Your Reading Order Guide To Phillip Kennedy Johnson's Hulk Run

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Horror is baked into the Hulk’s DNA. The earliest comics were inspired by Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, updated for the atomic age. The tone has shifted throughout various creative runs, often featuring science fiction and big action/adventure. Under the watch of writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Nic Klein (plus others), the Hulk comics have returned to their horror roots for what Marvel and the creators are referring to as “The Infernal Saga“.

If you’re looking to jump into Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s Hulk run but don’t know where to begin, don’t worry. This reading order guide will point you in the right direction. It details all the comics you’ll want to read, highlights the structure of this run, provides some background reading suggestions, lists collected editions, and heaps more so you can smash your way through this run with ease.

Table of contents

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Run structure
Background reading
Reading order
Collected editions

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Please note, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s Hulk run is still ongoing. While Marvel has announced how this run will conclude, there are still many details we don’t know right now. As a result, this reading order guide will continue to be updated as more information is made clear.

Run structure

Similar to Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight or Doctor Strange runs, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s Hulk run runs through multiple titles. Marvel Comics has launched a new title to replace the previous one with each new storytelling act of The Infernal Saga.

This Hulk run started in the pages of Incredible Hulk (2023 series). It was replaced by Infernal Hulk as the overarching story shifted. At the time of writing this guide, Infernal Hulk will conclude soon. It’ll be replaced by Hulk War: Infernal Rage (one of Marvel Comics’ 2027 comic book events) and related comics that bridge the gap between Infernal Hulk and it.

When you’re reading the comics month-to-month, this isn’t too difficult to follow. However, it can be confusing if you’re new to comics or late to the run.

Check out the Reading order section below to see how all of these comics fit together.

Immortal Hulk Volume 1: Or Is He Both? trade paperback cover by Alex Ross.

Background reading

Philip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s Hulk run is relatively self-contained. There’s no essential reading that’s needed to follow it. However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t recognise previous Hulk comics; it just doesn’t lean on them in a way that you need to know them to understand what’s going on.

Those who want to do some deep reading before diving into this run may want to check out the following comics:

Immortal Hulk
Written by Al Ewing. Art by Joe Bennett and others.

Immortal Hulk is a celebrated 50-issue run that ran from 2018-2021. Story aspects don’t really overlap with the run that’s the subject of this reading order. However, it’s the last time the Hulk comics were steeped in horror, which provides some thematic foundations for Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s run.

War is Hell (2019) #1 (War Devil story)
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. Art by Alberto Jiménez Alburquerque.

Marvel Comics celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2019 by releasing several one-shots throughout the year inspired by obscure genre titles from its publishing history. The war/horror-themed War is Hell was one of them. The second story in this one-shot by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Alberto Jiménez Alburquerque introduces the War Devil concept. Johnson brings back concepts from this one-shot for Incredible Hulk (2023)’s second story arc. Check it out to see how this idea was originally envisioned.

What about Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley’s run?

Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley were the creative team on the previous run of the title. They established the “Starship Hulk” concept, where Bruce Banner controlled a cybernetically enhanced Hulk. This science fiction approach was cut short when writer Donny Cates was in a near-fatal car accident. Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s run doesn’t reference this status quo, instead pivoting towards horror.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #1 cover by Nic Klein.

Reading order

Below is the recommended reading order for Phillip Kennedy John and Nic Klein’s Hulk run. This includes the different series that the overarching story flows through plus other supplemental material. Annotations have been included where I thought they may be helpful. All issues are by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein, unless noted otherwise.

Incredible Hulk Annual (2023) #1

Note: Incredible Hulk Annual (2023) #1 features two stories. The main story is by David Pepose and Caio Majado. A secondary tales by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Travel Foreman is a short preview of the upcoming run.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #1

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #2

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #3

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #4

Note: Artist Travel Foreman fills in for Nic Klein on Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #4 for this story that also features Man-Thing.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #5

Note: Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #5 also includes a secondary Power Man story by Vita Ayala and Alitha E. Martinez.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #6

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #7

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #8

Note: Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #6-8 co-stars a World War II interpretation of Ghost Rider. The Salvador Romero Ghost Rider made a cameo appearance in issue #1 and made their first full appearance in issue #6.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #9

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #10

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #11

Note: Danny Earls fills in for Nic Klein on art for Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #9-11.

Giant-Size Hulk (2024) #1

Note: This one-shot is a one-shot by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Andrea Broccardo that features a train-based adventure. It also includes a reprint of Incredible Hulk #372 by peter David and Dale Keown.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #12

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #13

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #14

Note: Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #14 fetures a back-up feature that’s a chapter of the Deadpool/Wolverine: Weapon X-Traction story.

Hulk: Blood Hunt #1

Note: Hulk: Blood Hunt #1 is a tie-in one-shot by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Danny Earls. It ties into the Blood Hunt comic book event from 2024.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #15

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #16

Note: Danny Earls is the artist for Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #15-16.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #17

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #18

Note: Nic Klein and Danny Earls share art duties on Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #18.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #19

Note: Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #19 is the 800th issue in the Hulk legacy numbering. The main story is by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein, and Danny Earls. As it’s a celebratory issue, it also includes other tales by other creators, including Greg Pak, Lan Medina, Torunn Grønbekk, Lynne Yoshii, Benjamin Percy, and Geoff Shaw.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #20

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #21

Note: Danny Earls is the artist for Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #20-21.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #22

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #23

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #24

Note: Kev Walker is the artist for Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #24.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #25

Note: Thor guest-stars in Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #25.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #26

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #27

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #28

Note: Kev Walker is the artist for Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #26-28.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #29

Note: Adam Gorham is the artist for Oncredible Hulk (2023 series) #29.

Incredible Hulk (2023 series) #30

Infernal Hulk #1

Infernal Hulk #2

Infernal Hulk #3

Note: Kev Walker joins Nic Klein on art duties for Infernal Hulk #2-3.

Infernal Hulk #4

Infernal Hulk #5

Note: Kev Walker is the artist for for Infernal Hulk #5.

Amazing Spider-Man #1000/Queen in Black: Comics giveaway Day 2026 #1

Note: There is a short Hulk story in Amazing Spider-Man #1000/Queen in Black: Comics giveaway Day 2026 #1, which was given away as part of Comics Giveaway Day 2026.

Infernal Hulk #6

Infernal Hulk #7

Infernal Hulk #8

Infernal Hulk #9

Infernal Hulk #10

Note: Adam Gorham is the artist for Infernal Hulk #6-10. It was noted by Nic Klein that he has dropped off Infernal Hulk so he can focus on the next chapter of this run, Hulk War: Infernal Rage.

Infernal Hulk Vs. Wolverine #1

Infernal Hulk Vs. Fantastic Four #1

Infernal Hulk Vs. Spider-Man #1

Infernal Hulk Vs. Avengers #1

Note: The “Infernal Hulk Vs.” one-shots are prelude one-shots to the Hulk War: Infernal Rage comic book event, which will be published in 2027. They will be published between September and December, 2026.

Hulk War: Infernal Rage

Note: Hulk War: Infernal Rage is a 2027 a Hulk-centric comic book event which will will act as a conclusion to The Infernal Saga and all the stories that Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein have been building over multiple years. Not a lot of details are available about Hulk War: Infernal Rage at the moment. This guide will be updated when more is made available and very likely a separate Hulk War: Infernal Rage reading order will be published on the site closer to release.

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