by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, and Khoi Pham
reviewed by Jason Wheatley

One of the larger “Wait…what?” moments of the aftermath of the “World War Hulk” storyline was the creation of the new Hulk title and the change of The Incredible Hulk to The Incredible Hercules. Of course, with the Hulk being one of Marvel’s big guns, readers flocked to his new title, leaving poor Herc overlooked. While Jeph Loeb writes the adventures of the red Hulk in the new title, the writer who blew everyone away with the “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” storylines, Greg Pak, stayed behind to write what has quickly become one of Marvel’s most underrated titles.

Incredible Hercules picks up where World War Hulk left off, with Hercules and boy genius Amadeus Cho on the run for being unregistered and siding with the Hulk during the war. Besides having the forces of SHIELD on their trail, Herc’s brother, the Avenger Ares, wants to see them go down as well. And Ares isn’t very nice about it.

Pak and Fred Van Lente bring all kind of action to each issue of Incredible Hercules – a “talking heads” book, this ain’t. But they add depth to all the smashing and bashing by tying in the myths of Hercules; his famous twelve labors, for instance. The myths not only parallel the story in the present day, they also provide a look into Hercules’ mind and give him motivation. Their use adds another level to a character who previously was fairly one-note – the jovial, beer-drinking strong man. Amadeus Cho is another fine example of characterization – he comes across exactly as you might expect a bratty teenager with Reed Richards-level intellect to act. The idea of combining that intellect with that attitude is both funny and frightening, and Pak and Van Lente bring that across to the reader very well.

Khoi Pham is an artist to watch. His artwork is reminiscent of Leinil Yu – not a bad thing, given how Yu’s star has taken off in recent years – but distinctive enough that you won’t confuse the two. His pencils have the right combination of grit and grandeur for stories about a rough-and-tumble god like Hercules, and the action sequences are clear and full of energy. I can easily see Pham being stolen for something more high-profile in the future. I hope it’s not too soon, though, since he’s a – dare I say it? – incredible match for this book.

Much like Booster Gold over at DC, which I reviewed several weeks ago, The Incredible Hercules is a well-written book that’s overshadowed by titles starring more well-known characters. Both are a lot of fun, though, and well worth checking out.

written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn
reviewed by Jason Wheatley

If you’ve been anywhere near a comic store in the last couple of years, then you’ve probably heard at least a passing mention of Robert Kirkman’s smash-hit zombie book, Marvel Zombies. Years before that, though, Kirkman arguably started the resurgence of zombie comics with The Walking Dead from Image. For as much as Marvel Zombies mines the genre for dark comedy, The Walking Dead treats it as fertile ground for a serious, introspective look at human nature and the lengths to which people will go in order to protect themselves and their loved ones.

TWD follows a group led by former Georgia sheriff Rick Sheridan, survivors of a zombie apocalypse of unknown origin. While it would be easy to fall into the trap of showing zombie attack after zombie attack and fill the pages with gore, Kirkman wisely realizes that’s a gimmick, not a way to build a long-running series. The focus is on the survivors and how they find their place in a new world where the old rules no longer apply. The title itself, Kirkman says, refers not to the zombies but to the survivors. In fact, there are entire issues where no zombies appear at all. Naturally, a zombie comic book wouldn’t be very successful without, well, zombies, but their sparse appearances enhance the suspense and drama, also making the violence much more shocking when it finally comes.

While the undead remain an ever-present threat, in many instances, the greater danger comes from those who remain among the living. This has never been more true than in the current storyline, which finds “our” group of survivors facing off against the brutal, amoral Governor and his followers for control of the prison our group has called home for the bulk of the series. In the years since the title began, main characters have been maimed, tortured, and killed – literally, no one is safe. That’s a claim many titles make, but TWD is one of the few titles that regularly lives up to it. As the title moves toward its 50th issue, Kirkman’s claim that “nothing will ever be the same again” has already rung true, and the storyline has yet to reach its conclusion. Particularly during this latest story, Kirkman has excelled at presenting the fear and despair of a cast who know their end could come at any moment, as well as the remorseless depravity of a man who operates at humanity’s basest level in the Governor.

