Product Description
Marvel once again poses the question, "What If...?" What if Annihilus had not been defeated in the outskirts of our galaxy, and instead had brought his devastating alien armada to Earth? What if Iron Man had lost the Civil War? What if the Hulk had landed on a peaceful planet, as the Marvel heroes had intended when they exiled him into space? Or Banner had landed on Sakaar instead of the Hulk? Or the Hulk's warrior bride, Caiera the Oldstrong, had come to Earth seeking vengeance instead of her husband? What if Vulcan had become Phoenix? And finally, what if Peter Parker had never come home years ago after following Wolverine to Russia and accidentally killing a friend? Collects What If? Annihilation, Civil War, Planet Hulk, X-Men, and Spider-Man vs. Wolverine ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

What if....
I love the what if? books and this one did not dissapointed me. I especially loved the one of world war hulk. It is an excellent variation of a lot of cross-overs from the last years. Absolutely loved it. The only bad aspect of this book is that it is not drawn by the same person across the book.

I love Marvel's What If?'s
Excellent. Imagine how it could have been... neither better nor worse, simply different. That notwithstanding, only one path can be actually trodden.

What if...you spent your money and time on this?
What If?: Civil War collects various What If? one-shots, including Annihilation, Civil War, Planet Hulk, Spider-Man VS. Wolverine, and Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar.With that knowledge alone, that should tell you whether or not this TPB is worth a look or picking up, and while some of the stories featured here are definitely worth a look, a majority of what you'll find here just isn't worth your time.What If?: Annihilation, written by David Hine and drawn by Mico Suayan, is by far the best of the bunch, as Annihilus chases Nova back to Earth as Civil War is reaching its apex.Though the story here is predictable, it is nevertheless enjoyable and Suayan's artwork is quite good to boot.What If?: Civil War, featuring the writing talent of New Warriors scribe Kevin Grevioux, Christos Gage, and small snippets from Ed Brubaker, with artwork from Gustavo, Harvey Tolibao, and Marko Djurdjevic; is a collection of small stories that go nowhere, including what would have happened if Iron Man had died instead of Captain America.What If?: Planet Hulk follows the multiple stories idea, and is written by Planet Hulk and World War Hulk scribe Greg Pak.The stories focus on what would have happened had the Hulk died and Caiera come to Earth for revenge, what if the Hulk had landed on the peaceful planet that Tony Stark and co. had intended, and the humerous what if Bruce Banner would have been discovered on Sakaar.What If?: Spider-Man VS Wolverine is based on a story from the 80's where Peter Parker becomes an assassin in Russia alongside Wolvie, while Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar focuses on what would have happened if Vulcan would have harnessed the power of the Phoenix.Both stories are just plain awful to say the least, with the Annihilation and Planet Hulk tales being undoubtedly the best things about this TPB.If you are at all interested in the What If? mythos, you are better off tracking down the Annihilation and Planet Hulk single issues to save yourself some cash instead of having to read the other lame titles included here, but for What If? afficiondos, this TPB may be worth a look.That being said, don't say you weren't warned. ... Read more

Product Description
Proudly presenting, for the first time in Marvel continuity... the ORIGIN OF HERCULES! How did the young man who becomes the Lion of Olympus learn of his divine heritage? In what battle did he earn the title "Prince of Power?" And, most importantly, why does the goddess HERA hate him so, now that her Dark Reign begins to fall across New Olympus?Collects Incredible Hercules #126-131. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Inspired Storytelling and Fully Realized Characters
Incredible Hercules is possibly my favorite series on the stands right now (it has to contend with Brian Michael Bendis's Ultimate Spider-Man...not an easy feat, even for the Lion of Olympus). The mix between modern-day superheroics and ancient myth sounds like a daunting task, but cowriters Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente mix the two wonderfully, like ice cream on a hot summer day.

In this volume--the fourth overall--we are treated to two prologues before being thrust into the main story: The first is a tale of a young Hercules and his journey from impetuous brat to...well, still an impetuous brat, but one who finds out that he's actually part god. The second features Herc's sidekick, Amadeus Cho--the seventh smartest person on Earth--and his journey to find his wolf cub, Kerebos (aka Kirby). While both tales are enjoyable and well-written, they take what I love about the comic and split it up: One is a tale from the days of old; the other is one from today. When the two time periods intertwine, the comic is superb; left on their own, it's a tad underwhelming.

But the main tale--the titular Dark Reign segment of the book--is good fun, and it features our band of heroes (Hercules, Cho, and Herc's sister, Athena) going toe-to-toe with the Olympus Group, headed by Hera, who's been ruling the gods since Zeus' demise (see Michael Avon Oeming's Ares miniseries). Hera despises the bastard spawn of her late husband and, in true supervillain fashion, will do what it takes to destroy them...even if it means partnering with the psychotic Norman Osborn.

