What I'm Reading 4/6/10

Herc #1
Writers: Greg Pak &
Fred Van Lente
Pencils: Neil Edwards
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Jesus Aburtov

A new #1 for Hercules comes with a new direction. Hercules is now mortal, but instead of trying to regain his divinity, he's fighting evil as a mortal man with some magic weapons from Greek mythology. Edwards does a terrific job with the Grecian Urn style panels that explain where each item comes from. With a lesser creative team this would be a rather pathetic attempt at making a character relatable, but thankfully, we get a story that focuses on Hercules' indomitable spirit and the world of mythology that he hails from. Being a hero is what he does, and he won't quit just because he stopped being bullet proof. If he can't fight Ares head to head on Olympus, he'll fight the disciples of Ares on the subway. However, he actually does have one of his divine abilities left; he can hear his followers praying for his help. It keeps Hercules grounded in his mythic roots, and it's a great representation of how he can never let go of his heroic obligations.

Another thing he can't let go of is his legendary abilities as a ladies man. Even without his divinity, being a seven foot tall, muscle man goes well with the women of NYC. It did make me think of one idea I'd love to see: the Hercules Safe Sex PSA. It's finally Marvel's chance to one up that time that Death and John Constantine put a condom on a banana.

Rating: 8/10

The Amazing Spider-man #657
Writer: Dan Slott
Artists: Marcos Martin, Ty Templeton, Nuno Plati, & Stefano Caselli
Colors: Muntsa Vicente, Javier Rodriguez, Nuno Plati, & Marte Gracia

Slott's run on Spider-man has won me over because it's fun and it looks gorgeous. I would date this book it looks so fine. I can't give enough credit to Stephen Wacker for bringing some great artists out of obscurity and getting them on this book. The art alone makes this a title worth reading; Marcos Martin for one has proven to be one of the best artists at Marvel since he started drawing Spider-man over a year ago. This issue uses several short stories to show case Spidey's relationship with the Fantastic Four, and it makes use of some great established talent like Ty Templeton along with some of Marvel's more recent finds.

Spidey and the FF are getting over the death of the Human Torch, but Slott wisely avoids doing a solemn tribute issue. He instead has the characters reflect on what they liked about Johnny Storm, and we get fun little stories full of pranks, space travel, and underpants that remind us how much fun a goofy super hero comic can be. It's a very smart move since Spidey just went through the death of a supporting cast member, and two funerals in two months would have ventured too close to self parody. Spider-man is a character that often gets moved too far into moody melodrama, but this is a great little story about moving forward with the help of your friends.

Rating: 7/10

Incognito: Bad Influences #5
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art/Letters: Sean Philips
Colors: Val Staples

I only have one complaint about Incognito, but it's not really a complaint. I think that many of the ideas that Brubaker and Philips couldn't fit into Sleeper's brief run became Incognito, and I'm fine with that. I really love Sleeper and it has never read like it was cut short to me, but I assume that's because the creative team knew how low the sales were and planned accordingly. It's great to see more work from Brubaker and Philips in the vein of Sleeper, but I can't help but compare the two. Incognito:Bad Influences especially feels like the third season of Sleeper that we'll never get to read. It doesn't weaken the book for me, but it does take me out of the story. I keep trying to imagine Sleeper's Holden Carver into this book, but that's just me being silly.

I could blog all freaking day about how much I love the Brubaker/Philips team, but I'll keep it short because that's what I promised to do for Lent. It's a great unexpected ending to a very strange and twisted plot. I highly recommend it and anything from the creative team.

Rating: 9/10