RULK REVIEW : “Nightmare in Red” Season 2, Episode 9 of AVENGERS : Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – Red Hulk’s Television debut!
History has been made Rulk fans!
“Nightmare in Red” marks the thrilling television debut of the monstrous Red Hulk, which is the 9th episode of the second season of the immensely popular animated series AVENGERS : Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. While this landmark episode will not air in the United States until Sunday, June 24th, the crimson giant’s debut has already premiered in other countries (as well as streamed online), enabling this advance review… which does indeed contain spoilers to a degree that varies depending on the reader’s previous knowledge of the Red Hulk’s true identity and lore. So how did the Red Hulk’s television premiere measure up?
The episode begins with an airborne General “Thunderbolt” Ross and Major Glenn Talbot arriving on the landing pad of a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. The decorated officers have flown there to argue their case with Maria Hill that the U.S. Military needs the sample of Hulk’s blood, currently stored in a secure chamber of the helicarrier, in their effort to militarize it. They also express their utter disdain for allowing the Avengers to harbor a monster such as the “Hulk” under the protection and guise of a heroic teammate.
During this heated exchange, unbeknownst to Hill, the blood sample of the Hulk is stolen… and later mixed with an unknown reddish component and ultimately injected into the arm a mysterious person on board: his identity hidden by shadows. The injection transforms the figure into the raging Red Hulk, who begins to dismantle the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and his crew.
It’s soon obvious that the Rulk is not the one calling the shots however and there is a master plan afoot to capture Bruce Banner. But the Red Hulk has a plan of his own… a plan to finally defeat the Incredible Hulk and prove he is no longer the strongest one there is.
There has been a lot of creative changes made to Red Hulk’s origin in “Nightmare in Red”. Some are due to time constraints. Others are due to the nature of being a children’s television show. Yet some key changes were made simply because the show’s creators are trying to tell a larger tale over a great deal of episodes (like the looming Skrull invasion) versus many self-contained more origin accurate stories told in one or two part episodes. The show’s writers opted to take a creative license (or uncreative license) and made changes to the Red Hulk continuity to make the character fit within the series current “big picture”. The result is an initial level of frustration, like when the realization is made that neither Leader, M.O.D.O.K, nor any member of the Intellegencia seem to be involved with the Red Hulk’s creation. This really doesn’t do the character justice.
Not all of the Red Hulk comic history was discarded for the sake of this television series’ continuity however. The SHIELD Helicarrier attack and the assault on Agent Quartermain was ripped from the pages of HULK Issue #2. Doc Samson appears to be playing a role in duality again… and the theme “Who is the Red Hulk” is honored here, never revealing that General Ross is the Rulk in this episode (which pretty much all but guarantees this is not the last we’ve seen of crimson giant this season.)
And while his absorbing powers are nowhere to be found, the Rulk’s radioactive heat core is on display numerous times. The Red Hulk also has a scene where he expresses an oh so enjoyable sinister, arrogant laugh (that gets to the core of why we find the red villain so enjoyable.)
As with the AVENGERS : EMH series as a whole, the animation suffers from a subpar quality, yet it’s offset by some terrific voice acting and enjoyable action scenes that are pretty well choreographed.
Even with all the disappointing origin changes, it was extremely exciting to finally see the Red Hulk grace the small screen. Let’s hope the Rulk’s next appearance is even better.. and more faithful to the character we’ve grown to love!
3.5 out of 5 Stars
-A.J.
A general falls. A red monster rises. Stay tuned.
Follow the RED HULK BLOG on Twitter @ RedHulkBlog
RULK TV : Red Hulk’s Televison debut arrives earlier on June 24th in “Nightmare in Red” episode of AVENGERS : Earth Mightiest Heroes!
Originally reported HERE that the Rulk’s first television appearance would occur this August in an episode titled “Code Red” on the hit television show AVENGERS : EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES, new upcoming solicitations have indicated the Red Hulk will appear much sooner… debuting in the episode “Nightmare in Red” this June! Here is the solicitation:
NIGHTMARE IN RED
[ Airs June 24th 2012 – DisneyXD ]
When S.H.I.E.L.D. is attacked by the Hulk, the Avengers rush to the scene. When they arrive, the rampaging Hulk is RED! The hunt is on for Bruce Banner as the Avengers try and unravel the mystery of ‘Who is the Red Hulk?’
