Action Comics #31 – Review

By: Greg Pak (story), Aaron Kuder & Cameron Stewart (art), Rafa Sandoval (pencils), Vicente Cifuentes (inks), Wil Quintana (colors)

The Story: Looks like someone’s gonna have to start the Cure Doomsday Disease Foundation—and fast.

The Review: If you’ve read my reviews of Action Comics and Superman/Wonder Woman
from the last couple months, you’ll know that I haven’t exactly been looking forward to the Doomed arc; been actively dreading it, really. Despite many assurances from Pak and other writers involved that this will be a Doomsday story unlike other Doomsday stories, Doomsday itself is just so flat an antagonist that no story in which it features seems likely to be that compelling.

If there’s any success to be had from this storyline, then, it’ll be by removing Doomsday from the picture altogether. You don’t even really get to see him in this issue at all, his appearance apparently limited to Doomed #1, an issue which I never picked up. That’s one of the more irritating hazards of a crossover event, but fortunately, Pak helps us out using a tool from his Marvel days: a recap page, in the form of a Daily Planet printing, which tells us that after a Herculean effort, Superman defeated Doomsday in Smallville for the second time,* though he may have inhaled a bit of the monster’s spore-like remains in the process.

X-Men Legacy #300 – Review

by Simon Spurrier, Mike Carey, Christos Gage (Writers), Tan Eng Huat, Steve Kurth, Rafa Sandoval, Craig Yeung, Allen Martinez, Jordi Tarragona (Artists), Jose Villarrubia, Rachelle Rosenberg, Ulises Arreola (Colorists)

The Story: It can be hard to make an impression when your very powers prevent you to do so.

The Review: I have to confess this issue confused me when I looked at the cover and the very concept of what it was supposed to be. Here was a book that starred three different characters, each having their own impact, their own cast and their own message, as done by the three writers that defined their very goals and concepts. The problem, though, was the fact that each of the characters that had been the protagonists of this book are now, let us say, in a problematic position of non-existence. With none of these characters actually there to advance the story or celebrate the title, how exactly could this issue manage to get to the point?

Enter Forgetmenot, a mutant with the power of getting no attention and being erased from the memory of those he previously met. Focusing the story on this unknown X-Man, all three writers are able to pinpoint a certain era where they wrote their character, inserting this particular one into the narrative. Essentially telling some important moments through the eyes of a character that no one can remember, does the issue actually manage to celebrate the very legacy that is included in the title?

The answer is not only a resounding yes, but one filled with a certain joy at seeing an experiment succeeding in a way that feels satisfactory. What makes this work very well, though, is the actual character of Forgetmenot. His powers and how he copes with them makes for a powerful message about individuality, but also about advancing through the adversary that is loneliness. His actions, his reactions and his feelings are very human at their core, with a presentation of his struggles that makes him very identifiable for readers. Who hasn’t dealt with being alone, be it with an opinion, an effort or a phase? Well, this character has been so through his entire life, making some of his actions all the more touching, yet also easy to sympathize with.

Catwoman #18 – Review

By: Ann Nocenti (story), Rafa Sandoval (art), Jordi Tarragona (inks), Sonia Oback (colors)

The Story: Catwoman’s getting pretty tired of her lover’s guilt-trips.

The Review: Not to turn this review into a social commentary, but I think beyond just getting more women working on more titles in this business, we need to get more women working on big-name characters.  DC especially needs to work on this.  For example, I still find it amazing that Gail Simone hasn’t been given a crack at Batman just yet, because given her sensibilities, the world of the Dark Knight seems like a good place for her to be.

Still, at the end of the day, the most important thing is not to give writers work based on gender quotas or political correctness, but because the work suits them and they suit the work.  On that basis, I don’t think Nocenti will be handling Batman herself anytime soon either.  While she makes good use out of him in this issue, she shows that she doesn’t have the finest grasp on his voice or motivation, with his every line sounding just a little bit off.  Take his internal seething at Catwoman’s theft of the Gotham Museum paintings: “They weren’t yours.  They belonged [to] us.  To the people of Gotham.  I want them back.”

Catwoman #17 – Review

By: Ann Nocenti (story), Rafa Sandoval (art), Jordi Tarragona (inks), Sonia Oback (colors)

The Story: Catwoman can steal a painting in under a minute.  What can you do in a minute?

