Powers? Herc Don't Need No Stinkin' Powers!
After the Chaos War, Hercules is left powerless and now stands before us a mere mortal. But this Champion of Olympus is out to prove there is a lot more to being a hero than superpowers.
The Good
From the opening pages, Hercules reminds us that even without powers, he can be a formidable hero as he still wields many of the weapons he used in his Greek heyday like the Sword of Peleus and the Shield of Perseus. And just how he implements them is something you have to see to truly appreciate.
After opening by saving a girl on the subway in Brooklyn from a street gang, Herc continues to wander around his new mortal home, just kicking bad guy butt all along the way, until he happens onto a restaurant owner who is trying to be strong armed by goons working for the Kingpin. Herc steps in and saves the day once more and foreshadows that this won’t be the last time he hears from the Kingpin, already establishing a clear villain base as Herc looks to settle into Brooklyn of all places and find a real job, very reminiscent of Ares when he was trying to live a mortal life with his son.
Very well-written as Herc still has his infamous sense of humor about him, full of non-stop action, the foreshadowing of much larger things to come, and the surprise return of a villain who has been killed off more times than I count, this first issue is a very strong foundation for this new series.
The Bad
If you haven’t been following Herc or the Chaos War, you might want to research a little to get yourself caught up to speed on everything and just why this once demi-god turned full god is now just a mortal.
Also, with the revelation of the Kingpin trying to buy up property that Herc is staying in and the return of a classic villain at the end of the issue, the conflict is very clear and feels almost like an old-school Daredevil or Spider-Man comic instead of Hercules’ own unique adventure.
The Verdict
If you have been following Herc up to this point and enjoying it then you are going to love what happens to him in this first issue of his own monthly. Full of lots of action that already paints a vivid picture of how Herc will find himself caught in the middle of a struggle between man and god, Herc #1 is one of the most fun and entertaining first issues for a comic I’ve read in a while. If issue two is as good as this first one, I’m definitely putting this in the pull box.
