Marvel has announced a smash-worthy new graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown, creator of Batman and Robin and Howard and Clumsy, among many other projects. Hulk Teach! shows what happens when you give Dr. Bruce Banner a job as a middle school teacher.
The middle-grade graphic novel, which comes as part of the publishing partnership between Scholastic and Marvel, arrives next August.
“Marvel Comics were a big part of my childhood, so when Scholastic asked if I’d be interested in doing a middle grade series with Marvel super heroes, I immediately knew I wanted to—I just didn’t know which characters I wanted to write about,” Brown said. “Doing talks at schools gave me the inspiration I needed. I was watching teachers navigate their days with more patience than I have and realized it would be really funny to see Bruce Banner try to teach middle school without getting frustrated and turning into the Hulk. I was also excited for the chance to write a version of Hulk I had in mind, somewhere between smart Hulk and dumb Hulk – and of course he’s fun to draw, so it all fit together nicely!”
Like many Marvel stories, it starts with Tony Stark trying to do a good thing:
Bruce Banner, AKA the Hulk, is a genius scientist and super hero whose rage-outs have led him to damage way too much public property. After his latest meltdown, Tony Stark arranges a PR move to smooth things over. Hulk will perform community service–by teaching. Can Banner make it through the school year without destroying everything? And can middle school kids really learn anything when the Hulk is their teacher?
The concept art looks fun … I wonder if the Watchers are teachers, too:
The graphic novel will arrive in stores in August of 2025.