“Incredible Hercules” makes about a million “Best of 2009” lists

Posted on by

“Incredible Hercules,” written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, continues to rack up appearances on more “Best of 2009” lists from comics bloggers. Here are the latest:
CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2009:

“Incredible Hercules'” continues to be the best superhero comic on the market. The stories are a mix of great elements: action, excitement, pathos, and best of all humor. The characters continue to be fascinating as well. Thanks to this series, Hercules is now one of my favorite characters, and even though he’s a god, he’s one of the most human of Marvel’s heroes. Plus, this year Pak and Van Lente showed that Herc’s sidekick, Amadeus Cho, was just as compelling a character as the titular god.

Josh On Comics – Best Character of 2009: Hercules:

Brilliantly funny, and a pleasing tonic to the hordes of more responsible, some would say boring heroes, van Lente’s [and Pak’s] Hercules manages to be an utter buffon while remaining immensely likeable. His relationship with Amadeus Cho is also very sweet, the two of them are currently one of my favourite pairings in comics.

Comics And More:

The stories are great: battles with Amazons, teaming up with Namora, going on an odyssey with other gods to take down a skrull god…they’re just a lot of fun and I really look forward to reading more.

Newsarama Best Shots Best of 2009:

Bronze – The Incredible Hercules (Marvel Comics): One of the very best books Marvel has been responsible for, the continuing tale of a god, his human sidekick, and his child-aged father (who also happens to be the king of the gods). Humor, action and drama are all represented equally in this book, reminding us that not everything in the Marvel Universe has to be doom and gloom and politics. His battle (as Thor) against Thor (as Hercules) is a true highlight of the book. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente deserve credit for not only rehabilitating an at-best second tier character, but making The Incredible Hercules a true must-read title.

Film Fodder’s Top Ten Series of 2009:

In short, we have a series that is funny, fun, all within continuity, and it still manages to make itself relevant to meta-events like Dark Reign. All that, and I didn’t even talk about Amadeus Cho, one of the best new characters in Marvel to date.

Afronerd:

Marvel has a gold mine In the Incredible Hercules with its humor and the buddy dynamic of Amadeus Cho

Randy Lander’s Inside Joke Theatre — Favorite Ongoing Series
Comics Alliance — Best Use of a Pen and Paper Role Playing Game as the Basis of an Exciting Plot
Comic Book Club Best of 2009 – Alex’s List
Comic Book Club Best of 2009 – Justin’s List

Pak Talks Comics: Comic books and the Apple tablet

Posted on by

Disclaimer: Everything written below is the sole opinion of yours truly based on personal experience and published news reports. I have no insider knowledge about any actual tablet or any company’s efforts to prepare for its coming.
By Greg Pak
In 1999, Apple changed my life as a filmmaker by introducing Final Cut Pro, a digital video editing program that allowed me to cut professional quality video on my home computer. Without Final Cut Pro, I might never have been able to make any of my post-film-school short films or my feature film “Robot Stories.” And so I might never have gotten a job working as a writer for Marvel Comics.
This month, I’m hoping Apple changes my life as a comic book writer by releasing the much-hyped but never confirmed Apple tablet, which according to the latest rumors is called the iGuide or iSlate, has a 10.1 inch touch screen, and will be announced on January 26, 2010.
In my digital comics fantasy, a gorgeous tablet computer supported by an integrated, easy-to-use and reasonably priced online store will lead to the exponential growth of the comics buying audience. Prices of individual comics will fall, but the circulation will be so much higher that profits will increase handsomely. A whole new generation will grow up reading comics every day, big comics will become blockbusters, small comics will build healthy niche audiences, and we’ll all grow sleek and fat and happy.
How can that fantasy become reality? Read on for one comic book writer’s two cents:

Continue reading →

ComicAttack loves “War Machine” #12

Posted on by

“War Machine” #12, the final issue of Greg Pak’s series, has nabbed a rave review from ComicAttack.net. Here’s an excerpt:

Pak has been impressive this entire series and brought War Machine to another level in my opinion. His interpretation of Rhodes feels the most real and has substance that (at this point anyway) makes him seem more viable and not some knock off or throw away character. Pak has introduced us to the strategist and forward thinker as well as the hero that is Jim Rhodes.
…
I suggest grabbing the trade as soon as it’s available and again I’ll say this: War Machine is one of the best books you’re not reading!

Click here to read the whole thing.

“Magneto Testament” makes a ComicAttack Top 5 of 2009 list

Posted on by

“Magneto Testament,” written by Greg Pak with art by Carmine DiGiandomenico, has been named one of the Top 5 comics of 2009 by Jeff Jackson at ComicAttack.net. Here’s the blurb:

One of the best stories Marvel has published ever, in my opinion, like Old Man Logan, featured a character not in his traditional element. This story fleshed out the background of Magneto in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz. It was horrible, beautiful, and meaningful. Forget Hulk, this is Greg Pak’s best work.