This partnership puts Herc & Co. in a tight spot, forcing them to find a way to counter Hera's newfound power. But the only one who could ever match her was Zeus, who now resides in the depths of Hades. Looks like the gang is going on a road trip.

The entrance to Hades--and I thought this was a stroke of genius--is located in an Atlantic City casino, filled with fallen heroes and villains who haven't yet moved on. Instead, they play the slots, waiting to hit it big so they can be resurrected (a biting commentary on the comic industry's "revolving door of death" for many of its characters).

When the group finally makes it to the bowels of hell, they find that "uncle" Pluto has been anticipating their arrival. He doesn't plan on making Zeus' retrieval easy on the group (of course not), and instead he has a little trial planned. Not a trial of strength or cunning but one of law--or at least his twisted version of law. He has prepared a jury of 501 to decide the fate of Zeus: "Titans and giants, lives forfeited in his wars...innocents struck by his lightening and drowned in his storms...and babes whose throats were cut on his altars." Zeus has more of an uphill battle than poor old Sisyphus.

As Zeus's fate is decided--with the most unexpected of outcomes--the heroes get what they need to counter Hera's forces, but Amadeus, haunted by a vision of his parents in the afterlife, realizes he must depart and find his sister, who he thought perished along his mother and father. The volume ends with the group split in half and the reader left wondering how they'll all come back together.

Pak and Van Lente's writing on this title, as always, is taut, fun, and imaginative. Whether it's Hercules, like a frat boy, heckling Amadeus for being a nerd or Pluto's amusement over a mortal stabbing him through the chest ("You really don't know who I am, do you?"), the team knows how to entertain their readership without sinking to the lowest common denominator. But they're not just a couple of jesters; the team is able to craft a dazzling plot issue after issue. They'll truly go down as one of the medium's greatest writing duos.

But unfortunately, this reviewer must offer up a complaint, one dealing with the inconsistent artwork. Not inconsistent in quality but in the sense that the volume has four different artists over the course of seven issues. Rodney Buchemi, Dietrich Smith, Ryan Stegman, and Takeshi Miyazawa all do admirable jobs on their respective sections of the book (and they all work on a different "chapter" of the volume, so the inconsistency at least isn't random). But one of the biggest problems plaguing the title--one that I feel is hurting it in terms of sales--is the fact that it has yet to find a permanent art team in the two years that it has been published. While none of the artists who've graced the title could be considered subpar in the least, there's a simple pleasure with seeing an artist grow and evolve with the characters, a pleasure this title has been missing.

But regardless of a few downfalls, this volume continues the precedent set by the previous three installments (Against the World, Sacred Invasion, and Love & War) of inspired storytelling and fully realized characters that makes this book truly live up to the title of "incredible."
-- Stephen Giordano

iHerc's second year begins.
Incredible Hercules enters its second year with this fourth collected edition. The first year was an absolutely stellar debut, some of the best comics published in 2008. This arc, which commences the 2009 period, is somewhat more variable than the previous one, but it is still very much worth reading. This volume collects issues #126-131 of the ongoing series. Some spoilers follow, as the contents are discussed in detail.

There are basically four separate stories included in this collection, separated by artists, but linked by some common plot elements and the series' overarching story. The first two of these stories are in the extra-sized #126, which, in its main story, gives us the first look at the origin of Hercules in the Marvel Universe. It's a fairly well-known origin, of course, but the writers bring a fairly interesting take, choosing to focus on the earliest years of Hercules' life, and what might be called his very first heroic episode. The story also sheds some light on the roles in his origin of his half-sister Athena, the chessmaster goddess, and his angry stepmother Hera. This story is illustrated by Rodney Buchemi, a newcomer artist who will handle several future stories. His work on the series is absolutely beautiful. Only Rafa Sandoval's work on "Sacred Invasion" rivals it.

This is supplemented by a brief Amadeus Cho story, guest-starring Bruce Banner/the Hulk, in which he seeks out of his coyote pup Kirby, who was revealed to have been replaced by a Skrull in the aftermath of "World War Hulk". The conclusion of this is rather sad (a sign of things to come). Notably, this one is illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa, the original co-creator of Cho with writer Greg Pak. These two stories also showcase the different writing styles of the two co-writers, with Van Lente writing the Herc story by himself, and Pak the Cho one. Based on the contrast, it seems that Van Lente is more responsible for a lot of the series' distinctive features (such as its humour).

