Lesser Known Joe Casey Comics: The Incredible Hulk #467

[Beginning my look at Joe Casey's little-known run on The Incredible Hulk, which he wrote between Peter David's departure and the relaunch by John Byrne. New posts Monday, Wednesday and Friday.]

This issue actually only contains two pages by Joe Casey as an epilogue for David's run/prologue for his own run. The rest of the issue is actually Peter David's last issue on the book and delivers a conclusion that doesn't actually happen. At the end of his run, Bruce Banner's wife, Betty died, from radiation poisoning--supposedly from him--and her dad blamed him--and he blamed himself. This issue has a future version of Rick Jones discussing what happened next with Bruce dropping out of sight, going a little insane and trying his best to die without any success. The issue is a nice mix of traditional comic panels and pics with text in the gutters. It tells a story that could never happen as it actually changes things in a big way, particularly how Bruce acts--and the future of the Hulk. At the end of the issue, David admits that it's an alternate future. But, still, it's a decent story. I never read David's run really, never being a big Hulk fan, but this issue seem a good way to end such a long run.

Bruce, in a way, acts as David's stand-in, especially at the end of the issue where he speaks about how sometimes you just need to move on.

Casey's two pages set-up General Ross keeping Betty's body in a cryogenic-type tank so she can be brought back at some future point--while swearing revenge against Bruce and, in a way, thanking her for giving his life purpose again.

Sorry for this cheat of a post, but it worked out well as today has been very busy and I'm not in the mood for something longer.

Tomorrow, I begin looking at an entirely different Joe Casey run... what will it be?