As powerful as Kirkman’s writing is, it would fall flat without the right art. After an opening story arc by Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard and inker Cliff Rathburn have been the art team, consistently delivering visceral, emotional characters and capturing the horrors of the violent world they live in. The book is in black and white, which adds to the starkness of the images, and the heavy use of blacks reflects the darkness of many characters and the despair of others. Many letter writers in the book’s letters column wonder if Kirkman would ever consider changing the book to color; Kirkman wisely maintains that he won’t. Changing to color would only diminish the power of Adlard and Rathburn’s images.

The Walking Dead is, at its heart, a zombie comic book. But more than that, it’s a reflection on the extremes to which a catastrophe can push humanity. An excellent book for fans of the zombie genre, it’s also an incredible exploration of human nature that I give my highest recommendation. Much like the George Romero zombie movies that are a clear inspiration for the series, TWD explores social and personal themes that run much deeper than the violent horror on its surface would indicate. Although he works in a different medium, Kirkman has cemented himself as a worthy successor to Romero’s legacy.

The Walking Dead is published monthly by Image Comics; seven trade paperbacks and three hardcover volumes also are available.

by Geoff Johns, Jeff Katz, Dan Jurgens, & Norm Rapmund
reviewed by Jason Wheatley

Superhero comics and boastful taglines have gone hand in hand since, well, forever. Fantastic Four: “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” The Avengers: “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!” Invincible: “Probably the Best Superhero Comic Book in the Universe!” But Booster Gold’s is a little different: “The Greatest Hero You’ve Never Heard Of!”

That somewhat lackluster claim is actually part of the hook of the story, but it also prompted me to write this review. Booster Gold is probably one of the most underrated books DC puts out right now, and that’s a shame. If you’re a DC fan, you’ll find Booster Gold weaves itself so well into the tapestry of DC’s history without contradicting previous stories. In fact, it does a lot to enhance and explain some older tales.

Spinning out of last year’s weekly series 52, Booster Gold follows the titular hero and Rip Hunter as they travel through the timestream, in a very “Quantum Leap”-like fashion, fixing things that once went wrong. Someone’s out to destroy the Justice League by altering the past, and it’s up to Booster and Rip, the only heroes aware of the plot, to keep that from happening. But in order to keep his own past from being altered, Booster must live up to his reputation of being an ineffectual buffoon, even as he’s single-handedly saving the DC Universe.

Geoff Johns is known as being like Booster Gold, in a way – he’s able to repair screw-ups in DC continuity that no other writer would think of touching. That encyclopedic knowledge of DC history makes him a perfect choice for this book, with its heavy doses of time travel and error-fixing. I’m not sure how much of the writing Johns is responsible for and how much is from his friend and writing partner, Jeff Katz, but together they’re producing a book that’s a fun romp through key moments in DC continuity, but one that doesn’t get bogged down in minutiae, which would be an oh-so-easy trap to fall into. Along the way, though, we get to visit old friends long gone and answers to nagging questions that may have bothered fans for years, such as why some tragedies can be prevented and not others.

Booster Gold creator Dan Jurgens is along for the ride as the book’s penciler, and he’s turning out some really great stuff here. Ever since I first saw his art during his days on Superman, I’ve thought his clean, bold style is perfect for capturing the adventures of square-jawed, heroic figures such as Superman and Captain America. That’s not quite the kind of person Booster Gold is, but it’s the kind of person he aspires to be, so it definitely works here. Jurgen’s pencils are strengthened by Norm Rapmund’s inks and finishes – this is probably the best I’ve ever seen his art look. It’s detailed without being overly rendered, and very distinct and easy to follow.

