Written and Illustrated by Dan Sanat
Published by Abrams Fanfare Books
I have always had a soft spot for The Incredible Hulk. As a kid, the Green Goliath was one of the first Marvel characters I encountered, in his series in Tales to Astonish.
He was portrayed as a big dumb galoot who bounced around a lot, running into everybody from the Silver Surfer to the Stranger to the Leader. The Leader was another person who, like Bruce Banner, was affected by unpredictable gamma rays, only in his case, it gave him an enlarged green head and a brain to match.
Despite the failure of his original, self-titled comic book, in the years that followed, Doc Bruce Banner became a (barely) animated cartoon star, a live-action TV hero, and a star of multiple movies!
Meanwhile, back in the comics, he turned grey and became a gangster, then later red. He met multiple versions of himself, including an old one with a beard. The Hulk was given Banner’s brain for a while, separated entirely from Banner for a while, and was not even Banner at times! He was a monster, then an Avenger, then a monster, then a Defender, then a superhero, then a mobster, then… In the manner of modern comics, it all got just crazy convoluted and complicated.
The Hulk we see in the new children’s book, All the Hulk Feels, though, would be unrecognizable to anyone reading the Hulk comic books today.
No, this is the classic Hulk, the Tales to Astonish-era Hulk—the gentle soul who just wants to be left alone to contemplate the universe, only “Puny Banner,” a man he’s never even met, keeps setting him up for trouble.
Written and illustrated by Caldecott-winning children’s author Dan Santat for Abrams Fanfare, All the Hulk Feels manages to put a wonderful new spin on the classic Jekyll/Hyde motif of the character, putting both halves in communication via letters!
As always, when Banner loses control of his emotions, his big green side comes out. “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” as the TV Banner used to say.
The problems mount when Hulk, though rather simple, realizes that Bruce is upset about silly things, like getting pickles on a burger when he requested “No Pickles.” Since neither one can really remember much from the other after the change, Hulk decides to leave Bruce a letter.
In the exchanges that follow, the two begin to learn a little bit more about each other’s anger and other feelings which, since they’re really aspects of the same person, means that he begins to learn more about himself.
In the background of all of this, the Leader, the Juggernaut, the Abomination, and the Wrecker—Silver Age Marvel baddies, all—humorously run rampant until the Hulk casually dispatches them at the end.
All the Hulk Feels is a wonderfully clever way to get children to think about and accept their own feelings, something that might be too tricky for parents to do on their own.
The absolute best thing about this book, though, is the artwork. Anyone paying attention knows that children’s books have always had some of the best illustrative art ever. That’s literally why the Caldecott Medal exists. Having been a grown-up for far too many years now, Dan Santat was unfamiliar to me, and I’m truly sorry to say that.
Dan Santat is an amazing artist! It quickly becomes clear that he would have been wonderful illustrating superhero comic books! Yes, everything has a purposely cartoony feel here, but his drawings also feel real!
I couldn’t keep from lingering on nearly every page to admire the coloring, and the emotional impact his simple drawings have. Feels! That is literally what this story, All the Hulk Feels, is about!
The artist’s expertise makes this important short book surprisingly nuanced, but still enjoyable fun!
Booksteve recommends.
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