We had tons of questions for World War Hulk mastermind Greg Pak, so in addition to asking him about the new Incredible Herc series (see our related interview here), we chatted with him about shutting the doors on Marvel's 2007 summer event and the arrival of Skaar, the son of the Hulk. Skaar will be getting his own ongoing series, which is currently set to launch in March 2008. The smashing is just getting started! Discover the first details here.
IGN Comics: World War Hulk is done! How does it feel to wrap your first major Marvel event?
Greg Pak: Fantastic, thank you very much! It's been a heck of a ride -- many thanks to all the readers and reviewers and retailers who have been spreading the good word about the series!
IGN Comics: Was managing this event any more or less taxing than the epic Planet Hulk saga?
Pak:Both more and less. Less, because the five issue "World War Hulk" miniseries is actually a much more contained story than the fourteen issue epic that was "Planet Hulk." But more, because "World War Hulk" was set right smack dab in the middle of the Marvel Universe and required a massive amount of coordination with dozens of writers and editors and characters and storylines. Tons of fun, but pretty mind-bending at times.
IGN Comics: Does the hype that surrounds an event like this alter your writing process or, more specifically, the pressure associated with the writing process?
Pak: Not really. Probably because every comics project I've ever undertaken with classic Marvel characters involves massive pressure, no matter how big or small the circulation of the particular book might be. I always try to respect and build upon the histories and themes of the characters while striving to tell a fresh story. But you never know until it's out there just how it'll be received -- all you can do is tell the very best story you can. I will say in the case of "World War Hulk" that a good deal of the pressure was relieved by the fact that I had such fantastic collaborators. With folks like John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, and Christina Strain handling the visuals, I figured I couldn't goof things up too much.
IGN Comics: As the development of World War Hulk moved along, where there any major plot elements that changed?
Pak: Dozens of plot elements changed during the months of development of the "World War Hulk" storyline -- I think I went through a dozen drafts of the treatment. But once we nailed down the outline, we pretty much stuck to it. Plenty of smaller details came into focus while I was writing the actual scripts, but none of the major plot elements or set pieces shifted.
IGN Comics: Looking back were there any elements that turned out better than you imagined?
Pak: I think one of the biggest pleasures was seeing how Johnny drew all the civilians in the book. He's the king of the Mighty Marvel smashfest -- no one does insane superhero battles like he does. But his everyday people are absolutely brilliant. I loved his fire chief, his Tom Foster, his little old lady, and his crazy anti-Strange woman. These characters really came to life and humanized the story in just the right way.
IGN Comics: Is there anything that you actually would have liked to redo or tweak? Anything dropped that you're looking to pick up or use in Herc or Skaar?
Pak: I always knew from the very beginning that it would be more powerful NOT to show the Black Bolt battle in the first issue. But Johnny and I have talked about much of a blast it would be to show that battle in all its glory in an insane 22 page one-shot. Maybe someday...
IGN Comics: We have a few questions regarding the finish of the Hulk/Sentry fight. Our first question is whether you had always intended the last battle to be between these two. Did you ever consider Thor or perhaps even a foe of the Hulk's? What made Sentry the clear choice for you?
Pak: In an early draft of the outline, i had that final battle between Strange and the Hulk, since the two have such a long history together. But as we hammered through multiple drafts of the treatment, the Sentry just made sense. He and the Hulk have a history of their own -- but even more importantly, the Sentry and the Hulk share similar conflicts with their alter egos and face the same danger of losing control. And that gave us something interesting on an emotional level to play with during that fight. The Sentry actually had something to learn from the Hulk. And by teaching that lesson, the Hulk himself was able to come to a realization of his own and find a new equilibrium -- for one brief, shining moment, anyway.
IGN Comics: Moving to the conclusion of that battle, the Hulk and Sentry manage to de-power each other during their fight. When the Hulk ramps up again, he asks Tony Stark to eliminate him. Why was it important to you to have the Hulk ask to be eliminated rather than someone defeating him?
Pak: I fought for that moment because the Hulk's the hero of this story. A tragic hero, a deeply flawed hero, a barbaric and even monstrous hero at times, but the hero nonetheless. That final action needed to be his choice.
IGN Comics: Do you think the superhero community will regard Tony Stark with more favor since his clandestine projects ultimately saved the day?