The Review: Over the weekend, a friend of mine told me she had broken up with her boyfriend of six months.  I can’t say I was surprised.  A couple weeks after they got together, she and I hung out for the first time in nearly half a year, and while we were in the middle of a karaoke rendition of K-Ci and JoJo’s “All My Life,” I was surprised to find her then-new boyfriend’s face glaring at me through the singing room window.  That was an early red flag, if any.

Yet my friend was not only able to look past the utter creepiness of that incident, she apparently did so for a whole host of other danger signals.  The way she described it was, “I’d get this nagging sense that something was wrong, but he was great in other ways, so…”  While reading this issue, it occurred to me that my friend’s explanation for why she stuck with this guy for so long kind of applied to my feelings for Nocenti’s Catwoman, too.*

Catwoman #16 – Review

By: Ann Nocenti (story), Rafa Sandoval (art), Jordi Tarragona (inks), Sonia Oback (colors)

The Story: The only way to get out of a room of black magic: use a haunted tank.

The Review: Last time, I analogized reading this title to a rollercoaster relationship, where just as you’re getting into the groove of the ride, it suddenly takes a 50-foot plunge, giving you a worryingly queasy feeling in your gut.  A part of the problem is that Nocenti has a loose, free-flowing writing style to begin with, but now I think she’s also hampered at many points by tie-in effects for other titles and storylines.

Now, it’s true Nocenti probably volunteered to join in Death of the Family, but those two issues were no less out of place in spite of that.  I’m sure that in a Catwoman-Joker confrontation, Nocenti would have liked to have gotten more closure between the two, but since Joker had to skip out to torture the actual members of the Bat-family, it felt like he swooped in and swooped out leaving very little impact on the title in the process.

Catwoman #14 – Review

By: Ann Nocenti (story), Rafa Sandoval (art), Jordi Tarragona (inks), Sonia Oback (colors)

The Story: As you’d expect, Joker doesn’t take competition for his soulmate’s affections well.

The Review: The one thing I dread about this Death of the Family crossover, more than anything else, is seeing the myriad portrayals of the Joker.  Now, you can have all kinds of Jokers—that’s just how multidimensional he is—but after years of writers squeezing every bit of personality out of him, you really only have a few sides to him that haven’t been completely wrung dry by now.

Unfortunately, Noncenti goes for not only an old style of Joker, but one of the less appealing ones as well, the one I like to call Motormouth Joker.  This version of the criminal clown spends about thrice the amount of time rambling nonsensically as he does actually doing something, and the vast bulk of what he has to say just floods over you:

Catwoman #13 – Review

By: Ann Noncenti (story), Rafa Sandoval (art), Jordi Tarragona (inks), Sonia Oback (colors)

The Story: Who says chess can’t be a rough sport?

The Review: I’ve heard great things about Darwyn Cooke’s Catwoman (which surprises not one bit, having read his amazing DC: The New Frontier), but I never actually read the series.  It’s one of those things I tell myself I’ll get around to, but never do, like downloading those photos from my camera or vacuuming my closet.  So I don’t know exactly what made it so good, but I know this: at least he kept his heroine zipped up.

I always found it troubling that the first thing Judd Winick did when he took over the title was emphasize its sex, violence, and addiction aspects.  Even though I never once opened an issue of the new Catwoman while he wrote it, I, like much of the internet, was also treated to the provocative image of her and Batman in the foreplay of doing it.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that inherently—you can’t be too prudish if you read about robots having sex—but it did indicate that Winick perhaps came at the writing from the wrong angle.

X-Men Legacy #249 – Review

By: Mike Carey (writer), Rafa Sandoval (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist), Sebastian Girner (assistant editor), Daniel Ketchum (editor)

The Story: Aftermath, Part Two: The dust is still settling on the X-Men’s Age of X. Events in Age of X were so fast and so different, that the X-Men, back home and safe, have some breathing room to deal with who they might have been and what they might have chosen. Legacy #249 is about three people coming to terms with the mirror that Age of X held up for them: Rogue, Legion and Frenzy.

The Review: This story demands a deft hand at character work, something at which Carey normally excels. I have to say though, that I was generally disappointed in what could have been a really strong story. This one turned out to be just okay.

I thought that the Frenzy story-line was the most engaging, emotionally. I felt for her and her angst over who she might have been and still could be, although there were no real surprises to how things turned out. I think it’s very facile to show someone what they might have been and then, after that, they simply decide to be different. There’s more to it than that. There’s a reason Frenzy, in the real world, chose the path she did and there should be some resistance to this new path. There was really none here, which I though was a lost opportunity.

