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She-Hulk (2004) #12
February 19, 2005
Quick Rating: Excellent
Title: Some Disassembly Required
It’s She-Hulk versus Titania in the title bout!
Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Rick Magyar
Colors: Dave Kemp
Letters: Dave Sharp
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Mike Mayhew
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This may be the first time doing a review has ever almost gotten me in trouble. I’m working the sound effects for my community theatre this weekend, and since I had a little downtime (and have already seen the play five times by now), I made the mistake of reading this comic book in the booth. I almost laughed loud enough for the audience to hear me.
Here’s the bullet points – Titania, who hates the She-Hulk, has taken the Power Gem from the Champion to take her down. Forced to stay in her human form for reasons that are perfectly logical, although will take people by surprise if they aren’t familiar with some Marvel continuity, She-Hulk is trapped in human form and is forced to call in reinforcement. Lots of reinforcements. Unexpected reinforcements.
Since the first issue, the two best things about this title have been the humor and the rampant mining of Marvel continuity. This issue Dan Slott turns both of these factors up to eleven. She-Hulk goes to an incredibly unlikely source to figure out how to take down Titania, and the guest-stars make perfect sense and exist to complement her, not steal the show. There are some outrageously funny moments here – such as Hercules asking his Damage Control foreman if he can take a break to go save the city and Stu telling off not only some obnoxious characters, but taking a good-natured poke at readers who may take things too seriously.
Since this is the last issue of “season one” (Marvel has promised to bring this title back later this year, and the last page even includes a self-referential gag to let the readers know when it will be back), Slott wraps up a lot of storylines or at least brings them to a point of logical resolution, where we can accept things being left for a while. We get resolution for She-Hulk, Titania, Southpaw and the law firm. We even get a little resolution for some story threads left over from Avengers Disassembled, which tie into story elements in this book.
Paul Pelletier is at the absolute top of his game. The characters look great, the fight scenes are fantastic and the visual gags all just plain work. There are panels where your jaw just drops and panels where you laugh out loud. I’m in love with this book.
This same creative team is going to take some time off to do the upcoming GLA (that’s Great Lakes Avengers) miniseries, which promises to have a lot of the same comedic sensibilities, so you can bank on me following them there. But man, I can’t wait for this book to come back for season two.
Rating: 10/10
Herc #10
December 11, 2011
Title: Storybook Ending
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Pencils: David Hahn
Inks: Roy Richardson & Rebecca Buchman
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov & Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover Artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
With his father on Earth and powerless, Hercules decides to teach him a lesson in humanity – something that becomes a bit more difficult after a confrontation with the Kingpin leads them into battle with the ancient witch Baba Yaga and the assassin Elektra. Once again, I’m watching as a book I’ve really enjoyed comes to a premature end, although considering that these two writers did have a pretty substantial run with the character before this title, it’s not quite as premature as it seems. Still, the adventures of the non-powered Hercules have been really entertaining. Which makes it even sadder that this last issue is so weak. It feels rushed (and probably was) and ends in a way that ties up some of the outstanding plot threads, but doesn’t really satisfy in the way you would hope. The artwork is, sadly, even weaker. I really like David Hahn in general, and I’ve been a fan of his on many projects, so I have to wonder if this issue’s visual problems aren’t the result of weak inks. The characters aren’t often defined very well, and the expressions on their faces aren’t… well… expressive enough. The Baba Yaga house looks nice, but not spectacular, and Zeus doesn’t carry a powerful look to him at all – which, even on-powered, you’d expect to see in his frame and his attitude. As much as I’ve loved the run of these writers on Hercules ever since they took him into the fold during World War Hulk, and as sorry as I am to see their tenure with him end, this isn’t the way I wanted them to go out.
Rating: 6/10
Incredible Hercules #114
February 19, 2008
Quick Rating: Great
Title: Walls of Troy (Part Three of The Incredible Herc)
Rating: A
As Ares goes on the offensive, a crazed Hercules tears up what’s left of New York!
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inks: Paul Neary
Colors: Stephane Peru
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover Art: Arthur Adams
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Last issue, Ares poisoned his brother with the blood of the fearsome Hydra, sending him into a fit of violent delusions. As Wonder Man searches for Ares, hurled away in the battle, Hercules’ old friend the Black Widow may be the only thing between him and a Hulk-level rampage.
As I’ve come to expect from Greg Pak, this was a highly entertaining, truly exciting issue. He and Fred Van Lente have managed to seamlessly blend Hercules’ classical origins with his status of a superhero, with flashes from everything from a pre-Illiad Troy to Herc’s stint with the Champions of Los Angeles. As he continues his rampage, Amadeus Cho puts another of his own crazy schemes into motion. There’s an interesting bit in this issue where we’re reminded of how Cho doesn’t really have much of a moral compass. He’s loyal to his friends – he demonstrated that during World War Hulk, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a true sense of right and wrong, and that moral ambiguity makes him a far more interesting character than he was before.