Things get moving with the "Dark Reign" tie-in two-parter that gives the collection its name (illustrated by Dietrich Smith) and the subsequent three-parter that takes the duo into Hades. The first of these arcs is fairly well-written, including a very enjoyable take on Norman Osborn, the new overlord of the Marvel Universe. However, Smith is the weakest artist the series has yet had (there has always been a rotating cast of artists, but most of them have been very good), and his two issues simply aren't as enjoyable as a result of this. The following arc, by Ryan Stegman (with Buchemi contributing a few pages), is a lot better; indeed, Stegman's art gets better and better as his brief stint goes on. The Hades arc features some humourous handling of the issue of death in the Marvel Universe, as the spirits of the dead gamble for resurrection (are there really plans to bring back Jack of Hearts?). There are callbacks to the first story in the arc, and a major change in the group's status quo at the end.

A somewhat more uneven collection than the previous ones, in great part because of the art, but still very much worth reading, and it begins and ends especially well. The next collection will be the strongest since at least "Sacred Invasion". ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Skaar, Warbound, Amadeus Cho, Caiera, Hiro-Kala, Hiroim, Korg, Miek, Lavin Skee, No-Name. Excerpt:Amadeus Cho Amadeus Cho , also known as Mastermind Excello , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe . He was created by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa , and first appeared in Amazing Fantasy (volume 2) #15, in one of an anthology of stories. Greg Pak brought Cho back as a major character in the World War Hulk storyline, and then as one of the primary characters in The Incredible Hercules . Fictional character biography Amadeus one day took part in the Excello soap company's "young genius" contest, winning easily. After his abilities were discovered, Pythagoras Dupree, the man behind the contest, had Amadeus' house blown up, killing his parents and leaving Amadeus on the run for his life, distrusting almost everyone he meets. Shortly after going on the run on his characteristic Vespa scooter, he adopted an orphaned coyote pup, whom he sometimes uses to gain sympathy. After once being saved from his pursuers by the Incredible Hulk , he considers the latter as a friend and strictly views him as heroic and reactive to the aggression of others. Amadeus Cho has stated to Hercules, just before he first encountered Athena at her house, that he is Korean-American , and mentions to Athena later at an Olympian diner when questioned about his namesake that, due to his parents' love for Mozart 's music and Methodist beliefs, they named him thus. The character is next seen during the events of the crossover event, World War Hulk , where he gathers a team of the Hulk's former colleagues of the super-group 'Champions', Hercules and Archangel , both of whom considered themselves in debt to the Hulk for mistakenly attacking him on a previous occasion. With the assistance of Namora th... ... Read more

Product Description
Written by GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTEPenciled by KHOI PHAMBackup Story Penciled by REILLY BROWNCover by ED McGUINNESSSketch Variant by ED McGUINNESSBigger than THE INFINITY GAUNTLET! More cosmic than ANNIHILATION! Since the end of SECRET INVASION, the CHAOS KING has amassed his army of alien slave gods -- and the time to strike Earth is NOW! Only the greatest Marvel heroes can oppose him -- all led by the newly-returned god of heroes ... HERCULES! But are even his incredible new powers enough to stand against the greatest threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen - a mad god who seeks to destroy Reality itself?PLUS: While thought dead, Hercules was trapped in a dangerous world that threatened his very sanity. Find out the secret of his exile in a special extra story penciled by PRINCE OF POWER's Reilly Brown! ... Read more

Product Description
In the tradition of the original Marvel classic that debuted everyone's favorite wall crawler, we introduce a new generation of heroes in this 48-page special featuring five new stories by our hottest new writers. Will lightning strike twice? Is Marvel's next superstar in these very pages? A guaranteed blast of comic book fun! 1st appearance of Mastermind Excello aka Amadeus Cho. ... Read more

Product Description
In the wake of World War Hulk, the Mighty Avengers are hot on the heels of unrepentant renegades Hercules and Amadeus Cho. Driven into a mindless berserker rage by Ares, Herc has become the critical piece of Cho's plan to utterly destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. What is Cho's master plan to wipe out the spy agency...and is he willing to get Herc killed to do it? Guest-starring the Champions of Los Angeles! Yes, seriously!Collecting Incredible Hercules #112-115 and Hulk Vs. Hercules: When Titans Collide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Hercules past and present makes for a funny, smart read.
This volume collects The Incredible Hulk 112, The Incredible Hercules 113-115, and a Hulk vs. Hercules one-shot.Now, I will limit my rant about the crazy numbering system Marvel Comics is regularly using to this sentence; despite my pet peeve about changing the name and focus of a comic but keeping the numbering system, the Incredible Hercules rocks.

With smart writing by Greg Pak--who got me back into comics after a long drought with his Planet Hulk story arc--and Fred Van Lente, the Incredible Hercules focuses on Herc and Amadeus Cho, and switches between Hercules' mythical past and the world-upside-down present.This story arc finds Ares, the God of War, using the chaotic aftermath of World War Hulk to pursue his own vendetta against Hercules.It also involves Amadeus Cho trying to bring down S.H.I.E.L.D. and balancing on a knife point between becoming an evil genius and a, well, good genius.

