Savage Wolverine #5 – Review

By: Frank Cho (Writer/Artist), Jason Keith (Colorist)

The Story: Hulk arrives, Wolverine tries to fight him and some kind of ancient evil is unleashed out of the Savage Lands.

The Review: I had told in the previous review I wrote about this series a theory in which I told that Wolverine was kind of inconsequential to the story. In a way, I was mildly joking and I thought myself very clever when I pointed out that besides giving us action, he did not do much to advance the plot, leaving Shanna and Amadeus Cho the luxury of actually explaining what was happening to us. While it was a bit on the nose, it did not exactly detract from the enjoyment of the story.

As it turns out, I was right, albeit not entirely: none of the characters here actually mattered. While it may sound harsh and exceptionally unfair for me to say, I dare anyone to read this issue and then to just try to see why exactly the story needed Wolverine, Shanna, Amadeus Cho or even Hulk in there to explain its concepts. Basically, there is a lot of fighting between Hulk and Wolverine, which leads to the ancient evil sealed in the Savage Lands to wake up and go out in space. The end.

Savage Wolverine #4 – Review

By: Frank Cho (Writer/Artist), Jason Keith (Colorist)

The Story: Shanna gets resurrected as we get some explanation about the island and some of its mysteries. Meanwhile, Wolverine is angry and needs to do what he is best at, which isn’t very nice of him.

The Review: The more the series is advancing, the more it seems that Wolverine is absolutely inconsequential to this whole story about people being lost in the Savage Land. Really, from what I can see, he is pretty much only there to make the title sell, which is actually quite understandable, considering that a ‘’Shanna the She-Devil’’ or ‘’Amadeus Cho’’ title would not sell very well. Still, if adding Wolverine to the mix to get an actually interesting title is what we need, then so be it.

Savage Wolverine #3 – Review

By: Frank Cho (Writer/Artist), Jason Keith (Colorist)

The Story: Amadeus Cho gets some back story for the isle while Wolverine and Shanna battle some tribesmen.

The Review: There are some times when you wonder just why the titular character is even there when the supporting cast is more interesting. Sometimes, it seem that the more interesting parts of some series or issues are seen through the secondary characters, making those characters seems much more important than they are or at least their appearance become much more anticipated between issues. Sometimes, it is involuntary and other times it is by design, but it always results in the main character being pushed aside in many ways.

Savage Wolverine #2 – Review

By: Frank Cho (Writer/Artist), Jason Keith (Colorist)

The Story: Wolverine and Shanna deals with the dinosaurs attacking them, while Amadeus Cho arrive on the island and tries to understand just what is happening here.

The Review: Now this is more like it and, quite frankly, an improvement in close to every way from the opening issue of this series. Close to every problem I had with the first issue are either resolved, pushed aside or are just gone, creating something that is a little bit more up to the artistic talent of Frank Cho.

The first thing that had bugged me in the first issue was the over-reliance of self-narration that had been absolutely redundant considering what they said and how they were presented. The problem I had was that most of what Wolverine said could be very simply deduced by the art itself, making his speech completely useless in some ways. Here though, instead of describing just what he sees, Wolverine tells us how he feels and how he reacts to what is surrounding, creating a much better representation of who Wolverine is as a character instead of becoming something akin to a ‘’Captain Obvious’’. It is not completely out of the way, as there are still some narrations that are fairly useless, but it still much better than in the first issue.

The Incredible Hulks #631 – Review

By: Greg Pak (writer), Paul Pelletier (penciller), Danny Miki (inker), Morry Hollowell with Jesús Aburtou (colorists), Jake Thomas (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)

The Story: Heart of the Monster, Part Two: OK. AIM scientist party-crashes on Red She-Hulk/Tyrannus lovefest to turn fountain of youth into a wishing well. Some dumb wishes get made, bringing back to life a cool half-dozen of the Hulk’s foes, plus some random monsters and additional sub-wishes, and some more sub-wishes….

What’s Good: I started buying Hulk again because I was interested in seeing what Pak had been doing with it for a while, but more importantly, because of Pelletier’s art. Pelletier, Miki and the colorists really have a good thing going on. The art is detailed and textured, no matter who or what Pelletier is looking at. Fin Fang Foom has deep, shadowed ridges and the monster teeth are cracked and irregular. Rick Jones’ face (such as it is) is expressive and the weapons are shiny and new-looking. Wendigo and Bi-Beast figured heavily in this issue and the art team depicted them in lavish rage, while Umar (I didn’t even realize she was a Hulk foe!) and Amadeus have more subtle characterizations of their moods. And of course, the Hulk was big and blocky and green and all muscle, slapping it down with all comers and creatively outsmarting (in his limited way) the dumbest of his enemies. All in all, a visually satisfying issue.

On the writing, Pak’s tongue-in-cheek tone, mixing enemy and friend in quick-moving banter, while stirring in deadly danger, made for a fun ride. The wishing well and the complexity of the wishing structure that Cho figures out was intriguing, fitting cheek-by-jowl with funnny, Hulkish cunning involving Wendigo’s tail. I liked all the characters involved, even the villains, and no one seemed to be taking any great pains to take themselves too seriously, which was my signal to take it easy. Why did I like them? Well, they all wanted something that was obvious and important to them. The Hulk is heart-broken. She-Hulk, Cho and Rick are his buddy musketeers and Betty is his lost love. Poignant. Painful. Heart-warming. At the same time, on the villains’ side, we have some villains, who, at every turn, have seen their efforts stymied by this gamma-irradiated monstrosity. Of course they want a bit of payback, or to rebuild what they lost. What reader can’t buy into that? Pak has taken some very bizarre people (I’m talking about all of them), and made them sympathetic with some very clear, simple desires and obstacles.

