An excerpt:
[Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente] continue to deliver excellent characterization set firmly inside the Marvel mythology. And unlike many superhero comics that focus on characterization, Pak and Van Lente don’t skimp on the plot, either. This is a comic about grand adventures and epic battles, and based on the spash page at the end of issue #129, the epic grandeur is just getting started.
By Greg Pak
Over the next few months, I’m reworking the format of my “Pak Talks Comics” column for BrokenFrontier.com. The new and improved column should appear towards the end of the summer. But in the meantime, I’ll continue the Reader Q&A portion of the column right here at PakBuzz.com, so keep those questions coming and read on for answers to the latest batch!
WARNING: Some spoilers ahead for a few recent issues of “Incredible Hercules,” “Skaar,” and “Magneto Testament.”
Hrungr: With the Olympians now on Earth along with the Asgardians, does anyone remember that the Celestials had ordered them to stop interfering with humanity? Or is it a case where humanity has grown to the point that the gods are simply another group of superpowered beings?
GP: Thanks for the question, Hrungr. As you’ll see, Bill has a similar question about the nature of the gods below – I’ll answer them together in a second. Also, since we’re on the subject, “Incredible Hercules” #129 hits comic book stores today — feel free to check out the preview!
Bill Frank: I just want to start out by saying that I am really enjoying your and Van Lente’s run on “Incredible Hercules.” You both seem to have caught the real feel for a mythological character that some writers miss. With that in mind, I was wondering a few things about your run that can be roughly divided into three sets of questions, if you don’t mind:
In universes like Marvel’s there are a myriad of super powerful beings with powers and abilities rivaling if not surpassing gods. Some beings like Eternals have been mistaken for gods in the past and have almost identical power-sets except they are science based instead of magic based. When writing a series like “Incredible Hercules,” what separates gods from other super powered beings? What distinguishes Hercules, an immortal super-strong man from other immortal super-strong men like Gilgamesh or Wonder Man or makes him different from being just some ancient superhero?
GP: I’m not saying this is the case, but it’s within the realm of possibility that all of the powers of Herc and his relatives could be explained via Marvel science; maybe they’re not gods, just immortal superhumans. But for millennia, Herc has been told he’s literally a god and has been worshipped as a god. So a huge part of his story is this struggle with questions of a god’s prerogatives and responsibilities. Characters like Wonder Man and the Hulk and Wolverine, who might be functionally immortal, haven’t had that millennia-long struggle with the question of godhood that Herc has, nor do they come from a family and culture of fellow gods struggling with the same issues. Those are major differences that create different animating themes for these characters.
Comic Book Resources has posted an eight page lettered preview of “Incredible Hercules” #129, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with pencils by Ryan Stegman.
Click here to view the pages.
“Incredible Hercules” #129 goes on sale March 28. Ask your local store to hold a copy for you!
Marvel.com’s Kevin Mahadeo has interviewed writer Greg Pak about “Planet Skaar,” “Incredible Hercules,” and “War Machine.” Here’s an excerpt:
Marvel.com: PLANET SKAAR PROLOGUE #1 hits stores this week, probably both figuratively and literally as I doubt the comic page can alone contain the smashing. What can fans expect to see in this kick off issue?
Greg Pak: Skaar, Son of Hulk, hits planet Earth—and planet Earth hits back! The book follows through on the epic storyline we’ve been building since the last page of WORLD WAR HULK and through the previous 10 issues of SKAAR: SON OF HULK, but it’s also designed to be absolutely new reader friendly. All you need to know is that the Hulk has a big, green, furious, half-alien son who’s on his way to Earth—the rest is explained as we launch into the action of the story. And the story co-stars the Fantastic Four, She-Hulk, Norman Osborn, the Warbound, and, of course, Bruce Banner, aka the Incredible Hulk! We’re talking massive smashing and massive emotional payoff along with a shocking twist that will open up a whole new world for Skaar. So, don’t dare miss it!
Marvel.com: You mentioned the Fantastic Four appearing. We know Reed Richards is the one who discovers that the Jade Giant’s son is coming to town. Why does Reed take it upon himself to stop Skaar? Why not contact some of his former Illuminati buddies?
Greg Pak: Reed has a very direct answer to this question on page 13 of the story. He also has a theory that addresses some key questions about the Hulk post-World War Hulk that might be of great interest to Gamma fans.
Marvel has released a teaser image from “Incredible Hercules” #132, which hits comic book stores in August. The book is written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente and pencilled by Reilly Brown with a cover by Rafael Albuquerque.
Ask your local store to reserve a copy for you today!
UPDATE: Due to the holiday weekend, this book will arrive in stores on May 28.
The “Incredible Hercules: Love and War” trade paperback, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with art by Clayton Henry and Salva Espin, hits comic book stores on May 28. Here’s the scoop from Comixology:
UPDATE: Due to the holiday weekend, this book will arrive in stores on May 28.
“Incredible Hercules” #129, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, hits comic book stores on May 28. Here’s the scoop from Comixology:
“Incredible Hercules” #128, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with pencils by Dietrich Smith, hits stores today. Here’s the preview from Marvel.com:
The DARK AVENGERS versus the OLYMPUS GROUP versus Herc & Co! ‘NUFF SAID!
Another rave! Here’s an excerpt:
The script is top-notch, as is the art. It’s an enjoyable, well-paced romp (which is actually the best word I can think of to describe this series much of the time these days), and just goes to show that Hercules can actually hold his own title, as long as he’s in the hands of the right writers. Van Lente/Pak have proven themselves immensely talented, as they were able to make Hercules the main star, and make the book a good and intelligent read, without changing who Hercules is. He’s not suddenly a thinker, he’s still the way he always has been portrayed in Marvel Comics, if not in some ways moreso, as he is counter-balanced by Amadeus Cho. This is a great comic, more people should be reading it, just give it a chance and you’ll be charmed by this excellent comic. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Click here to read the whole thing.
“Incredible Hercules” #127 was written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with pencils by Dietrich Smith.
“Incredible Hercules” #127, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with pencils by Dietrich Smith, hits comic book stores on March 25. Here’s the solicit from Marvel.com:
As Hera consolidates her takeover of Olympus, marking Hercules and Athena for death, she reaches out to forge an alliance with the greatest mortal power on the planet — NORMAN OSBORN! With the forces of Heaven and Earth both arrayed against our heroes, how can they possibly survive? And what role does the ex-New Warrior AEGIS play in Hera’s mad scheme?