Booster Gold is a lot like “Back to the Future Part II,” if you’re a fan of that series (and who isn’t?), particularly after Marty and Doc Brown revisit 1955. You’re watching one story, but you’re seeing glimpses of an old, familiar story at the same time, and seeing that old story from new perspectives, as well. It’s a great way to revisit the past. And here’s one last enticement to give this book a try: Anyone who decried the death of Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, in 2006’s Countdown to Infinite Crisis, will want to check out Booster Gold #7. That issue begins the “Blue and Gold” story arc, featuring the returned Ted Kord adventuring through time with his best pal, Booster Gold! (Ted returns in Booster Gold #6, on stands now!) Don’t let Booster Gold be the best book you’ve never tried!

by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada

reviewed by Jason Wheatley

[NOTE: SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE CONCLUSION OF THE "ONE MORE DAY" STORY ARC IN THE SPIDER-MAN BOOKS, BE WARNED!]

Alright…let me take a deep breath and start this. This could very well be the most difficult review I’ve ever written. If you’ve had any passing familiarity with comics over the last several months, then you might have a good idea why. If you don’t, here’s the news: Spider-Man’s marriage to Mary Jane is over. Done. Never happened. You might as well forget it, because everyone else in the Marvel Universe has. Oh, and that big-deal unmasking from Civil War? That’s gone too. Organic web shooters? Poof. In fact, the only thing that’s not gone seems to be Harry Osborn…he’s back.

As I said, this is a hard review for me to write, since it’s hard to look at something objectively when I disagree so strongly with it. Although for the record, I don’t disagree with the decision to end the marriage. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The problem I have lies with how it was done.

Lest this automatically turn into a rant, let me mention what I liked about this book. All other things aside, Joe Quesada can draw. The art over the “One More Day” arc got progressively better, culminating in the first two-thirds of this issue. The darkness of the art really hits how this is the darkest time in the characters’ lives, and the hardest decision they may ever have to make. Mephisto has never looked more evil, and the two-page flashback highlighting points in the relationship between Peter and Mary Jane as the marriage fades from existence is incredible. Still good, but lacking a little something, is the latter third of the issue, which Quesada inks himself, instead of Danny Miki. I assume the lighter inks are meant to convey the brightness and happiness of Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day,” but the transition was a little more jarring than I would have liked.

Now, the story: J. Michael Straczynski has basically publicly washed his hands of this story, and I can’t say I blame him. In this issue I didn’t find the ham-fisted dialogue of the previous chapter, but what I did find was a story hinged not only on the main characters acting tremendously out of character for themselves, but also out of character for anyone who would even consider calling him or herself a hero. Bottom line, Spider-Man, Marvel Comics’ flagship character, made a deal with the devil. Not as in striking an alliance with a former enemy, but as in a literal deal with the literal devil, or at least the Marvel Universe equivalent. In a comic-book universe where it’s no longer kosher for characters to smoke tobacco products, it’s lazy and irresponsible storytelling to show its most prominent character solving his life’s problems in this way. The editorial mandate was clearly written on the walls of this story, and it suffers as a result.

For the sake of brevity and not wanting to go on a tirade, I won’t mention all the continuity problems and stories that just no longer make sense due to rebooting one character and no one else. But they’re there, and I can’t help but wonder how Marvel intends to explain it all away. “It’s magic, we don’t need to explain it” is not a good answer. But it looks like that’s all we’re getting for now. In the meantime, I guess I will look forward to the huge influx of talent coming onto Amazing Spider-Man in the coming months, and try to forget what it took to get them there.

I’m sure I’m not alone in my opinions, but how did all of you blog readers out there in Internetland feel about the ending to “One More Day”? And what does this do for your interest in “Brand New Day”? Discuss!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Well, aside from the lack of snow and temperatures in the 70s despite it being mid-November, of course. What I mean is, there is so much cool stuff coming through our doors right now, it’s hard not to think about how many of them would make wonderful gifts!

First off, for the fan of classic Marvel Comics on your list, it’s hard to go wrong with their series of Omnibus Editions. These hefty hardcover volumes reprint large runs of Silver Age sweetness, and a few more modern runs as well, complete with the original letters columns and supplementary essays, in Marvel’s oversized format. Surprise someone with the entire Lee/Ditko run of The Amazing Spider-Man, a large part of Stan and Jack’s Fantastic Four, or the first 25 issues of Ed Brubaker’s now-classic Captain America run! Several of these volumes just came back into print, so now’s your chance to grab them again! Not only that, should you find yourself in a bad spot, you can use one of these big suckers to knock out any would-be attackers! (No, really – I read a story online about a comic fan who walloped a mugger with his trusty Fantastic Four omnibus.)