Chaos War #1 – Review

By: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciller), Tom Palmer (inker), Simon Bowland (letterer)

The Story: Hercules returns from a death that never really happened, gets made fun of by the heroes of the Marvel U, fights with them needlessly and then uses his apparent semi-omnipotence to bring them along to fight generic monsters.

What’s Good: Pham and Palmer put some pretty attractive art onto the page. Pham’s got the creativity to make the alien come alive and I’ve always thought that Palmer makes any artist’s work look more fluid. They both create some nice textured effects, especially in the opening scene with the weird backgrounds of Nightmare’s realm. King Chaos’s appearance is very dynamic and Nightmare’s emotive face is almost all we need to tell the story. I’ve never had strong feelings about letterers before, but I really feel this issue would have worked better if Bowland had used invisible ink for this issue; that would have kept the writing from sinking this battleship.

Incredible Hercules #138 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Rodney Buchemi (artist), Guillem Mari (colorist)

The Story: Hercules and the Mighty Avengers unite to take the fight to the doors of Hera’s impenetrable corporate fortress, where she has assembled herself a new pantheon of dark gods to supplant the one governed by Zeus.

The Good: I have to give the guys credit for their outstanding treatment of the Mighty Avengers and actually find myself
wishing they’d take over that title as well, given the disastrous conclusion to “The Unspoken”. Pak and Van Lente write the team with energy and purpose, and they’ve never looked better when Buchemi draws them. There was one moment in particular that stuck out in my mind, when Pak and Van Lente gave US Agent a moment to speak out against the idea of gods and polytheism, that I thought was not only a great bit of characterization, but also smart commentary that puts Marvel’s gods into an interesting perspective. I’m also glad to see Marvel has taken a page from DC’s playbook and decided to include back up features to justify their $3.99 price tags. If this is the road the industry has agreed to go down, the very least they could do for us is include extra content to incentivize the extra cost.

The Not So Good: Remember what I was saying about US Agent’s rant against gods? If that was the good part, then Athena’s follow up to his monologue, while not necessarily bad, inadvertently works against the story. The idea of this story arc, if you’ll remember, is that Hera has convened a dark pantheon of Greek gods who will bring about the extinction of the planet so they can usher in a second creation under their direct control. Okay, cool, sounds dire and epic. I can follow along with that. And yet, when Athena basically described the gods as being superheroes of the old world, I couldn’t help but feel that diluted the story to just another case of superheroes fighting super villains to save the world. It’s early in the story though, so I’m not going to let that initial disappointment prevent me from having a good time. Finally, I’ve noticed that in recent months writers, no doubt under orders from their editors, have resumed giving Hercules that nauseating, faux-Shakespearean dialogue that all Marvel deities have been afflicted with since the 60s. That’s a huge shame. I liked that, if only for a little while, Pak and Van Lente were unafraid to have Hercules sound like a contemporary hero for all ages and not a relic from the past.

Conclusion: Incredible Hercules #138 marks the beginning of another solid story, but it doesn’t feel like the kind of thing you need to rush out to the comic shop to buy and that’s strange for this book.

Grade: C

-Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #31 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers), Sean Chen (artist), Yeung & Morales (inkers), John Rauch (colors)

Well, it’s now five months later and the best I can say for this story is that it’s finally over.  Thank. Freaking. God.  With “The Unspoken”, I feel that Mighty Avengers has hit something of a sophomore slump.  I finally gave up on this issue, and the overall storyline, about halfway through when, during a giant-sized fight with the Unspoken, Pym says “You’ve chosen to spend your time wallowing in past mistakes…not learning from them and moving on.”  I thought this was terribly apropos as it’s exactly what Slott and Gage have done.  These are both smart guys and good writers, and yet their sprawling story was exactly the kind of uninspired, MacGuffin-driven nonsense that was in style back in the 70s.  I’d like the think the bar in storytelling has risen considerably higher since those halcyon days, and yet this story utterly failed to become anything more than a less-than-average potboiler.

This story more or less seems to have been hatched for no other reason than to bring the various Avengers teams together for the upcoming ‘Siege’ storyline.  There is some value to this decision, as it was truly entertaining to see characters from the Initiative, New, and Mighty Avengers interacting with each other.  However, considering what a non-threat the Unspoken turned out to be, (which was a shame considering how much time the writers spent building him up to be a Serious Villain) and the disappointing way the Xerogen gas was finally resolved (really, Pym?  That was your great solution?  Kind of a buzzkill for the guy Eternity named Earth’s Scientist Supreme), I almost wish Pym would have called up the other teams and invited them over for beers and Xbox since it would have achieved the same goal, been just as entertaining, and taken up a fraction of the issues.

Despite an incredibly uninteresting, disappointing storyline, culminating in this issue that proved to be too little too late, I nonetheless feel like this book is headed in a direction that’s going to pay off in a big way down the road. Of the crop of Avengers books being published right now, this is the one that keeps me coming back month after month because I believe in its potential, even when the comic doesn’t live up to it.

