Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Incredible Hercules #141

Here we have what seems to be the last issue of The Incredible Hercules.

The first clue can be found on the first page of the comic (the recap page). There we see tiny reproductions of each cover from Herc's 30-issue run as the new proprietor of the old Incredible Hulk numbering. You'll also find a fun recap of each issue in tiny type at the top of the page.

The issue wraps up the "Assault on New Olympus" story with the usual Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente-written twists and turns, as Hercules takes part in a truly punishing battle.

The issue clears up several long-running plot points, and the surprising ending leads into a couple of one-shot specials and... well, we'll have to see where it goes from there.

Kudos to Rodney Buchemi for doing an outstanding job on the art, handling extreme violence and tender moments with equal skill.

Oh, and pay special attention to the sound effects in the big fight scenes - they're very funny.

This comic is the gold standard if you ever want to make the argument that good writing can save any concept. I would never have expected Marvel's version of Hercules to star in anything more than the occasional mini-series, but here Pak and Van Lente show that by combining intelligent, funny writing with great action sequences and a great supporting cast, almost any character can be made into a star.

If you haven't been following Herc's stories, you've been missing out on some great comics.

Grade: A-

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