Marvel Comics has revealed it will release only one Comics Giveaway Day title in 2027: a brand-new Hulk #1, by Ultimate Wolverine writer Chris Condon and artist Alessandro Cappuccio. Picking up from Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein‘s Infernal Hulk, the series will see Bruce Banner be confronted with the prospect of finally curing himself of the Hulk, even though it would come at an “unholy price” that would bring about “his final damnation” as well.
The full, official synopsis (which reads as if the Hulk is interjecting) says, “Bruce Banner is left with the curse he’s spent his life trying to escape… and he’s done running. UNTHINKABLE FREEDOM. AN UNHOLY PRICE. An impossible temptation promises a permanent cure, placing Banner’s salvation within reach, but bringing his final damnation one step closer. LURKING IN THE SHADOWS, A NEW MONSTER RISES. Banner’s desperate hunt for a cure will reveal how much he’ll sacrifice to bury the Hulk forever.”
Condon says, “Dreams do come true, it seems, even if it comes at the suffering of poor Bruce Banner. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the team chronicling the next era of the Jade Giant at Marvel.” He adds, “I’ve loved the Hulk since I was a kid and that love has continued to this very day, so I hope people know that what we’re crafting is in tribute to everything from [Stan] Lee & [Jack] Kirby‘s initial debut to Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein, & company’s horrifyingly brilliant Infernal Hulk saga. We are taking things in an exciting new direction for our day and age, but don’t worry, HULK STILL SMASH.”
Cappuccio also says, “There are characters you meet professionally, and others who, in some way, stay with you. The Hulk definitely belongs to the second category. Behind his immense strength lies a universe of fragility, conflicts, and contradictions that continues to fascinate me. He’s a character who seems to have an endless supply of stories to tell, and that’s exactly what makes him so special. Having the opportunity to explore this universe means a great deal to me.”
Issue #1 will be available on Saturday, May 1. Marvel editor-in-chief Stephen Wacker says of their Comics Giveaway Day decision, “[Our] offering should not only give people a reason to run to their comic shops, but also a reason to come back! That’s why we’re choosing it to launch Hulk, giving away the entire first issue of his new ongoing series. We believe strongly in what Chris and Alessandro are building here and while PKJ and Nic are definitely a hard act to follow, we want as many people as possible to get their huge green mitts on the Hulk’s next adventure!”
Variant covers for the issue will only be available in blind bags. Special 20-bag display boxes will also be available, each containing 19 blind bagged copies, and an exclusive “gamma irradiated” glow-in-the-dark cover by Patrick Gleason. In the meantime, Johnson and Klein’s Hulk War: Infernal Rage will begin the end of their run (which started in 2023) this February, and the latest prelude issue, Infernal Hulk vs. Spider-Man, is available now.
