Batman 3, aka “The Dark Knight Rises,” has wrapped, and Christian Bale is done. Also: Lunch with a Star Wars legend and Hulk TV news.

LUNCH WITH LUKE

Actor Mark Hammill, who brought Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker to life in the original Star Wars Trilogy, is offering to have lunch in Los Angeles with the highest bidder and a guest to raise funds for The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, which provides an ongoing base of support to human rights defenders around the world. Valued at $10,000, the exclusive experience is open for bidding from November 29th through December 15th at:

http://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/276455

BAT-FINISHED

The Philippine Daily Inquirer talked with Christian Bale, and he confirmed he was done with Batman.

“I wrapped a few days ago so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl off,” he said. “I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it’s all done. Everything’s finished. It’s me and Chris – that will be the end of that Batman era.”

He also praised co-star Anne “Catwoman” Hathaway.

“I had plenty of scenes with Anne,” he said. “And I was there when we did the screen test for her. The thing that I said to Chris [Nolan] that day was that there were many very accomplished actresses who had read for the role. I’m terrible at auditions, so I’m very impressed when somebody really seems to acquire an ownership of a character without having worked on it or prepared for some amount of time.”

THE INCREDIBLE HULK NEARS

Guillermo del Toro tells io9 that the screenplay is in for the possible upcoming “Hulk” TV show, and the team is waiting for a green light. Del Toro, serving as producer, says he and his team know the essential stories, including “Hulk: Grey,” written by Jeph Loeb, who is involved with the show.
“We know all the iterations of the Hulk pretty good. We’ve read all the essential stories, and we’re then riffing on that. There are so many incarnations and ideas. Jeph Loeb — who did a good run [on Hulk: Grey] — is involved, and I love Peter David’s Hulk. But there’s really no part in that mythos that we don’t know, so we are trying put our own personal spin on it.”

REVIEW FILE: Green Lantern The Animated Series #0, Wolverine #19, Uncanny X-Men #2, X-Men Legacy #259, Archie #627, Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1.
Comics read in 2011: 1,853. Still to go: 158

Yahoo Movies debuted a banner featuring Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, for the upcoming film “The Avengers,” set for a May 4, 2012 release.  The film is directed by Joss Whedon.

The Avengers who haven’t had their own solo movies as yet, plus one villain, are found on a second banner via Moviefone.  Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury,Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow round out the second banner, which can be seen at Moviefone or by clicking past the cut.

- Matt Price

Marvel Comics has released the above variant cover to “Incredible Hulk” #1, drawn by Ladronn (“Cable”).  This October, Incredible Hulk #1, by Jason Aaron (“Wolverine”) and Marc Silvestri (“Cyberforce”), starts a new era for the Jade Giant as Banner and Hulk find themselves at odds.

Here’s Marvel’s description of the new series: After the events of Fear Itself, the Hulk has gone into hiding, seemingly safe from a world that hates and fears him. But when government agents come knocking at his door, the Hulk has no choice but to return to war against the one man whose existence threatens the safety of every living creature on the Earth. The one man who’s existence could doom the Hulk himself.  And that man is Bruce Banner.  Now separated into two men, the Hulk and Banner exist worlds apart but one climactic battle will bring them face to face again—and leave the Marvel Universe shaking in its wake.

Click past the cut for the video trailer for “Incredible Hulk” #1.

- Matt Price

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and the agents of SHIELD were revealed in promotional art from Marvel at Comic-Con International.   Along with Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye and the Black Widow, they’ll be the focus of “The Avengers,” being directed by Joss Whedon for a 2012 release.

Here’s an abbreviated rundown of several comics I’ve read over the past 2 weeks, but haven’t had time to post about.

Herc 1-2 – Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak are writing a street-level Herc in a fish out of water type tale that should appeal to fans of the “Thor” movie.  Artist Neil Edwards has a touch of classic John Byrne to him.   It’s a good mix of action and humor that I hope finds an audience.

Avengers 12, 12.1 – Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. wrap up the Infinity Gauntlet storyline.  In 12.1, Bendis and Bryan Hitch create a standalone adventure with Ultron, tying into Tony Stark’s map of the future.

