Wonder Woman #31 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Goran Sudžuka (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Diana ruins things for her re-election in the next Amazon election cycle.

The Review: Diana’s call for the Amazons to accept Zeke as one of their own may have been a radically progressive shake-up to a culture that’s stuck to its no-boys-allowed policy for so long, but it really is (almost literally) a baby step. Even though infancy has never stopped the Amazons from their zero tolerance, they owe some degree of respect to their gods, especially now that their entire spiritual underpinnings are coming apart.

Things are looking bad indeed for the Olympians, as two others fall to the First Born, although the consequences are unclear. Even the—spoiler alert—defeat and torture of Hades, allowing the dead to walk among the living, doesn’t seem to register on the world at all, as not a single mortal notices the mischievous, faceless souls around them. The fall of Hermes* has even less impact, except as an emotional blow to our cast. You’d think the deaths of gods would have some profound effect on the DCU at large, but so far, they’re disappointingly contained to this title.

Wonder Woman #30 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Goran Sudžuka (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Diana makes a call to motherhood.

The Review: Here’s a little experiment you should try. First, go back and grab your copy of #29 and read it to the very end. Done? Okay, now go pick up this issue and start reading. The challenge is to see how far you get before you ask yourself, “What the frick just happened?” For whatever reason, Azzarello has found it best to completely skip past what should have been the climactic resolution of his last arc so as to start the next.

It’s true that substantially, things haven’t changed much on Wonder Woman between this issue and the last. The First Born remains a threat—an even bigger one than before, in fact—and all of our principal characters are still alive and relatively well. But come on. How can Azzarello leave us on Hera confronting her long-lost son in all her restored, divine glory and then excise the actual confrontation altogether? How can he write Hermes, Dionysus, Artemis, and Diana in dire straits one moment and then another moment write them lounging around Paradise Island, talking shop?

Wonder Woman #29 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: First Born takes the prize for Extreme Home Makeover.

The Review: Finally—this is the kind of issue I’ve been waiting for. For the past, oh, I’d say dozen or so issues, Azzarello has been stringing us along with storylines that have really led nowhere in terms of character or plot development. More often than not, Azzarello leads us to a destination and accomplishes nothing more than finding a reason to go someplace else, making you wonder why you followed in the first place.

And it’s not surprising that after all the jumping around, we end up back on Mt. Olympus, the site of one of the series’ very best issues, #12. What made this issue so strong, so different from what the series has become since, was the many, major changes in status quo, the final weaving of the many threads Azzarello had lain down before: Apollo’s rise and Hera’s fall; the birth of Zola’s baby and the betrayal of Hermes; and most importantly, Wonder Woman taking up and revealing her godhood.

Wonder Woman #27 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Diana’s not the first person to leave a home visit in tears.

The Review: About a month ago, I had a friendly debate with some buddies about the relative merits of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  At first, I couldn’t help being a little stunned that they preferred the comically adventurous Hobbit over the epic saga of LOTR.  As we talked on, however, I realized it’s those very same qualities that makes Hobbit easier to take in and enjoy, while LOTR turns people off with its obsession of building its mythology.

I was reminded of all this reading the latest chapter of Wonder Woman because Azzarello has gotten the title into the same kind of trouble as LOTR.  There’s no doubt he’s succeeded in making the series different from any Wonder Woman series before it, especially in his vision for the Olympians and how their mythological traditions intersect with her superhero roots.  This is not unlike how J.R.R. Tolkien took Arthurian legend and updated it within the contemporary fantasy genre.  The big difference is Tolkien laid out clear paths for his characters to tread, and to date, our starring heroine has mostly stumbled from plot to plot like signposts in the dark.

Wonder Woman #25 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story) Goran Sudžuka (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Sibling rivalries take on new meaning when gods are involved.

The Review: One of the frequent criticisms of this title, and one that I often levy myself, is that Wonder Woman feels strangely out of place in a series where she’s supposedly the star.  Perhaps this is evidence that Azzarello is not so much interested in his heroine herself as the possibilities of her world.  There’s no denying that he’s taken her mythological background and mined it extravagantly, turning the Olympians into the best part of the series.

