The Incredible Hulk has been smashing his way into the hearts of comic book lovers everywhere since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created him in 1962. Since then the character has become a staple of the Marvel Universe, and over the years the adventures of the gamma irradiated Dr. Banner have captivated millions. Like most of the mainstream and successful comic book franchises over the years, The Incredible Hulk has broken from his paper origins. From animation to film and even television you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't know the Hulk.

Back in the late 70's, CBS premiered the first televised version of the character in the aptly named, The Incredible Hulk. Starring the late Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, the show went on to air for five seasons and produced 82 episodes prior to its abrupt cancellation in 1982. While it was running, the series was popular with young male adolescents and fans of the comic book. Considering I fit both of those demographics at the time, I naturally tuned in whenever my parents would allow me. The Incredible Hulk was freaky, smart, and entertaining, and not to mention when you were a kid back in the day watching Banner hulk out was a very memorable moment.

The show starts out with Dr. David "Bruce" Banner having a nightmare about a tragic event from his past where he lost the love of his life in a car accident. From then on he became obsessed with the human ability to gain strength above and beyond the norm during times of crisis. He started a research project and a year later he finally made the discovery that each of these extraordinary people had their moments during times where the sun was giving off a high amount of gamma radiation. Naturally, as any good scientist would, David puts himself in the radiation chair and bombards his body with large amounts of gamma radiation to see what happens. The only thing is, rather than the amount he intended to be subjected to, the machine had been tinkered with and he was hit with about six times the projected amount.

If you couldn't figure it out by now, the abundance of gamma radiation changed Banner in ways he never thought possible. Whenever he gets angry or hurt his skin turns green, his muscles expand, and he loses control of his actions. He more or less becomes a modern day Jekyll and Hyde, with his alter-ego being a green painted Lou Ferrigno who is called the Hulk. As the Hulk, Banner has no control whatsoever and he acts on instincts alone. Beating people up, smashing through walls, crushing cars, and throwing objects great distances are just a few of the things the Hulk does. Ironically the Hulk also seems to possess, at least in part, David's humanity so even though he's stomping around as a monster he still has the sense to help people out and protect those in need. Not bad for something portrayed with caveman-like intelligence.

Now in the show David's character is "killed" off in the pilot, meaning that everyone he ever knew thinks he's dead and murdered by the Hulk. This leaves the good doctor on a hitchhiking journey across the country in hopes of finding a cure for his condition. He finds himself dogged by a persistent reporter name Jack McGee (Jack Colvin) who is following sightings of the Hulk for his tabloid newspaper. Needless to say, everywhere that David goes, McGee is right behind him.

The structure of the series was set up so that each episode would see David on the road arriving at a new destination. Sometimes it's related to his quest for a cure, and other times it just turns out to be a pit stop. Whatever the situation is, David is presented with an opportunity to help someone out and do some good. At some point the Hulk inevitably comes out, and that leaves some eye witnesses for McGee to interview. It's not a complex show by any stretch of the imagination, but for what it was the writing was exceptionally well done and Bixby's performance gave more credence to the series than it should have had.

Up until now The Incredible Hulk has been available on DVD in the form of individual seasons. Season one hit stores in 2006 and since then the rest of the series has followed suit. If you held off buying into the show then Universal has put together a package that may entice you. All five seasons (20 discs with 82 episodes) have been assembled in a Hulk-worthy box just in time for the holidays. It's a meaty collection to be sure, but if you've picked up the individual seasons already, there's not much point to biting on this double dip.

"Death in the Family" is the first episode after the pilot and it's a nice way to get the series going as it establishes the formula early on. This episode sees Banner making his way through California only to stop and help a handicapped girl after she faints in an orchard. It leads to David getting into the middle of a plot to kill the girl, so naturally only he and the Hulk can save her. When he's done with California, David hitches his way to a new city where he befriends a wannabe boxer involved with some shady dealings. After that he moves on to working in a zoo in an episode that actually features the Hulk fighting a gorilla. Both of these episodes were kind of weak after the pilot and "Death in the Family", but the season gets much better from here on out.

One of the strongest notes comes from the fifth episode, "Of Guilt, Models, and Murder". I found this episode entertaining due to the way it played with David's amnesia after he becomes the Hulk. The episode starts out with the doctor waking up in a room with some dead fashion models, and naturally his mind heads down dark, guilty paths as he blames the Hulk for killing them. The rest of the episode sees him investigating the murders and trying to get the bottom to find out whether or not he was actually involved.