Going from big to small, nothing puts a cherry on top of a holiday sundae like a neat stocking stuffer. I’ve got just the thing, a personal favorite of mine – Minimates! These 2-2 ½” block-style action figures by Art Asylum are just adorable and are pretty expansive in their scope: We’ve got Minimates of your favorite DC Comics and Marvel Comics superheroes (and some of their movie counterparts as well!) and other properties such as Star Trek. There’s even a box set of those pesky Marvel Zombies that seem to be popping up everywhere these days.

Does your lucky gift recipient like their action figures a little bigger? Not a problem – DC Direct has put out a few items lately that might bring a smile to their faces. As part of the promotion surrounding the release of the “Superman: Doomsday” DVD, they put out a set that includes a Superman figure and a Doomsday figure, plus a copy of The Death of Superman trade paperback, reprinting the original storyline. Read the story, then re-enact the epic showdown! Or, pick up a set of the “Superman: Doomsday” figures, based on the look of the animated movie!

Another recent DC Direct release, out just this past Wednesday, is a four-figure set based on Alex Ross’ art from the Justice miniseries. The set comes with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern figures, and like the Superman/Doomsday set, it comes with a copy of an issue of Justice. This is one sharp-looking set of figures, so they probably won’t last long!

Wow, thinking up all of these great gift ideas sure has made me thirsty – I think I’ll sip a tasty beverage from one of my Toon Tumblers. Did I mention I got them at Heroes? The glasses come decorated with dozens of characters, from the X-Men to the Fantastic Four to Spider-Man and other Marvel Comics heroes. There are also glasses available featuring Harvey characters like Hot Stuff and Richie Rich. We’ve even got a few exclusive glasses from conventions around the country. They’re a pretty neat way to enjoy your beverage of choice!

It’s hard to stop suggesting things, knowing I’ve just scratched the surface of all the cool things we have available that would make awesome holiday gifts. Statues, busts, Absolute Editions, other graphic novels and comics, manga – if you’re a regular customer, you know each of us can recommend things all day! But listening to us recommending things all the time, that’s old news. How often do our customers get to recommend items to each other? In the spirit of holiday giving and sharing, we’d love for you, our valued customers, to share some gift ideas! Your fellow customers will certainly appreciate it, and so will we – we know you’ll come up with things we might never think of! And feel free to drop by the store for more suggestions!

Kudos to customer Frank “Shades” Guzek (okay, so I’m the only one who calls him “Shades”) for bringing in the latest copy of Wired! Magazine, featuring a very interesting article on manga! The feature takes a look at not only the huge presence of manga in Japanese culture, but also at the role and impact of dojinshi, or nonprofessional self-published manga. (Think fan fiction that’s actually published and sold alongside the title it’s based on). It takes an in-depth look at how the professional manga market and the basically illegal dojinshi market coexist and feed into each other. It also questions whether a similar concept might work for the American publishing world.

Along with the fascinating article, there’s a sidebar looking at how manga finally invaded American culture, from the days “Astro Boy” hit U.S. airwaves all the way up to the present day. What’s cool about this, though, is that the 10-page article is presented through manga-style art and is even published in the magazine back to front, right to left, just like traditional manga!

Given the huge interest in manga these days, I thought many of you might be interested in both this cool history lesson and look at the illegal-but-that’s-okay world of dojinshi. So pick up that new issue of Wired, or read the article online. The manga-style sidebar is also downloadable to read as a PDF file.

Thanks again for the cool info, Frank!

by Dwayne McDuffie, Joe Benitez, and Ed Benes

reviewed by Jason Wheatley

Man, I hate to admit I’m wrong.