So he can hardly be blamed for spending so much of each issue featuring their various schemes at the cost of crowding out Diana.  And I use “crowding out” very purposely; with us barely noticing it, Azzarello has given Wonder Woman one of the biggest ongoing casts of all the new 52 titles.  Give any two or three Olympians a scene of their own, tack on some panels for Diana’s core crew, and naturally she’ll wind up with little page-time for herself.

Wonder Woman #24 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story) Goran Sudžuka (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Diana learns that family reunions are indeed the worst.

The Review: The end of Villains Month marks the official start of the DCU’s third year since its relaunch.  Needless to say, its landscape has changed a great deal during this period of time.  Nearly half of the original 52 titles are with us no longer, most of them deservedly, and many of those that are left have lost the spirit that made them seem so exciting when they debuted.  Only a few, like Wonder Woman, remain steadfast to the direction and principles they started with.

As critical as I’ve been about certain points of execution, I have to admire how Azzarello has managed to stick to his guns on this title, somehow staying above the fray of tacky promotional campaigns, pointless crossovers, and pushy Big Events.  In a market saturated with angst and loud, hyperactive action, the fact that Wonder Woman still makes a living off mythological intrigue and family dynamics is remarkable indeed.

Wonder Woman #23 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Now’s our chance to see which era had the most badass warriors.

The Review: Troubled as some people were by the slow pace Wonder Woman had been running at for some time, it’s been even more troubling to see the title suddenly speed up in the last few issues.  Last issue in particular was something of a disappointment for how much it truncated Diana and Co.’s time on New Genesis when we had all been so longing to see the Fourth World’s standing in the new DCU.  It was the very definition of a missed opportunity.

In the same fashion, we’ve all hankered to see the ultimate throwdown between Diana and the First Born, yet now doesn’t seem like the right time for it.  To make the First Born a truly worthy adversary in Wonder Woman’s gallery, there has to be time for the two to develop a relationship, even an antagonistic one.  Given that in context, she’s only known him for about a few hours (setting aside the time she spent comatose), having a final confrontation now seems premature.

Wonder Woman #22 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Figures that Diana would sleep through her time in Paradise.

The Review: I’m not versed enough in comics and their history to make broad statements about certain works and creators, but I don’t think I’m out of line in saying that Jack Kirby’s Fourth World was and remains one of the most important concepts in DC lore.  Wildly unappreciated in its time, it is now one of the bedrocks of the DCU, inspiring comic book writers to aspire beyond the superhero to the neo-mythic.

Azzarello is the lucky man who gets to decide what the New Gods mean and stand for in the current DCU.  Yet despite putting Orion in an ongoing role on this title, Azzarello has otherwise kept mostly mum about the Fourth World’s purpose.  To be frank, even though this issue takes place almost entirely on New Genesis, we only learn about the blessed realm and its denizens in the most general, if wonderfully hyperbolic terms:

“[A] world caught up in the joyful strains of life!  There are no structures on its green surface—except those which serve the cause of wellbeing…  Destiny’s road is charted in the city, massive, yet graceful—gleaming on its platform—a skyborne satellite drawn in endless silence by its hidden mechanisms!  The true place of peace.“

Wonder Woman #21 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: What say we cut the talk short and Boom Tube our way out of here?

The Review: I’ve made my remarks about the difficulty of writing Superman before, so I need not repeat them now.  I will say, however, that hard as it is to get a handle on a man who seems to embody superhuman virtue, it’s even harder to get inside a character who represents womanly perfection.  For a while, Azzarello has built up such an interesting story around his heroine that you could ignore her defects as a sympathetic, accessible protagonist—until now.

Now, Azzarello has fallen into a kind of trap, the same one that captures most Wonder Woman writers sooner or later: she has become a cypher in her own story.  Her character development seems to have stopped somewhere after her line to Hades about loving “[e]veryone,” and since then, our attention has largely been fixed on the characters and events around her.  You can see here that she rarely asserts her presence except when called to spar or defend her own dignity (“…I thought I told you to respect me, Orion…”).  You simply can’t generate an engaging personality from that.

Wonder Woman #20 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang & Goran Sudzuka (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Diana versus Diana—round two.

