Summary
When the Avengers and others on Earth decide the Hulk is too dangerous to keep around, Reed Richards tricks Bruce Banner into getting on a space ship. The course is set for a remote planet with no other intelligent life where Bruce can live in peace and no one will get hurt.
Except you can’t really trick the Hulk and not expect him to get angry. Soon he’s jacked up the shuttle and his trajectory. Instead of a peaceful planet, he lands on Sakaar. He’s captured, enslaved, and turned into a gladiator for a cruel emperor. But Hulk is not alone in his new situation. He’s part of a band of warriors who are determined to fight their way out of the mess they’re in – or die trying.
Review
I have wanted to read this novelization since it first released. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk is my favorite Avenger, and I’ve been fascinated by the Banner/Hulk dynamic for years. While I’ve never read the Planet Hulk comics, this novel makes me want to see the story presented in that format. (There are some loose connections to the story in the Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok. This story obviously came first.)
The story is fascinating. The Hulk is in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar creatures. He might be incredibly strong and almost invulnerable on Earth, but it’s not the same on Sakaar. He has a lot of new things to adjust to.
Hulk’s band of Warbound are a fascinating mix. Some believe the prophecies Hulk seems to fulfill. Others doubt. While some have strategy and patience, others have only rage and bitterness. Some still believe in the racial/species biases that have long been part of the planet while others are determined to see things change. It’s hard to imagine they will ever get past their vast differences.
I loved the inclusion of some other Marvel characters. Most are in name only, but Reed Richards (Fantastic Four) and Amadeaus Cho (Totally Awesome Hulk) are important as is a spoiler-ish character I won’t mention by name.
This was terrific from start to finish. If you love a good hero story, or a band-of-brothers sort of tale, be sure to check this out.