The Legion story-line was the most intriguing intellectually. I loved seeing the way Nemesis was trying to control the different personalities in Legion and I loved seeing the new personalities. This part was fun and was really about the science fiction adventure that will follow with Legion and his many, many personalities and awesome power.

The Rest Of The Stack

Superman: Secret Origin #1

Geoff Johns (Writer), Gary Frank (Pencils), Jon Sibal (Inks)

The Good and the Bad: Superman: Secret Origin is a near perfect “jump-on point” for those who haven’t picked up a Superman book in a long time. In this new mini-series Geoff Johns and Gary Frank don’t offer us a mere summary of how Superman came to be, instead they give us a funny and moving coming-of-age story of a small town boy that transitions from adolescent to a young man aware of his capabilities. However, since this is a story about Superman after all, Johns and Frank waste no time jumping straight to the superhero scenes. Right away they gives us the superhero puberty scenes, showing Clark realizing his powers in the most common teenage boy ways. From realizing his bone-breaking strength on the field, to his premature heat discharges with Lana, Johns and Frank win big in drawing the similarities of a hero in the making and the familiar and awkward moments of a young boy. Even though the pacing may be unfolding a little too quickly, we get a much-needed background on how Superman came to be. This is definitely worth checking out.

Grade: A-

-Raymond Hilario

Avengers: The Initiative #28

Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: Avengers: The Initiative is one series that’s definitely making the most of the whole Dark Reign thing. As the Avengers Resistance assembles to help some like-minded Initiative members in need, it’s hard not to smile as the whole Marvel sandbox concept gets used to full effect. On a technical level, Avengers: The Initiative #28 is a winner. Christos Gage does a fine job of cramming in some really nice character work among all the clever action. The artists prove that they are certainly up to the task of handling anything (and anyone) that Gage throws at them in an entertaining, slightly chaotic way. That said, it’s unfortunate that the impressive artwork, as a whole, doesn’t really fit the surprisingly dark script all that well. Simply put, it’s too lively and vibrant for the story being told.

Grade: B

The Darkness/Pitt #2

Paul Jenkins (Writer), Dale Keown (Pencils & Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: I never would have considered the likeable Jackie Estacado to be a racist homophobe until reading The Darkness/Pitt #2, but, Paul Jenkins’ questionable character work aside, the Top Cow mini-series is proving to be a fun, violent romp. The dialogue between Pitt, Estacado, and Timmy is mostly entertaining in that “odd couple” type of way and Dale Keown’s slick, polished artwork is elevated by Frank D’Armata’s moody, dark colors. If you don’t mind a generic, forgettable plot, give the mini-series a look at some point if you are in the mood for something with that special “90s” vibe.

Grade: C+

No Hero #7

Warren Ellis (Writer), Juan Jose Ryp (Art), and Digikore Studios (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: Whoa! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think about the conclusion to No Hero. Warren Ellis throws a very cool curveball into the plot that makes main character Josh Carver infinitely more interesting as a character. The downside is that the brutal, violent ending pretty much puts the kibosh on any more exploration of the very character that you’re probably going to want to follow a bit more (though a prequel might work…). Oh well. At least Ellis ends things with one hell of a finish, mostly thanks to the incredibly disturbing, disgusting, detailed artwork provided by the talented Juan Jose Ryp. Whether you want it to or not, because of Ryp’s work, No Hero #7 will stick in your mind for quite some time.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #27 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I enjoyed Rafa Sandoval’s work for Incredible Hercules quite a bit. I look forward to seeing how the artist handles all the characters that appear in The Initiative.

The Story: Chapter 1: Learn the origin story of Johnny Guitar (and his pal Dr. Sax) and about how they got involved with the Initiative program. Chapter 2: The Initiative members try to take back the Negative Zone prison currently controlled by King Blastaar.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: As far as the writing by Christos Gage goes, the latest issue of Avengers: The Initiative is a great example of everything that’s right about the series as a whole. Pretty much any character can show up in the spotlight and, more often than not, truly make an impact on some sort of level (emotionally or during an action scene). Case in point: Johnny Guitar. His journey is very well-written and, while a bit heavy-handed, definitely makes you feel for the character whether you had any intention of doing so or not.

If Gage takes center stage during chapter one, then the whole Negative Zone battle is the art team’s show. The fight is chaotic, colorful, and quite fun to look at as far as crazy superhero battles go. Rafa Sandoval, thanks to help from Roger Bonet and Edgar Delgado, manages to put a whole hell of a lot on every page, and it works to great effect. While faces tend to look similar and some of the action is a bit hard to follow, the artwork, as a whole, really gets the job done far better than it has any right to. There’s a LOT going on in the Negative Zone, and Sandoval makes sure that the reader knows it.