The Review: I don’t believe I’m the first to compare the kind of intrigue that goes on in this title to that shared by any good mafia story, where family affections and attachments are ultimately subordinated to ruthless power plays, suspicion, and constant backstabbing.  This free-for-all is made even more interesting by the building of alliances, their eventual dissolutions, and the new ones that take their place.

In Wonder Woman, we’ve got a few set camps and their dear leaders: Apollo with Artemis and Dionysus representing the current Olympian regime; Hermes partnered with Demeter in a mission from some undisclosed higher power; Poseidon in cahoots with the First Born, who plans to retake Olympus for himself; and then Diana with her merry little crew.  Although all of these folks are related in some manner, only Diana’s group functions like a family—a “weird, wonderful family,” as Zola says.

Wonder Woman #16 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: And here Zola and Hera live the city high life while Diana ambles the sewers.

The Review: When the DC relaunch first started, Wonder Woman took nearly everyone by surprise with the particular direction Azzarello chose to run with.  You can associate a lot of different qualities with comics’ leading lady, but “horror” wasn’t really one of them.  In his first arc, Azzarello made you realize that Greek myth was full of monsters and horror, not all of it centered on actual monsters.

As Wonder Woman’s feats grew bolder and more adventurous, the visceral feeling of fear, established when we first saw a bloodied arm stretching from the fleshy torso of a decapitated horse, has slowly ebbed away.  This issue doesn’t quite restore that element of terror, but it does start building suspense once more; it distinctly feels that events are closing in on the plot, that traps are being laid around our heroes even as they still move freely.

Wonder Woman #15 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: The best part about being buddies with a New God?  The joyrides.

The Review: Ever since Orion made his silhouetted, booming appearance in #12, we’ve all been waiting with to see whether that cameo was any more than a tease.  The final scene of #14 showed that the New Gods’ presence in this arc goes beyond just the Dog of War and may mean a permanent place for them in the new DCU—if, you know, time and space itself doesn’t completely unravel first.

Now it appears that not only are the New Gods firmly established in the DCU, but that they have always been a part of it.  Orion apparently makes trips to Earth with some regularity, given the familiarity he has with Milan, another of Zeus’ passel of wedlock children.  Although Orion’s kindly treatment of Milan shows you a cool, unexpected side to his character, it does make you wonder how this friendship started, and why Orion is so invested in these Earthbound demigods.

Wonder Woman #13 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Tony Akins (pencils, Dan Green (inks), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Nothing starts off your divine reign like a pool party.

The Review: From day one, Azzarello has taken advantage of one defining feature of the Greek gods, the one that continues to capture our fascination to this day: the power struggles and family divisions within their divine community.  After reading any number of myths, you’ll notice how every time a conflict breaks out among them, sides are immediately taken.  Natural alliances arise (e.g. Apollo and Artemis), but more often than not, surprising changes of allegiances occur.

This never-ending cycle of devotion and backstabbing remains as intriguing as ever.  Apollo took his father’s throne for one reason only, and that was to protect himself.  Inviting his half-brothers and sisters to the renovated Olympus isn’t a signal of trust, but one of mutual benefit.  Aside from his sister, none of the others express much in the way of loyalty (Hephaestus claims he came only for the sake of family), and others reject Apollo’s overtures outright.  As with all fiction, the absences mean more than what’s present.

Wonder Woman #12 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: In business terms, Mount Olympus is going through a period of “reorganization.”

The Review: Over a year ago—and it makes me feel a bit odd and anxious to say that—I wrote in an op-ed with SoldierHawk the kind of things I wanted to see from Wonder Woman to make her more of the icon she should be:

“I’d simply like to know more about her makeup as a person… We already have plenty of stories that depict her as both warrior and humanitarian.   We need to see stories where she embraces the other roles that make a woman: as sister, mentor, friend, even as employee or lover… If anything, these are the things she truly lacks in contrast to her male peers, and why the public at large can respect her, but can’t sympathize with her.  And really, it’s how much we sympathize with a character that makes them popular and beloved, regardless of whatever principles they represent.”

The DC relaunch seemed the perfect opportunity to achieve some of these things, and DC certainly offered some of the best talent to do it.  So how have they done?

Wonder Woman #11 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (story), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Wonder Woman in the Appalachian emergency room.