Incredible Hulks 626-627 – Hulk, in James Bond-style wear, tries to stop the opening of Pandora’s Box.  Tom Grummett is always a capable artist, and Greg Pak has written some great Hulk stories.

Ruse #1 - Reintroducing the detective series from CrossGen written by Mark Waid.  Loved the original series, liked this. Will stick it out through the run.

Mighty Thor #1 - Matt Fraction’s Thor is solid and well-done, but the #1 is more for the movie folks; it’s not dramatically different from what Fraction has been doing.  OK, but not fantastic.

Action Comics #900 - The “citizenship” back-up story overshadowed in the press the main event of the conclusion of Paul Cornell’s Lex Luthor arc.  But Cornell finishes up well here, if you can find a copy. (Second print is coming.)

Avengers Academy 11-12 - The Academy kids are powered up by becoming future versions of themselves to face Korvac.  An underrated Avengers book.  Written by Christos Gage.

Superman #710 – I’ve liked the “Grounded” storyline better since Chris Roberson has been involved.  This team-up with Batman isn’t earth-shaking, but it’s acceptable.

Skaar King of the Savage Land #1 - This first issue of a 5-issue mini manages to be fun and engaging as Rob Williams and Brian Ching follow the son of the Hulk in the Savage Land.   Cool visuals include Skaar fighting dinosaurs, which is totally a selling point for this book.

Starman/Congorilla 1 – James Robinson and Brett Booth create sort of a superhero version of a buddy cop film; one’s a blue alien, the other’s a man in a gorilla’s body.

Older stuff:

John Carter, Warlord of Mars 1-10: Gil Kane and Roy Thomas were the creative team on this adaptation of the Barsoom (aka Mars) stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Dave Cockrum inks the first issue.  If you want a more science-fictional Tarzan-style story, this is it.   The first 10 issues are an ongoing original story by Thomas, rather than an adaptation of an existing story.  “Air Pirates of Mars” features Carter and Dejah Thoris facing off against a splinter group who want to end Carter’s influence on Mars.   After issue 1, Kane’s layouts were finished by Rudy Nebres.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 618. Still to go: 1393.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat 1

A rundown of some of this week’s comic books read!

Batman: Shadow of the Bat 1-4
The swan song of Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle on Batman.  In “The Last Arkham,”  Batman gets himself interred in Arkham Asylum to track down a murderer.   This series introduces  Mr. Zsasz, Jeremiah Arkham and Amygdala.   Grant and Breyfogle are one of my all-time favorite “Batman” teams, so I’d recommend tracking these issues down.  The comic features fantastic covers by Brian Stelfreeze.

Bloodshot 1-12
Sort of a high-tech mix between Wolverine and the Punisher, Valiant’s “Bloodshot” became a hit in late 1992. Written by Kevin VanHook with art by Don Perlin,

Angelo Mortalli is a former mobster, framed by a rival, who is sold to a Japanese syndicate who uses him as a test subject for an experiment that is intended to be fatal. The nanites he’s injected with resurrect him, though he’s lost all memory of his former life. Rescued from his captors, he takes the name Michael Lazarus and begins working on the side of the law.

The first issue of “Bloodshot” was actually released the same day as “The Death of Superman,” “Superman” #75 from DC Comics.

Darklight Prelude 1-3
Teri Sue Wood (now Resa Challender) followed up on “Wandering Star” with this paranormal mystery series featuring sisters who move into an apparently haunted house, rented to them by immortals.   It’s a really good-looking book with an intriguing storyline.

Detective Comics 875
Scott Snyder and  Francesco Francavilla create a great issue delving onto the past of Commissioner Gordon and his son.   As Gordon tracks down the Peter Pan killer, he’s forced to ask questions about his own family.   Highly recommended issue.

Hardware 1-8
This flagship title of Milestone Media in 1993 introduces Curt Metcalf, a genius inventor who discovers his employer is deeply involved in illegal activities.   Metcalf creates the Hardware armor and persona to battle his employer, businessman Edwin Alva.    These 8 issues were collected for the first time in 2010 in the trade paperback, “Hardware: The Man in the Machine.”   Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan did a great job of creating a flawed, realistic hero in this series.

