I guess there’s going to be a difference?

Even though “The Indestructible Hulk” doesn’t have the same ring to it, the Marvel NOW! relaunch of the Jade Giant is going to be written by Mark Waid and drawn by Leinil Yu. He’s also going to be wearing armor from now on, for reasons that will apparently be explained in the comic.

This one I think I’m actually going to pick up. Just like with Iron Man and Thor the past two days, Waid gave an interview with Marvel.com that you can read here. I like the ideas he has for the character because they fit what my ideal Hulk is about: a focus on Bruce Banner. I like my Hulk a certain way, and if it doesn’t match those criteria, I simply won’t buy the Hulk. It’s been that way for awhile now in the comics, and I haven’t bought Hulk regularly in years.

My ideal Hulk is the one we’re seeing in the movies. There’s a focus on Bruce Banner and his burden of the Hulk, and everyone appreciates his power. I simply like Banner more than I like Hulk. And for the longest time, Hulk was the main character in the comics. Then there were several years when there were a dozen or more Hulks, including the Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Red She-Hulk, several different She-Hulks, several different Sons of Hulk; it was ridiculous. I prefer it when Bruce Banner is the only Hulk (with an exception for She-Hulk). It dilutes his brand and his power if there’s a whole bunch of Hulks running around. And then the current Hulk series by Jason Aaron switches the dynamic, and has Banner as the evil monster with a normal Hulk who is trying to stay angry and not turn into Banner. No thanks, not for me.

So I like Waid’s approach of putting the focus back on Banner. And I like what he has in mind for Banner:

Different than we’ve seen in a long time, maybe ever. Again, we don’t want to give away too much, but our Bruce Banner is…evolved. Enlightened. He’s had an epiphany about his condition, and it affects everything. All I can say is that once upon a time, The Hulk was unique in comics because he viewed his condition as a curse, not a blessing; but now, 50 years later, a lot of super heroes feel that way. When I was most recently at DC that was the whole philosophy handed down editorially: that heroes should carry a great burden. Now, personally, I feel like if you can fly, then I don’t want to hear you whine about your problems, but I get it—that’s the “New Mindset.” So with Marvel’s permission, we’re taking The Hulk down a road that’s as unique for him as his persecution complex was in 1962.

The series is also going to star Maria Hill, because Banner is going to start working with SHIELD. That sounds pretty cool. I’m definitely looking forward to Mark Waid’s Hulk!