The Review: I think we tend to forget, in our experience of smooth political transitions and well-oiled government systems, how critical and damaging the vacuum of leadership can be.  Once it disappears, the chaos that follows rushes toward critical mass—a comment, I suppose, on our human nature as followers—with some striving to keep the status quo in place and others seeing it as an opportunity to change things up.

For the Greek pantheon, their view of Zeus’ absence depends largely on their essential natures, which Azzarello portrays with faithful attention to mythic tradition.  Clearly, the family boasts a number of go-getters, who spend the bulk of their time forging alliances and inviting favor for the inevitable battle for the throne.  It’s been fascinating, watching these Medici-style schemes play out, a series of power plays whose appeal is more cerebral than anything else.

Wonder Woman #6 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (writer), Tony Akins (artist), Dan Green (inker), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Actually, Wife Sharing With the Gods may be the one reality show I would watch.

The Review: If any of you have ever read Azzarello’s 100 Bullets (and if you haven’t, it might be a very good idea to start), you know his extraordinary talent for building conspiracies, stories rife with intrigue and tension.  In short, he’s the dream pulp writer, and indeed, his bibliography seems to speak to that; he spearheaded DC’s short-lived First Wave series, and his Batman: Knight of Vengeance mini for Flashpoint dripped suspense in every issue.

So on paper, having him write a character so grounded in myth and legendarium seems like a bit of an odd mix.  But you have to consider the mythic figures we’re dealing with here.  The Greek pantheon, with all its affairs, betrayals, and toxic relationships, can probably be considered one of the original mafia families.  Though they may stand as one against their mutual enemies, the vast majority of their conflicts comes from within, and is often more bitter.

What sets them apart from the typical cast of Sopranos is the scope of their squabbles.  In this case, the very heavens are at stake now that Zeus has vanished into the ether, and none other than his older brothers want a piece of it for themselves—although frankly, they’d prefer the whole shebang.  Before we can see them duke out the question, however, Wonder Woman and Lennox pipe up with their own suggestions for power-sharing, one that definitely puts Hera on the losing end, no matter which of the brothers gets the best deal.

Wonder Woman #5 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (writer), Tony Akins (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Let this be a lesson to you—never eat anything you fish up from a city river.

The Review: I don’t consider myself a particularly impatient person.  Why, back in the days of dial-up, I used to bring a book to the computer with me every time I needed to do a Google search (remember when that was such a new thing, people considered it “clever”?), and I didn’t complain.  When it comes to comics, I don’t mind a slow burn plot, where things percolate for a while before boiling up.  But at a certain point, I do expect events to get a little livelier.

That sentiment goes double when the story involves a character of action like Wonder Woman.  She’s one of the biggest brawlers in the DCU and it’s been a long while (since her scuffle with Aleka in #2) since we’ve actually seen her fight anybody.  When she gets into her heroic getup in this issue and leaps off a bridge to confront a herd of oversized seahorses in the Thames, you start getting your hopes up, thinking she’s finally going to pummel some heads, but alas—not a single punch is thrown, and it turns out to be a rather subdued scene.

In fact, the whole issue is rather talky, whether it’s Diana and Zola having a girl talk in the rain, or Hermes getting acquainted with yet another new member of his divine family.  It’s not as if all this conversation is for nothing; we do get a better idea of how Diana as a woman (rather than as Amazon) sounds (“…going to war…with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.  Good against evil…winner take all.  …It’s kinda [sic] cool.”), which is always valuable.  But we’ve already had so many issues in a row with characters just chatting, so by now it feels a bit much.

Wonder Woman #4 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Someone pop on some AC/DC and turn it up—Wonder Woman’s mourning.

The Review: As a young buff of Greek mythology, I always found the gods and goddesses baffling in their arbitrariness.  Even the most reasoned and benevolent ones would have their petty streaks from time to time, and few of them had any moral compunction about using their power with impunity and without regard for the consequences to mortals.  For that reason, I’ve never felt inclined to feel sympathetic to any of them.  They are gods, after all.

For the most part, Azzarello stays true to the conniving, scheming world of the Greek pantheon.  Ever since Apollo’s oracles revealed Zeus “doesn’t exist,” a truly astonishing pronouncement if you ever heard one, you’d think there’d be some kind of uproar among the divinities, or at least some kind of inquiry as to how this could possibly happen.  But we’re talking about the ultimate mafia family here, so when the head of the household disappears, power plays abound.