From then on the first season has some ups and downs as it makes its way through the remaining seven episodes. Of the better episodes, "Terror in Times Square" stands out as it features David helping out an arcade owner who is being pressured by some people for "protection". What better protection could you ask for than having the Hulk on your side for some good 'ol fashion smashing? "The Hulk Breaks Las Vegas" was a great episode as well. I mean, just think about it, the Hulk running through the streets and casinos of Vegas! After these episodes the only other one that stands out in this season is "Earthquakes Happen" which has David /the Hulk attempting to stop a meltdown after a massive earthquake.

That "mold" is broken again later in this season with a two-part episode entitled "Mystery Man". This storyline features the very definition of a close call when David is involved in a car accident that renders him with amnesia. It is bad enough he doesn't remember what happens when he's the Hulk, but now he just plain doesn't know what's going on. Because of the accident his face is bandaged and he winds up spending a lot of time with McGee when they are involved in a plane crash together. You're left wondering throughout the episode whether or not the reporter will actually put two and two together.

Aside from these two breaks from the standard set by the first season, the rest of this year's batch of Hulk episodes are formulaic. It works for many episodes, but there are others which just aren't quite as sharp. "The Antowuk Horror", "Alice in Disco Land", "Killer Instinct", and "Stop the Presses" all stand out as prime examples of the show at its best, while "Wild Fire", "Vendetta Road", and "The Disciple" are a few of the lower points.

All in all, the second season of The Incredible Hulk was much better than the first, but then again in the opening year the show was just finding its footing. We still see a little bit of that here though it's safe to say that the show handles this material better than most science fiction programs of the era. Many of these episodes and plots are cliché beyond reason, but the series handles them seriously and with a hefty flare for the dramatic. This was definitely one of the feathers in the Hulk's cap and because of that the series retains much of its entertainment value some thirty years later.

Of the good stuff "Homecoming" definitely stands out as one of the best here. In this episode David goes home to his family for Thanksgiving. While there he spends a little time trying to help out with a problem on the farm, but that's not what makes this episode so entertaining. For the entire time we've known David, we haven't really learned much about his history prior to being big and green. This episode provides plenty of opportunity for the writers to explore his character and some of his background.

Another solid episode from this season include "The Snare" which has David being invited to an island where he's hunted by a madman. "The Psychic" is an interesting episode that puts David's morality on the line when he learns that Jack McGee is going to die. David's life sure would be a heck of a lot easier if the nosey reported wasn't around, but could he live with that? This episode really got into David's head and we got a nice glimpse at how he ticks. Aside from these episodes, most of the other ones here are simply passable. In all honesty it seemed as though by this point the show had already begun to slip though it still retained most of the quality.

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Despite the overall lacking nature of the fourth season, there are still plenty of enjoyable adventures for David and his big angry friend. The most notable episode here is the season opener which is a two-part story that has David getting stuck mid-transformation. The military gets involved as they think David is actually an alien so they take him back to the lab for further examination. Another two-part episode in this season sees David tracking down another "monsters". This one has plenty to appreciate for fans of the show and it even offers the Hulk something other than a thug, brick wall, or car to beat up on! Other than the extended episodes here this season more or less splits right down the middle in terms of quality. I'd say that about five or six of the episodes here receive low grades, while the rest could be labeled as average.

After watching the fourth season it's not too difficult to see why the series was cancelled early on in the fifth. With only seven episodes to its name, the final year is a sore spot compared to the earlier ones, which featured many highlights. The episodes here simply weren't very entertaining, most were poorly written, and even the actors didn't seem as invested in it. It's a shame that the series couldn't have found a suitable ending and that it ended with such a whimper, but while it lasted it was a comic lovers dream come true.

Even if you weren't into the comic, The Incredible Hulk was quite a show for the time it was released. The dark nature of the program coupled with Bixby's acting skills and some "decent" writing presented a unique television experience that became an icon. While the later seasons of the show definitely weren't the best, the first three seasons were rock-solid entertainment. Tuning in each week to see David turn into the Hulk was a hoot and reliving the show again thirty years later proves to be a nice nostalgic trip into the history of everyone's favorite green giant.

