Customer Reviews

Hercules: Prince of Power (Marvel Premiere Classic)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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In the 21st century, Marvel Comics' superhero version of the classical Greek hero Hercules has been undergoing a bit of a Renaissance thanks to Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente's excellent "Incredible Hercules" series. Among the consequences of this popularity has been the prompting of the release of this collection of Hercules' most notable earlier starring vehicles, two miniseries by writer/artist Bob Layton published in 1982 and 1984 (both sharing the title "Hercules: Prince of Power"). The series makes an interesting comparison to the modern series, and stands as a great example of Marvel Comics in the 1980s. Some spoilers follow.

The first of these four-issues miniseries is the more famous (and, generally, the better) of the two. At some unspecified point in the future (the second one gets more specific with dates), Hercules returns to Olympus and promptly annoys his father Zeus with his raucous, womanizing antics. As a consequence, he is banished to outer space until he learns some humility (Zeus taking a page from Odin in this instance). He quickly picks up a straight man for his comedic antics, a Rigellian Recorder robot, and involves himself in various conflicts, culminating in a showdown for Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, who is seeking to consume a planet full of famous distillers. Layton's Herc is an amiable brawler, and he finds time for plenty of romantic interludes even in space (including with Frankie Raye/Nova, Galactus' herald, optimistically shown as surviving hundreds of years in the role in this particular AU).

The sequel series, published two years later, picks up four decades after the previous one concluded, with Hercules still out in the cosmos, and coming to the end of a long period of staying in one place. The catalyst for his departure is the death of a long-time friend (a military officer introduced in the previous series). Death and mortality is the overshadowing theme of his miniseries, which intermittently has a much more serious tone than its predecessor. The strongest parts are concerned with this. However, and particularly in the middle, much of the first volume's slapstick tone remains, personified by the addition of Skyppi, a shapeshifting Skrull who shows a marked preference for the female form (which hints at some gender issues rather racy for the time; he is almost a forerunner of the more serious character of Xavin in "Runaways"). After a strong opening, I found the middle part to be less interesting, but it rallies for a strong finale. Hercules returns to Olympus to confront a seemingly mad and murderous Zeus, and Layton arrives at a neat resolution to the longstanding father-son dynamic, and to the question of whether Hercules would prefer to finally rest or keep moving.

Recommended.

Is this in continuity? Out of continuity? A hoax? An imaginary story?

I, for one, didn't care.

After a groundbreaking and stellar run on Iron Man, writer/artist Bob Layton created these two bawdy miniseries (the first book to officially use the name "miniseries") that put Herc and a few new buddies in the middle of galaxywide adventure. This is the best Herc has ever been written: a headstrong, thrillseeking party boy who's still trying to find his place either with the gods of Olympus or on his own. You'll love him here.

Also recommended is the Marvel oversize Graphic Novel, "Hercules: Prince of Power: Full Circle", which is NOT included in this trade. The oversize format suits the epic even better.

Hercules is exiled from Olympus to the stars. He must deal with spaceships, pirates and a certain planet devouring entity. I found it quite an entertaining read, well worth the price, and certainly enjoyable by people considerably older than the suggested age bracket

This book reprints two four issue mini series from 1982 and 1984 featuring the Marvel second string character, and sometime Avenger, the Olympian demigod Hercules. Hercules has never been a favorite of mine but writer and artist Bob Layton really brings him to life in the issues reprinted here.

The mini series is set a few hundred years hence in the Marvel universe and the plot revolves around Zeus banishing Hercules from Earth and Olympus into the far reaches of space to learn some humility. Along the way he picks up two travelling companions, a robotic Rigellian recorder, and in the second series a renegade Skrull.

The emphasis is very much on humor throughout the first mini series. Hercules and the recorder play off of each other brilliantly. The finale against Galactus is truly "Not Just Another Galactus Story!"

Humor is still present throughout the second miniseries, but there is a more serious plot where Hercules must confront his father Zeus. The Skrull joins the cast, and along with the recorder, keeps the comic relief going when Hercules has very serious issues to grapple with.

The whole book is a fine example of hero-humor comparing well to the Golden Age Captain Marvel and Plastic Man since the humor is more adult oriented. The only flaw I can find in the book is that the reproduction of the lettering seems to be off somewhat but that is merely a nit. This is great comic book fun. Very highly recommended.