Herc #1

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente & Neil Edwards

I was a big fan of the Incredible Hercules series, so I was happy to see the title return, with series writers Pak and Van Lente included.  This new incarnation of the book does see a new direction for the hero, however, but one that has a lot of potential.  Hercules is now on Earth, stripped of his godhood and title, and must fight for man as one of them.  But he does boast some pretty great weapons, and of course, he's still strong.  The opening scene perfectly sets up this new series, as Herc utilizes Greek weapons, each of their histories explained in footnotes, to stop a group of thugs.  And while he may not have the support of the gods at his back, he's still the same old Herc that we have come to know and love, with a weakness for women and a little dim.  There's also a mystery afoot in the new series that's squeezed in between the action, and some other new elements, like how when people pray to him or make sacrifices in his name, he senses it.  I think that fans of Incredible Hercules will be happy with this new series.  Even without Amadeus to keep him in check, this fun new book contains a lot of what that series had that made it stand head and shoulders above other superhero titles.  And I'm excited to see what's in store for the more human version of a god.