To that end, Apollo goes to Ares to secure an alliance of sorts, or at least support for when he makes his bid for leadership.  To your surprise, Ares agrees to stay out of the bidding with little resistance.  In fact, he seems quite lethargic, even melancholy in this portrayal.  While Apollo states that Ares is “vital—now, more than ever,” Ares responds with only a weary smile, as if millennia of spinning the world’s conflict has finally gotten to him.

Hera doesn’t even seem aware, much less affected, by her husband’s disappearance; she only wants to get her revenge on the dalliances he left behind.  Now, her oft-extreme retaliations against those she feels has wronged her may sway you into thinking her mean-spirited or horribly spiteful, but here, she reminds us she has every reason to be: “I am the queen of the gods…the goddess of women…ultimately yet, a woman.”  And any woman would be enraged by such constant infidelity from her husband.

Wonder Woman #3 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Diana joins the ranks of women (and men) who have major daddy issues.

The Review: Even back in ancient days the concept of the Amazons captured people’s fancies.  Granted, society at that point was such that a race of women who lived and acted on the same footing as men had the same novelty as, say, hydras and sheep with golden wool.  Anyway, DC’s fictional Amazons for a while followed their traditional forbears in a strict ban on interaction with men, but Wonder Woman’s relationship to Man’s world weakened that prejudice over time.

In this new DCU, the Amazons are back to man-hating with passion; even male gods aren’t spared from their wrath and scorn, judging by their threats to the injured Hermes last issue.  Actually, the Amazons don’t tiptoe around any god at all, not even the literally shadowing presence of Strife.  Even as they bury the casualties of the demi-goddess’ power, that doesn’t prevent them from back-talking her with seeming impunity: “…you trick us into murdering our own…and now you mock us.”  “A god’s appetite truly has no shame.”

This brings up a question I bring from the original myths: if the gods are so inclined  and capable of interfering in mortals’ lives, why don’t they go all out in exercising that power?  The most likely answer, of course, is the gods simply enjoy themselves more going the hard way about it.  They indisputably have the upper hand in raw power, so the only amusement they can get out of us is to bring themselves down to our level and see if we can match them that way.  Little wonder why Hippolyta and Zeus hooked up; she saw a man who could actually match her skill in battle, and he saw a mortal woman who could give the king of gods a challenge.

Ultimately, the truth about Diana’s parentage indeed creates discord on the island (one woman darkly speculates on Hippolyta’s death), but it also brings to light tensions that have afflicted Diana since childhood.  Paradise, it seems, offers little protection from the usual mean-spirited taunts most people receive as kids (“…not since I was a little girl have I been called [Clay].”).

Herc #9 – Review

By: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), David Hahn (penciller), Roy Richardson (inker), Jesus Aburtov (colorist)

The Story: Herc’s daddy issues interferes with his getting it on with the woman he loves.

The Review: After the completely baffling and apparently pointless crossover with Spider-Island, which seemed to include Herc only to sell some half-spider on half-spider intercourse, this title is set to get back to normal.  Problem is: you don’t know what “normal” is since the series has been plagued with Event tie-ins from day one.  With hardly a supporting cast and only a vague mission to protect Brooklyn, it almost feels like we’re back to where we started.

Wonder Woman #2 – Review

By: Brian Azzarello (writer), Cliff Chiang (art), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Can’t you gods work out your issues on Maury or something?

The Review: Actually, it may have been in Wonder Woman that I read this, but I distinctly remember a character musing on the idea that gods, as idealizations of humans, represent not only the brightest, greatest, finest parts of humanity, but also humanity at its very worst.  Only the gods are ever so much better at it.  They not only scheme, nurse grudges, and arbitrarily act with the best of them, they have the power to carry out even their least thought-out agendas.

If you didn’t realize that before, this issue will ring the idea home, big time.  You have Wonder Woman carrying a wounded god in her arms.  She brings with her a young, pregnant woman to a secret island populated by outrageously tall, semi-barbarian women.  Her mother, a figure even more impressive than Diana, who carries a large double-headed axe in one hand, expresses fear of the future.  All this because of one goddess’ jealousy.  These immortals don’t mess around.

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 #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