The newest Incredible Hercules comes with the obligatory Dark Avengers cameo that’s a natural part of the new Dark Reign order. It’s like how the Mighty Avengers kept popping up right after Civil War. This time, it’s a three-way fight between the Olympus Group, the Dark Avengers, and Hercules, Amadeus Cho, and Athena. Why? Because Norman Osborn doesn’t like whatever it is that Hera is planning, and Hercules just wants to stop his mother. So we’ve got a great issue full of people beating the crap out of each other and a few priceless moments, like Daken trying to stab Pluto. There’s also the interaction between Delphyne and Cho that’s a perfect heart-wrencher.
The whole Olympus Group plot is a great one that weaves together what Hercules is doing with the current Marvel Universe climate. That’s what Greg Pak and Fred van Lente do best, and it’s why the first two arcs were so good. Now, I said that Dietrich Smith was another good artist for this book. He still is. But he has one glaring problem. It’s the hair. The body hair to be specific. Herc looks like he has dozens of bizarre lines or burn marks on his skin, rather than actual hair. I know, that’s not exactly the most important thing. But when a character is ALWAYS without a shirt, that kind of thing can get annoying. But this is still a great and fun title, as it should be. I just can’t wait to see what it is that Hebe is up to. She’s more than just a little creepy.
Plot: 9.0 Art: 8.2 Dialogue: 9.2 Overall: 8.9