Incredible Hulks 623-625
Greg Pak and Dale Eaglesham send Hulk and his group to the Savage Land to help Ka-Zar.   When there, Hulk discovers an enemy with a personal connection from his World War Hulk days, and is forced to confront his own inner demons.   Greg Pak absolutely has a great feel for the Hulk, and the wrapup issue, 625, showcases how Hulk and his son, Skaar, have differences both in personality and behavior.

Robocop 1-4

Rob Williams and Fabiano Neves resurrect Robocop for Dynamite Entertainment.   It’s set after the events of the first “Robocop” film, and fits in that world, but where this fits with the continuity of the other films or comics is anybody’s guess.    The story isn’t bad, but the art is a little inconsistent.

Comics read in 2011: 591.  Still to go: 1422

Marvel has shared a preview of a Steve Ditko tale that the company is releasing from the vault.  If you’re missing Johnny Storm, you can revisit the character with this issue.  “Incredible Hulk & The Human Torch: From The Marvel Vault #1,” is by artist Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man, with writers Jack C. Harris & Karl Kesel.  Mark Bagley provides the cover.

Here’s the story description from Marvel:

The dreaded Wizard possesses the power of the moon’s magnetism and it’s up to the Hulk and the Human Torch stop him! Can the two take down the Wizard, whose power now rivals Magneto’s, or will they crash and burn? Be the first to your comic shops to catch this never before seen story in Incredible Hulk & The Human Torch: From The Marvel Vault #1!

The comic will go on sale June 29.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the preview.

INCREDIBLE HULK & THE HUMAN TORCH: FROM THE MARVEL VAULT #1

Written by JACK C. HARRIS & KARL KESEL

Penciled by STEVE DITKO

Cover by MARK BAGLEY

Rated A …$2.99

FOC – 6/6/11, ON SALE 6/29/11

Iron Man 3 gets release date

Stan Lee (AP)

According to Marvel.com, “Iron Man 3″ will release on May 3, 2013.   This appearance will follow Iron Man’s appearance in “The Avengers,” which will release May 4, 2012.

Elect a Legion leader

Fans can vote for who they think should lead the Legion of Super-Heroes by placing a vote at LegionElection.com.

Matt and Kyle review Kick-Ass 2 #1, Hulk #26, Stan Lee’s Soldier Zero #1 and Supergirl #57.

In this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast, Kyle Roberts and Matt Price review the comics The Man with the Getaway Face, Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine 2, Batman 701, Booster Gold 34 and X-Men Second Coming 2.
We take a look at Green Lantern’s new costume, the arrest of a Hollywood Superman, and the fate of Edward Norton as the Hulk. Also, Kyle bites it.

Edward Norton in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk."

HitFix reports that Edward Norton won’t reprise his role as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk in the upcoming “Avengers” movie.  Instead, a new actor will be cast to portray the gamma-irradiated scientist.   Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige sent the following statement to HitFix:

“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”

HitFix speculates such an announcement could come at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

UPDATE: An e-mail from Norton’s agent calls Marvel’s statement “misleading.”

- Matt Price

“Planet Hulk” roared to DVD this month, as Marvel Comics’ green giant is sent to another world, where he becomes a gladiator. It’s based on the hit comic book by Greg Pak. At Comic-Con in 2009, “Planet Hulk” supervising director Frank Paur, “Planet Hulk” film writer Greg Johnson, and Craig Kyle, former senior vice president of animation at Marvel Studios, discussed why “Planet Hulk” was the right fit for a direct-to-DVD film.

“Hulk is a much-loved character,” Kyle said. “He’s just one of the greats. He just is with Spidey and X-Men and Thor and all those, but he’s just someone that fans cannot get enough of. And he’s someone that rules don’t apply to. I think that’s part of his huge appeal.”

While Hulk faced off with Thor and Wolverine in “Hulk Vs.,” another direct-to-DVD film, Kyle said the different films will allow Marvel “to show us the full range of Hulk.”