Grade: D

-Tony Rakittke

 



Incredible Hercules #135 – Review

By Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak (writers), Rodney Buchemi (artist), Guillem Mari (colors)

The Story: The origin of Amadeus Cho’s awesome mental powers is revealed!

The Good: An offbeat title like Incredible Hercules has given Van Lente and Pak a wealth of opportunities to experiment with every aspect of their comic from its cover design to narrative structure, and the guys take full advantage of that freedom again in this issue.   Written to read like an old pulp adventure as well as the narration to a role-playing game, the story was briskly paced and amusing from start to finish.  I’ve dealt with enough insane gamemasters over the years to appreciate all the inside humor and nods to the RPG experience and have to compliment Pak and Van Lente for nailing all the beats and nuances dead on.  Buchemi’s art is appropriately whimsical and does a good job conveying all of the more subtle character moments needed to successfully move the slower parts of the comic, and he is just as successful in making the RPG sequences every bit as exciting as an Indiana Jones movie.  To be honest, I’d love to see Marvel have some fun and apply Buchemi’s versatile style to a range of their books; I think they’d pleasantly surprised with the results.

The Not So Good: My biggest concern this week was that no matter how good this issue might be, it still wouldn’t be enough to justify giving Cho full-length issues to tell his origin, and unfortunately I was right.  At best Cho’s origin should have been a back-up feature to Hercules’ story, and not an entire comic unto itself.  The plot doesn’t have the legs needed to stand on its own, and that in turn brings down this issue and makes it disappointingly forgettable.  Furthermore, I was unable to shake off the impression that Pak and Van Lente were so into telling concurrent stories through their RPG narrative that they dropped the ball and forgot to consider the entertainment value of their story.  I’m sorry, but spending $2.99 to watch a young Cho and his friend play Dungeons & Dragons is absolutely not my idea of a good time.

Conclusion: A well-crafted story does not always make for an entertaining one, especially when there’s barely enough story present to fill an entire comic.  If you were to skip this comic and wait for the next issue, you wouldn’t be missing a thing and I can’t say I’d blame you.

Grade:  C

-Tony Rakittke

Incredible Hercules #131 Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Ryan Stegman (artist), Terry Pallot (inker), Raul Trevino & Chris Sotomayor (colorists)

Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, on the off chance that you’re reading my review of your comic book right now, please know that I forgive you for those incredibly shitty “Dark Reign” tie-in issues; and that after this issue in particular I now hold special places for you both in my heart.  After taking a break from the title for a few months, I have returned to Hercules with this issue to find that not only is it every bit as funny as I remembered, it’s even funnier.

The best punchline of this issue, and easily the entire series to date, comes early on as Hercules is battling the reflection of his mortal self in Hell.  I won’t spoil the surprise for you, except to say that if, like me, you’ve ever groaned and wondered why all the gods in the Marvel Universe talk like they’re starring in a high school Shakespeare production, then this issue was written for you. Overall this is a very solid, very enjoyable issue; and I was especially pleased that I could pick this up after taking a break from reading it and still follow what was happening.  And that’s really the key to this comic’s success, I think it has less to do with any kind of a plot as much as it is the joy we get from watching Marvel’s ultimate frat guy punch and womanize his way through one merry adventure after another with the shit-eating grin and reckless abandon we’ve come to love in the Lion of Olympus. That’s all there is to it, and Pak and Van Lente are right to stick to this formula as closely as possible.

I enjoyed the bold lines and expressive qualities of Stegman’s art but felt it was often overpowered by Pallot’s inks. Fortunately, the dynamic colors of Trevino and Sotomayor compensate for this and make the finished pages absolutely sparkle. With all the melodramatic doom and gloom running rampant throughout Marvel’s “Dark Reign” snorefest, it’s a real treat to come across that occasional comic that wants nothing more than to laugh loudly at it all and entertain. This is one of those comics, so be sure to check it out.

Grade:  B+

-Tony Rakittke

The Incredible Hercules #130 – Capsule Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (Writers), Ryan Stegman & Rodney Buchemi (Pencils), Terry Pallot (Inks), and Raul Trevino & Guru eFX (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I have a feeling that far sooner than later I’m going to begin trade waiting Incredible Hercules. While I really like what Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente are doing with the series (it’s consistently funny and consistently entertaining), it rarely leaves me feeling like I can hardly wait for the next issue.

The Story: Accused by Pluto, Zeus (accompanied by Hercules) stands trial in front of a jury of 501. Meanwhile, Aegis and Amadeus Cho travel the underworld in order to find Cho’s parents…

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Steeped in the series’ trademark mix of mythology, humor, philosophy, and history, Incredible Hercules #130 is one of the most intelligent Marvel comics I’ve read in a long time. For those of you that can truly appreciate the layers of depth, the latest issue of Hercules is a real treat. The trial of Zeus is perfectly executed (it’s loaded with weighty themes), the artwork is totally solid (though occasionally cluttered or inconsistent), and the funny stuff keeps things fairly accessible for those that aren’t familiar with everything Pak and Van Lente throw into the story (there’s a LOT to digest).

