Ain’t It Cool likes “Incredible Hercules” #132

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AintItCoolNews.com has posted a nice review of “Incredible Hercules” #132, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with pencils by Reilly Brown. Here’s an excerpt:

So many times, in a book with a humorous undercurrent, I get the feeling that the narrative situation exists solely for the milking of comedic content. This feels a lot more organic, like someone actually thought out a plot, and THEN figured out how to mine it for maximum yuks. For me, I always want the funny (and the art) to serve the story, not the other way around.
Speaking of artwork: holy crap, where did Reilly Brown come from? I don’t know what other stuff he’s done, but just like David Aja on the early IRON FISTs, his style seems perfectly suited for this book. It has a lot of old-school feel to it, you know, the “Merry Marvel Style” and all that, yet it really holds up as contemporary, too. It’s not heavily stylized, and it’s not too cartoony. But unlike Aja (whom I love), I could see this guy drawing just about anything. And like every artist I respect, Brown’s art is “complete,” in that it’s not a bunch of floating heads, or heads and torsos on blank backgrounds, with a fully rendered background doled out every 4 or 5 panels. This guy nails each and every panel.

Read the whole thing.

CBR likes “Incredible Hercules” #133

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Chad Nevett at Comic Book Resources has posted a review of “Incredible Hercules” #133, written by Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak with pencils by Rodney Buchemi. Here’s an excerpt:

Through the seventh smartest person in the world, Van Lente and Pak find a relatable and interesting character in Amadeus Cho. This issue provides readers with a quick catch-up on who Amadeus is and what he’s gone through, making this a great jumping on point. As well, the final page is one of the best cliffhangers of the year.

Click here to read the whole thing.
“Incredible Hercules” #133 hits comic book stores today.

Anticipation…

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The first issue of Greg Pak’s new run on “Incredible Hulk” hits comic book stores tomorrow, and some bloggers are getting excited. Here are some excerpts:
Rick Marshall, MTV:

“INCREDIBLE HULK” #601 (Marvel): The Jade Giant returns to his own ongoing series with this new issue, and while I tend to shy away from issues likely to require extensive knowledge of recent continuity, the return of “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” writer Greg Pak makes this an attractive time to jump into the Hulk universe. Pak is one of the best there at is at telling a great Hulk story, so there’s never been a better time to jump on the big. green bandwagon.

JK Parkin at Robot 6:

…Pak wrote some of the best Hulk stories in a while when he took him off-world in Planet Hulk. So it’ll be nice to see him back on the book.

Jim at Comics And:

This is old friend week for me and Marvel. Since Greg Pak is back on a Hulk book, so am I.

Atomic interviews Pak on Hulk

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Atomic Comics has interviewed “Incredible Hulk” writer for their latest “Radiation Interrogation” column. Here’s an excerpt:

AC – When we last saw Bruce he was “Hulk no more”. Now he has to come face to face with his son. But is it really Banner’s son or is it Hulk’s son?
GP – That’s an excellent question, sir, and it goes right to the heart of the story we’re telling. Skaar and Banner may have very different answers to that question, which could lead to some interesting conflicts.
AC – How is Skaar showing up on Earth and hanging around with Bruce going to be treated by the other Marvel heroes?
GP – Bruce Banner is going to pick a lot of fights during the course of this storyline. The heroes may have a tough time deciding whether the real threat here is Skaar or Banner himself.

Click here to read the whole thing — and don’t miss “Incredible Hulk” #601, hitting stores tomorrow!

IncredibleHulkOnline.com interviews Greg Pak

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Incredible Hulk Online has interviewed writer Greg Pak about his return to “Incredible Hulk” beginning with issue #601 this Wednesday. Here’s an excerpt:

IHEOD: Your book will actually have Skaar and Bruce Banner who can not currently turn into the Hulk. How does that dynamic change the stories you can tell?
GP: It’s a fantastic dynamic for exploring the fundamental themes that have made the Hulk a classic character. Banner’s always tried to find a way to stop the Hulk from rampaging. Now he’s trying to deal with his Hulkish son. The great thing is that it makes Banner himself more active and outwardly focused. And the Banner/Skaar dynamic provides the opportunity for immediate, back-and-forth conflict and dialogue that the Banner/Hulk dichotomy doesn’t always permit. One effect is that the new book may end up having a few more laughs, which I dig. At the same time, the father/son issues in the story are as deep as any themes I’ve tackled in comics, which gives us the kind of human drama that I love to really sink my teeth into as both a writer and reader.
IHEDO: 7. What can you tell the diehard Hulk fans like myself who are anxious to see a little bit more of the big green guy than we have in the last year?
GP:: All good things come to those who wait. There’s a plan behind all of this and if we do our jobs right, the payoffs are going to blow your minds. The goal here is to take you on a crazy journey down paths you didn’t even know existed to a destination you never imagined — and when you get there, you realize it’s exactly where you want to be.

Click here to read the whole thing.

Bloggers say nice things about Greg Pak’s comics

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Ben Morse on “World War Hulk”:

It’s a timeless tale twisted in enough ways to be novel and it’s also packing the secret weapon of the one and only John Romita Jr. on art, and his pairing with Pak could not be more perfect as he draws just as grand as his writing counterpart tends to plot.

Jennifer Smith on “War Machine”:

And all of these characters, be they male or female, are strong, intelligent, and very, very good at their jobs. When the women are in danger, they’re saved due to the efforts of a mixed-gender team – as are the men. And if some non-white characters have shady criminal histories, they’re balanced out by those with impeccable records. These characters defy stereotypes and pigeonholing, and though their cultural backgrounds have obviously had an impact on their lives, as we see specifically in flashbacks to Rhodey’s childhood, their race isn’t their sole defining feature.

Marvel interviews Greg Pak about “War Machine” #9

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Marvel.com has interviewed writer Greg Pak about “War Machine” #9, which features the beginning of a final showdown between James Rhodes and Norman Osborn and hits stores on September 16. Here’s an excerpt:

“Norman’s always playing multiple hands [and] only he knows if he sees Ultimo and Rhodey himself as tools or threats,” Pak notes. “But all will revealed over the course of issues #9 and #10. And Norman may find himself playing a very specific role that he absolutely didn’t anticipate. The Rhodey/Norman showdown will be a massive fight with life-changing consequences. Only one armored hero will be standing at the end of this one.”
Given the number of unforeseen obstacles that Rhodey has had to deal with in the last few issues, it might seem as if very little has gone according to any type of plan. But looks can also deceive, according to Pak.
“Rhodey’s all about adaptation these days,” reminds the writer. “His primary power is the ability to assimilate any new technology he comes into contact with. So he’s well equipped to adjust to changing circumstances. But Rhodey absolutely has a master plan and a huge endgame, all of which will be revealed in issue #10. I’ll just say that Ultimo isn’t the only reason he came back to the United States.”

Click here for the whole interview.

Preview of “Incredible Hercules” #134

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Comic Book Resources has posted an exclusive preview of art from “Incredible Hercules,” written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente and penciled by Reilly Brown.
Click here to view the pages.
“Incredible Hercules” #134 hits comic book stores on September 9. Here’s the solicitation text:

“The Replacement Thor” continues as the Mighty Hercules, wearing the Thunder God’s togs and towing a most unexpected guest star along to provide the pyrotechnics, descends to mysterious Svartalfheim to save the day from a new threat among the Dark Elves. But everything changes when the wicked Elven Queen turns out to be as languorously lovely as she is lethal! What Would Thor Do? Probably not what happens in this book!