“‘Planet Hulk’ specifically is probably going to show you the complete Hulk experience that you can have,” Kyle said.

Pak, who wrote the comics that inspired the DVD, looked at a script in the early stages, and Kyle said the creators of the film heavily referenced the comics in developing the film.

Paur said the story line of Hulk on a savage planet, with new foes and friends, gave the filmmakers a chance to show the entire range of the Hulk.

“You see an evolution from monster into basically a man,” Paur said. “The other shows were a lot of fun, but this is the first thinking Hulk that’s ever been done (in animation).”

In the comics, “Planet Hulk” led into the blockbuster comic-book hit “World War Hulk.” Kyle said the success of “Planet Hulk” will determine if animation follows the same path.

“The fans are the ones that decide if there’s a second and a third,” said Kyle, currently a producer on the live-action “Thor” film. But, he said, each movie has to be satisfying on its own.

“It can’t be a cliffhanger,” he said. “You can’t let people feel like they’ve been given two-thirds of a movie. It’s just not fair to them.”

Johnson agreed that “Planet Hulk” is complete in itself.

“At the end of this, you feel like you’ve watched a movie that has ended, but with enough fuel there to ignite a sequel, if you wanted,” Johnson said.

- By Matthew Price
From The Oklahoman

Matt Price and Kyle Roberts provide comic-book reviews for Incredible Hulk 602, Supergirl 46 and Justice League 38 in this week’s NewsOK Comics Podcast. It’s Hulk vs. Wolverine: The Next Generation in “Incredible Hulk” No. 602. The Hunt for Reactron ends in Supergirl 46. And James Robinson (“Starman”) begins his run on “Justice League of America” in issue No. 38.

Lou Ferrigno may join Dancing with the Stars next season, according to Life & Style magazine. (Found via Linda Miller’s excellent Fashion Matters blog at NewsOK.)

From Fashion Matters:

Lou tells Life & Style that while he hasn’t yet signed the contract, he can’t wait to start training for the show. “I had a good meeting with the producers for Dancing With the Stars, it was really positive, and they loved the idea of having me on the show,” Lou says.

More in the link.

Ferrigno is of course best-known for his role as the Hulk in the “Incredible Hulk” television series of the 1970s, in which he played the superstrong, gamma-infused alter ego of David Banner, played by Bill Bixby.

Is this the first superhero to possibly make the “Dancing” roster?

- Matt Price

Marvel has released the Planet Hulk trailer that was first shown at Comic-Con International at San Diego. Stay tuned to Nerdage for much more about Planet Hulk and other animated Marvel projects.

- Matt Price

The Marvel animation team goes heavy on the “Hulk Smash” in “Hulk Vs.,” a new two-disc DVD featuring two programs of about 45 minutes.

The first, “Hulk Vs. Wolverine,” is the better, and bloodier, of the two, as Wolverine is called in to stop a rampaging Hulk. Wolverine’s an agent of Canada’s Department H, and the film also traces his backstory. “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” guest-stars several X-Men-related characters, including Deadpool, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth. The battle between Wolverine and his Weapon X brethren is the film’s highlight.

In “Hulk Vs. Thor,” Thor’s evil brother Loki has long since sought to rule Asgard, the realm of the Norse gods. Odin, the ruler of Asgard, must periodically hibernate to restore his energy. With Asgard left less-defended, Loki uses magic to control the Hulk, who he sends to destroy Thor.

There’s not a lot of story in either, but there’s a lot of well-animated action and violence. The dark humor keeps “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” relatively light despite a lot of PG-13 hacking and slashing. The characters’ voices are on-model and fit with the Marvel Comics depiction of them. “Thor” is the lesser of the two films, but he’ll get another try, as the special features on the disc include a first look at a “Lord of the Rings”-inspired take on the god of Thunder, “Thor: Tales of Asgard.” There are also featurettes and commentaries on the development of each film included as extras.

- Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Actor Edward Norton and studio Marvel reportedly had some disagreements on the final cut of “The Incredible Hulk,” now out on DVD. With the plethora of deleted scenes included on the 3-disc special edition, you can argue that Norton was right. Most of the deleted scenes bring more humanity to Bruce Banner, Norton’s character who, when angry or excited, turns into the green monster the incredible Hulk.

Perhaps stung by criticism of the 2003 Ang Lee-directed “Hulk,” Marvel chose to move the action up in the film. The film concludes with a CGI fight sequence that’s overlong. Still, the released “Incredible Hulk” was an exciting, well-acted film. But it seems from the scenes we’re given on the DVD that Norton’s version could have been better.

Marvel fans will also appreciate the blink-and-you’ll-miss-him appearance of a frozen Captain America in the alternate opening to the film. While the film works better without that opening, it’s a nice Easter egg.

Also included on the 3-disc edition of the DVD are multiple documentaries, a commentary by director Louis Letterier, and a digital copy of the film.

- Matthew Price

Joshua Fine, Director of Animation Development for Marvel Animation, tells Marvel Animation Age that the Hulk: Gamma Corp animated series was in pre-production when the decision was made to fold the creative work being done there into the upcoming The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes animated series. Even though the creative team was well into pre-production of Hulk: Gamma Corps, with scripting underway, they saw the chance to tell bigger stories that reached far beyond Hulk’s universe.

“It became apparent to us that the creative work that was being done to bring Hulk’s world and his villains to life was too good to relegate to his universe alone, and would be much better suited as part of an full-on Avengers scenario,” says Fine.

SAN DIEGO — Marvel and Lionsgate debuted the “Hulk vs. Wolverine” portion of the upcoming “Hulk Vs.” DVD, which will also feature a “Hulk vs. Thor” episode.  The DVD will go on sale in January.

On hand to discuss the DVD were supervising producer and co-writer Craig Kyle, producer and supervising director Frank Paur, co-writer Christopher Yost and voice actor Fred Tatasciore, who portrayed the Hulk.

“This is the fight we’ve loved since 181,” said Kyle, referring to the first appearance of Wolverine in “Incredible Hulk” 181, where the Canadian mutant and the green Goliath first threw down.

“We’ve brought it together in a way I think you guys are gonna love,” Kyle said. “These are the kinds of films I think we should be making for you guys.”

Kyle focused on the fans during the presentation, saying the Marvel direct-to-DVD features were aimed at pleasing the comic-book fans first.

Co-writer Chris Yost, who also writes the comic-book “X-Force” with Kyle, talked about bringing the comic-book feel to the project.

“Everything that the fans like, the action and the edge, I’ve tried to bring to it,” Yost said.

Paur said the DVD can be more violent and action-oriented than broadcast television; there’s also some things that are more cost-effective on DVD.

“There are some things … that I wouldn’t even think about approaching (for TV) that we did on these features,” Paur said.  “We did some things that would not be cost-conscious on a TV series.”

Kyle talked a bit about “Next Avengers,” a PG-rated animated DVD featuring the children of the original Avengers, and indicated it would be more kid-appropriate than the more violent “Hulk Vs.”  He also mentioned some other kid-friendly properties he’d like to see.

“I think there’s room for ‘Power Pack,’ ‘New Mutants,’ and then there’s stuff where we need five amputations to make it right.”

– Matt Price

Hulk takes on Thor and Wolverine in this January 2009 DVD release.

– Matt Price

The third season of “The Incredible Hulk,” starring Bill Bixby as David Banner, has fewer two-part episodes than previous seasons, but still manages some solid episodes.

While the season’s fifth episode, “My Favorite Magician,” has some flaws, it’s got several interesting ideas working for it. It co-stars Ray Walston, Bixby’s co-star on “My Favorite Martian,” and it features Banner becoming a magician’s assistant, likely referencing Bixby’s 1973 series “The Magician.”

The highlight of the third season is “Homecoming,” in which Banner returns to his hometown for the first time since the accident that transformed him, in times of stress and anger, into the Incredible Hulk (portrayed by Lou Ferrigno).

The episode “The Psychic” features Brenda Benet, Bixby’s first wife, as a psychic who discovers the connection between Banner and The Hulk.