I enjoyed Brad Meltzer’s relaunch of Justice League of America. Yes, it was very, very decompressed. But I did find the story interesting, and I liked the character interactions. But when I heard Dwayne McDuffie was taking over, I expected I would drop the book. Nothing against McDuffie–I loved Justice League and Justice League Unlimited–but the announcement just didn’t “wow” me. But I read the JLA Wedding Special, which technically starts McDuffie’s run, and found it to be pretty entertaining, so I decided to give JLA #13 a chance.

Yeah, so about that part where I was wrong…

This was a fun, fun read. If you enjoyed Justice League Unlimited, I defy you to pick this book up and not have a ball reading it. It has the same high-action vibe that show maintained as well as keeping the character interactions Meltzer emphasized in his run. The heart-to-heart between Superman and Vixen is a great example. That scene also shows that McDuffie isn’t throwing out everything that came before, since the Superman/Vixen scene picks up on an important character element Meltzer left dangling when he left. My only real gripe is the replacement of Hal Jordan with John Stewart as the team’s resident Green Lantern, as the in-story reasoning seems kind of forced (“I’m too busy, so let’s trade”–seriously?). But the switch does give us another good scene between John and Black Lightning, including a pretty good wink-and-a-grin to Justice League Unlimited, so I’m not sweating it too much for now. The fun continues as the action heats up in #14, with members of the Justice League taking the fight to the Injustice League–but not before we get a glimpse of the lengths to which Lex Luthor and his crew will go to get under the skin of our heroes.

On the artistic side of things, I wasn’t too thrilled with Joe Benitez on #13. That’s no knock against him–his style’s just not my cup of tea. There’s no denying that he’s got a knack for drawing action scenes, though. His artwork has a lot of energy to it, so despite my own preferences, he’s a good fit here. There’s a certain J. Scott Campbell flair to his work, if I had to make a comparison. The only thing I can recall seeing him on before is the Poison Ivy story in Detective Comics several months ago. I do think it will be interesting to see him continue to grow as an artist as he gets more work.

Regular series artist Ed Benes is back on #14. After about 12 issues on this title, most readers probably have some idea of what to expect from his art on Justice League by now, so I won’t rehash things. I will say this, though – his Joker looks just plain evil. Sinister, I’d say. If I had a complaint, though, it would be that there are a couple of needless splash pages, including a two-page spread of the Injustice League’s “Legion of Doom”-style headquarters – which we’ve already seen before. I don’t know if these were called for in the script or if they were an artistic choice by Benes, so I won’t attempt to unfairly pin it on anybody. But it is nice to see the series’ regular artist back, since I was concerned he would leave along with Meltzer.

Anyone who bemoaned earlier issues of JLA for a seeming lack of action, look no further – this new Justice League vs. Injustice League already has everything you’ve wanted. These two issues get a big thumbs-up from this skeptical-turned-excited reader.

I first noticed John Cassaday’s art on Captain America back in 2002. Relaunched in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Cassaday’s realistic art really captured the feel of a Cap who was more down to earth, tackling terrorist threats instead of Batroc the Leaper. Not to mention he introduced the “chunky chain-mail” look for Cap that all artists who followed him have used. I’ve since gone back and marveled over his work on Planetary and am continually amazed by his art on Astonishing X-Men. It’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else on those titles.

What Cassaday does so well is blend his gritty, realistic style with the high-octane, widescreen action his collaborators like Warren Ellis and Joss Whedon call for. Oh, but that’s not all! I’m always impressed by how he captures smaller moments as well. One of the greatest moments from Astonishing X-Men is the return of Colossus–-but what really drives the moment home is not the splash page revealing the revived hero (although don’t get me wrong…that page is pretty freakin’ sweet), it’s the following pages, focusing on Kitty Pryde’s shock as the action continues around her, and the haunted look on Colossus’ face as he asks if he’s “finally dead.”

I feel like I’ve barely hit the tip of the iceberg on John Cassaday’s talent, but I’ve rambled on enough. But this young fella’s got plenty of good years ahead of him, so I’m sure we’ll continue to see him grow and excel as an artist. And did I mention that he’s a heckuva nice guy? And I hear the ladies find him to be quite pretty, but I’ll let you all judge that for yourselves.

More info on John Cassaday is available at http://www.johncassaday.com/