While this anticipated episode will air in June (after a one month hiatus for the series in the United States), lucky Australian Red Hulk fans will not have to wait that long! They will be able to watch the Red behemoth’s television debut this Wednesday, May 30th!
The one remaining question is what of the “Code Red” episode? Is “Nightmare in Red” the same episode with a mere name change? Will the “Code Red” episode still air in August and feature a second appearance of the Red Hulk this season, along with his team of villains… Deadpool, The Punisher, Thundra, Electra and Crimson Dynamo (all featured in the “Code Red” comic storyarc)? Or is that episode just featuring the Vision… an episode originally titled “Behold… the Vision”? Only time will tell.
GREEN HULK : Incredible Hulk Television Series still in the works for ABC!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC Network President Paul Lee still wants to bring the Hulk Television Series to ABC (which will smash the hopes of fans rooting for a revived interest in another theatrical solo film). Here’s the lowdown:
The network’s entertainment president told reporters Tuesday during a conference call ahead of his formal upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers in New York that he’d still like to “see some Marvel projects come to television.”
“Hulk is in development,” he confirmed. “It wasn’t going to be ready this season but we hope it’s going to be ready for next season.”
Oscar nominee Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labrynth) is developing the project for the Disney-owned network after ABC’s parent company purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in late 2009.
RULK TV : Red Hulk’s Television Debut “CODE RED” Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Episode tentatively scheduled for August 12, 2012!
While Red Hulk fans should continue to check their local listings until the crimson giant’s appearance, it appears that the Rulk will finally make his television debut in Season Two of AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES this August 12th, 2012 on the Disney XD channel!
What is also interesting is the title of the episode is reportedly “CODE RED”. Fans of the Red HULK comic series will be familiar with that title because it was the same title used in HULK Issue # 14, which kicked off a brand new story arc and featured Ross leading a team of misfits and villains that consisted of Deadpool, The Punisher, Thundra, Electra and Crimson Dynamo! They all battled the X-Force in an effort to capture the mutant Domino before she can reveal the secret she discovered: The true identity of the Red Hulk!
Is the “CODE RED” title a coincidence? Will the Avengers face the same team the Red Hulk assembled in the comics? At this point, we’ll have to tune in to find out!
RULK TV : Actress Eliza Dushku to play SHE-HULK in “HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H.”!
IGN interviewed Adrian Pasdar today, who’s vocal talents previously awarded him the starring role of Tony Stark in the Marvel Anime: Iron Man series. Well it seems during that interview, Pasdar let the proverbial “cat out of the bag” when he revealed he would not only would he be guest starring as Iron Man in the new HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H. upcoming Disney XD series, but actress Eliza Dushku has been cast as the voice of She-Hulk as well!
Both Marvel and Disney go to great lengths to keep this casting information under lock and key until they decide to make the big reveal, so it’s very likely the loose lipped Pasdar is feeling a lot of corporate heat at this very moment.
RULK RUMOR : Actor Clancy Brown to voice RED HULK in HULK and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.?
At the C2E2 2012 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo), Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb apparently hosted yet another panel featuring the exciting new Marvel Universe programming recently launched on the Disney XD channel! And among the previews and special clips of Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers : Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Season 2, the panel presented a clip from the upcoming HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H. (set to debut early 2013) where Hulk and his team fight giant ferocious insects!
What is most interesting about this clip is there are multiple reports coming in claiming the deep, powerful voice of the Red Hulk is no one other than the accomplished actor Clancy Brown! Brown, famous for his acting roles in films like Highlander and Shawshank Redemption, also has an enormous and accomplished resume in performing cartoon voices including work in Transformers, Green Lantern, various Spider-Mans, Ben 10, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Thundercats and even 1996’s The Incredible Hulk as Sasquatch!
Brown has an outstandingly deep and commanding voice and would be perfect as the voice for Red Hulk! We hope to have this confirmed soon!
UPDATED: To get a taste of what the Rulk would possibly sound like, check out Clancy Brown in his iconic role of Drill Sergeant Zim in the sci-fi classic STARSHIP TROOPERS. (Thanks to David)
RULK TV : Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb talks HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H!