Conclusion: The Incredible Hercules #130 is a MUST READ for history, mythology, or philosophy fans. It’s absolutely loaded with good stuff.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Incredible Hercules #129 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (Writers), Ryan Stegman (Pencils), Terry Pallot (Inks), and Raul Trevino (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I love how Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente blend the Greek myth with the Marvel universe in Incredible Hercules. It helps to give the series a very unique feel.

The Story: Herc and Amadeus head to Erebus, which just happens to be a glitzy casino where those that have died and believe they shouldn’t have gamble for a chance to live once more. There they search for Athena’s “secret weapon.” What weapon? His name is Zeus…Herc’s father!

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The creative team’s spin on Erebus makes the latest issue of Incredible Hercules one of the most entertaining in quite some time. From the casino atmosphere to the clever cameos and hilarious dialogue, everything just flat out works. However, it’s not perfect.

The flaw is that throughout the course of the book, not a lot actually happens to drive the story forward. Outside of the last couple of pages, Herc #129 seems more concerned with fun, quips, Greek mythology, and commenting on the nature of comic book death than moving the plot along. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing because the book is so enjoyable, it is quite noticeable.

Writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente do an impressive job of keeping the humor flowing and the atmosphere lively. As always, the interactions between Hercules and Amadeus are a highlight, though nearly every character gets a chance to shine. I especially dug: Aegis’s nerdy conversation with Amadeus since it is sure to get a laugh out of those that get it, and Charon the river Styx boatman’s small, yet memorable appearance.

The artwork by Ryan Stegman, Terry Pallot, and Raul Trevino effortlessly brings the vision of the writers to the page. It’s bright, full of personality, and very much up to the challenge of bringing the Erebus casino and it’s inhabitants to life. It’s great fun to try and figure out which deceased Marvel characters are playing the games or enjoying the atmosphere.

Conclusion: Clever and hilarious, Incredible Hercules #129 is a creative success all around. While light on story, it more than makes up for it by being a whole lot of fun.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Incredible Hercules #128 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (Writers), Dietrich Smith (Pencils), Terry Pallot (Inks), and Raul Trevino (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The Incredible Hercules has disappointed me as of late. The series remains fun and humorous, but the storylines have been rather weak. If Hercules and Amadeus Cho weren’t so entertaining to follow, I probably would have dropped the book months ago. But since they are, I figured I might as well give Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente another issue or two to right the ship.

The Story: Incredible Hercules #128 is pretty much one big fight scene. Herc’s group, the Olympus Group, and the Dark Avengers square off in a battle filled with action and, unsurprisingly since Herc’s involved, comedy. Plot progression doesn’t really happen until the end, so in order to avoid a spoiler, that’s all I will say for this section.

What’s Good: As usual, Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente do a great job of handling the humor and character work that makes Incredible Hercules such a fun read each month. The writers’ efforts are complimented nicely by the art teams lively, cartoony visuals that keep the battle action-packed and, oddly enough, hilariously amusing. Watching The Sentry and Venom (Dark Spidey) get knocked around like Loony Tunes characters is quite satisfying.

What’s Not So Good: I wish the plot driving the big battle interested me more. The characters involved keep me reading, especially when the mythology behind some of them comes into play, but as a whole I can’t help but respond to the story with a resounding “Meh.” Maybe things will pick up next issue, but I’m not counting on it.

Conclusion: A Hercules flavored throwdown is always worth checking out. Just don’t expect much from the story.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Incredible Hercules #127 – Review

By Fren Van Lente and Greg Pak (writers), Dietrich Smith (artist), Cory Hamscher (inker)

The Story: What the hell just happened?  It took TWO writers to come up with this!?  Aegis, a completely forgettable character from New Warriors, is apparently killed by a member of Hera’s dark pantheon to absolutely nobody’s regret.  Hera meets with Hercules, Amadeus, and Athena to talk about how much she dislikes them, and Norman “Are You Sick of Seeing Me In All Your Comics Yet?” Osborn shows up with the Dark Avengers to discuss how much he generally dislikes everybody.  There, I just saved you $2.99.  If you still want more though, read on…

The Good: I grinned at the idea of a Greek diner being used as holy ground for the gods to convene without fear of agression against themselves, and enjoyed Smith’s double page spread of the Dark Avengers, but those things aren’t nearly enough to justify buying the comic, especially when this title is usually capable of packing so much more value and entertainment into its pages.

The Not So Good: How about everything other than the previous two ideas I just mentioned?  I don’t know if this was a bizarre standalone issue, a “Dark Reign” tie-in forced upon the creative team, or the first episode of an inexplicable storyline, all I can say is that this is the first issue of Incredible Hercules that completely failed to entertain me.  Van Lente and Pak have done amazing work on this title and I’ve been singing their praises for months now, but this issue was an incredibly poor example of what they are otherwise capable of achieving.

Conclusion: A waste of the paper it was printed on.  You don’t need this.

Grade: D-

Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #23 – Review

By Dan Slott (writer), Khoi Pham (artist), Allen Martinez and Danny Miki (inkers)

Even as I grew to despise Bendis’s writing over the years, I was always willing to give him a chance when it came to The Avengers because they have long been a favorite team of mine since childhood.  From Avengers, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, and right up to Dark Avengers, Bendis has conned me into thinking that each new iteration of the team might be the one that delivers the kind of epic action and drama that I’ve come to associate with the franchise.  Sadly, every title has let me down.  They’ve become vanity projects for Bendis full of overblown, Seinfeldian dialogue and plots that aren’t nearly exciting enough to justify the $3.99 price tags that are conveniently on his comics.  Needless to say, when I learned that Bendis was leaving Mighty Avengers I became optimistic, and when I read the roster for Slott’s new team, I became excited.  This team, a powerful combination of characters old and new, was a group of Avengers that made sense.  More importantly, it was a team I felt would be fun to read, and so far this title definitely delivers.