While the third season lacked the dynamic two-parters of seasons two and four, it holds up as part of one of the best television adaptations of a comic-book hero.

— Matthew Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

The strike-shortened 1980 season of “The Incredible Hulk” started off with a bang, with the two-part episode “Prometheus” exploring the more science-fictional aspects of the show. A meteor with unusual properties causes David Banner (Bill Bixby) to be caught in a half-Banner, half-Hulk stage. He eventually triggers the full transformation, but is caught by a government agency seeking to capture extraterrestrials.

Lou Ferrigno, who played Banner’s alter-ego the Hulk in each episode, gets to guest-star without the green paint in “King of the Beach.”

A two-part episode called “The First” explores Dr. Jeffrey Frye’s earlier radiation experiments that created an earlier version of a Hulk-like monster. This “Hulk” is played by Dick Durock, who later became another comic-book hero in the “Swamp Thing” TV series and films. The Hulk vs. Hulk showdown is worth the price of admission.

“The First” is followed with two other classic episodes — “The Harder They Fall,” in which Banner finds himself temporarily paralyzed, and “Interview with the Hulk,” when another reporter gets the scoop on Jack McGee (Jack Colvin) and lands an interview with Banner.

— Matthew Price

At the moment, “Incredible Hulk” is scoring only slightly better at Rotten Tomatoes, with 66% positive versus 61% for its predecessor.   However, on the more populist imdb.com, voters are currently tagging “Incredible Hulk” as an 8.2/10, compared to a 5.8/10 for “Hulk.”

– Matt Price

George Lang and I discuss this week’s movies, including “Incredible Hulk,” “The Happening,” “American Teen” and more in this week’s entertainment podcast.

– Matt Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman: 

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

WORD BALLOONS

Those who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s know Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Writer-director-producer Kenneth Johnson’s take on “The Incredible Hulk” is probably still the best-known, and inspired the current Edward Norton film. Johnson was the creative force behind the 1970s TV series starring Bill Bixby and Ferrigno.

Seasons three and four of “The Incredible Hulk” were released this month on DVD.

Johnson is more excited about director Louis Letterier’s take on the Hulk, out today in theaters, than Ang Lee’s 2003 film.

“We felt like they had missed the whole point of what I had tried to do in the series. It was a bunch of movies that didn’t quite come together,” Johnson said. “I’m a fan of (director) Ang Lee’s work, but I just think he was just miscast for that one.”

The second film is much more similar to Johnson’s series.

“I was talking to a friend of mine in Brazil who was their production manager down there for their Amazonian shoot, and he said, ‘Oh, Kenny, it’s much more like your original.’”

While Johnson is best-known for his work in the superhero and sci-fi genres, that’s not where he initially planned to make his mark.

“I had been trained at Carnegie Mellon, which is a theater school. All my training had been in the classics,” Johnson said. “Then, you create the ‘Bionic Woman,’ and the view that Hollywood has of you begins to narrow down.”

After the success of “The Bionic Woman,” Johnson was asked to pitch a show based on a Marvel Comics character of his choice.

He wasn’t originally interested, but in the process of reading “Les Miserables,” the fugitive concept appealed to him. He began to think about applying that idea to “The Incredible Hulk,” as well as playing up the Jekyll-and-Hyde elements.

“I could turn it into a psychological drama,” he said.

He asked for control over casting, and brought in Bill Bixby as David (not Bruce) Banner, and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. “The Incredible Hulk” became a hit, running on television for five seasons.

“My pilot was released in Europe as a theatrical feature, and it was the top-grossing movie in Europe for two months,” Johnson said.

Johnson grew up in Arkansas, but has some ties to Oklahoma.

“When I was a kid, my dad was in the Army Reserve. Every summer, for some years, we would spend some time at Fort Sill,” Johnson said. “He lived in Tulsa for a time, so I have ties to Oklahoma.”

Talk about a treat: Monday night, I got to see an advance screening of “The Incredible Hulk” and let me be the first to say, this movie smashed my expectations.