I can't say enough good things about how this comic is written, and the pencils by Khoi Pham are solid as well.Pick up this graphic novel.`Nuff said.

A Great Read
Incredible Herc: Against the World is one of the best trades I've read in the past year.It is action packed, includes some wonderful nods to the Bronze Age--including The Champions AND the Behemoth Helicarrier from the Godzilla comics of the late 70s!--and it's also freakin' hilARious!

Pak writes Ares, brother and nemesis of Hercules, in a way that is both full of the aforementioned hilarity and yet also full of the douchbaggery that we have come to expect out of the god of war.His speech-as-narrative-field-report is particularly funny; he has a way of yelling his alibi out loud as he breaks the law, oversteps his Initiative mandates, and even attacks his own teammates, in pursuit of his brother Hercules.It's great!The recap pages are also an unexpected source of humor.Pak's use of Olde Tyme English to catch readers up on the modern happenings of this comic book always results in more than a few laughs.

I highly recommend Incredible Herc: Against the World to anyone who likes comics and may not have yet checked it out.

A mixed beginning
I'm of mixed opinions here.On one hand, Greg Pak (with this and Hulk) has lately proven himself to be Marvel's slyest action writer, and the addition of Action Philosophers' Fred Van Lente is a stroke of genius.The scene in #115 of Hercules fighting Ares on top of a giant jet, with the two of them grabbing missiles out of the air and throwing them at each other, is such madcap brilliance that it's hard to actually convey it.

On the other hand, the attempts at emotional closure, the growth of Amadeus Cho, moral lessons, etc., come off as fairly meh.The characterization of Athena just plain doesn't work, and the Hulk vs. Hercules one-shot manages to miss on virtually every cylinder.

There's a lot of potential to this, and Pak and Van Lente are more than good enough to deliver.I think it'll be worth sticking around for a little while yet.

By far the most delightful surprise from Marvel in recent years.
Hercules is the original Western hero, and I've always referred to him as the original superhero; his mythic exploits have entertained generations of young people (usually in heavily-bowdlerized form, removing such issues as his pederasty, adultery, and overt bloodymindedness). Since he's been in the public domain for millenia, Both DC and Marvel Comics have versions of him; DC's is a minor villainous figure in the "Wonder Woman" mythos, while Marvel's Herc has been a dependable supporting cast member for "Thor" and "The Avengers"; he debuted in the mid-1960s as a foyle/ally for Marvel's chief mythic hero, Thor, and has since turned up frequently as a team-member or guest star, occasionally getting his own spotlight (most notably a pair of well-regarded miniseries by Bob Layton in the 1980s which followed his adventures in an alternate future). The last few years have been pretty good for Herc; he got a major supporting role in Marvel 2006 mega-event "Civil War" (including the final issue's Big Damn Hero moment), and then was drafted into "The Incredible Hulk" as a supporting castmember, before taking over the title, beginning with #112, which is where this collection picks up.

To set the stage, "World War Hulk" (the Hulk's misguided revenge spree that ended in his defeat) is over, and Hercules, together with boy genius Amadeus Cho, find themselves on the losing end, and must decide what to do next (their companions, Angel and Namora, depart quickly, but one suspects we'll be seeing more of the latter). Herc wants to make peace with SHIELD, trying not to make the same mistakes he tends to make (picking the wrong side, as his brother Ares puts it), while Cho, who blames SHIELD for the Hulk's fate, and generally as a part of the military-industrial complex, is more interested in destroying the world's premiere anti-terrorism agency. Herc changes his tune when he finds out that his brother Ares, God of War, now a member of Iron Man's Mighty Avengers, has authority over him, and he and Cho end up on the run together, making for Herc's sister Athena's house in Vermont, with Ares, Wonder Man, and Black Widow (one of Herc's ex-girlfriends) on his tail. Herc just wants to reach his sister, while Cho is out to cause havoc, and Ares is out to abuse his newfound authority to settle some very old grudges. Also included is the "Hulk vs. Hercules: When Titans Collide" special, which relates an old encounter between the two, and develops some interesting contrasts between the two.

Writers Greg Pak (formerly the solo writer of "The Incredible Hulk" and "World War Hulk") and Fred Van Lente ("Action Philosophers", "Marvel Adventures Iron Man") produce a wonderful story; in just four issues, this series rocketed to the #2 spot on my monthly comics list (#1 being "Captain America"). Their writing is a masterful blend of classical mythology of the Greeks and the modern mythology of superhero comics; Herc's ancient history and his Marvel history have never been so well-integrated as they are here. Each issue is anchored around some comparisons between old exploits and his modern character, and there's a sort of humourous, intelligent didacticism at work that is incredibly appealing. The writers expertly capture the character of Hercules, who is usually written as a goofy counterpart to Thor, but, as they acknowledge, also has more than a little tragedy in his life (look for a major, surprising revelation near the end about his past history). Ares is a magnificent villain; frequently hilarious, but also written with the dignity of a god, and when he starts explaining his reasons for hating Hercules, one can sort of see his point. Amadeus Cho, a character I found to be incredibly annoying in past stories, gets much, much better here, as Pak and Van Lente finally give him something of a humbling. The art is principally by Khoi Pham, with Reilly Brown, Bob Layton, and a few others contributing to the "Hulk vs. Hercules" special; it is all very well-done.

