The Incredible Herc

Perhaps the strangest event at Marvel Comics this year was the alteration of The Incredible Hulk series into The Incredible Hercules.

Following in the wake of World War Hulk, the Olympian has usurped both the title of the series and the attentions of the 4th smartest being on the planet, Amadeus Cho. The work of Greg Pak has become legendary with the success of Planet Hulk and the follow up World War Hulk. He has taken the jade giant into a realm of success that has not been seen in quite some time. So why ditch the green angry one and go in this completely different direction?

Who cares?

Introduced in the 1960’s as a fun-loving alternative to the brooding Mighty Thor, Hercules has stumbled about the Marvel Universe for decades with nary a blockbuster in his wake. An interesting character who has never really shone in the universe of super hero stars, it has taken this turn of events to really delve into the character, showing the complexities of his history and the many facets to his personality.

While it is a weird turn of events, it is also one of the most well written Marvel Comics on the stands today. The series follows the decisions of Herc and Cho as they literally stand in the wreckage of Manhattan after the Hulk almost completely destroyed it. Cho clearly wants revenge against SHIELD for attacking his hero the Hulk and Herc… Herc just wants to drink mainly.

Each issue is split between a modern day adventure and retelling of a tale out of Hercules‘ mythology. It makes the series so unique and bizarre that each month is very different from the last. With Cho’s anger at SHIELD reaching such a height that he threatens near global destruction (which frighteningly he is very capable of unleashing), it’s a relief when Herc’s sister Athena steps in to provide some teaching.

With innovative storytelling and superb artwork, you really do have to give this series a shot.

Stan Lee speaks out about Spider-Man: One More Day

It’s interesting that former Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee has put what has become a very controversial move on Marvel’s behalf into clarity. It’s often the job of the comic book industry to shake readers up. By making grand changes to the status quot, Marvel Comics has kept things interesting, to say the least. I mean, how many fans out there clamor about the boring run on Spider-Man where he swung around and caught villains for 30-60 straight issues? It’s the stories where something new and different happened that we all remember, like ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt.’

So if you want security, get your woobie out of storage. If you want comfort and consistency, eat some pudding. If you want it all new and all different, read a Marvel Comic.

That said, I’m not sure we can put ‘makes a deal with the devil to save ailing aunt’ in the list of things ‘normal people do’ that Stan provided. Yet I wager he does live in the Marvel Universe in his head, so who knows?

Recommended:

Spider-Man: One More Day
Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt (Marvel Premiere Classic)

Legion of Super Heroes- Dark Victory

“Legion of Super Heroes” splits its swan song over two weekends
beginning with the premiere of the first half of the two-part series
finale, entitled “Dark Victory, Part 1,” on Saturday, March 29. The
episode airs on Kids’ WB! on The CW at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. The second
half of the episode will air on Saturday, April 5.The episode synopsis for “Dark Victory, Part 1″:
As Imperiex sets in motion one final assault designed to bring him
control of the galaxy, Brainiac 5 must fight for control of himself as
the ancient programming of Brainiac 1.0 emerges. Part 1 is written by
J.M. DeMatteis & Michael Jelenic, and directed by Brandon Vietti.

The slow build-up of Imperiex as a major villain in this cartoon has been a great storyline to watch develop. However, the tale of Brainiac 5 has been absolutely fascinating. It’s a great idea to delve into Brainiac 5’s previous program of the sinister Brainiac 1.0 personality.  Seeing the young robotic genius’ attempts to overcome the crimes of his ancestor as he becomes the best friend of his predecessor’s nemesis, Superman is a brilliant plot-thread that has made the season itself a stand-out.

With a script by DeMatteis, the finale is sure to be a knock out.

Watchmen and the Tales of the Black Freighter

From ICV2.com

I heart Zack Snyder. He is doing his best to make the upcoming film adaptation of the ‘Citizen Kane of comics’ known as The Watchmen a delight for comic book fans. One of the many elements in the 12 part series was a comic that a young lad can be seen reading throughout the comic. Entitled ‘Tales of the Black Freighter,‘ it tells a dark and horrific story that is perfectly at home in the creepy EC Comics of the 1950’s.

While I doubt anyone expected a studio to okay producing a whole pirate epic along with the main feature, Snyder is still trying to tick every box in the dreamlist every fan of this series has mentally held since this film was first thought possible.

‘Tales of the Black Freighter’ Anime
Extra on the ‘Watchmen DVD’
February 29, 2008One of the elements that makes Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen so difficult to adapt for the screen is the “meta-comic” Tales of the Black Freighter, a faux EC classic drawn brilliantly by Gibbons working in the style of Joe Orlando. With its typical Al Feldstein interior monologue/first person narration, Tales of the Black Freighter is a pirate-themed saga that chronicles the physical and mental breakdown of a castaway — a deterioration that mirrors what’s happening to one of the main characters in the Watchmen saga. Tales of the Black Freighter is just one of many elements that add depth to the Watchmen narrative — and filmmakers, who have to pick and choose which facets of Moore’s saga to include, have typically excised the Black Freighter saga, but Zack Snyder has found a way to include it — he is adding an anime-style animated version of the comic-within-a-comic as an “extra” for the Watchmen DVD release.

Gerard Butler, who starred in Snyder’s hugely successful adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300, will voice the character of the castaway, who escapes from a deserted island on a raft made from the bloated corpses of his former crew, and whose mental and physical deterioration culminates in one of those heavily ironic “twist” endings so typical of EC Comics. Butler has confirmed his participation in the animated Tales of the Black Freighter to Empire Magazine, and there is little doubt that his sonorous voice will be perfect for the first person narrative of the castaway captain struggling mightily to intercept a ghost freighter headed for his home port.