INCREDIBLE HULK BY BYRNE & CASEY OMNIBUS

Ok art

Peter David was always going to be a hard act to follow. After his epic 12 year run, I was keen to see what came next. Sadly, it was a let-down. Joe Casey was brought in, but only for 7 issues. He dealt with the death of Betty Banner, sort of, but did not have time to really make a mark on the series before it was relaunched as 'Hulk', with the obligatory issue 1, with John Byrne on writing duties. I don't know if there were troubles behind the scenes but, like Byrne's first run on the title back in the 80s, this one also fell short with the writer disappearing after just 7 issues, the storyline he began having to be completed by a few other writers. Again, John Byrne did not have enough time to leave his mark.Also included was the short-lived 'Rampaging Hulk' series which lasted only 6 issues, telling tales from Hulk's early years. One of the plotlines was a complete rip-off of David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' (I don't think acknowledging this in the comic in any way excuses it), with undertones of the tv series 4th season episodes 'The First'.A few annuals round out the collection, none of which have anything to do with the ongoing narrative, as there wasn't really one. In fact, this felt like a random collection of Hulk stories, which could have been taken from random eras, rather than a continuing narrative.The writing was not terrible but nor was it standout. The artwork, also, was okay. I can't remember what happened with the Hulk comic back in the early 00s but, if there is going to be a follow-up omnibus to this one, I can only hope it's better.If one word can best sum this volume up, it'd have to be disappointing.