The Hulk hasn’t gotten a lot of love in the MCU, but he has an amazing comic history for fans to experience. As one of the most misunderstood heroes in the Marvel franchise, many Hulk comics deal with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dynamic between Bruce Banner and his big green alter ego. He also happens to be one of the strongest heroes, so you can also expect to see him take on some of the biggest threats around.
Best Hulk comics as of 2025
Unfortunately for MCU fans, The Hulk has been shafted when it comes to solo projects due to legal issues between Disney and Universal Pictures. As such, we didn’t get to see the same complex character development in the movies that we have in his various comic incarnations. So, even if you’re not a huge comic fan, do yourself a favor and check out our picks below.
Future Imperfect/Maestro
From Peter David comes Future Imperfect, a world in the future that is (you can probably guess) — imperfect! Published between 1992 and 1993, this two-issue prestige-format miniseries is written by Peter David with stunning painted artwork by George Pérez. Not only is it one of the best Hulk comics, but it is also one of the most essential. Future Imperfect is set in a dystopian future where nuclear bombs have obliterated Earth, and most of the heroes have been wiped out with it. In this ruined world, there’s a new tyrant known as the Maestro — a twisted, more sadistic version of the Hulk himself. In this alternate, future reality, the Maestro is Bruce Banner, years down the line, driven mad by power and grief.
The only way to stop him is to confront himself. A group of rebels in the future uses time travel to bring the present-day Hulk into their timeline. It’s very, very good. Also, a nice quick check on our ego while reading — what would the better version of yourself say to the worst version of yourself? And what shred of our humanity could be left when humanity destroys itself? I dig the big, philosophical questions that emerge from comic books. And this one is no exception.
Hulk: Gray
Published from December 2003 to April 2004, Hulk: Gray is a six-issue series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It’s part of Marvel’s color series, which also includes Spider-Man: Blue, Daredevil: Yellow, and Captain America: White. These are good too, if you want to take a look. And like the others, Hulk: Gray gives us a more character-driven, interior look at its hero. To expand on that, while also putting it plainly: we get a lot more emotional backstory and psychological depth.
And Gray is the perfect title, because this story is all about the gray areas. Not just speaking in terms of character’s ambiguity, but if you didn’t know, the Hulk was originally gray. That changed to green due to printing issues (oops), but over time, that accidental shift ended up creating two very different versions of the character. In Hulk: Gray, we return to the original version with Loeb and Sale’s take on the Hulk’s origin story.
Planet Hulk and World War Hulk
I’m maybe cheating here, since this is a two-for-one deal. Planet Hulk (Incredible Hulk #92-105) and World War Hulk (this one gets its series in World War Hulk #1-5) are massive Marvel crossover events written by Greg Pak. The series kicks off when the Illuminati of Earth, including Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Reed Richards, and Black Bolt, decide to launch the Hulk into space after yet another destructive rampage. It wasn’t an easy choice, and it wasn’t made out of malice. There’s plenty of back and forth between heroes about this decision. And ultimately, they didn’t just slingshot him into the void with fingers crossed. They intended to send him to a tranquil planet where he could relax, have a proverbial cup of tea, and take some time off.
A navigation error leads to Hulk ending up on Sakaar, a violent, war-torn planet where he’s forced into gladiator combat. You might remember this from Thor: Ragnarok. And from that movie or just from general knowledge about the Hulk, but we know our green hero has some impressive talents. And he gets even more powerful. However, the Hulk also finds love, leads a rebellion to overthrow the tyrannical Red King, and becomes a leader in his own right. But as is often the case with the Hulk, peace doesn’t last. His new world is destroyed, and he’s coming back to Earth, ready for revenge on those he believes are responsible.
Planet Hulk and World War Hulk are two of the most iconic Hulk comics of the 2000s. It shows what happens when the Hulk stops trying to suppress his power and instead fully leans into his anger. And while Hulk may be somewhat depicted as the antagonist in World War Hulk, it’s hard not to feel like Earth had it coming.
Immortal Hulk
Immortal Hulk is an entertaining read, but also one that doesn’t require a ton of knowledge beforehand for you to jump in. It’s a great standalone read, and most of the backstory is explained in the read. In terms of the genre of this Hulk comic, it’s a smorgasbord of everything: horror, psychological drama, sci-fi, and body horror. And that weirdness puts it right on this list of the best Hulk comics.
As far as the plot goes, the story kicks off with Banner, who, through an event you’ll learn about in the story itself, is now gamma-free. Hulk-free. But Banner begins experimenting on himself again, and a vision of Bruce Banner transforming into the Hulk also comes with the certainty that in this event, many will die. And Bruce’s friends have only one course of action to stop this from happening: they have to kill Bruce. So they do. But death doesn’t seem to stick. (Side note: If you’re looking for another undead comic hero, check out Swarm.)
From writer Al Ewing with primary art by Joe Bennett, The Immortal Hulk is about what it means to live with yourself when parts of you seem to be broken beyond repair. There’s not a lot in Marvel quite like this, easily making this one of the best Hulk comics, if not one of the best Marvel comics period.
Incredible Hulk: Days of Rage
The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1, issue #300 (and yes, the 300th issue is always a big deal!) is technically part of a mini-arc that spans issues #298–300. As is typical throughout the character’s history, the Hulk loses it and starts attacking anyone around him. He’s not exactly able to sense when it comes to deciding who’s a friend or a foe.
We get an excellent foray into that unraveling in Days of Rage, where the demonic entity Nightmare takes control of the Hulk’s mind. Now he’s running wild through New York City, and the Avengers are the ones who have to step in and try to shut him down. Published in December 1984, Days of Rage was written by Bill Mantlo, with pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Terry Talaoc, and colors by Bob Sharen.
How we chose the best Hulk comics
There are a lot of genuinely great Hulk stories out there, so picking the best Hulk comics comes down to a mix of personal taste and what’s earned lasting fan acclaim. We also think it’s important to highlight the character-defining arcs and stories that stand on their own for newcomers. The readability factor also earns comics a spot on the best-of list.
