Hulk #42 - Good set-up issue. As much as turning General Ross into a Hulk is a dumb idea, Parker gets a lot of mileage out of it and is really good with characterization. Looking forward to the Secret Avengers appearance.

Thunderbolts #164 - You'd think i'd be upset that this version of Mr. Hyde is really more the Robert Louis Stevenson (or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) version and therefore is bad characterization for the Marvel version, but i'm enjoying it quite a bit. He's said that he was influenced by the literature, and he's had some variations in his transformations, so i think we're good. I am also liking the Golden Age Thunderbolts costumes. And seeing Baron Zemo using the Human Torch's arm as a flame-thrower was pretty sick. The team arguing over the various time travel theories was funny. The only minor complaint is the "evil Human Torches" bit that's coming. That was done once before (in Mark Waid's Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty series) and the Torch was also possessed/reprogrammed at least once in the Invaders as well. There's a point where all these retcons make him less of a laudable super-hero and more of a liability. But still, i enjoyed this issue.

Omac #2 - They promised me that this issue things would get really weird, but really the opposite true. Whereas last issue about ten crazy ideas were thrown at us all at once, this issue spent some time explaining (too clearly, in my opinion) what was going on, and then focusing on a big slugfest with the DC Absorbing Man. I'm fine with a big slugfest, especially with Giffen's art, i'm just saying that this issue wasn't as wild as they promised it would be. And i think this book needs to go really over the top in order for it to stand out (or at least to keep me interested in a non-Marvel book). My one other complaint is that i find that odd words are emphasized in the dialogue, which i think is an homage to Kirby's stilted dialogue from the 70s, where he did the same thing... but honestly? That's one aspect of Kirby you really don't need to replicate.

I agree on the Hulk.

I enjoyed Thunderbolts. But, even without reading those other stories, I felt the Human Torch bit de-uniques him and seemed familiar.

I'm glad I finally found a comic drawn by Giffen that you 'enjoy.' He is one of my favorite artists, and the fact that he doesn't draw much Marvel shouldn't mean you don't get to enjoy him.

Hulk: Man, that Ross is a bleeder. mebbe this is why we shouldn't go making 70 yr old men hulks and sending them in to fight shit. reminds me of when WCW brought back Ric Flair. *shudder*

TB: i enjoyed Gunna (Troll). i can't wait til she eats all of them.

Omac: has Giffen ever seen an asian person? what is up with Kho's hair? and face? and body?