Marvel Comics Presents #44-45: Dr. Strange, Puma, Hulk, Shooting Star (1990)

Doctor Strange and Hulk get short stories by Roy Thomas and Peter David, who are writing the regular series for these characters. So…Why? The Strange story is fine, but nothing great. Rintrah, who is under Dr. Strange’s tutelage, goes “sorceror’s apprentice” and inadvertently creates a trash monster.

On the other Hand, the Hulk story is pretty great.

Hulk fights a guy who’s obviously a stand-in for Hulk Hogan. 

Funny and nice.  Of course it’s good. It’s Peter David Hulk. 

But just because it’s good, doesn’t mean it should exist. It seems pointless to have an anthology feature a guy who has a solo book in a story by the guy who writes that solo book.  Perhaps it’s a way to get assess in the seats for the other one-shot stories in these issues, about characters nobody would pay money to read about

Which suck.  First, Puma gets a story where he fights some lizard people and hates water because y’know he’s kinda like a cat.  I hate Puma.  And Shooting Star gets a story where…Shooting Star.  You don’t know who Shooting Star is? 

She’s that rodeo trick shooter! Anyway, she’s at a circus basically doing the Annie Oakley circuit.

Strange: Roy thomas and Dave Simons. Grade: C

Puma: Dan Mishkin, Gavin Curtis.  Grade: F

Hulk: Peter David, Herb Trimpe.  Grade: B-

Shooting Star: Robert Campanella, Jose Delbo.  Grade: D

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