Issue(s): Savage Hulk
Cover Date: Jan 96
Title: "Courtroom sequence / Old friends / The power of bullies / The strongest one there is / Brief / Vision-quest / Dinner"
Credits:
Peter David / Dave Gibbons / William Messner-Loebs / Scott Lobdell / B.J. Estes / Matt Wagner / Jeph Loeb - Writer
Mike McKone / Dave Gibbons / Sam Kieth & Dane McCart / Humberto Ramos / Pascual Ferry / Pat McEown / Tim Sale - Penciler
Mark McKenna / Dave Gibbons / William Reinhold / Bob Wiacek / Al Milgrom / Pat McEown / Tim Sale - Inker
James Felder - Editor

Review/plot:
When it comes to $6.95 specialty books, i wish that publishers would make it clear when it was an actual story vs. just an excuse for an artist showcase. I think many people would happily buy a book showing the art of various high profile comic arists, including!:

A story completely (writing, art, even coloring) by Dave Gibbons doing a Steranko homage:

Sam Keith:

Some early Humberto Ramos:

Early Pascual Ferry:

Pat McEown written by Matt Wagner:

And an early Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale pairing:

Other people, however (i'm not saying who!), might be pissed to spend 7 bucks on a nonsensical trial story filled with dubious flashbacks and a goofy ending filled with continuity errors (i.e. long dead characters).

The framing story has the Hulk is being sued by people affected by his rampages. It's well attended by Marvel denziens (and some joke characters, like from Red Dwarf of all things).

Unfortunately the story is not a well researched issue depicting actual cases where the Hulk might have been at fault (i've always felt bad for the guy with the mortgage in Defenders #21, for example), and in fact most of the "testimony" stories don't seem to have much to do with the trial at all. And there's no conclusion to the trial because of the attack of the zombie super-villains, and there'll never be a follow up to this. Because it was just a joke story meant to provide a vehicle for some artists.

My favorite art is actually not from the portions integrated into the story. It's from the back where there are a few additional pinups. I liked this one by Michael Golden.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP places this between Hulk #434-435, but it does not fit comfortably in that period when the Hulk was in hiding, Peter Parker was retired, Wolverine was having health issues, and Iron Man was increasingly influenced by whatever was happening in The Crossing. It does take place after Rick and Marlo were married, though, and they were mostly missing from the Hulk book (still on their honeymoon) until the period that the Hulk was on the run. But i guess they could have come back from their honeymoon (or not started it yet) for an important trial during the period not long after their wedding, which fits better for the other characters as well.

The MCP lists some of the villains depicted in the end battle as the actual characters, despite being dead (e.g. MODOK), some as being "imposters" that only appear in this issue (e.g. Hammer & Anvil), and some are simply not listed at all (the Executioner). My assumption is that all of the villains in this story are illusions created by an unspecified character.

References:

• The Dave Gibbons story is a direct homage/retelling of Captain America #110.
  
• The Wagner/McEown story takes place during Avengers #2.
  
• The Hulk's origin is from Hulk #1.
  
• During the end battle, Betty is turned into the Harpy (Hulk #168) and Rick into "Rick Hulk" (Hulk #325).

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A