The Incredible Hulk #319, pg. 3 - The Wedding Issue

Some of Byrne’s famously cut short runs include Captain America, The Sensational She-Hulk, and The Incredible Hulk. Byrne would end up defecting from Marvel to DC, but slightly before jumping ship he’d produce his last issue of The Incredible Hulk, the infamous Wedding Issue of Bruce Banner & Betty Ross with Rick Jones as Best Man and General “Thunderbolt” Ross as wedding crasher. It’s also famously noted for its bi-level storytelling narrative with the Hulk battling Doc Samson & The Hulkbusters in all-out action on one half of the page while the wedding party concurrently told its story on the other half. The issue is cover dated May 1986, with the proposed issue #320 being published instead as the all-splash issue Marvel Fanfare #29, cover dated November 1986. Apparently, the all-splash Hulk issue was another nail in the coffin between Byrne and Shooter (I wasn’t consulted, so I don’t know!). Either way, Byrne’s first issue of Superman’s reboot miniseries The Man of Steel would hit the stands in the Summer of 1986, and he’d have all 6 issues out in 3 months. 1986 was an absolute pivotal beast of a year for Byrne and his lil’ Byrne-amaniacs!

Art from 1986 - 11x17.