Much like Iron Man earlier this summer, The Incredible Hulk is a both a loving tribute to fans and an audience-friendly action flick. It’s not high art, but who cares when it’s this much fun?

I’m sure Matt will have plenty to say on the subject soon, but one thing that really stuck out to me was Bruce Banner’s vivid memory flashes of the Hulk’s activities — he has post-traumatic stress disorder.

It makes perfect sense, of course. He’s not a soldier. Bruce Banner is a scientist thrust into a very unhappy situation that makes wherever he is a war-zone.

Fans of the TV show, fans of the comics and fans of big-budget action movies will really enjoy this one. Coming from someone who liked Ang Lee’s earlier film, I can honestly say this is a more mainstream product that I predict will do big box office.

I think Matt and I might do some competing Top 5 lists on the best superhero movies of all time. Let us know what your favorites are in the comments.

– Greg Elwell

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner in “The Incredible Hulk,” a love letter to the 1970s series that mixes “The Fugitive” with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Norton’s Hulk, a CGI-creature, isn’t all Hyde, however. While he’s fueled by rage, he maintains some of Banner’s emotions, and can be calmed by Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler), Banner’s former girlfriend and scientific colleague.
Banner was accidentally irradiated in a lab accident, which caused him to turn into a super-strong green giant. Anytime his pulse races beyond a certain point, it triggers the transformation. Banner goes on the run, as Gen. Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) wants to use Banner’s blood to create an army of hulkified soldiers. He seeks the aid of mercenary Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who wants any experimental process the general has to up his abilities to take on the Hulk.

The screenplay is by Zak Penn (“X-Men 2”), and French director Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter”) takes the directorial reins this time around. While 2003′s “Hulk,” directed by Ang Lee, mixed angst, art-school style and comic-book panels into an interesting hybrid that didn’t please the target audience, “Incredible Hulk” is a much more straightforward action film, but one that satisfies. The film is at its best when Norton is onscreen, which means the final CGI-versus-CGI battle isn’t the strongest portion of the movie, but it’s the perfectly accepted method of concluding these sort of things.

There are cameos aplenty in “The Incredible Hulk,” and dozens of nods to Marvel fans, but none of them detract from the film.

— Matthew Price

Action-Figure.com has a rundown of upcoming animated Marvel properties, including a direct-to-DVD version of “Planet Hulk,” to be produced by LionsGate.  It’s set for a late 2009 release.

Also in the works:

Hulk: Gamma Corps, starring the Hulk, She-Hulk and Doc Samson, this is contingent on the performance of the film.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures, a CGI series coming from Nickelodeon.

Also in the planning stages are “Marvel Extreme – Wolverine” and “Marvel Super Hero Squad.”

– Matt Price

Writer Greg Pak continues his trilogy of Hulk-related events with this week’s “Skaar, Son of Hulk.”In “Planet Hulk,” the Hulk was sent off-planet by Reed Richards and other heroes, hoping he would live out his life in peace on a faraway planet. But the Hulk’s spaceship was diverted, and he instead landed on the warlike planet of Sakaar. But the Hulk thrived there, became a ruler and married his beloved. But when Hulk’s ship exploded, causing the death of his wife, Hulk returned to Earth for revenge, as seen in “World War Hulk.”What Hulk doesn’t know is that he had a son — and that son survived. His story is told in “Skaar, Son of Hulk.”Pak and artist Ron Garney (“Captain America”) follow the scion of Hulk in this new series, which has elements of “Tarzan,” as a lost son makes his way in an uncaring world. Sakaar is in chaos following the departure of their leader, and Skaar is in the midst of it. “Skaar, Son of Hulk” takes some Marvel superhero trappings and mixes them into the sword-and-sorcery styled world of “Planet Hulk.”

The first issue is largely setup, as Skaar’s status quo and world are explored. And to some degree, it reads like “Conan” on the world of Sakaar.  But, for fans of the recent “Planet Hulk” or for Tarzan/Conan type stories, “Skaar” is a success. And given the quality Pak brought to the first two parts of his trilogy, I want to see where “Skaar” leads.

– Matt Price

 – Matt Price