Completing the “origin” story of this new team of Avengers, this issue finds Hank Pym, now calling himself Wasp in honor of his late wife, being challenged by none other than Tony Stark for leadership of the group, which has been mysteriously assembled to combat the ancient Chaos god Cthon.  During the conflict egos clash, insecurities arise, a leader emerges, and the team’s malevolent founder is revealed.  In the sea of crap that Bendis has thrown the Avengers franchise into, Slott’s opening storyline on this title is a much needed breath of fresh air.  His script easily balances action, comedy, and characterization in ways that remind me why I’ve loved the Avengers for so long.  Khoi Pham’s art works best on a large scale, and if you don’t believe me, just check out the covers to his first three issues of this comic and tell me you wouldn’t buy a poster of it right now if you could!  Slott and Pham will need a little time to make this title their own, but I’m willing to give it to them because they have finally given me an Avengers comic I can enjoy again.  This is shaping up to be quite a fun comic and I hope you’ll give it a try!

Grade: B+

Tony Rakittke

The Incredible Hercules #124 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Clayton Henry & Salva Espin (artists), Raul Trevino & Lee Loughridge (colorists)

The Story: “Love and War” continues with this hilarious issue that pits Hercules, Namora, and Athena in a battle royale with the baddest Titan of them all, Atlas.  Amadeus uses his love of refined sugar and hot Gorgons to escape from the Amazons, but with the heavy hitters preoccupied, Artume is free to pursue her vendetta against the world of man.

The Good: Some of the gags in this issue are the funniest to date, and I applaud Pak and Van Lente for making this a consistently amusing title.  From George Washington’s bizarre visions and Namora showing Atlas where the capital of Thailand is, to Hercules being bludgeoned with the Washington Monument and visions of everyone’s fondest desires, you’ll be hard pressed not to chuckle when you read this one.

The Not So Good: I was satisfied with this issue up until the end when I realized that, no, “Love and War” still wasn’t over yet, and I would be forced to endure what has proven to be a string of wonderful gags and ideas held together by a mediocre story. This plot about the Amazons’ quest for yet another reality-changing MacGuffin who isn’t nearly as interesting as say, their initial quest to find the hidden location of Atlas.  In fact, the Amazons themselves are easily the most boring part of this story, and I had hoped Pak and Van Lente would end “Love and War” with this issue. However, I was wrong. Now I’ve officially had enough of it.

Conclusion: An issue of great ideas that could have ended the storyline on a satisfying note, but chose to drag it on instead.  Since Pak and Van Lente seem to be writing this for a graphic novel release, you might be better off waiting to read that instead.

Grade:  C

-Tony Rakittke

Incredible Hercules #123 – Review

By Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente (writers), Clayton Henry and Salva Espin (artists), Raul Trevino (colorist)

Is it just me, or has 2008 been the year that Marvel Comics finally did right by their B-list characters?  Incredible Hercules has by far been one of the most entertaining titles I’ve read this year, and I never thought I would say that about about a comic starring a man wearing a skirt and leather stockings.

This issue is part three of the “Love and War” storyline, which so far hasn’t been the strongest arc in the series.  Having just rescued his uncle Poseidon from a gun-toting Amazon with the help of Namor and Namora, Hercules learns the nature of Hippolyta’s plans against the world of man.  Meanwhile, Amadeus is still imprisoned on board Hippolyta’s submarine as she and her Amazons race towards the artifact that will grant them control over the axis of the world. However, that doesn’t stop him from finding the time to score with a youthful Gorgon.

Something about this storyline seems underwhelming, especially since Hercules just got done beating on a Skrull god in the earlier Secret Invasion tie-in issues. But I have a feeling that’s going to change soon when the cast finally reaches the Axis Mundi.  Even if the action is a bit more subdued, Pak and Van Lente still know how to pen a really entertaining story, and that’s where Incredible Hercules succeeds.

This is a title that delights in huge action and fantastic villains, where Hercules and Amadeus seek adventure with a wink and a smile.  Artists Henry and Espin perfectly convey that lighthearted tone with clean art that looks like animation and does a great job of expressing emotion.  What can I say?  Incredible Hercules is a pleasure to read!

Grade: B+

-Tony Rakittke

The Incredible Hercules #122 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (Writers), Clayton Henry & Salva Espin (Artists), and Raul Travino (Colorist)

The Story: Namor and Hercules are at it toe-to-toe up until Namora informs the two men that they are on the same side for the time being. The three go off to investigate the disappearance of Poseidon and start the search by heading straight for the Amazonian queen, Hippolyta. Meanwhile, Amadeus Cho remains a willing captive of the Amazons as he tries to decipher an Atlantean tablet for Hippolyta.

What’s Good: The second chapter of the Love and War arc is notable for how well it brings together all the elements that make The Incredible Hercules so enjoyable as a series. The cartoonish visuals prove to be a perfect fit for scenarios that put the series’ trademark humor to good use. Simply put, the book is an entertaining package.

