It Takes 11 Artists To Finish ‘Hulk #2’. Dedication, or Sadness?

Oh, Marvel. The Jason Aaron/Marc Silvestri ultimate team-up to relaunch Hulk lasted all of…one issue. I know that Silvestri was hospitalized this week for an infection in his foot, but I would imagine the events that precipitated *11* artists contributing to Hulk #2 occurred long, long ago. 11 artists. Oh my.

Comics Alliance:

Let it never be said that Marvel Comics doesn’t take deadlines seriously. Okay, it will probably be said in the future, possibly on this website, but the venerable superhero publisher took what for many fans would seem like dramatic measures to honor next week’s on-sale date for The Incredible Hulk #2, which was completed by no fewer than 11 credited pencilers and inkers. Written by Jason Aaron, the 20-page issue was sold to retailers with Marc Silvestri credited as penciler, but what we can only assume was some kind of delay in the comic book-making process necessitated the hiring of so many pinch-hitters. After some consideration, some wild speculation and actually reading the comic book itself, we find ourselves impressed by this move and we’ll tell you why after the cut.

As most mainstream comics readers know, it’s not uncommon for publishers to employ the services of fill-in writers and artists to help ensure that deadlines are met and comic books ship to stores and upload to digital retailers in time to meet pre-determined sales dates. But what most mainstream comics readers may not know is that bringing in extra help, even a lot of extra help, to complete a single 20-page issue happens more than you know. But it is definitely rare that as many as eleven artists are credited for the work.

The Incredible Hulk #2 art credits break down thusly:

Pencilers
Marc Silvestri
Whilce Portacio
Billy Tanrem

Pencil Assists
Michael Broussard
Eric Basaldua

Finishes
Scott Hanna

Inkers
Joe Weems
Rick Basaldua
Jay Leisten
Don Ho
Crimelab Syndicate

There are numerous reasons why fill-in or additional artists are often necessary — a late script, late artwork, an illness, a production crisis, a fired/quit/reassigned creator, and many, many more reasons than most readers can imagine. Marvel didn’t comment on The Incredible Hulk #2 situation when asked about it by Comic Book Resources, but while it would probably sate some curiosity to know what happened, the cause is not nearly as interesting to me as the genuinely bold solution.

Momentum is critical in maintaining the high level of reader and retailer engagement with this title, whose first issue sold more than 100,000 copies, making it Marvel’s highest selling title in October. It seems obvious that momentum was threatened in some way and Marvel took startlingly aggressive action. Presumably the book will go on sale next week as scheduled and avoid the “late book” stigma that plagues too many high profile titles in superhero comics (particularly those, it has to be said, that involve the beloved Image founders) and keep everybody happy until the next issue. Not an ideal situation, obviously, but that’s one mission accomplished.

Another mission is satisfying the reader. A Marvel icon of the 1990s, the co-founder of Image Comics and the CEO of Top Cow Productions, Silvestri is definitely a fan-favorite. Populating a Silvestri book with five additional pencillers, you’d reasonably expect an anarchic, bloody patchwork of a comic. But in reality, Incredible Hulk #2 is anything but. (As pointed out by Bleeding Cool, an apparent comiXology glitch made the issue available for sale for a short time this week, before it was meant to go on sale, and we grabbed a copy.) Series editor Mark Paniccia was wise to staff this singular issue with the likes of Billy Tan, Michael Broussard and Eric Basaldua, as they’re all alumni of Silvestri’s Top Cow studio and proficient in and influenced by his signature style. Fellow Image co-founder Whilce Portacio also shares some stylistic traits with the top-billed artist, and together with Scott Hanna and a small army of inkers, these gentlemen created what in my view is an almost seamless collaboration. The Incredible Hulk #2 looks and reads like a Marc Silvestri comic.

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What to make of this? I understand economics and deadlines and yet but!, but! It bums me out that the advertised super team lasted one issue, then this issue, and then #3 is/was (who knows with Silvestri being hospitalized) Marc’s last issue.

Thoughts? Opinions?