The Incredible Hercules Thread

[CaptainCanada]

A couple of other Herc-related bits from that discussion:

- in the near-future we'll see Hebe encounter some of Herc's other love interests from the series.
- there are still plans to include the Pantheon characters from Peter David's Incredible Hulk run (which was originally going to be there second storyline).
- iHerc has a big role in whatever's coming next for the Marvel Universe.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Awesome, I always wondered what the real Greek pantheon thought about the Hulk's Pantheon.

 

[Lucien]

Hulk has a Pantheon??

 

[TheCorpulent1]

No, there was an organization modeled on Greek mythological heroes called the Pantheon in Peter David's run on The Incredible Hulk.

 

[Lucien]

Lol, ok gotcha.

 

[Dread]

I liked the whole Pantheon bit in INCREDIBLE HULK. It was something really different for Hulk.

That March cover is interesting. Commercially, killing off Herc would be a bad move; I saw the last arc where Cho and Herc switched issues as testing the waters for a Cho ongoing, and the hard data cannot be good. Every Cho issue lost thousands of readers who usually never returned. IH has lost over 30% of it's readers within the last 6 months, which is within that arc's time frame. The difference in Cho/Herc issues was literally about 3,000 copies. Considering Cho's story actually had more to do with the whole ASSAULT ON NEW OLYMPUS thing, that is troubling. 3,000 readers for a book like this is the difference between selling in the Top 80 vs. the Top 90. For the record, most books that can't escape the Top 90 usually are canceled before long. Cho's time in WORLD WAR HULK and co-starring in INCREDIBLE HERCULES did not allow him to carry the book alone.

Plus, considering that Slott & Gage's MIGHTY AVENGERS has been slow at times to adapt to shifting continuity (such as Loki abandoning his female form months ago, or the fact that Cho & Hercules had split up for an arc), I imagine they would have a rough time factoring in Hercules' demise and by the time they dealt with it, it could be undone.

Plus, well, calling the title INCREDIBLE HERCULES without Hercules in it would feel a bit cheap. Even if the story would predictably be good. Still, INVINCIBLE managed to fool their readers with advance covers into thinking a star would die, so I am hardly 100% convinced things are as clear cut as they seem.

 

[Sabaition]

I was possitive the Pantheon were all dead. Can anyone shed some light on if they're are still alive in some form.

The though of Herc vs Ajax seems interesting. Ajax was alot like Hulk, gets stronger the longer he fights and madder he gets. I recall the smart Hulk having real trouble with him until Ajax broke down crying.

Also anyone out there wondering if Cho with get Athena's breast plate or some sort of Olympian style weapon since he's to be her new Champion?

 

[CaptainCanada]

Marvel.com piece with Fred Van Lente; not much new, really, though there's one more piece of unlettered art from #139.

Due on Dec. 23rd; hmm, I'm flying home for Christmas on the 20th, but IH is on my pull list in Ottawa. Don't think I can wait until Jan. 3rd to read it, so I'll probably have to buy an issue from my old store while I'm there.

 

[NightBeetle]

Awesome

You better kick Argus's ass,Hank!!!

 

[Dread]

Hopefully some of Hera's warriors will be identified. Not all of them where.

 

[NightBeetle]

Rumors of Incredible Hercules' demise 'are premature

Although word circulated this morning that Marvel's The Incredible Hercules will end with Issue 150, one of the title's writers claims "the rumors of our demise are premature." Despite receiving praise from fans and critics alike, The Incredible Hercules has never been a top seller. So it wasn't a complete surprise to see Rich Johnston's assertion that the series would come to an end ... almost a year from now. (Okay, the distant date was a bit of a surprise.) However, co-writer Fred Van Lente quickly took to Twitter to cast doubt on the report.


"Incredible Herc fans: The rumors of our demise are premature -- See Mar 2010 solicits (& spread the word)," Van Lente wrote. "Changes are coming to iHerc, but rest assured they are all part of The Big Plan (R)."
The four-part "Assault on Mount Olympus" storyline ends with February's Issue 142, billed as "EVERYBODY DIES!" So what might the March solicitations contain? News of a relaunch, maybe? A move to back-up feature in another book?
The Incredible Hercules debuted in January 2008 in the aftermath of World War Hulk, with the boisterous demigod and teen sidekick Amadeus Cho simply taking over the Hulk's title. Under writers Van Lente and Greg Pak, the series has been lauded for its humor, action sequences and continuing plot threads.

Whew

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Awesome. I actually didn't mind it so much, since I knew Van Lente and Pak had a plan in mind for iHerc and wouldn't want to see them continue it just for the sake of it and end up stretching their ideas too thin. But if they've got more in mind, I'm all for it and I'm glad Marvel's giving them the opportunity to keep at it.

 

[Dread]

((double post))

 

[Dread]

To be fair, while INCREDIBLE HERCULES hasn't been a strong seller, it's managed to hang on for quite a while since taking over INCREDIBLE HULK in 2007. Once a book lasts beyond 2 years (and well into a third year), it enters the realm of "relaunch" vs. an outright cancellation. After all, if you told someone in 2007 that Hercules would have his own title and it would last 3 years (and within the Top 100, no less), they'd have called you mad.

Always good that more Herc is due. Even though it is never good when a title enters the realm where cancellation rumors become common. Just look at CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't know, I kind of think iHerc is done whenever Pak and Van Lente are done. It's the kind of comic that I just couldn't think of anyone else in the world doing besides the creators who literally came up with the entire concept from top to bottom. I'd much rather see them end it than have it flounder around under various other creators like, say, Runaways post-Vaughan.

 

[Dread]

I know, but I meant Marvel could relaunch it with a #1 or something if they wanted to try to boost sales for the last few arcs of the Pak/Van Lente run. Marvel obviously like Lente as he is writing ASM for them now, and naturally Pak was the WWH guy. I mean, PLANET HULK is set to be immortalized in animation; only a Mark Millar story was worthy of that before.

I certainly hope that IH sticks around until Pak & Van Lente are finished. I can't imagine anyone else doing it better.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I think it's pretty safe for the nine or so arcs they initially pitched. We're already like 5 or 6 arcs in from when they started, right?

 

[Dread]

About arc 6-7 roughly. So they have another 3-4 arcs to reach nine, and their arcs average 3-5 issues. So roughly another year, after RAID ON NEW OLYMPUS. After that, who knows? 2011 will be a big Marvel movie year.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I could see Herc showing up in a Thor sequel.

 

[CaptainCanada]

RAID ON NEW OLYMPUS

"Assault" on New Olympus (speaking of which, I'm a bit surprised this wasn't cause to put the original "Assault on Olympus" in trade).

 

[NightBeetle]

I could see Herc showing up in a Thor sequel.

We need to clone Steve Reeves!!!

 

[CaptainCanada]

Preview of #139.

One of the better recap pages.

 

[Dread]

At least it identifies the big mouthed goddess that Spider-Woman is fighting as Lamia, a woman who Hera cursed into becoming a child-eating demon according to Greek myth.

That is a good preview. MJ is in the recap page!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

And apparently a spokeswoman for Continuum. Oh, MJ, how far you've fallen.

Unless, of course, she turns up later and is all indignant that the Olympus Group used her name and likeness without permission. That would be awesome.

 

[Galact-Gal]

So is it the letterer or the writer(s) who comes up with the sound effects? Because I think "MACEINDAFACE" in that last panel deserves some kind of award.