Khoi Pham’s artwork is nice, and I especially appreciate some of the panels that pay homage to the 70s style with the Champions sequence. Arthur Adams, of course, draws a beautiful cover, which is about as obvious as statement as pointing out that the sun is rising in the east tomorrow morning.
I feel like a broken record, but I’ve got to say it again – I’ve quickly fallen in love with this book. It’s one of Marvel’s best.
Rating: 9/10
Recent Reviews: August 31 Releases
It was a small week for new comics, but I still got in a few reviews. Here are the August 31 comics I talked about at CXPulp…
She-Hulk (2004 Series) #9
November 19, 2004
Quick Rating: Great
Title: Strong Enough
Back on Earth, She-Hulk’s got to deal with her increased power level. Meanwhile, Hercules has some legal troubles of his own.
Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Rick Magyar
Colors: Dave Kemp
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Mike Mayhew
Publisher: Marvel Comics
She-Hulk is one of those titles that everyone who samples it seems to love, but there aren’t enough readers. So if I’m persuading people, I can either write a list of each and every thing I love about this book, or I can just tell you to read She-Hulk #9, because it’s all in here.
This is a done-in-one story, but it picks up on the ongoing plot threads of the title and introduces a few more, while still supplying the reader everything he could need to know to enjoy the title. Back on Earth, the She-Hulk discovers that she doesn’t have total control over her increased strength, and she looks for help in a very logical place – her old friend Reed Richards. Meanwhile another attorney at her firm has her own problems – the Constrictor has filed a lawsuit against Shuklie’s sometime teammate Hercules for beating him (badly) in a superhero rumble.
You want to know what this issue has? Guest-stars. Comedy. A dash of romance. A faithful nod to continuity without being confusing. Logic. An ending you don’t see coming but that fits perfectly. And even a few tidbits that warn us there may be some bad times to come for our heroine.
You know what else it’s got? Great art. Paul Pelletier joins this issue as the regular penciller (after doing a two-issue stint a few months back), and he couldn’t be more welcome. He does incredible superheroes, including a more muscular She-Hulk than we’re used to, and does it in such a way that the casual reader is aware that things are unusual. He’s got a great feel for layout and storytelling, and his poses and choreography are second to none. He does a great Fantastic Four as well – his rendition of the Thing is one of the best I’ve seen in quite a while.
Haven’t tried this title yet? No time like the present. This issue gives you two complete storylines twined together (as opposed to some comics that take six issues to tell one), and the trade paperback of the first issue is on sale now. Jump on, folks. You won’t regret it.
Rating: 9/10
Herc #5
August 1, 2011
Title: Lost City
Writer: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Pencils: Neil Edwards
Inks: Cory Hamscher
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover Artist: Ale Garza & Christina Strain
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Hercules and his unlikely allies, Man-Bull and Basilisk, find themselves going into battle against the worshippers of Kyknos. Battle is nothing new for Hercules, of course, but now he finds himself powerless, overwhelmed by the prayers of his own worshippers, fighting giant insects in the middle of Manhattan while his more powerful allies are busy beating the hell out of each other elsewhere in the Fear Itself crossover. As formidable a warrior as Hercules is, this time he may have to swallow his pride and turn to the one place he never wanted to go again: his father, Zeus. This new angle for Hercules has really made the new series a joy to read. Pak and Van Lente haven’t decreased the level of the threats our former Prince of Power has to deal with, but with that power gone, he’s had to change his entire approach to battling the creatures. The result is a way of looking at Hercules that nobody has ever done before. Entertaining, different, and exciting – this is some great work.
Rating: 8/10
Herc #4
June 11, 2011
Title: All Versus All
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Pencils: Neil Edwards
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover: Michael Kaluta & Jim Charalampidis
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
A powerless Hercules has found himself helping defend a group of escaping supervillains against the son of Ares, Kyknos. But when the people of Brooklyn see Herc fighting on the side of known villains like the Basilisk, they turn on the hero, forcing him into a fight he didn’t want.
Herc has been de-powered for this entire series, but this is the first time we really see the sort of toll it can take on the former Prince of Power. We see Hercules not just hurt (he’s been hurt before), but worse than that: weary, exhausted and worn-down. It’s clear, both from the writing and some great artwork, that he’s not used to feeling that way. It’s also kind of stressful for him to have to worry about PR, of all things, but it puts a nice, different kind of spin on the book.
The whole Fear Itself thing has felt pretty tenuous. I’m still not getting just how or why this book ties into that main crossover, except for some vague sensation that “fear” is spreading across the Marvel Universe, but the writing team of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente are at least making the most out of what’s been handed to them. The book is exciting, well-written, well-illustrated, and full of real character drama and development in the midst of all the action. That’s how Herc has always been at his best with this creative team, and this arc is no different.
