Hmm..that crull commander scene.. I have seen it before… Yes! It’s almost a verbatim copy of the commander death scene from “The Last Starfighter”…. Interesting.. Which came first? The movie or the comic book?

// Steamboat Willie

Movie.

David has another movie homage earlier (to, of all movies, Star Trek V) in the issue.

Considering that David is a noted Star Trek writer, it wouldn’t surprise me at all that he includes Star Trek references — although I assume Mr. Cronin knows that, and is simply mentioning Star Trek V as a very odd choice to reference, since it’s a terrible movie. Personally, I thought the Skrull dialog was a Star Trek reference as well — when the Enterprise is three seconds from a core breach, there’s always something they can do.

“Rakovlaam?” Really? I must have missed this issue, because I love rack of lamb. First time a sound effect has ever made me hungry.

That Line RAKOVLAAM just cracked me up. That’s something that you could only do in a comic. I can’t see other mediums either film or print being able to do that. Priceless

I believe David did start off DC’s relaunch of Star Trek, set just after Star Trek V, so maybe that reference wasn’t as strange as it seems.

Hey, that sounds like a fun topic, which may be very difficult to compile. Favorite sound effects or explosion “dialogue”.

In Excalibur, Alan Davis blew up a bathroom with the sound effect Ba-THROOM! That’s not being topped anytime soon.

Every year I plan to re-read David’s entire Hulk run, but I never get round to it. It walked that fine line between tongue in cheek and outright parody better than any other Marvel series I can think of. Except maybe his run on Captain Marvel…

It would be more odd if a Peter David comic didn’t have a Star Trek reference. Have there been any?

Rakovlaam indeed, my friend. Rakovlaam indeed.

Well.. “The Last Starfighter” premiered 1984.

And according to IMDB, this is the film dialog of the scene:

Lord Kril: Damage report!
Kodan Officer: Guidance system out. Auxiliary steering out.
Lord Kril: Divert! Divert!
Kodan Officer: She won’t answer the helm! We’re locked into the moon’s gravitational pull. What do we do?
[sound of Lord Kril's eyepiece swinging over left eye]
Lord Kril: We die.

Interestingly… The Ko-dans look quite a lot like Skrulls… Red Skrulls…

// Steamboat Willie

Peter uses that “RAKOVLAMM” sound effect a lot, and every single time I think “Why ‘rack of lamb?’” And I always mean to ask him about it, and every time I see him I forget.

Is “a third of the way through Peter David’s run” really appropriate if he’d only been writitng it for about 40 issues and would write it for about 90 more?

Unfortunately, for a British reader, Banner’s “ohh, Betty” is uncomfortably close to Frank Spencer from “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em” – a rather effete, slapstick sit-com character. It’s worth googling Frank Spencer and looking at the first Youtube result for an example. I can’t really imagine Frank hulking out, mind.

Unfortunately, for a British reader, Banner’s “ohh, Betty” is uncomfortably close to Frank Spencer from “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em” – a rather effete, slapstick sit-com character. It’s worth googling Frank Spencer and looking at the first Youtube result for an example. I can’t really imagine Frank hulking out, mind.

Hey, if he could transform into a menacing Phantom of the Opera, anything is possible, yeah?

Why is Rick Jones wearing Bucky’s outfit?

Y’know, I read a book by PAD called “But I Digress …” which was a weekly column in a Comic journal publication (the name of which I forget).

Anyway, PAD once talked about twist endings that he wrote in the Incredible Hulk (for one) and he mentioned about the Rick Jones parachuting sequence. I believe he said that he had forgotten about Rick Jones until the editor reminded him of it and then PAD had to scramble over the twist ending.

Thought that was rather funny, that.

the scene proves why Peter and the hulk were made for each other not to mention the look on Bruce’s face when Rick shows up after the ship explodes. though hated rick looking like Bucky

This was the first issue of PAD’s run on the Hulk that I ever read. Two other memorable (though not as good as the parachute exchange) moments in this issue: 1) a Skrull with wings bellows something like “I know every corner of this ship!” before slamming into a wall. 2) the Super-Skrull yells “Isn’t anyone on this planet normal?!?!” after discovering that his about-to-faint human hostage is AKA the Hulk. Good times.

“I always fondly recall that moment – one of David’s better lines from the series (and there were a number of them).”

I forgot to mention – yes, PAD wrote some great lines of dialogue throughout the series. Another one of my favorites – the Abomination taunts the Green intelligent hulk (recently introduced, replacing the Gray hulk as the focus of the book) with “What happened? Did you lose a fight to Ted Turner?”

James – that Skrull with wings bit is liften from Star Trek V where Scotty proclaims ” I know this ship like the back of my hand.”

Then promptly runs into a bulkhead and knocks himself out.

Is “a third of the way through Peter David’s run” really appropriate if he’d only been writitng it for about 40 issues and would write it for about 90 more?

Gah?

He began with #331. He ended with #467.

That’s 137. This was his 45th issue.

45/137 is almost EXACTLY 1/3.

Geez Louise.

“Is “a third of the way through Peter David’s run” really appropriate if he’d only been writitng it for about 40 issues and would write it for about 90 more?”

1/3 of the way through 130 issues would be 43.33. Now, 40/130 would be A LITTLE closer to 3/10, but saying a third is easier and pretty close to accurate as it is.

I really should have refreshed before posting that. Curse you, Cronin!

Peter David told me this summer that “The Karate Kid” was the perfect example of storytelling.

Knowing that, nothing he ever has written will surprise me.

Hey, give the guy a break. He’s one of the few old salts whose writing has improved along with the industry standard over the years.

IIRC, the other reference here is to an old Cap’n America cliff-hanger. At the end of one issue, Cap is shown jumping out of an exploding plane or ship without a parachute, with a caption saying “How will Cap survive? Buy next month’s issue!!!”

The next month’s issue, of course, opens with Cap parachuting gently to the ground, with no mention of where he got a parachute.

And Brian, you have to include the PD HULK scene where Rick doesn’t recognize the Green Hulk, because he’s wearing glasses…

I have to read this, I’ve never read a Hulk issue in my life, but PAD had me enjoying things I never thought I would enjoy, like Aquaman or Young Justice, and I love that “We explode” line even more that the moment Brian is choosing.

So I have to get me some Hulk PAD, definitely. That’s what I love about this blog, it encourages to read things you always knew that someday you had to read when presenting you with actual great moments.

Peter Davids Hulk run was one of the greatest runs Ive ever read, and I still need to finish it. The stuff he did early with McFarlane deserves a mention, esp the battle with wolverine. The Hulk getting up from the classic wolverine T-Shirt Tenting manuever is one of the best scenes ever. First he gets the claws through the chest with his shirt magically able to withstand adamantium, and then after wolvie walks off he stands up…and says lets…lets try that again. Incredible.