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

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

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

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