This comic has it all: great action, utterly hilarious humour, and a lot of intelligence. I can't recommend it highly enough. ... Read more

Product Description
Hercules!Spider-Man!Ares!New Avengers!Wolverine!Mighty Avengers!The Agents of Atlas!If there's a bigger event this fall, we don't know what it could be!At long last, the Prince of Power takes the fight to his villainous stepmother Hera and the forces of the Olympus Group--just as she unleashes the most terrifying threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen!A battle of godlike proportions begins!For months, the signs have been all over the Marvel Universe...the tension has been rising...All pointing to a single question:"What is CONTINUUM?"The answer turns out to be so deadly, so horrifying, that it will alter the course of the MU forever--unless Hercules and the New and Mighty Avengers can stop it in time...but standing in their way is the fighting mad ARES, God of War!

COLLECTING:

Incredible Hercules #138-141, Siege of Olympus Prologue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Warning, description inaccurate
Just a warning for people interested in the Agents of Atlas back-up story.It is not included here, despite what the description says.

Is it really any wonder why the book is so strong?
We're talking Kool Herc here, after all... It is the sixth instalment since Hercules took the "Incredible" mantle from no other than the Hulk, and the series has never let us down. Full of twists and turns, treasons, mischief and whatever the Greek mythology is filled with, Hercules' travails of now are very fun to read. The plots, the storytelling and the art are all very good. This volume is a bit a of a climax in the series and not everyone will get out of it alive. In fact, the bodycount is quite high. But we're dealing with immortal gods here, and immortal gods in the Marvel universe at that. So, as the great Pharell Williams once said, "N*E*R*D (no-one ever really dies)". One very good moment among others happens when US Agent has a few words with Herc. Ensue an essay on myth-making and religion. Very enjoyable and a bit thought-provoking. What more can you ask? Oh, and did I mention that Norman Osborn only appears in only one panel?

iHerc concludes with one of its strongest stories
All good things must end, at least when they're lower-selling titles starring traditionally minor characters in the Marvel and DC Universes, and thus is the case with "Incredible Hercules"; for 30 brilliant issues, it showed the best of what could be done with the characters in the Marvel Universe, telling a story that superbly mixed drama, comedy, and mythology.This paperback collects issues #138-141 of the series proper, as well as the "Assault on New Olympus Prologue" issue that began it.Herein, many of the series' ongoing themes and plots come to a climax, and the stage is set for new stories.Some spoilers follow.

Picking up where the previous collection left off, Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Athena, and the reborn Zeus scramble to assemble a strike force to confront the new ruler of Olympus, Hera, whose special weapon Continuum will spell the end of the universe.After a scrap with Spider-Man over Hercules' wife Hebe, who brings with her crucial information about Hera's plot, a team of Avengers is assembled, drawn from both the New and Mighty teams.Arrayed against them is Hera and her minions, including the greatest monster in history, Typhon; the Huntsman; Delphyne Gorgon and her Amazon army; and the giant Argus.Tall odds, but then, the Avengers specialize in that sort of thing.Amadeus is distracted by Athena's revelation of Hercules' imminent, death, something he vows to prevent this, which may prove harder than he suspected.It all comes together for an emotionally riveting climax that you won't see coming, despite it being very well built up.

Throughout the series, writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente have conducted a thorough examination of exactly what it means to be a god, something that has often been shorthanded in the Marvel Universe as `a superhero by any other name'.Zeus, at his trial in Hades in a previous, declared that in the service of moving history forward any number of horrible deeds was required; Athena herself told Amadeus very early on that gods must sometimes be monsters.This philosophy plays into the wrenching finale, an astonishingly moving four-page sequence that will have you feeling equal sympathy for both parties involved.More generally, there is some truly exemplary characterization here, with another major beneficiary being Hebe,a character who made only token appearances earlier in the series, but who is invested with enormous depth and sympathy in the space of the first issue.

This story is illustrated by Rodney Buchemi, who drew the Hercules origin story in #126 and then the "Secret Origin of Amadeus Cho" three-parter collected in the previous trade paperback.Between those stories and his contributions here, he establishes himself as the series' definitive artist in my mind.His characters are well-rendered and amazingly expressive in a way that is rarely seen in graphic art.Wonderful stuff.

