For the first time, Hercules has cracked the Power Rankings list at IGN Comics, clocking in at number 21. Here’s an excerpt from the blurb:
Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente and Khoi Pham are really making this series work. In fact it is one of the better books Marvel is putting out in the moment. Don’t let the lack of hype keep you from this gem, and if you love it, tell your friends.
The fine folks at Jaded Expressions Magazine have interviewed Greg Pak again — this time about “Incredible Hercules,” Amadeus Cho, and the Warbound. An excerpt:
JXM: Speaking of another jolly giant – Hercules – what are your plans for him? Will he undergo a massive makeover like the Hulk?
Greg: Hercules is one of Marvel’s niftiest characters because he’s not just some strong dude who calls himself Hercules. He’s actually Hercules, the Lion of Olympus, son of Zeus, slayer of the Hydra, scourer of the Augean stables, etcetera etcetera. The character doesn’t need a makeover – he’s been one of the most popular heroes of myth and legend for thousands of years. But Fred and I are getting back to the roots of the character by tapping into insane, thrilling, and sometimes deeply disturbing myths that make up his history. He’s a hero of enormous good humour and fundamentally decent impulses – who’s nonetheless lost himself to rage and madness and committed some of the most horrific atrocities imaginable. That combination of fun, heroism, and dark danger makes for great drama and great comics.
“Incredible Hercules” #114, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with pencils by Khoi Pham, hits comic book stores on February 20. Don’t miss the comic that ComicsBulletin.com calls “one of the best books Marvel is putting out at the moment” — tell your local retailer to order a copy for you today!
Click here for Marvel’s solicitation for the issue.
“World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound” #3, written by Greg Pak with pencils by Leonard Kirk and Rafa Sandoval, hits comic book stores on February 20. Ain’t It Cool News praised the last issue for “the single most tense comic book sequence I’ve read all month.” Tell your local retailer to order a copy for you today!
Click here for Marvel’s solicitation for the issue.
From the AP:
Lionsgate and Marvel studios have signed interim deals with the striking Writers Guild of America, the union said.
The deals announced Thursday followed separate guild pacts with other independent production companies such as United Artists, The Weinstein Co. and David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants.
The guild said such agreements confirm it is possible for writers to be compensated fairly and for companies to operate profitably.
Marvel has posted a five page preview as well as the variant cover for “Incredible Hercules” #114, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with interior pencils by Khoi Pham. Regular cover is by Arthur Adams; variant by Daniel Acuna.
Click here to view the preview — and tell your local retailer to order a copy for you today!
The book hits stores on February 20.
The Comixtreme.com “2 in 1 Showcase” crew has named Greg Pak the “Next Big Thing” in their Best of 2007 episode. Click here to listen to the mp3 of the show — the “Next Big Thing” category is discussed about two thirds of the way through.
Meanwhile, in his “Everything but Imaginary” column, Blake Petit of Comixtreme has named “Incredible Hercules” #113, written by Pak and Fred Van Lente, as his “Favorite of the Week.” Click here to read the column.
The latest “Pak Talks Comics” column is up at BrokenFrontier.com — an interview with “Planet Hulk” colorist Chris Sotomayor. Here’s an excerpt:
Greg Pak: I loved the way you brought ideas to “Planet Hulk” for ways to bring out the themes of the big story through color. Tell us about some of the techniques you developed for the story and what ideas or emotions they were designed to convey.
Chris Sotomayor: We had some really great conversations on the phone initially, as far as storytelling. My favorite storytelling points that came out of “Planet Hulk†had to be conveying the themes of bigotry and alienation. A lot of consideration and planning was taken in trying to help get those themes across to the reader. Specifically in dealing with Hulk, and wanting him to truly be the alien on that world. Readers will notice that for almost the entire “Planet Hulk†arc, Hulk was the only green thing on the planet. That is, until he starts to have a profound affect on it, in both the vegetation and the ultimate destruction of his new homeland.
Click here to read the full interview. And click here to submit questions for next week’s Reader Q&A!
IncredibleHulkOnline.com has interviewed writer Greg Pak about the “World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound” miniseries, the second issue of which just hit comic book stores on January 16. Here’s an excerpt:
IH:EOD: Do you have a favorite [member of the Warbound]?
GP: Right now, as I polish “Warbound†#4, I have to say Korg, the stone man from Krona. Major turning points and revelations are coming in this issue that reveal the true depth of everyone’s favorite alien rock man.
IH:EOD: Why the mini origins as back-up stories?
GP: Sometimes purely logistical problems lead to pretty awesome creative developments. Because editor Mark Paniccia and I loved Leonard Kirk’s pencils and inks on the “What If Planet Hulk†book so much, Mark wanted to let him pencil and ink himself the same way on “Warbound.†But that’s clearly a more time consuming process than dividing those chores would be. So devoting a few pages per issue to a backup story that another art team could draw and ink would help keep the book on schedule. The bonus was that the back up stories gave us a great place to delve into the pasts of our heroes and reveal a bit more about the savage world of Sakaar. And penciller Rafa Sandoval has been doing an incredible job with those stories — I’m happy to announce that he’ll be taking over pencilling duties on “Incredible Hercules,†the book I’m co-writing with Fred Van Lente, starting with issue #116.
IH:EOD: Without giving anything away, where will the Warbound be at the end of the story?
GP: You ask the impossible, my friend! But here are a few big teasers, revealed here for the very first time:
A hero will fall. A red queen will rise. And the Old Power will choose.
What’s it all mean? Keep on reading, my friends, keep reading!
Here’s an excerpt:
This is the single most tense comic book sequence I’ve read all month. Writer Greg Pak knocks this one out of the park with his clever perspective, panel placement, and set-up for tension. This miniseries is a surprise and this issue secures a place for its next issue at the top of my pile as soon as I get home from my comic shop. Good reading! And Leonard Kirk’s art adds to the excellence.