What’s Not So Good: For as fun as the storyline is, there is no denying that it lacks some of the weight found in other arcs. It proves to be quite disappointing in that respect simply because I have come to expect a bit more from the series. Also, it is worth noting that some people are probably going to be turned off by the visuals, especially when the darker elements of the storyline are introduced.

Conclusion: If you just want to be entertained, you really can’t go wrong with this one. That said, be sure to keep your expectations in check. This arc is not exactly a high point for the series.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Incredible Hercules #119 (Secret Invasion) – Review

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, (Writers) Rafa Sandoval, (Penciler) Roger Bonet, (Inker) and Martegod Gracia (Colorist)

This latest issue of The Incredible Hercules is really just one extended fight scene as Kirby, the pup recently revealed to be a Skrull, causes all sorts of trouble for the God Squad. While an extremely quick read, it sets the stage nicely for the showdown between the Skrull god and the God Squad. I really wish there was more to say about this issue, but, to be honest, the focus here is on action, not story.

I have no problem with comics featuring non-stop action, but I do have a problem if the action isn’t very well orchestrated. The scenes of calm look great, but those are few and far between. Maybe they were just running on a loose plot, because the art team just doesn’t seem to have a handle on everything that is going on in this issue. At times, it feels as though penciler, Rafa Sandoval, is more concerned with creature design than visual storytelling. There is a lot of good stuff to look at here, but you have to work to find it amongst the chaos. Truth be told, I happen to like this art team, but they have to get a handle on how to control the chaos because epic battles these are not.

As for the writing, it is as enjoyable as always. Incredible Hercules continues to be one of the best written books each month even when the writing takes a bit of a back seat to the action. The humor works as it should, the characters continue to entertain, and the visual chaos is translated into all sorts of fun dialogue. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente continue to make one heck of a writing team.

While I like Incredible Hercules #119 quite a bit, the issue is weighed down by the poor art direction. I can understand what Sandoval and his team were going for, but there is just too much going on in nearly every scene. That said, I am still enjoying the hell out of this tie-in and can’t wait to see how the team handles Kly’bn, the Skrull God. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

Incredible Hercules #118 (Secret Invasion) – Review

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, (Writers) Rafa Sandoval, (Pencils) Roger Bonet, (Inker) and Martegod Gracia (Colorist)

The last time I opened up a comic to the first page and laughed out loud, I was reading Incredible Hercules #116. I found the beer road map to be one of the funniest things I had seen in a comic and was fairly certain it would be hard to top. It was quite a surprise to find that Herc #118 manages to top the beer map in a big way by offering up…wait for it…FREE GOD SQUAD TRADING CARDS!! Needless to say, this awesome first page, featuring an Amadeus Cho rookie card nonetheless, set the bar pretty high for this issue. Does the rest of the issue manage to live up to the first page? Read on to find out!

Incredible Hercules #118 continues right where the last issue left off as the newly formed “God Squad” makes its way toward the Skrull Pantheon by way of the Dreamtime pathways. The only problem is the Skrull Pantheon is far from easy to find so the team must attempt to persuade Nightmare to give them the coordinates necessary to find the Pantheon. An interesting deal is struck, tensions flare, Skrully accusations are made, and the team faces its first true challenge. All in all, this is a compelling chapter for both the Incredible Hercules series and the Secret Invasion.

As usual, Pak and Van Lente have crafted a funny, suspenseful, and action-packed story. The interaction between the team members is a real high point as both humor and tension is used to great effect. Also, they make some nice additions to the Skrull side of the conflict (for those interested in the way Skrulls treat other religions). The writers show they have a strong grasp on how Hercules and the God Squad should fit into the bigger picture and the book is all the better for it. To be honest, this is just an incredibly fun story and if you aren’t along for the ride yet, you’re missing out. Pak and Van Lente have made Incredible Hercules one of the most consistently entertaining books on the shelf.

The artwork for this series continues to be strong. The team does a great job crafting aspects of the Dreamtime and some of the scenes featuring Nightmare are outstanding. Martegod Gracia’s work was particularly impressive with some fantastic use of color. If I have any issue with the art it is that some of the action gets a bit confusing and there was a few times I felt the scenes lacked direction. Still, this is quite a good looking book.

In closing, Incredible Hercules scores again with another good issue. The story is fun, the writing is excellent, and the artwork is almost always a treat to look at. As I said before, if you aren’t reading this series, you should be. Also, think about this…do you really want to miss out on that Amadeus Cho rookie card? In all seriousness though, pick this one up. While the issue as a whole can’t quite match the bar that was set with the awesome first page, this is still one of the best releases of the week. (Grade B+)

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

Maybe I was just tired when I read this, but I found the story a little hard to follow when the God Squad confronts Nightmare. Nevermind, I see Kyle had the same problem as well. Anyway, while the coloring is superb throughout the issue, it gets a little muddled during this sequence and I had to do some backtracking to get my bearings. Also, naming the dog Kerberos and then referring to him as Kirby later on was a bit confusing, too. And why does this coyote pup look like a labrador? Eh.