Click here for all of the ComicAttack lists.

“Magneto Testament” named Favorite Collected Miniseries of 2009 by ComicList

Posted on by

Comic Lists’s Geek Goggle Year Ender has given the Favorite Collected Miniseries of 2009 nod to “Magneto Testament,” written by Greg Pak. Here’s the blurb:

Normally I don’t purchase trades if I own the single issues but this series was too good to pass up on in the collected form and it included a ton of extras in it. The volume had extensive information about the Holocaust as well as some of the items used to research this story. If you did miss this mini series it’s probably better to pick up the collected edition because of all of the extras.

Click here to read the whole article.

More bloggers put “Incredible Hercules” on their Best of 2009 lists

Posted on by

Shazhmmm:

Herc is better than all other superhero comics that came out in 2009, and frankly is about the only thing that gets me into the shop these days. It’s not just hilarious, but a smart integration of myth, archetypal heroic storytelling, and awesomely retarded superhero b***s***. All the epic godly grandeur, improbable science, and fantastic sound effects are grounded by one of the more believable relationships in comics, the friendship of Hercules and Amadeus Cho.

Section244:

MY FAVORITE ONGOING SERIES (SUPER HERO): Incredible Hercules by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente.
There were a number of ongoing titles I followed this last decade which I would consider great comics (see below), but above them all I’ve chosen Incredible Hercules.

Aptitude Test:

Maybe the most fun superhero book in years. On the surface, a super-goofy adventure book staring Herc and teen sidekick/super-genius Amadeus Cho, full of giant fights and the best sound effects in comics. On closer inspection, it becomes a great exploration on the nature of heroics, and the relationship between superheroes and their older brother, ancient myth.

UPDATE: Add Jeff at Jim Hanley’s Universe to the list!

Folding in intricacies of greek myth, quantum mechanics, asides that do everything from brilliantly extrapolating the mechanisms of the afterlife to the best sound effects in comics (SUKKA-PUNCH!), rip-roaring action set pieces and complex yet accessible stories, this is the smartest comic on the stands while never loosing its goofiness.

The eMate Hinge Fix: Yeah, I actually did it, and here’s what I learned

Posted on by

Another hypertechnical FilmHelp article by Greg Pak
In an article last month singing the praises of the 1997 Apple eMate as an outstanding low-tech writing machine, I noted that one of the big flaws of the eMate is its infamous hinge problem, which can result in a spring popping loose and puncturing the monitor cable.
I’m happy to report that I finally broke out my Torx screwdrivers and soldering iron and followed the excellent instructions at pda-soft.de, inventors-emporium.co.uk, and unna.org (warning: pdf) to fix my machine’s hinges.
It’s a pretty involved operation, and I highly recommend reading through the instructions and assembling all necessary tools and supplies before starting it. A few pointers:

  • The hinges are much smaller than the closeup photos in the guides might lead you to believe. I didn’t measure them, but if you’re planning to do the washer fix, you should have a few very small washers on hand to experiment with. The washer I ended up using was just 7/16 of an inch wide.
  • Have all the necessary supplies on hand, assuming you’ll go all the way through with the hinge fix. I opened up the machine thinking I’d just check the hinges. But when I saw that one of the springs on the hinge near the monitor cable had begun to shorten, I realized I needed to go through with the whole operation. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the recommended grease on hand, so I ended up just using a few drops of 3-In-One oil. I’m guessing that’s an acceptable substitute at least for the short term, but if the lid seems to stiffen over the next few years, I may have to open the machine up again and grease the hinges properly with the right stuff.
  • When reassembling the machine, make sure the volume and dimmer tabs from the front case are lined up with the sliders on the motherboard. I forgot about this step and had to reopen the machine (which required another round of soldering).
  • I freaked myself out a bit when the machine wouldn’t start up after the whole operation. But when I pressed the reset button on the back of the unit, it came back to life. I think the blank screen’s a reaction to all power being cut off from the machine during the repair process.
  • It’s a good idea to have some strong epoxy ready before undertaking the repair. When I opened up my eMate, one of the small plastic posts on the inside of the machine that serves as the base of one of the battery cover screws cracked. The top of the post fell off and I had to glue it back on during the reassembly. That makes me think it’s also a good idea not to over-tighten the screws to the battery compartment to avoid stressing those posts too much.
  • Make sure you have enough time to complete the project before starting. It’ll probably take at least two hours — and probably longer, if you’re taking proper care and it’s your first time opening the machine.

Austin American Statesman names “Incredible Hercules” as one of 2009’s notables

Posted on by

The Austin American Statesman has dubbed “Incredible Hercules,” “Captain America,” “Secret Six,” and “Detective Comics” as “four of the very best mainstream comics being published today.” Here’s the blurb about Herc:

“Hercules” is a perfect admixture of vintage mythology, sitcom humor, high adventure and punching.

Click here to read the whole thing.