Highly recommended, and one looks forward to the next instalment of these characters' saga.
... Read more

Product Description
Written by GREG PAKPenciled by BARRY KITSONCovers by CARLO PAGULAYANIssue #614 Vampire Variant by SALVADOR ESPINDARK SON Part 3As the Hulk's long-lost son Hiro-Kala rockets towards us across the solar system, Steve Rogers and the Secret Avengers face a much more immediate threat -- three tons of Incredible Hulks cutting loose right here on Planet Earth!Forced to choose between his son and his planet, whose side will the Hulk take?And how will that affect his fragile bonds with his savage son Skaar and his even more savage wife, the Red She-Hulk?No one can save you like your family.But no one can drive youcrazier.And when you're talking about a family of Hulks, it's that second part that makes the whole world tremble in fear.Written by "Planet Hulk" scribe Greg Pak and featuring the Hulk debut of fan favorite penciller Barry Kitson.PLUS: the first two installments of the S.M.A.S.H. FILES, secret stories of the Incredible Hulks! ... Read more

Product Description
When the Hulk returns to Earth for the senses-shattering events of World War Hulk, we can all guess which puny humans will fight against him. But which of Earth's heroes will fight for the Hulk? Don't miss the shocking revelations as Amadeus Cho, the boy genius who took on Reed Richards on behalf of the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #100, confronts She-Hulk and Doc Samson - and precipitates a gamma-powered smash-fest in the wilds of Jersey! Featuring the return of Hulk artist extraordinaire Gary Frank! Collects Incredible Hulk #106-111. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Better than main WWH story, and sets up the most unique series in a long time.
To me, WWH was rushed and messy, this book, is not. It also sets up the Incredible Hercules series which had an AMAZINGLY good run. Buy them all! They are funny as heck, I mean actual laughter combined with a Thor-like story that doesn't take itself too seriously and lots of action!

Gary Frank's art is the only thing that redeems this book
Aside from Frank's art in this book it's a waste of time. Read World War Hulk. That's all you need.

Are you wondering where the good writing and characters were in World War Hulk?
They were right in this storyline. This is way better than World War Hulk. While it doesn't have as much action, it gives you great writing, with fun, likable characters and humor. It even gives the reader a loving, yet critical look at the Hulk himself. Every character in the book is great and anyone who is mildly interested in this book (such as you, reading this right now) really shouldn't hesitate to order it.

A Fun, Nonessential Read
Amadeus Cho is a fun character, and this should almost be his book rather than Hulk's or Hercules's. This might be difficult to follow for those who haven't read World War Hulk, but it's an entertaining read with good art.

Entertaining comicbook fun -- I'd give it a 3.5
"The Incredible Hercules (World War Hulk)"
(Marvel Comics, 2008)
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In preparing to have Hercules take over one of Hulk's books, Marvel has Herc crossover into the "World War Hulk" storyline, as a pro-Hulk partisan, fighting against SHIELD and others who would oppose the jolly green giant. The motivations for Hercules' conversion to Hulk's side, and the manipulations of child-genius Amadeus Cho, are a bit flimsy in literary terms, but the story arc has some fun moments -- nobody is taking this too seriously, and indeed the sense of self-reflective humor is one of the best aspects of this series. Hercules, who has been portrayed as an airheaded blowhard in past Marvel books, looks like he's in for some tasty character development this time around. Writer Greg Pak has borrowed a page or two from Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" and Alec Campbell's "Bacchus" series, embuing the lives of mythic figures and immortals with psychological depth and humor -- the portrayals of fellow Olympians Ares and Athena promise to be fun as well.This volume reprints "Incredible Hulk" issues #106-111 -- after that, the book as retitled "The Incredible Hercules," and Pak continues a strong run in the second volume. Recommended! (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews) ... Read more

Product Description
Written by GREG PAKPenciled by PAUL PELLETIERCover by JOHN ROMITA JR.Variant Cover by DAVID FINCHPLUS Son of Hulk Backup story by SCOTT REED & TBDWORLD WAR HULKS CONTINUES!"Planet Hulk" was big. "World War Hulk" was bigger. Now with "World War Hulks," the Marvel Universe explodes with the biggest emotional story ever to hit Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk! Following the mindbending twist ending of "Fall of the Hulks," everything Bruce Banner knows has been turned upside-down -- and everything he's ever desired may be just a heartbeat away. Written by Greg Pak (PLANET HULK, WORLD WAR HULK) and drawn by Paul Pelletier (WAR OF KINGS, FALL OF THE HULKS: ALPHA), don't miss the insane action and non-stop revelations as Skaar, Son of Hulk, enters his most brutal battle, Bruce Banner faces his greatest temptation, and the secret identity of a certain scarlet smasher is finally revealed! ... Read more