Toonzone News recently got the opportunity to speak with Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television as well as executive producer of Ultimate Spider-Man and the in-development animated series Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Here are some highlights:
TOONZONE NEWS: How was WonderCon, and how excited were you to show off Marvel’s Ultimate-Spider-Man, the second season premiere of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and a little preview of Hulk and The Agents of S.M.A.S.H.?
JEPH LOEB: … It was pouring rain down in Anaheim. Then we showed the animation test for Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. for the first anywhere in public. I want everyone to know it’s not what the final product is going to look like. An animation test is our way of seeing how things are looking, how some of the elements are blending together, what color saturation is looking like. You know, very, very simple kinds of things like that. And some voice tests and again people were hollering.
TOONZONE NEWS: Can you confirm any of the voice talent behind Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.? It sounded like we might’ve heard a little bit of Seth Green as Rick Jones/A-Bomb.
JEPH LOEB: I do know all those things. We’re not ready to make those announcements yet. Like I said, we are really at the very early stages of developing that show and so I think we have an awesome cast.
TOONZONE NEWS: In S.M.A.S.H., it’s amazing to me that you have the whole Hulk family all working together on the same team. Especially that you have the Hulk there with Red Hulk, since normally they are trying to kill each other. What is it that would bring a team of lone wolves like that together to fight alongside each other?
JEPH LOEB: I think that what folks will get kick out of when they see Agents of S.M.A.S.H. — which is not until a year away from now — but without giving anything away, I think the old adage of “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” does pay off a lot. It’s also when you’re a Hulk, there’s not a lot of opportunities for you to have friends, so sometimes you have to look to people who really understand the world that you live in. All five of these characters — Hulk, Red Hulk, Skaar, She-Hulk, and A-Bomb — all have in some way felt the sting of what it is both to be a hero and be called a monster, which is in many ways kind of a classic Marvel conundrum. You can be the world’s greatest hero, but on the same token that doesn’t mean the public loves you. That’s one of the things that’s an awful lot of fun about the show. It’s a show that is built around how the Hulk does his best to show the world that he is in fact a hero. I think that after people see Marvel’s The Avengers feature, they’ll have a much better sense as to where the Hulk is headed not only in the movies but in animation and in the comics in the coming year. It is a real drive by us to see the Hulk as a hero.
TOONZONE NEWS: Are you serving as a writer and executive producer on Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.?
JEPH LOEB: I serve as executive producer. I don’t do any writing of the shows. I’m obviously very involved creatively, but I barely have enough hours in the day. We have five animated series in various stages of development. We’ve got co-productions that are still going on. We still have the anime series that we’re doing with Sony. We’re wrapping up Iron Man: Armored Adventures with our friends over at Nick. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on here all the time, on top of which I have a live-action television division to run as well. It was in everyone’s best interest that I focus my producing and general sort of running the joint than being involved in any of the writing. But obviously we’ve got a great staff of very, very talented people and those are really the guys that are making the scripts come alive.
To read the entire interview where Jeph also discusses other projects like “Ultimate Spider-Man” and “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”, click on the following link: http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/42534/toonzone-news-interviews-jeph-loeb-marvels-head-of-television/
RULK TV : WonderCon 2012 offers more info on “Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.” Cartoon!
Announced by Jeph Loeb in the middle of last year, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. is an upcoming cartoon series that will feature the Red Hulk (along with Hulk, Skaar, She-Hulk and A-Bomb) set to air on the Disney XD channel in early 2013. Information has since been limited, but additional information (including an animation test) was presented to the lucky attendance of this year’s WonderCon 2012 : Marvel Television Presents Panel. Newsarama.com was present for this panel and here was their blow by blow:
“Loeb is talking about new animated series in development. “As of January 1, we opened the doors on a brand-new animation studio.”
“In discussing the previously announced “Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.,” Loeb says that you won’t believe how cool the Hulk is in the Avengers live-action movie, and they wanted to “keep that engine going.”
“The first still from the series is on the screen, showing green Hulk, Red Hulk, Skaar, She-Hulk and A-Bomb.
‘Here it comes: An “animation test” from the series.