The Incredible Hulk is presented on DVD with its original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. All five seasons maintain similar qualities by comparison though as you'd expect the episodes from 1982 look slightly better than the ones from 1977. Technically speaking the series is presented well here with a transfer that suits the source material, but in the end it's really nothing to write home about. Due to the vintage of the series there are simply many things you come expecting. The show features an abundance of speckle and dirt in the image, it's very soft to the point that many scenes are blurry, and there is a slight amount of grain present. Colors appear off sometimes as well and there are many scenes where Ferrigno simply isn't as green as he should be.

Despite the flaws here, Universal did a decent job bringing the show to DVD and the picture quality is most likely better than you remember it being back in the day. Considering these DVDs are simply a repackage of the already available individual seasons there are no bells and whistles in the presentation department to entice collectors into a double dip.

The sound quality for The Incredible Hulk is pretty solid as well, but like the video it's really nothing to get really excited about. A somewhat limited 2.0 English stereo track is as good as you're going to get, though I suppose this really isn't a show that needs more than that. Most of the episodes are dialogue driven and the only points where a 5.1 blend would have been nice were the times when Banner turns into the Hulk. As it stands the supplied sound is adequate and with a few noteworthy flaws. Some of the material is muted with the occasional bit of distortion, but those elements seem to pertain to the source material rather than be a part of the mastering of these DVDs. Otherwise the Hulk sounds about like you'd expect it would and fans of the show will be pleased with what's available here.

Considering these DVDs are ported over from the individually released versions of the seasons, you can expect the exact same bonus features as well.

In the first season Kenneth Johnson sits down to discuss the pilot of the series and the show as a whole. It's an interesting commentary because Kenneth is brutally honest about many things related to the show from working with the cast to creating it and he even talks about its flaws. The commentary can be a tad dry at times, but this one is definitely a worthwhile inclusion and should be watched when you finish with the series. For some reason the "Stop the Presses" episode from the show's second season is available on the fourth disc as an extra as well.

The second season has some extra features as well, with another commentary by Kenneth leading the way. After the first commentary this one felt a little redundant, but it was still appreciated and allowed for some discussion about the "Married" episode. Otherwise the only other inclusion in this season is an introduction (7:46) by Kenneth. As short as it was, I really enjoyed this because it put a face to the man, allowed him to show off some props such as the Hulk's wig, and, of course, discuss the show. Also in the second season is another randomly placed episode from the third one.

For the third season we get a fluffy commercial piece for the recently released Hulk film with Edward Norton. There may not be any commentaries in the third season, but a featurette is available entitled "Remembering The Incredible Hulk: An American Classic" (17:32). This feature shed a lot of light on the design of the show and how most of the episodes were structured. It included a nice selection of writers and producers from the series giving us a chance to get into their heads.

Kenneth Johnson comes back once again with another commentary for the fourth season. This one is fittingly for the two-part "Prometheus" episode and offers more background on the show and its creation. Aside from that you will find a stills gallery of behind the scenes photos from that episode, the same fluff piece for Norton's movie, and "Creating an Iconic Character: The Hulk" (9:49), which is a look at the casting process of the show.

Closing out the collection is the fifth season's bonus features which includes a six minute gag reel and "Behind the Success: The Story of The Incredible Hulk" (18:29). "Behind the Success" assembles most of the creative force that put the series together and they discuss the impact the show had on television and what some of their favorite bits were. It helps put a fine finishing touch on the series and allows for some personal moments with the people behind the series.

The Incredible Hulk was one heck of a fun show right up until the end. Each week the tragic adventure of David Banner captivated audiences and his fight with the Hulk gave many children sleepless nights. The show was undeniably tied to the comic book, but there were enough differences to make it palatable for a mainstream audience. Because of that, The Hulk was popular enough to run for four solid seasons until it ran out of gas and faced cancellation.

Finally having the complete series available on DVD means it's a great time to be a fan. The show still looks good after decades on a shelf and the included bonus material is definitely a plus. With that in mind, this collection is something that is only good for fans that don't already have the Hulk on their DVD shelf. It's merely a repack of the currently available seasons and there's nothing special about it aside from a big black and green box. Skip it if you already have any of the seasons in your collection, but if you're a Hulk fan who missed out on the show consider this set strongly recommended.

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