Product Description
The Secret Invasion has begun, and Earth is overrun by Skrull shape-shifters on a holy crusade to remake the universe in their image. But the goddess Athena has a solution: if you want to destroy the Skrulls: kill their gods. To this end, Athena's brother, Hercules, leads a uniquely divine strike force - including Inuit demigoddess Snowbird, Eternal warrior-scholar Ajak, the monstrous god-eater Demogorge, and evil Japanese trickster deity Amatsu Mikaboshi, plus Herc's boy-genius sidekick Amadeus Cho and his faithful coyote pup. Together, they embark on a celestial voyage to the realm of the Skrull gods, finding romance, camaraderie, and treachery among their ranks along the way. Then, Amazons are unleashed as Hercules and Amadeus Cho find themselves unwittingly wound up in Artume's insidious plot, one that eventually draws in plenty of other Marvel heroes and gods from the pantheon! Collects Incredible Hercules #116-125. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The best Marvel Comics of 2008.
For the whole of its run from 2008 to 2010, "Incredible Hercules" was perhaps the best book published by Marvel Comics (if not the best, second only to Ed Brubaker's "Captain America").Written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, it took two fairly obscure characters and made them into brilliant characters worth following month-in, month-out, while at the same time fleshing out Hercules' mythos in the Marvel Universe in ways that it never had been before.Originally released in a series of hardcovers and then trade paperbacks, these oversized hardcovers collect two arcs together, and are a terrific purchase for fans of the series."Sacred Invasion" collects the second and third arcs of "Incredible Hercules" (the second lending its name to the collection), which were together probably the single-strongest stretch of its run.Some spoilers follow.

The story opens with Hercules, his teenage companion Amadeus Cho (boy genius), and his sister Athena, Goddess of Wisdom (who has uncovered the Skrull plot) heading to San Francisco to rendezvous with the Council Elite of the Pantheons. After a scuffle with the Eternals, under the impression that Hercules is one of them, the main plot gets underway. As Athena explains, a Skrull victory will cause the cosmic axis to shift, resulting in the various Earth deities being replaced by Kly'bn and Sl'gur't. Athena's proposal: that Earth launch a preemptive strike on the enemy gods to kill them before they can replace them. She nominates Hercules to lead, to his consternation. Inter-pantheon rivalries result in a rather small force, with representation from each continent: Hercules himself from Europe; Snowbird, the granddaughter of Hodiak, the Inuit Skyfather (North America); Ajak the Eternal, at the bequest of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan gods (South America); Atum, aka, Demogorge the God-Eater, the omega of all gods and founder of the Egyptian pantheon (Africa); Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the God of Evil of the Kami of Japan (Asia); and, as the Australian contribution, a ship capable of sailing through the Dream-Time to the Skrull gods' residence. Along the way they have various little adventures, a la "The Odyssey".

Pak and Van Lente have reached across a remarkable breadth of Marvel continuity, from "Alpha Flight" to Jack Kirby's "The Eternals" to Michael Avon Oeming's "Ares" miniseries. Almost every character brought in is accorded some measure of character arc, most notably Snowbird, whose grief over the death of Alpha Flight in 2006 is finally addressed. The writers weave together various different strands of Marvel history to create a coherent whole. There is an expert balance of humour, drama, and pathos, and the writers excel in handling these characters as genuine gods. The origin of the Skrull gods and the final confrontation with Kly'bn and Sl'gur't are both utterly epic; they far exceed anything in "Secret Invasion" itself. The story ends with a couple of dynamite hooks for future stories.

Coming off the high drama of the "Secret Invasion" crossover arc, the cast decides to go on vacation. Pak and Van Lente and new artists Clayton Henry and Salva Espin opt for a more action-comedic tone, reminiscent of much of the first arc, "Against the World". And they throw in more than a few jabs at one of the Distinguished Competition's more recently-beleaguered properties. In an earlier story, Hercules and Amadeus made the acquaintance of Namora, the recently-resurrected Princess of Atlantis, and so Herc opts to head seaward for a fling. While Herc and Namora shake the earth in their enthusiasm, Amadeus is on the sidelines (having been promised there would be nymphs); but that doesn't last long, as Princess Artume and her band of Amazon warriors abduct him, a development that Amadeus initially welcomes, finding Artume quite attractive. Herc initially assumes that the Amazons are just out to find mates to replenish their breeding stock, but it quickly turns out the ambitious Amazon princess has other plans. Elsewhere, while the main cast deals with this unexpected flare-up, sinister forces with deep and abiding hatred of Hercules and his sister Athena mass their forces and make their plans against them.