Pak: I suppose that'll depend upon what happens in the aftermath -- no, wait, "Aftersmash" -- of "World War Hulk." An action packed one-shot on sale in just a few short weeks, written by yours truly with gorgeous pencils by Rafa Sandoval!
To address the question more directly, I think Tony's actions will just confirm whatever impression people already have of him. Those who think he's a conniving destroyer of civil rights and civil liberties will continue to believe just that. Those who believe he's a hero determined to keep us safe, no matter what the cost to himself, will just have their faith in him bolstered by what he's done in "World War Hulk."
IGN Comics: We're curious about the final panels showing Bruce Banner. What is his condition after Stark uses the satellites? Is he being locked away for testing or to be imprisoned?
Pak: During the development of the story, Hulk editor Mark Paniccia and I would always refer to this scene with the shorthand, "Banner checks out." Banner's catatonic -- he and the Hulk are done for a while. Maybe it was the blast that did it; maybe it was simply where they needed to go after nearly destroying the eastern seaboard. Regarding the rest, all will be revealed in the fullness of time.
IGN Comics: One final question regarding those final moments - Banner is being hit by a red beam of energy from the satellites. In his final panel, as his eyes shut, the room turns red. Is this a hint towards Banner becoming a Red Goliath or just symbolism to suggest Banner's time as the Hulk is at an end? Or are we stretching just a bit? -laughs-
Pak: Hey, stretching is fun! I won't comment for fear of spoilers -- and 'cause sometimes writers should just keep their mouths shut and let readers have fun speculating for themselves.
IGN Comics: Let's talk a bit about Skaar, the Son of the Hulk. First off, how would you describe this character, and how much does he take after his mother and father? We're guessing he has super-human strength - does he have any other abilities?
Pak: Skaar's father is the Hulk, the strongest one there is, and his mother was alien warrior Caiera the Oldstrong, who was born with the ability to tap into the massive power of the very planet she stood upon. Just how strong Skaar himself is remains to be seen -- but he's got to be pretty tough to have survived as a scalded embryo in the radioactive seas of the savage planet Sakaar after the incineration of his mother by a nuclear explosion.
IGN Comics: In the final page of World War Hulk, we see Skaar rise out of a green pool. Just to be clear, this was the Hulk's child with his Queen… how did the child survive the blast when the mother did not?
Pak: I ain't saying just yet. But it's interesting that in the "What If: Planet Hulk" one-shot, Caiera indicated that she could have saved the Hulk from the blast using her Old Power...
IGN Comics: Are we looking at a child or is Skaar a full-grown… Sakaarian?
Pak: As the "Planet Hulk Gladiator Guidebook" notes, the children of the Shadow People of Sakaar are a bit like antelopes -- they've evolved in such a dangerous world that they're capable of running within a few hours or even minutes of birth. Skaar has both Shadow and Hulk genes in his DNA -- who knows what kind of growth patterns that could inspire?
IGN Comics: Since this is a new character and a relatively new world, what can you tell us about the direction of the series?
Pak: A savage hero struggles to survive in a shattered world of Fillian warlords and Imperial princesses and deadly Wildebots and secret cities and the terrible truths of Prophet Rock. We'll root for this wild child the same way we root for the great predators in nature documentaries -- the animal inside of us can't get enough of that visceral fight for life and death. But we'll also root for him as he slashes his way towards self-discovery -- can he learn the difference between man and monster -- and if so, which side will he choose?
IGN Comics: Will this series take place entirely on Sakaar or will we see the Hulk's son trying to journey to the Earth in search of his father? Does Skaar have any residual memory of his parents?
Pak: All will be revealed in due time.
IGN Comics: Last question (for now)! Tease fans in terms of what they can expect from the Skaar series. Why should Hulk fans be excited, and what about comic book fans in general?
Pak: If you thought the Hulk played a little too nicely with others in "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk," this is the book for you. Skaar: Son of Hulk takes the classic Hulk question of what makes a man a monster or a hero and cranks it to eleven. At the same time, the book will continue to develop the world and mythology of the savage planet of Sakaar, a place like no other in the Marvel Universe, where the stakes are insanely high since absolutely anything can happen to the characters we're following.
Comic book fans in general might take a special interest in a different kind of superhero tale with an emphasis on the science fiction and fantasy elements that made "Planet Hulk" so much fun. And as an added bonus, Hulk fans in particular might get a big kick out of the major involvement of a classic Hulk villain in a completely unexpected role.