Dog gripes aside, this is another fun-filled issue that rates high on the humor scale. There’s times where things do get serious and our gods put themselves in danger, but those moments are brief and quickly off-set by a gag or joke. For example, when a bevvy of nightmares is unleashed on our heroes, one of Amadeus’ biggest fears is realized: an over-sized Rubik’s Cube with an additional row of squares on each side. Having that thrown into a sea of bad, nightmarish creatures made me laugh out loud.

There’s just no way to take this book seriously. Sure, there may be a moment where things get heated, but for the most part, it’s very reminiscent of an action-comedy or cop-buddy flick. Again, much credit to Grek Pak and Fred Van Lente for writing one of the best titles on Marvel’s block. Rafa Sandoval’s art, along with his supporting team of Roger Bonet and Martegod Gracia are outstanding as well. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes

The Incredible Hercules #117 (Secret Invasion) – Review

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, (Writers) Rafa Sandoval, (Penciler) Roger Bonet, (Inker) and Martegod Gracia (Colorist)

Back in the Sixties, when Stan Lee told him he couldn’t have Thor on the Avengers, Roy Thomas pulled in Hercules instead. Herc’s tenure didn’t last long, maybe because they made the horrible mistake of shaving his beard. In the Seventies, they gave him own team, The Champions. Other than a few issues beautifully illustrated by John Byrne, that was a failure as well. In the Eighties, Hercules got his own mini-series. It was cute (“Sayest what?”), but ultimately forgettable.

Finally, after forty years, Marvel has figured out how to write Hercules.

Rule #1: Don’t put Herc in charge. He’s muscle, pure and simple. Make someone else the boss — Athena, for example — and just let him react.

Rule #2: Never forget that underneath all his bluster, Hercules is a tragic figure. He killed his own wife and children in a fit of madness, after all. He may be a god among men, but among the gods he is only a man, and gods are careless with mortal lives.

Rule #3: Think big. Really big.

The premise of the book is both grand and simple: Athena wants to stop the Skrull invasion because if humanity is wiped out then the gods they worship will die as well. Since the Skrulls think they were promised Earth in an ancient religious prophecy, Athena’s plan is to bypass the Skrulls themselves and take the fight directly to their gods, Kly’bn and Sl’gur’t. To that end, she assembles a divine strike force that Amadeus Cho dubs the God Squad: Hercules, Snowbird, Amatsu-Mikaboshi (the Japanese god of evil), Atum (also known as Demogorge, the God-Eater), and Ajak. (This last bit is the only part I have a problem with; Ajak is an Eternal who is sometimes mistaken for a god, not actually the Incan god Tecumotzin. But that’s just a quibble.)

Gathering the team together and establishing their back-stories takes most of this issue. There are a few wonderful character revelations. Ajak, known as “He Who Talks to Celestials”, is jealous that the Dreaming Celestial prefers to communicate with Makkari. Hercules is upset because he’s been put in charge of the team, and he’s not sure he has what it takes to be a good leader. And Atum is helping save the gods only because he plans to slay them and eat them himself at some later time.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Sandoval’s art only gets better each issue. But Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente really deserve the most praise. It’s remarkable how well this book draws upon years of continuity, yet still manages to boldly go (dare I say it?) where no god has gone before. (Grade: A)

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

I’ll admit to being a bit late to the critically acclaimed Hercules series, but after reading the first Hercules Secret Invasion tie-in, I know I’ll have to go back to see what I’ve missed. Simply put, this is a very fun book that manages to make Secret Invasion even more epic.

The bulk of this issue consists of a meeting of the Council of Gods that has been organized by Athena to recognize and combat the Skrull threat. While I have very little experience with the characters or continuity presented in this issue, I had no problems keeping up thanks to some clever writing and helpful flashback sequences. After each group in the council offers up a warrior to help deal with the Skrulls and the inherent tensions of the meeting boil over, Hercules finds himself as the leader of the “God Squad,” as they are dubbed by Amadeus Cho (who, yes, still has pup in tow).

Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente have written a very nice jump-on point for people interested in this series now that it has been tied to the Secret Invasion. I had no trouble keeping up and quickly found Hercules to a likeable and hilarious character. I can’t wait to see what Pak and Van Lente come up with next as Hercules seems like the perfect character to be the reluctant leader of a group of gods. Everything in this issue clicks extremely well from dialogue and storytelling to the spot on humor and tension. The stakes are, obviously, high, but the writing team manages to use it to their advantage – instead of letting the book get weighed down by drama.

The artwork in Incredible Hercules #117 is nearly as strong as the writing and storytelling. Sandoval, Bonet, and Gracia have created quite a nice book here and it compliments the story extremely well. The visuals during Hercules’ reluctant leader tantrum are hilarious and as tensions boil over we are treated to some dynamic action scenes. The imagery used during the council meeting is both surreal and compelling and I can only imagine things will get more visually interesting as the story continues for the “God Squad” as they take the fight to the Skrulls.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I really enjoyed this issue of The Incredible Hercules. I will definitely go back to catch up on what I missed, but not necessarily because I felt like I missed something. The writing is so strong that I was instantly drawn into Herc’s story and only feel like I need to go back because I know I won’t be able to wait a month for the next issue. If you have been hesitant about this series up until this point, now is the time to get in on the action. Not only does it have to do with the Secret Invasion, but it also proves why The Incredible Hercules has become such a critically acclaimed series. (Grade B+)

-Kyle Posluszny

Incredible Hercules #116 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Rafa Sandoval (pencils), Roger Bonet (inks), Martegod Gracia (colors)

Always a fun and entertaining romp, team Hercules, now comprised of Herc, Amadeus Cho, his pup, and Athena show up in San Francisco after a long road trip across the United States. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente take some time to show us the chemistry and bond that’s developed between Athena and Cho. Athena acts very much like an older sister who’s main purpose is to keep the boys out of trouble. After the harrowing events of the past two issues where Cho almost “lost it”, he’s kept more in the background in this issue, playing a supporting role.

