each other after one of their number is killed. The Hulk finds himself not only the champion of the gladiator pit, but a fast enemy of the Red King and a possible legendary "savior" that has been foretold by monks on Sakaar for ages - "The Sakaarson". The audience is able to learn about the past of all of the "Warbond" allies of the Hulk, especially Korg, whose rock-alien brothers once ran afoul of the mighty Thor on Earth. The Red King's personal "shadow"/bodyguard, Caira the Oldstrong (Lisa Ann Beley) eventually learns to respect the Hulk, and ultimately learns of her master's true tyranny as she explores her character arc. While the comic book story is naturally condensed into under 90 minutes, losing various details from the page, the major events of the story as well as the tone are all present and match the expectations from the fan. The biggest alteration of the story is the choice of "cameo" at the end of the second act; in the comic, it was the Silver Surfer. While he doesn't appear in this feature, his replacement has been a far rarer presence in Marvel Animation, and while this Examiner will leave some surprise, his initials are B.R.B. The ending climaxes in an intense final battle with a more upbeat ending than the true finale of the comic book story; of course, the comic had to pave the way for WORLD WAR HULK, the Marvel comics event of 2007-2008 featuring Hulk's enraged return to Earth. This special, at the very least, leaves that open as a possibility for a sequel disc.

Fans of the "Planet Hulk" comic book story should be pleased by this animated adaptation. In under 85 minutes it captures all of the major story beats of the series while still leaving a few surprises. The major character substitution makes sense and works out well in the end. Rick D. Wasserman puts in a good performance as the Hulk which is different than how the Hulk sounded in the last few Marvel/Lion's Gate animated features, where he was played by Fred Tatasciore. As the persona he adopted on Sakaar, now called "Green Skaar" is considered another unique "Hulk persona" (such as "Joe Fixit/Gray Hulk" and "Smart Hulk/The Professor"), it made sense to give this Hulk a new vocal sound. His design also makes the Hulk look angry and scary without making him look too monstrous. While the action is well paced, blood pumping and exciting, the true strength is that the "Warbond", the alien gladiators the Hulk teams with, are all fleshed out enough that you care about them, especially Caira, who ends up having a more intimate relationship with the Hulk. The true importance of the story, beyond the action, is the tales of the characters on Sakaar and how the Hulk, in "SPARTACUS" fashion becomes the unlikely hero that planet desperately needs. The ending leaves the viewer with a good feeling inside. The animation is quite good for a direct to video effort; not quite up to "theatrical" quality but still above TV grade animation. All of the voice work is quite good; the actors chosen for their talent rather than any sort of "celebrity name"; many of whom have done work on some of Marvel's other video games or TV shows. After "HULK VS.", this is easily among the cream of the Marvel/Lion's Gate animated library thus far. While "HULK VS." was a fanboy's delight of cameos and action, "PLANET HULK" delivers that alongside a top notch story and some character drama. In under three weeks time it will be a must-buy for fans.

  L-R: Eric Rollman, Alex Widen (your humble Examiner), & Marvel EIC Joe Quesada!

After the feature, the Paley Center was home to a panel discussion from key talent behind the animated feature as well as behind Marvel in general. Moderated by former school teacher and current WWE superstar (and comic fan) Matt Striker, the panel consisted of Greg Pak, consultant to the animated feature and the writer responsible for the comic version; Eric S. Rollman, executive producer of virtually everything that is Marvel Animation since 1998 (especially the Lion's Gate direct to video features), and Marvel Editor in Chief (EIC), as well as comic artist, Joe Quesada. Newsarama was represented by a writer who was streaming the event live on the website and even allowed fans from the Internet to ask two questions of the panel during the "Q&A" segment. While Internet message board forum debates can sometimes become very testy (to put it nicely), the tone of the panel was friendly and light hearted between the panelists and the fans, beyond some occasional criticisms or jokes. Among the highlights of this "Q&A" (as well as the rest of the panel) included:

- Acknowledgment that Fox's licenses with Fantastic Four characters effected why Silver Surfer had to be substituted. Eric Rollman stated that there are ways around it, such as why Wolverine was able to be used in the "HULK VS. WOLVERINE" short while being attached to Fox, but for "PLANET HULK" they decided to go with an organic, Thor-related character instead. Fox wasn't mentioned but certain technicalities with licenses were, and Fox currently has the Fantastic Four's license for movies (as well as the X-Men). Joe Quesada stressed that while certain characters were still licensed to other companies for alternate media, that "Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man, the nucleus of the Avengers," were still under Marvel's direct control. While not mentioned in this statement, the Hulk himself is also still under Marvel's control; hence why he can usually freely guest star in any cartoon, and has been one of the most common characters in the Marvel/Lion's Gate animated library aside for Iron Man.

- Greg Pak acted as a consultant on the film, not only for the integrity of the story but to allow the feature's writers and directors to know how to pronounce the "weird alien names" he created. He was asked how it felt to see his work animated and put on the big screen, and Pak replied that he was amazed at the script being capable to condense his story so much while remaining true to it.

- When asked questions about how Marvel's new deal with Disney would effect their movies, such as whether Pixar would ever animate a Marvel film or if Marvel movies would get larger budgets (Joe replied to the effect, "Our movies cost a lot as is"), Mr. Quesada stated point blank that the deal with Disney "is two weeks old" and that a lot of the particulars of it have yet to manifest. He did stress that Disney did NOT seek to "water down" Marvel and he claimed that the company "gets" Marvel and wants them "to continue what you are doing". Quesada also responded that he was "amazed" by the THOR film that is being made and is also excited for the upcoming CAPTAIN AMERICA movie. He also confirmed that he "saw a rough cut of IRON MAN 2, and it kicks IRON MAN 1'S butt, and that was a great film". "IRON MAN 2" comes out in May while "THOR" and "FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA" are due for release in 2011. He also defended 2008's "INCREDIBLE HULK" film when a fan criticized it in comparison to "PLANET HULK".

- Eric Rollman stated that discussions with Lion's Gate for the next batch of animated DVD's are in the works and that many stories are up for consideration. Greg Pak stated that he wanted to see an "X-MEN VS. THE BROOD" feature badly enough that he would be willing to write the screenplay for it. Eric Rollman considered the CIVIL WAR story the "holy grail" of major Marvel stories of the last few years to animate, despite license issues. While Joe Quesada agreed, he also stated he would like to a see a "DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA" animated feature (which isn't impossible; the first animated DVD that Warner Brothers released when they sought to compete was "SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY", a loose adaptation of the DEATH OF SUPERMAN story). Other features mentioned as in the possible pipeline was WORLD WAR HULK as a sequel to PLANET HULK, as well as ULTIMATE AVENGERS 3. Eric Rollman stressed that the "mandate" for the Marvel animated DVD's was to tell stories that would be too big and expensive to do in live action, but that can be treated seriously and fully in animation, with "PLANET HULK" a prime example. Joe Quesada stated they would "need James Cameron money", hinting at "AVATAR", to have done "PLANET HULK" as a live action film. Rollman stressed that sales determine which animated DVD's get sequels, so everyone was encouraged to buy a copy.

- There was promotion for WORLD WAR HULKS, the current Marvel comic book storyline of which is being written through two ongoing series (HULK and INCREDIBLE HULK) and a slew of one-shots and mini-series by Greg Pak himself as well as Jeph Loeb and Jeff Parker. The story was stated to finally reveal the true identity of Red Hulk (who Joe Quesada jokes, "Is Jeph Loeb"), Red She-Hulk, and various mysteries surrounding the series up until this point. Pak stated that included bringing back the Warbond, who have been stuck on Earth on the comics as well, and finishing some of their arcs. A free copy of Pak's INCREDIBLE HULK #602 was given to the audience after the feature. Currently in the comics Banner is unable to become the Hulk, but is utilizing his intellect for his benefit as well as trying to train his son from Sakaar, Skaar, on how to be a hero. Rick Jones has become A-Bomb, Doc Samson is evil, there are Red versions of Hulk and She-Hulk, and the Leader is, ahem, leading a group of brainiacs against the Hulks. "Buy the books" became a quick catch phrase. Pak was in awe of the artwork being produced for it.

- Greg Pak discussed how the idea for Planet Hulk came during the company's "Creator Retreat" summit that they have had once a year for several years now to plot out the next course of Marvel comic stories line-wide. Joe Quesada had the "mental image" of "Hulk in gladiator gear" and that Greg Pak was given the initiative to write a story in which Hulk goes to an alien world, becomes a gladiator and eventually comes back to Earth "really mad". It was decided that "WORLD WAR HULK" should take place after "CIVIL WAR", so Pak had over a year to make "Planet Hulk" play out in the pages of INCREDIBLE HULK. The planet, all of the creatures and names, and the details of the story, however, were "all in Greg's head". Greg Pak also credited the artists as well for their designs. The audience several times gave Greg Pak kudos for his work co-writing INCREDIBLE HERCULES as well.

- Upon being asked by a younger fan about why the Hulk never transformed back into Bruce Banner during the "PLANET HULK" animated film, Joe Quesada joked, "Banner doesn't smash", which got quite a laugh. Greg Pak explained how in the Planet Hulk comic, Hulk transformed into Banner several times briefly, but overall it was felt that the world was "too harsh" for Banner to survive there for "longer than twenty minutes" without being the Hulk. Joe Quesada also utilized knowledge of Marvel lore to note that the Hulk doesn't always transform back into Banner when he is sleeping or knocked out. There are many comic book stories where the Hulk has been able to exist in that form for days or weeks without reverting back, and not every defeat causes him to transform back; over the years that has been inconsistent, giving writers leeway. Greg Pak mused it was because "Hulk was just so angry".

- Joe Quesada stated he liked the cameo appearances by space characters in "PLANET HULK" and stated that the next Creator Summit, "that we're having in about two weeks" will feature involvement from Marvel's space line. This naturally includes books such as NOVA and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, as well as others, mostly written by Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett. Quesada stated that this would be the first time in years that the space line was as involved in it, and Rollman added that often what goes down the line at Marvel ends up on animated DVD, so animated versions of "space stories" were not out of the question. "ANNIHILATION" was stated by fans as being a vital space story they would want to see. Many fans wore colored Lantern rings from shops and WB is moving ahead with "GREEN LANTERN" on small and large screen.

 L-R: Writer Greg Pak, Examiner Alex Widen & WWE star Matt Striker!

After the "Q&A", the panelists asked trivia questions of the audience and three lucky fans won some Lion's Gate DVD's. Ending with a hearty applause, after that there was a signing event featuring all of the panelists as well as free Planet Hulk posters as well as copies of INCREDIBLE HULK #606 to be signed. More Hulk comics in the WORLD WAR HULKS event will go on sale Thursday, 1/20/10 with INCREDIBLE HULK #606 and HULK #19 (along with INCREDIBLE HERCULES #140, co-written by Greg Pak with Fred Van Lente). While having a WWE superstar moderating the event was a surprise, Matt Striker did a good job keeping the panel together and engaging the audience.

On the whole it was a terrific advance preview night with many spoilers and good times had by the lucky fans in attendance. Make sure to get YOUR copy of "PLANET HULK" on DVD & blu-ray soon! The hardcover collections of "PLANET HULK" and "WORLD WAR HULK" in comic book form also make great purchases. Thanks to New York Comic Con and the Paley Center for staging such a solid event!

For more info: Photographs by Mat Eng - www.facebook.com/#/mathew.c.eng

Newsarama - www.newsarama.com

The Paley Center for Media in New York and L.A. - www.paleycenter.org/

New York Comic Con - www.newyorkcomiccon.com/

Coverage of the L.A. version of this event from Heather Kenealy in Beverly Hills - www.examiner.com/x-19417-Hollywood-Comic-Books-Examiner~y2010m1d15-Planet-Hulk-premieres-at-the-Paley-Center