I'm not a huge fan of the Hulk. I liked the Lou Ferrigno series and the seventies "Hulk, no like army tanks! Hulk smash!" Hulk, but I really only followed The Incredible Hulk in The Defenders and the odd Sal Buscema issue. I have no interest in the current Hulk series. I doubt I'll have any future interest in any Hulk book.

I didn't buy The Fall of the Hulks for the Hulk or the Big Hulk Out where fans will find out if it's easier being red than green. I bought the book because Marvel Adventures maestro and Agents of Atlas architect Jeff Parker is writing Dr. Doom. Bad writing plagued the character in the recent past. When Doom skinned his "childhood love" Valeria to make a less than fetching suit of leather, that was crap. When he called Ms. Marvel a "fat cow," that was crap. So, I expected two things from this book. First, Parker would characterize Doom properly. He does. Second, Paul Pelletier would make Doom look awesome. He does.

Pelletier's Doom comports regality and sophistication as well as that certain Kirby madness to the eyes, brown eyes of course. Doom walks with an air of superiority that matches the arrogance and intellect oozing from his dialogue. Who but Doom would think to call up his "bud" the Leader and inform him that douchebags Iron Man and Reed Richards just gave the Hulk a one-way ticket to ride?

The whirlwind tour of Marvel history starts with a trip to Olympia, home of The Eternals. Parker characterizes the Eternals as Marvel's Justice League. Zuras and Ikaris are planning to fix the Ozone Hole. That, my friends, is fantastic, and it's just an aside, the background, the setting for the Leader's trust of intellects, designated perfectly as The Intelligentsia, to stealthily infiltrate the Eternals' library. There could have been a big battle, but why bother when these villains are so smart they know when to avoid one?

The Intelligentsia consist of The Leader, The Red Ghost, The Wizard, the Thinker, Egghead, Dr. Doom and later MODOK. As you read, you see how they have influenced events behind the scenes; sometimes just to create misdirection. For example, they are responsible for Venom. I won't say how, and again it's just one little panel that speaks volumes.

Fall of the Hulks spans decades. The art reflects that. Paul Pelletier's style is timeless. It suits every age depicted, Pelletier honors the past with his illustration. For instance, we first encounter the Intelligentsia in their classic forms. The Big Headed Leader has yet to evolve into a blobby alien goof. Flashbacks of the heroes reflect the times. Sue Storm's hair-do mirrors the period, and the FF's costumes wrinkle in that lovely Kirby way.

Don't knock Vicente Cifuentes either. After perusing page three, you know that Marvel selected a perfect partner for Pelletier. The inking on Thena is masterful. It enhances Pelletier's detailed pencils with delicate lines accenting the structure of a godly countenance. Thanks to computer applications, coloring technology has improved by leaps and bounds. You still however need a colorist that knows what he or she is doing, and that experience is evident in these pages. Again, on page three, the natural brown shadows help carve cheekbones and create the illusion of contour through the shadow of Thena's headdress.

If you are not familiar with Marvel continuity, you will be by the time you're finished reading Fall of the Hulks. Parker makes this exposition entertaining as well as informative. For those that do know Marvel history, this won't feel like a retread. That's because Parker's story builds on what's already known. He adds to the continuing story, and he brings out a secret cause and effect that satisfies those with tidy, logical minds. Pelletier's artwork is simply gorgeous. Vincente Cifuentes emphasizes the beauty and intricacies in such things as the texture in the Leader's beard and mustache and the polished metal of Doom's armor. Fall of the Hulks offers the rare opportunity to be enchanted by a one-shot story that explains much of the strangeness that occurred in the Marvel Universe before shock-themed writing became their darling paradigm: "Allies, this is the kind of infighting that keeps us falling to our enemies. They don't do this." Well, they never used to.

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