The main story, is Hercules’ as he tussles with his identity, his history, and two Eternals that have mistaken him for someone else. Since the whole Eternals mini-series ended (by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.), Marvel continuity has done little to address just how the story fit into the grand scheme of things. And while, Pak and Ven Lente do little to provide answers, it’s nice to know that the Eternals (along with the Celestials) are being acknowledged. I’ve got a feeling that with the upcoming Eternals series due out in a couple of months, this is Marvel’s way of reminding us that they’re still around and we’ll be getting the answers we seek.

So what is the deal with the gang hanging around San Francisco? Well, it appears Athena has made a startling revelation and she realizes mankind is going to need a lot of help. What this revelation is won’t come as a surprise to most, but it sure did surprise me! With Khoi Pham now gone as penciler, I was weary of what we’d be getting out of Rafa Sandoval. But Sandoval easily survives his trial by fire and delivers some really good art. Some of his facial expressions are a bit wonky (particularly Ikaris), but everyone else is down pat, especially Hercules. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes

FIRST LOOK: Incredible Hercules #116

COVER BY: JOHN ROMITA JR.
WRITER: FRED VAN LENTE, GREG PAK
PENCILS: RAFA SANDOVAL
LETTERED BY: VC – JOE CARAMAGNA

THE STORY:
Is Hercules a Skrull? Maybe. But is he an Eternal? Ikaris and Thena certainly think so, and they may just kill Herc to prove it!

Rated A …$2.99
IN STORES: April 16, 2008

The Incredible Hercules #115 – Review

By Greg Pak (writer), Khoi Pham (pencils), Paul Neary & Danny Miki (inks), Dennis Callero (colors)

Could it be? Could it be that I’m actually enjoying this book more with Hercules and Amadeus Cho at the helm than when it was just Bruce Banner running around on an alien planet as Conan? To answer that question, it’s really like comparing apples and oranges. Other than the two protagonists being brutes, you really can’t compare the two. But one thing is certain, Greg Pak and company are putting out one of the most entertaining comics you’ll read each month.

In what feels like a pivotal issue, Amadeus Cho hovers dangerously close to crossing the line and becoming a full-fledged villain. There’s no doubt that Cho would be one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe were he to tread down that path. He’s conflicted, young, extremely resourceful, and always feels like he’s doing the right thing. He’s got SHIELD by the balls and he’s unwilling to flinch because of the past misdeeds the organization’s done to him and those he cares about. Even Hercules cannot dissuade the kid from getting revenge, but with Ares pummeling the crap out of him, it’s a bit hard to concentrate on the problem at hand.

Using a perfect blend of hilarity, flashbacks, and action, the writing team of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente smack another issue out of the park. There’s a wonderful chemistry between Hercules and Cho that almost make this book feel like a “buddy cop adventure”. Penciler, Khoi Pham along with Paul Neary and Danny Miki on inks serve up another fantastic feast for the eyes. I heard Pham is leaving the book soon, and I really hope that doesn’t happen. Arthur Adam’s cover? His best Hercules piece to date. The farewell tribute to Hercules’ colorist Stephane Peru, who recently passed away is touching. Seriously, there’s nothing to not like about this book.  (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

The Incredible Hercules #114 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers) Khoi Pham (pencils) Paul Neary (inks) Stephane Peru (colors)

Let me start off by saying that The Incredible Hercules is a book I never look forward to reading. I never go, “Oh wow, Hercules is coming out next week – I better pick that up! I can’t wait to read it!” I just don’t. It’s Hercules, after all. I mean, who cares, right?

As much as I could care less for this book, it never fails to entertain me. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente are doing very much what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done on Iron Fist – they’ve taken a second tier character and expanded upon their character’s mythos while throwing in jaw-dropping action scenes. The similarities, however, end there. Whereas Iron Fist is a very serious story, Hercules is full of hilarious dialogue and crazy antics. Why I don’t look forward to reading this book is beyond me.

Hercules is on a rampage thanks to the Hydra blood he was hit with by Ares. The Avengers are scattered about, unable to contain him – only the Black Widow is left in the area (that’s what you get when you punch Ares into the next county). She uses her ingenuity to not only snap Hercules out of his drunken craze, but she also manages to knock out Amadeus Cho.  Unfortunately, she nearly kills his coyote pup and this brings out a side of Cho that we’ve never seen before. Cho is now at a crossroad in his life and I’m rooting for him to not go down the wrong path. As silly as this book is, things just got really serious.

Khoi Pham is insanely talented and his supporting art team of Paul Neary and Stephane Peru do a great job of bringing his work to life. If you’re not picking up Incredible Hercules for the story, you should be picking it up for the art. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for all. Buy this book. Support it. It deserves to stick around. (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes