Friday Night Fights: The (Overlooked) Battle of the Century!

"Who's stronger--Superman or the Hulk?" It's a question my young friends and I often pondered (at least until puberty kicked in and...ahem....other things were pondered).

Of course, we soon discovered that such a Battle Royale probably wasn't going to happen. The fact that the popular characters were owned by competing comic book publishers created what seemed to be an insurmountable legal barrier that not even this pair of powerhouses could smash through.

Ah, but then lightning struck in the form of Superman vs. Spider-Man (1976), a tabloid-sized answer to our prayers that proved competing characters could not only meet each other, but fight each other over a misunderstanding as superheroes tend to do. More inter-company crossovers were arranged over the next several decades...some good, others not so good. One of the very best of them was The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman (1999). Unfortunately, this well-crafted story kinda got lost in the shuffle during a flurry of late 90's DC-Marvel crossovers, so I thought I'd give it some of the attention it deserves...

Written at a rollicking Silver Age clip by Roger Stern, the story isn't merely a meeting of two characters, but a clever, near seamless blending of their thematic and visual worlds. Illustrator Steve Rude does a masterful job of capturing the look of both Jack Kirby's early Hulk and the Superman of the classic Fleischer cartoons (based on the work of Joe Shuster, et al). The use of these retro visual styles is surprisingly powerful, giving the story an even greater iconic (and somewhat nostalgic) feel.

Okay, okay...less talky and more looky, right? Here we go: Brought to New Mexico by off-the-chart seismic readings, Superman arrives to find the source of those earthshaking events wolfing down stolen barbeque chicken!

(Click on the pages for a larger view)

Sure, Stern occasionally veered into deeper territory by exploring their mutual themes of dual identity (not to mention the role huge explosions played in their origins), but he's perfectly aware of the real reason we show up for stuff like this...

So, while neither the Hulk nor Superman clearly "win", that childhood "dream clash" is more than satisfied by this slam-bang adventure (and giddy tribute to a bygone era). My only (minor) complaint? For whatever reason, Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen wasn't around to meet the Hulk's teen companion Rick Jones! Sure, Lois Lane met Betty Ross....General "Thunderbolt" Ross met Lex Luthor...but no meeting of the boy sidekicks?

Bahlactus demands an answer!

Comments

[ShadowWing Tronix]

And here I thought the only time they went at it was during the "DC vs Marvel/Marvel vs DC" crossover event.

I miss Access and the Amalgam Universe. I know I'd be reading Iron Lantern.

[Captain Average]

It sounds like a dream matchup , a "Fight of the Century"...but from the panels you showed..meh. I can appreciate that look for Superman, but Hulk looks a lot more like Frankenstein's monster than himself. I know his head used to look flatter, but he looks tall, thin(for Hulk), with too much forehead. And when Supes is on the ground he looks flat in places. I dunno..doesn't look good enough for the characters.

[Mark Engblom]

Yeah, the Hulk looks profoundly different than he does today, but really...that's exactly what he looked like during his initial 6-issue run in the early 60's. He wasn't nearly as "ballooned out" with muscle as he is today, with a much more primitive-looking head.

Of course, if it just doesn't float your boat, that's okay too. Really, though, there's some great art through the story, despite your reservations about these pages. Give it a look sometime.

[Mark Engblom]

"And here I thought the only time they went at it was during the "DC vs Marvel/Marvel vs DC" crossover event."

Whoops. Sorry, 'Wing. I should have answered you first.

Actually, there was a meeting between the Hulk and Superman that pre-dated the All-Access thing. It took place in the second Superman vs. Spider-Man team-up published in (I think) 1981 or '82. Things didn't work out well for the Hulk in that one, since his punches had literally no effect on Superman, who just calmly stood there as Hulk flailed away on him.

[ShadowWing Tronix]

Ok, I think I remember that one. Meanwhile Spider-Man hung out with Wonder Woman. I'd say Spidey got the better deal.

[Jeff]

Even if you don't like the Silver Age looks for these guys, Rude's panel layouts are awesome.

[Wes C]

Steve Rude's artwork is amazing throughout the entire issue.

His love for the characters history really comes through.

It's all a matter of taste of course, but I find these renditions of these characters to be far superior to more "modern" interpretations.

He really has a knack for capturing the essence of a characters power and grandeur.

What did you think of Rude's work on the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen story he did around this time?

The "Dude" never fails to deliver.