Hercules #5 - A Review

The Uprising Storm has arrived! Now the ground under Manhattan quakes as Hercules enters glorious combat with Castrophobia - the new God of War! But Hercules does not fight alone! So says Gilgamesh, who drags their former foe Ire of Cura-Before-The-Ice into the battle as well. But can three demigods stand up to the might of a new deity, fresh in his power?


Given the nature of the character, one might expect a Hercules series to be non-stop action. While the current run has not lacked in thrilling battles, it hasn't had an issue-long fight scene until now. Thankfully, Dan Abnett is as skilled in writing such things as he is in the wonderful world-building Hercules has seen before now. And, even more thankfully, Hercules still isn't written as dumb muscle, even in the heat of a fight.


The artwork for this issue is equally epic in scope. Luke Ross draws a damned good fight scene and the action of the issue flows quite naturally from panel to panel. And the colors by Guru-FX are perfectly chosen.

Hercules #4 - A Review

Hercules' pal Gilgamesh has fallen into the hands of The Old Gods of The First Ages. They seek to avert the Uprising Storm of the new gods with a ritual that requires the death of a true hero. It is a sacrifice "Gil" is ready to make to save the world, but Hercules will not see anyone die this day. Nor, ironically enough, will the new gods...
It is hard to read Hercules without thinking of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. This is not a commendation nor an accusation of unoriginality but a complement. Despite a similar starting concept, Dan Abnett is telling a wonderful tale, truly worthy of the word epic.
Luke Ross's artwork is equally excellent. His designs for each character are uniquely memorable. His designs for the new gods in particular are praiseworthy. And Guru-FX does a fantastic job with the color art, offering a range of shades throughout.

Hercules #3 - A Review

Something approaches which threatens the world of myth - an uprising storm which has forced an uneasy alliance between Hercules and the monsters he once fought. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh - long content to rest on his laurels - will feel the call to heroism once again, as he takes a message from someone in need of a hero.


The theme of new worlds infringing upon the old is hardly new territory. Yet much as Hercules has been reinvented for a new age in this series, so to does Dan Abnett put his own unique spin on the world of classical myth. The story he is telling here draws comparison to Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books and it can stand proudly alongside these works.


Luke Ross's artwork is equally epic in every sense of the word. Ross' figures are heroic in scope and he fits an amazing amount of detail into each panel with no loss of clarity for all the lines. And the colors by Guru-FX enhance Ross's perfectly.

Hercules #2 - A Review

In ancient days Hercules set the standard by which all heroes are measured. But times have changed and Hercules is changing with them. Once content to be a drunken wastrel who lived off his legend, Herc has cleaned up his act. And a good thing too!  Because something is stirring up monsters long thought gone from the mortal world. And with the help of the seer Tiresias, Hercules means to put them to rest - one way or the other.


Fans of the classic Marvel take on Hercules may think Dan Abnett's take on the character to be a blasphemy. Personally, I like the idea of Hercules trying to redeem himself and restore his good name. It's a new kind of story for Herc and his new attitude has not lessened the humor of the character at all, as he's mistaken for a cosplayer while striding through Central Park. And Tiresias - who has become a gender-bending punk in a nod to the myths where he was turned into a woman for a time - is a total hoot as well.

The action sequences are satisfying as well. And it's gratifying to see Hercules utilizing some strategy in his fighting when the character is so frequently portrayed as mere dumb muscle. Those who enjoy Neil Gaiman's take on classic mythology in the modern day will find this comic enjoyable.

The artwork by Luke Ross and Emilio Laiso is suitably epic. The inks and shadows are well-balanced, leaving the original pencils well-defined yet suitably streamlined. And the colors by Guru-FX enhance the final package perfectly.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Four #14 - A Review

Hercules - The Lion of Olympus - lies dead!  As the newly enraged Greek Gods begin the fight anew against Superman, Batman and his team make ready to take down the rest of The Regime.  But Damian Wayne has other ideas and plans to prove he's better than his father at any cost!


The episodic fight scenes that have made up much of Injustice: Year Four run the risk of becoming tiresome at this point. Just how many times has the fighting stopped and started again since the stand-off between Superman and the Greek Gods started? Thankfully, Brian Buccellato keeps things interesting by switching the focus of the fight scenes and centering the story upon character interaction rather than fisticuffs.


Alas, the artwork this week is a bit of a mixed bag.  With two artists at work there's very little sense of visual continuity.  Additionally, there are a number of instances of over-inked panels and some generally strange body-posing.  At least the color art by Rex Lokus maintains the usual high standard but the majority of this book looks rather raw.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Four #13 - A Review

With Superman unconscious (and in orbit!) and Wonder Woman in the death-grip of the legendary Hercules, things are looking bleak for The Regime. But Ares, God of War, has no wish to see the battle between Gods and Supermen concluded so swiftly. Thus he has unleashed the mightiest of mortals, who wields the powers of six beings of legend - SHAZAM!


Whether you call him Shazam or Captain Marvel, Billy Batson's alter ego has rarely gotten the respect he deserves in modern times. Brian Buccellato's script for this issue is a love letter to everything that The Big Red Cheese is. The only flaw - and I will admit this is a personal quibble - is that hearing Billy Batson use the phrase "badass" is a bit jarring, though I'm sure this is meant to evoke the more modern take on Billy Batson's character.


The artwork for the issue is top-notch.  Bruno Redondo returns to deliver his usual stellar job on the pencils, with Juan Albarran backing him with his excellent inks. And Rex Lokus' color art perfectly completes them both, crafting one damn-fine looking book.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Four #12 - A Review

There has been a break in the conflict between Superman's Regime and the Greek Gods. But the fighting begins anew as Wonder Woman defies the orders of Zeus to join his side in the conflict. Now they will have to face the wrath of Hercules - strongest of the demigods!


Despite being largely compromised of one epic battle scene, this issue of Injustice feels like little more than set-up for a larger battle, which is hinted at on the final page. Yet Brian Buccellato's witty script keeps this issue from feeling entirely like padding. If nothing else, it's amusing to watch Hal Jordan go up against Hercules and Harley Quinn throwing herself into the fight with unpredictable results.


Mike S. Miller's contribution to this issue brings us some amazing splash-pages and wonderful close-ups. His artwork grows somewhat weaker when depicting long distances, but the action scenes are very well choreographed. And the palettes utilized by J. Nanjan are well chosen.