The Norman Transcript
September 14, 2007 12:50 am
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By Jeff Johncox
Transcript Sports Writer
Greg Pak is an action writer.
To pay tribute, I’ll write this next part in the style of the movie trailer guy.
(Movie trailer guy’s voice) In a time when comic books are becoming more and more mainstream, when some books are written as overly-dramatic soap operas, one man dares to stand up to the onslaught of inaction. One man brings back the “Bang” “Bash” and “Slam” to Marvel comics.
OK, so the dramatic and the campy have their place. But Greg Pak has certainly made some noise with an old-style brand of comic book action that made “The Incredible Hulk” one of the most popular titles last year with “Planet Hulk.” The follow-up crossover, “World War Hulk,” is even more action packed, and it’s definitely one of the more exciting reads out there.
Pak has written “Iron Man” before tackling Mean Green, and in the first part of “World War Hulk” he got to do something Marvel fans have been waiting for for over a year: Kick Tony Stark’s butt all over New York City.
“After the events of ‘Civil War’ a lot of fans were itching for Iron Man to get his comeuppance,” Pak said. “And I was very happy for Hulk to give it to him in the pages of ‘World War Hulk No. 1.’
“But at the same time, I loved writing that sequence because it explored a critical fact about Iron Man: He’s a hero. Love him or hate him, everything he does he does to keep the people of the world safe. So he takes on Hulk one-on-one, no matter what the cost to himself, because it’s his sense of responsibility.”
Pak hasn’t had the Hulk stop at Iron Man. Mean Green has taken on most of the Marvel Universe at this point, smacking down any challengers with ease.
“It follows a long tradition of Hulk vs. the Marvel Universe stories,” Pak said. “So it’s firmly embedded in the aesthetics of American superhero comics.”
The best thing Pak has done with Hulk has been to return the character to those old comics roots. Hulk was always a basher. When David Banner turned big and green, emotional reservations were tossed out the window. He was mean, he was angry and he was incredibly strong. While Ang Lee’s “Hulk” film drug along and made you just pity the character, “World War Hulk” is more like the film’s video-game counterpart. In the game, you just took the Hulk on a rampage throughout a major city, causing as much destruction as possible.
“The editors and I were all on the same page with this one,” Pak said. “Variations of the word ‘smash’ came up many times when we were in the planning stages of ‘Planet Hulk’ and ‘World War Hulk.’
“But we always knew that all the action only works if there’s a real emotional story at the heart of the book. So I did my best to build the motivations and development of our characters throughout ‘Planet Hulk’ so every single punch in ‘World War Hulk’ is intensely personal.”
The emotional angle? Hulk has been betrayed by some of his best superhero buddies, sent to another planet because he’s deemed too dangerous. Hulk, meanwhile, rises to rule on the planet, even taking a queen. But something happens, and the ship that brought him there explodes, killing everyone he’s learned to care about.
But the action is the heart of the new tale. It’s about revenge, it’s about betrayal, and most of all, it’s about a giant green superhero causing as much mayhem and destruction as is super-humanly possible.
Battlestar Galactica
Pak also has been writing the comic adaptation of the Sci-Fi Channel series “Battlestar Galactica” for Dynamite.
And while the show is superb, the comic may be even better. The stories work so well in the medium. Pak keeps things action-packed and moving along.
The best part? Dynamite got a fan to write the series.
“I absolutely love the television series,” Pak said. “It’s the first show in decades that I’ve actually changed my daily schedule to watch. I’d been talking to the folks at Dynamite about the possibility of writing something for them. When I found out they had the rights to do a ‘Battlestar Galactica’ comic book, I dug in my little claws and wouldn’t let go.”
The first trade paperback of the series is now available, and Pak continues work on one of the best of the new crop of television series cross-overs and adaptations.
“The show hooked me with its combination of total emotional honesty, big sci-fi ideas and high stakes, life-or-death scenarios. But what made me really excited about working on the comic was the less-is-more vibe of the show’s writing and performances. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell say as much with their silence as they do with their words. I couldn’t wait to explore that kind of interaction in comic book form.”
But Pak keeps his trademark action flowing in the book. Something, sometimes, the series could use a little more of.
“I love the television series exactly the way it is,” Pak said. “They hook me with every new episode and I follow willingly.”
Robot Stories
If you haven’t seen Pak’s 2003 independent film “Robot Stories,” you’re certainly missing something. The film is four separate tales of humans trying to figure their own lives out while living in a futuristic world where androids are a part of life.
Pak even plays an android office worker, looking for love.
What’s even better? A graphic continuation of the film could be happening soon.
“I’ve actually outlined a miniseries that would continue the themes of the movie through five mindbending new robot tales,” Pak said. “My plate’s pretty full at the moment, but eventually I’m hoping to make this book a reality.”
One of the more creative and old-school writers in the medium, Pak continues to deliver action-packed scripts in “Hulk” and “BSG.” It will be exciting to see where he takes us in the future.
Next week: A return to the back-issue bins! Let’s find some treasure in them there cardboard boxes!
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