Some of the best and most remembered Hulk stories involve taking the "Green Goliath" out of his natural element and placing him where no one would expect to find him, and the stories collected here are no exception. A swords-and-sorcery fantasy epic in the vein of Conan the Barbarian, tailored for the Hulk, is a surprising deviation from the typical "Hulk vs. the army" stories that were so rampant during this period. Jarella, the green-skinned queen from the microscopic world of K'ai, has since become a beloved part of Hulk lore, and has left such an impact that she is still referenced to this day.
When the issues were first published, they were largely episodic, sometimes separated by years of other Hulk stories in between. Reading them together as a unified piece, the storyline holds together well, with plot and character consistency maintained despite the contributions of several different writers. Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, Len Wein, and Bill Mantlo all add to the mythos, each nicely building on what came before.
The stories continue to benefit from the talents of two of the greatest comic book artists ever: Herb Trimpe and Sal Buscema. Both have enjoyed long runs on the Hulk series and have left an indelible stamp on the character, solidifying his "definitive look" in the minds of the public.
The Hulk would revisit Jarella's world a couple of times afterward (those additional stories are now collected in the HULK VISIONARIES: PETER DAVID VOL. 3 and INCREDIBLE HULKS: DARK SON trades), but these are all the stories that directly involve Jarella, from her memorable first appearance to her tragic and untimely death, and finally to her burial and the Hulk's touching farewell. There is also the added bonus of a "What If..." story, exploring the possibilities of what might have been had the Hulk been given a happy ending. Of course, for a character like the Hulk, happy endings are few and far between.
HEART OF THE ATOM is a treat for Hulk fans both old and new, a timeless story of fantasy and tragic romance.