Pak and Van Lente have consistently produced some of the funniest comics around, and that trend continues here. Trades of "Incredible Herc" always make a point of including the series' recap pages from the single issues, which normally are not, because these recaps are individual one-page gems, worth reading in and of themselves. There is plenty of excellently-executed broad comedy, but the little details, particularly the sound effects, are always worth paying attention to for all the jokes they pack in (the unveiling of the Titan general Atlas from his mythic confines is accompanied by the giant lettered "SHRRRGGGG!"). This is matched by an excellent command of mythological detail, and they excel at depicting the gods and taking them seriously.Fred Van Lente has said that much of the inspiration for this arc came from his recent research into the process by which William Marston created DC's Amazon superhero Wonder Woman. Van Lente and Pak set out to do a story with a more myth-loyal take on the Amazons, as the barbarian warriors that they have traditionally been in Marvel Comics. Princess Artume is a clear parody of Diana (Diana, the Roman Goddess of the Hunt, was associated with the Etruscan variant, Artume): imagine if, created to bring peace to the world, Diana opted ot commit matricide and reshape the world in her image, and you get the general idea. More specifically, the writers take aim at DC's lamentable "Amazons Attack!" story arc.

On art for these arcs are Rafa Sandoval and Clayton Henry.Sandoval, my favourite artist on the series until the arrival of Rodney Buchemi, is wonderful at the epic, dreamlike voyage that the team embarks on.Henry brings a straightforward and clear style, and a particular command of facial expressions (Herc's reaction to seeing Amadeus and Artume remains one of the most priceless things I've seen in a while, and it has deservedly become an internet meme).

This collection has my highest recommendation. ... Read more

Product Description
The Lion of Olympus has fallen. And as the Heroic Age dawns, the Golden Mace of Hercules passes to a new Prince of Power...who just happens to be Herc's best friend, Korean-American kid genius Amadeus Cho.But when Amadeus fi nally reveals what he plans to do with his new power, the heavens themselves may shatter as Marvel's mightiest pantheons are shaken to the core!And wait a minute...what's THOR doing here? Fan fave writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente and beloved "Thorcules" artist Reilly Brown bring the thunder with the next essential chapter in the mind-blowing, heart-wrenching, and gut-busting epic that is the "Incredible Hercules" experience!Plus, when the most beloved Olympian of all time falls, who will mourn him?

COLLECTING:

Heroic Age: Prince of Power #1-4, Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #1-2

... Read more

Product Description
Controversy erupts as War Machine picks a target on U.S. soil in "Homeland." When Jim Rhodes returns home he comes face-to-face with American Eagle, last seen in the pages of Thunderbolts, as two visions of America clash with earth-shattering results that may irrevocably change War Machine - and the nation he loves! Also: What the heck does Rhodes' mom have to say about all of this? Find out in the first chapter of a shocking new story arc in the series that CBR.com calls "high-octane, higher-caliber adventure... a visual spectacle worthy of the spotlight." Collects War Machine #6-11. ... Read more

Product Description
The Invasion is over, and the shape of the world has changed, with new and returning players now center stage. Get the lowdown on what's going on across the Marvel Universe as we enter Dark Reign!In Dark Reign: New Nation, we meet the Secret Warriors, the Skrull Kill Krew, and other Marvel players as they embark on their own adventures in the wake of Secret Invasion. Then, Dark Avengers #1 kicks off an explosive new era in the Avengers mythos. Who are the Dark Avengers? A simple question with a shocking answer! Plus, learn the truth about Emma Frost's secret past in Uncanny X-Men Annual #2. Collects Dark Reign: New Nation, Secret Invasion: Dark Reign, Dark Avengers #1, Uncanny X-Men Annual #2, Dark Reign Files, and Marvel Spotlight: Dark Reign. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Short and not sweet - A waste of money for most
This book is only good if you do not plan on collecting other Dark Reign TPB or comics. The person who will get the most out of this is the person who wants to buy 1 TPB to get a little history on Dark Regin and then read the comics as they come out now. If you plan on collecting the back issues or the other Dark Regin books, then this book will be mostly useless to you.

TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY
Do not buy this. Over half the book consists of interviews with creators of Marvel comics about events that have now already happened. The only really interesting inclusions are Secret Invasion: Dark Reign and Dark Avengers 1, both of which are collected in more worthwhile trades. If you care about these big events, you are probably already reading the fabulous New Avengers, penned by Brian Michael Bendis. Volume 10 of the New Avengers collections contains Secret Invasion: Dark Reign, as well as several issues of New Avengers. And it's cheaper than this!

If you are interested in following the dastardly exploits of Norman Osborn, you may be interested in Dark Avengers, also by Bendis. It's almost a companion to New Avengers, as there is a fair amount of interplay. Volume 1 contains, of course, Dark Avengers 1.

So there you go - don't buy this, buy one or both of those books. For me, Bendis is the best Marvel scribe of the current day, and New Avengers is the best title. I enjoyed Dark Avengers as well, more than I thought I would. ... Read more