Conclusion: Avengers: The Initiative #27 doesn’t amount to a whole lot (it’s basically a character highlight reel followed by a fight scene), but it delivers a whole lot of entertainment. Johnny Guitar’s story and the Negative Zone rumble combine to make the latest issue of The Initiative an example of what happens when a creative team makes the most of the series concept.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #26 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Now that the great Dark Reign shakeup has finally finished, it’ll be interesting to see what Christos N. Gage has in store for the Initiative.

The Story: Tigra, Gauntlet, and some of the New Warriors desperately try to escape one of Norman Osborn’s Initiative teams. When they do, Tigra has a plan to gain some measure of revenge of one person that has wronged her in the past. Meanwhile, Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. officially opens and Taskmaster and The Hood go to work, making sure things are in order. The Hood explains the current situation to some recruits, Taskmaster explains the Penance situation to Trauma, and Trauma tries to get…anything out of Penance.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Writer Christos N. Gage clearly has a lot to tackle in the first true Dark Reign Initiative book. It’s loaded with characters, slightly cluttered, and seems to jump all over the place at times. But you know what? Gage handles the challenge extremely well. The storytelling is fairly tight, the character work is effective (especially the stuff with Trauma and the final scene with Tigra), and Gage will constantly remind readers why they pick up a book like Avengers: The Initiative in the first place; to dive into the giant sandbox that is the Marvel Universe. While it’s still early, the Initiative and Dark Reign look to fit together quite well. I wonder if Gage will be able to make the most of it?

As for the visuals, Rafa Sandoval’s artwork gets the job done in the ways that matter. Characters look distinct, expressions are appropriate, and the action looks decent enough. Note that I said “decent enough,” because the action is probably the weak point of Avengers: The Initiative #26. It seems to lack any sort of comfortable flow and gets overwhelmed by all the characters taking part in the action. Also, what’s with Tigra having giant paws for hands? Is that supposed to be like that? I’m not too familiar with the character so if you know if Sandoval’s take on her is actually how it’s supposed to be, leave me a comment.

Conclusion: Not all that it could be, but certainly good enough, Avengers: The Initiative #26 is a worthy chapter of a series that keeps on moving forward at a nice pace.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Incredible Hercules #120 (Secret Invasion) – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (Writers), Rafa Sandoval (Penciler), Roger Bonet & Greg Adams (Inkers) and Gracia with Calero & Trevino (Colors)

In the comics world, there are two kinds of writers: the Innovators, who come up with wild new ideas that don’t always make sense, and the Consolidators, equally talented people who spend most of their time filling in the gaps and coming up with ways to explain the inconsistencies in the work of the Innovators. Of course, sometimes a Consolidator will devote years to making sense of an Innovator’s work (as Mark Gruenwald did with Kirby’s Asgardians and Eternals), only to have another Innovator (Walt Simonson) come along to make things nice and messy again.

Well, wherever Mark Gruenwald is right now, he must be smiling, because Hercules #120 is his kind of book, and builds on one of his ideas. Gruenwald was the guy who decided that the Skrulls were a race where the Deviants had taken over the planet by killing all the Eternals and Normals. Well, now Pak and Van Lente are doing a little consolidating of their own by asking the question, “What was that epic battle like, and what if a single Eternal had survived?”

You may notice I haven’t said a lot about the plot of the book yet. That’s because I don’t want to spoil all the comic-y goodness that awaits you when you read it. But the premise is so good I have to share it: the “He” that the Skrulls keep invoking when they say “He loves you,” is the Skrull’s last Eternal, elevated to Godhood. The events of this issue tie into the core of the Secret Invasion, and will have long-lasting repercussions in that storyline and others.

What else can I give away without spoiling the fun? There’s a big, big battle. The unbeatable are beaten. The unkillable are killed. Goodness triumphs, and so does evil. Hercules continues to be written with the same perfect blend of arrogance and self-doubt that makes him so likable in this series. The art is still beautiful, if a bit confusing at times (What can you expect with no less than three shape-changers in the cast?). And vertebrae and mosquitos are very, very important.

One other thing: the Skrull Book of Worlds, their Bible, is as inconstant as they are. Forget Reed Richards escaping the Skrulls—if you really want to experience the true turning point of the Secret Invasion, imagine if Billy Graham or Rick Warren opened the Good Book one morning and the only words inside were, “YOU’RE WRONG.” (Grade: A+)

– Andrew C. Murphy

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