“It’s a short feature introducing all of the main characters, with each seeming pretty close to the comic book version — Hulk was aggressive but spoke in full sentences and not “Hulk Smash!” and Red Hulk’s military background was emphasized. The voice of A-Bomb sounded like Seth Green, but that wasn’t confirmed.
‘The show starts in 2013, with Paul Dini heavily involved.
Can’t wait!
-A.J.
A general falls. A red monster rises. Stay tuned.
Follow the RED HULK BLOG on Twitter @ RedHulkBlog
RULK TV : Red Hulk debuts on television at last!!
Already a great series in it’s own right, a trailer has now hit the web for Season Two of AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES. This time, among it’s cast of characters, it features the long awaited televison debut of no one other than General Thaddeus Ross as the Red Hulk!
Check out these Screenshots:
And here is the link to the Trailer : http://www.twitvid.com/1ATDB
-A.J.
A general falls. A red monster rises. Stay tuned.
Follow the RED HULK BLOG on Twitter @ RedHulkBlog
RULK TV : Red Hulk a villian in new ABC HULK Television Series?
When it was announced that writer / director Guillermo del Toro was developing a new “HULK” television series for Disney’s ABC network, there was a lot of speculation regarding what type of Hulk incarnation would Guillermo bring to home audiences. Would it be faithful to the framework the film “The Incredible Hulk” starring Ed Norton already established? Would it be a reboot of the classic Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno 1970’s television series? Apparently, del Toro wasn’t even sure at first.
“We’ve gone through a lot of iterations with the ABC project and we’re very happy where we are right now. We are just waiting for the green light to go to pages.” he told MTV. Ultimately, the majority of Hulk fans had no idea what to expect.
Then, this morning I received the following brief e-mail.
“David Eick and Guillermo del Toro submitted a treatment that includes the development of the Red Hulk as a villain. Thought you might like to know”
Bam. That’s it.
I have no way of collaborating this info, and I haven’t been able to determine who this person is or his/her legitimacy is at this point. Could it be possible? Maybe. Maybe not. We do know that Guillermo has publically praised the work of writer Jeph Loeb (co-creator of the Rulk) in more than one occasion, and expressed his desire to create a series more faithful to the comic. We also do know that the Red Hulk comic has been outselling the Green Hulk comic for a couple years now (and executives pay attention to sales). But would ABC approve such a storyline? Maybe… but please take this rumor for what it is… a rumor.
Stay hopeful, throw salt over your shoulder, and wish the demons and warlocks away.
-A.J.
A general falls. A red monster rises. Stay tuned.
Follow the RED HULK BLOG on Twitter @ RedHulkBlog
RULK TWEETS IN REVIEW: Avengers Film Hulk, Comic Rankings & More!
August 15 – Comic Sales for July released : HULK #37 ranked 56th. HULK #36 ranked 61
August 13 – Advance RULK REVIEW : HULK Issue # 42 http://t.co/xpc1vyy
August 6 – RULK REVIEW : HULK Issue # 38 http://t.co/3C9NRZe
August 5 – RULK REVIEW : AVENGERS Issue # 9 http://t.co/hwostOG
August 2 – HULK Issue #38 debuts this Wednesday! Red Hulk’s big brawlin’ battle with the hammer-wielding Thing comes to its bone-bashing conclusion
July 28 – AVENGERS FILM HULK Details! http://t.co/cPzQ8Ae
July 25 – RULK REVIEW : HULK Issue # 3 http://t.co/x0K7Za7
July 25 – GREEN HULK : Hulk’s new look in next year’s AVENGERS FILM is revealed!
July 23 – RULK ON TV! Marvel announces new animated series “Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.”, featuring the Red Hulk!
July 22 – RULK REVIEW : HULK Issue # 37. http://t.co/A7oQT8X
-A.J.
A general falls. A red monster rises. Stay tuned.
Follow the RED HULK BLOG on Twitter @ RedHulkBlog
In joyful celebration of the landmark 50th issue of writer Jeff Parker's critically acclaimed HULK Comic, superstar Jeff Parker has graciously and enthusiastically agreed to answer questions from the people who count the most: the loyal fans! Click here to 
REDHULKBLOG.com 