Hercules- just call him ‘Herc’

Originally introduced in the pages of Lee and Kirby’s Thor comic, Hercules was intended to be a lighter and more jovial view of the mythological hero. Acting as a foil to the moody and stoic god of thunder, Hercules had a love for wine, women, song and fighting (in that order). After his introduction, it was thought that the character would make an interesting addition to the Avengers roster and the Olympian gained a strong fan following.

There have been numerous mini-series and short-run titles featuring Hercules, but the character really came into his own after he took over the Incredible Hulk monthly title (renaming it Incredible Hercules). Combining exciting superheroic action/adventure and mythology in each issue, the Incredible Hercules series was a fan favorite. The writing team of Greg Pak (Incredible Hulk, Planet Hulk, World War Hulk) and Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies 3, 4 and 5, X-Men Noir, Cowboys & Aliens) created an amazing monthly book that got people talking online and in stores. The death of Hercules followed by the Prince of Power mini-series and Chaos War (the final issue out this week) have catapulted this also-ran hero into cult fandom. I’m happy to see that Pak and Van Lente aren’t finished with old Herc yet!

Via IGN.com:

Just because Chaos War is over doesn’t mean that your monthly fill of Hercules will be going away anytime soon. Marvel announced today the brand new ongoing series Herc, written by Chaos War scribes Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, along with art by Neil Edwards.

“This ain’t the heavenly spires of Mount Olympus, the plush comforts of Avengers Tower or some hot night club known where the body shots are on the house. Herc’s in the dark alleys of the Marvel Universe—the mean streets of New York,” said Senior Editor Mark Paniccia. “There’s no one to watch his back and, if he doesn’t play it smart, he can be maimed…or even killed. The easy days of life as a god are over.”

Hercules is back to dish out some beatdowns to the criminal underworld; not exactly a place we’re used to seeing him. From tying in to Fear Itself to the grind of street level crime, it seems Pak and Van Lente are preparing to keep the character’s plate full for quite a while.

Herc #1 debuts on April 6, 2011, with Herc #2 following only two weeks later on the April 20.

Recommended reading:
Incredible Hercules Vol.0: World War Hulk
Incredible Hercules Vol. 1: Against The World
Incredible Hercules Vol. 2: Secret Invasion
Incredible Hercules Vol.3: Love And War

Enthiran/Robot

Directed by S. Shankar (of the cult 2001 film Nayak), Enthiran has gone on to become the highest grossing Indian film of all time. Starring hi-profile Bollywood actors Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the movie is incredibly expensive and an effort to compete with Hollywood blockbusters of the Transformers variety. Explosions and gun fights may be the usual fare, but the long musical numbers make the movie an oddity by Western standards but is par for the course in a Bollywood film. I recall seeing a Bollywood Dracula and being astounded at how long the movie was, but when you factor in the musical/dance numbers… it’s a different world.

The movie follows Rajinikanth as a brilliant scientist attempting to control his rogue creation (made in his image) as it runs wild through the city. A totally bizarre film, it is interesting to see another culture approach the big budget action film genre as it is taken to the most absurd lengths. Based on the trailer alone, this is a movie worth checking out.

Trailer

Some amazing action sequences

The movie has been translated in English and is in limited release in the U.S. (where it has received mixed reviews), so check your local arthouse cinema to see if it is playing.