Chip Zdarsky is writing the Hulk this fall - but is there more to it than that?

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With the Immortal Hulk era coming to an end, Chip Zdarsky could be what's next

Avengers/Hulk
(Image credit: Ryan Ottley (Marvel Comics))

Chip Zdarsky is writing the Hulk portion of Marvel Comics' upcoming Avengers/Hulk Free Comic Book Day one-shot - and that raises the next question; will he take over Marvel's Hulk title after Immortal Hulk?

Chip Zdarsky

(Image credit: Thought Bubble)

Avengers writer Jason Aaron, who is writing the Avengers portion of the FCBD Avengers/Hulk one-shot, announced that Zdarsky is writing the Hulk half in the latest edition of his 'Beard Missives' newsletter.  It isn't clear if Zdarsky is drawing it himself, or if another artist is coming in. Greg Smallwood was previously announced to be working on one of Marvel's two FCBD specials, but we haven't been able to nail down what yet.

But with Zdarsky writing a new Hulk story for a major one-shot out of the blue, it does raise questions. Does this mean Zdarsky is slated to launch a new Hulk series out of the story? That's not what we've heard, but stay tuned.

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The current Immortal Hulk series by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett is expected to end with its fiftieth issue. Although the release date of that issue hasn't been announced, if it follows the currently monthly pattern that would mean Immortal Hulk #50 would arrive in September - just after Zdarsky's Hulk story in the Avengers/Hulk FCBD special.

(Image credit: Ryan Ottley (Marvel Comics))

Back in 2020, Newsarama asked Ewing about the legacy Immortal Hulk was building and what he hopes for who comes after him as the Green Goliath's scribe.

"I imagine it'll have the legacy it has - I can't really control that aspect of things, so I'm not thinking too hard about it," Ewing said. "One thing I do hope remains is Bruce Banner as an explicit system of alters. Dissociative Identity Disorder is often represented poorly in popular culture - I don't know how good a job we've done with it, but I do feel like Bruce is acting more like a system than he was previously."

"Each of the Hulks has their role and reason for being, and the ones that are fully present all have their job to do, and I think if there is a direction for the future leading out of this book, it's pointing that way," the writer continued. "I really would hate to see the dynamic revert to a simplistic Bruce vs. Hulk scenario. It's more complex than that."

Make sure you've read all the best Hulk stories. 

Chris Arrant
Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)