Rating: 8/10
Herc #3
June 3, 2011
Title: Fear Itself
Writer: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Breakdowns: Neil Edwards
Finishes: Scott Hanna
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover: Chris Stevens & Leonardo Olea
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
When the Raft is blown open, Hercules comes to blows with some of the escapees that start tearing through Brooklyn. When the villains are targeted by an even more powerful force, though, Herc is forced to step up and defend even his foes in the face of a greater power. I’m so glad that Pak and Van Lente have managed to continue their association with this character, and this book shows exactly why. Their Hercules is far more than the braggart who has gotten himself and his comrades into hot water time and again with his mouth – although that Herc is still a part of him, to be sure. This Herc, though, is utterly powerless, but doesn’t hesitate to charge into battle against the likes of Man-Bull. Then when Man-Bull is the one who needs defending, Herc doesn’t hesitate to do that either. The story works for two purposes, both demonstrating Herc’s overwhelmingly heroic nature, but also setting him up for some mistrust on the part of the people he’s there to defend. The book doesn’t really have a lot to do with the overall Fear Itself crossover, save for using the escaping villains as the crux of the story, but it looks like next issue will have a deeper tie. This is another really good issue for a great creative team.
Rating: 8/10
Incredible Hulk (2000 Series) #111
November 19, 2007
Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Warbound Part VI (A World War Hulk tie-in)
Rating: A
The renegades face the end of the War!
Writers: Greg Pak & Jeff Parker
Art: Leonard Kirk
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover Art: Carlos Pagulayan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
World War Hulk may have ended last week, but there’s still time for one last tie-in comic. The last chapter of “Warbound” happens pretty much simultaneously with World War Hulk issues four and five, and basically shows the events of those two issues from the perspective of Amadeus Cho and his ragtag group. As the Hulk forces the Illuminati in their own battle, then takes on the Sentry, Cho and his group are forced to hunt down the demon inadvertently unleashed by Dr. Strange.
Not surprising, given who’s going to be taking over this title in short order, there’s a lot of room given to Amadeus and Hercules, and to a lesser extent, the rest of the “Renegades.” The story itself isn’t particularly groundbreaking, especially if you read the core miniseries, but it’s a nice angle to take.
Leonard Kirk’s art, as always, is great. He has a good handle on all the diverse characters in this group, and who else could possibly draw such a convincing demon-inhabited suit of Hulkbuster Iron Man armor slugging it out with Hercules? That’s right, no one.
The new lead character for this book is a bizarre choice, but an intriguing one. As long as Greg Pak is staying with this title, I will too.
Rating: 8/10
Incredible Hercules #113
January 15, 2008
Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Shirt of Nessus (The Incredible Herc Part Two)
Rating: A
Ares and Wonder Man chase down the rogue Hercules!
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inks: Paul Neary
Colors: Stephane Peru
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover Art: Arthur Adams & Guru eFX
Publisher: Marvel Comics
As Hercules and Amadeus Cho plan their way out of the Hulk Refugee Camp, Ares and Wonder Man make plans to track him down. Ares pulls out a secret weapon – a danger from Hercules’ past – to take his brother down.
There’s an awful lot to like about this comic book. First of all, like last issue, Pak and Van Lente are dipping back into classic Greek mythology for their plot points. The weapon Ares conjures up isn’t some deus ex machina or Star Trek-style technobabble weapon, it’s something very real to Hercules. Treating the original myths as in-continuity as any comic book appearance they’ve made is a great way to handle this character.
Ares, an Avenger now, is being played as the Big Bad in this arc, and that also works wonderfully. The natural friction between these two sons of Zeus provides the drama in a very organic way. Wonder Man’s confrontation with Herc goes over very well too – these guys are old friends. Neither of them wants to fight, and they both make that clear just before the fisticuffs begin anyway.
Khoi Pham, Paul Neary and Stephane Peru give us some fine artwork. The Greek monsters we see in this issue look great, as do all of the thrilling heroics.
And on a personal note, the first page of this book kinda took me aback. I’ve often been heard to voice disapproval of the depiction of Louisiana or New Orleans in comic books, as the depiction often falls into bad stereotypes. Imagine how much more I was stunned when I opened up the book to a scene set in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, which is actually my home. The depiction? Well… I wasn’t happy to see another thatch-roofed hut, and my girlfriend, who is thirsting to see an alligator in person, would be astonished at the fact that there is evidently an alligator farm in my back yard. But since there are really swamp tours in this area, I’m willing to let it slide. For once, I found it more amusing than insulting.
But I digress. The point is, this second issue of Hercules’ story is even stronger than the first, and it’s rapidly on its way to becoming one of the best comics Marvel is publishing.
Rating: 8/10
The Back Issue Bin 