The Incredible Hercules, Vol. 2: Secret Invasion

The Incredible Hercules (Collected Editions)

by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Rafa Sandoval (Illustrator)

A SECRET INVASION TIE-IN! The Greek Goliath gathers the most powerful super-team ever assembled to counter-attack the Skrull gods! Face front, True Believers, and prepare for the pantheon-pounding premiere of...THE GOD SQUAD! Collects Incredible Hercules #116-120.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Superheroes, Mythology, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2008

About the author

Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previously, in The Incredible Hercules.



Was that really what happened last volume, Jeff?

Eh. Maybe, Random Goodreader. Maybe.



As Hercules sleeps off a one week night binge, Amadeus Cho, his half-sister Athena, and Kirby, the Wonder-Pup, travel to San Francisco for a convocation of hippies.



So, the Grateful Dead are elsewhere, but the Celestials are in town and because this is a tie-in to Secret Invasion, it gives Athena the chance to organize a God Squad to take out the Skrull gods, thus hopefully stopping the Skrull invasion in its tracks.

Ajak (who?), Atum (Never heard of him), Mikaboshi (Because I was one of only six people who read an Ares mini-series, I know the evil, creepy shape-shifting Japanese God of Evilness and Creepiness) and Snowbird of Alpha Flight and the cute lil’ coyote puppy, Kirby, are all along for the ride.



Bad doggie!!

Because this is a Hercules book and he’s already done the boozing (brawling coming soon)…



They stop at the realm of Nightmare for directions (turn left at Krypton, go straight until you come to Tatooine and then hang a sharp right)…



Weird nightmare-y stuff happens then, some predictable infighting amongst gods and such…



…and we get the Gospel according to the Skrulls.



Finally we get to brawl (toldja!) with the Skrull gods.





Skrull tastes like chicken.

Bottom line: I’ve enjoyed Pak’s run on Incredible Hercules and the Secret Invasion crossover event. You’d think smooshing these two together would be a winner, but it comes up a little short. Good, but not great.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most satisfying Secret Invasion tie-in not written by Brian Michael Bendis. Greg Pak gets to tackle the whole Skrulls religion subplot that the main story didn't resolve beyond answering the pronoun riddle in "He loves you." Pak develops the Skrull religion a bit more, but also brings in Shinto, Aztec, and (Marvel-created) Inuit gods to team up with the titular Greek. I loved seeing Snowbird used nicely--Alpha Flight's been treated badly in recent years. The Shinto god of evil's haiku's were a bit stereotypical, but still enjoyable. Throwing all the gods in the mix allows for a bit of deus ex machina, so trying to always make sense of the story is futile, but it's enjoyable.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is pure joy to read. How utterly delightful! It's like there's one great line after the other, and it's not just great lines, it's a great plot, too.

"Sacred Invasion" is a Secret Invasion tie in where Hercules, Amadeus Cho and his pup go on a mission together with some other gods from other pantheons to destroy the Skrull gods. Together, these gods form the God Squad, and they ride in a Godmobile and that's all I have to say, right?

My favorite thing about this series is the relationship between Herc and Amadeus. And the way the original Greek myths are weaved in throughout the story. A lovely, lovely book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been looking forward to reading the 'God Squad' story for a while and it was worth the wait - if only because it has Snowbird, who is probably my favorite Alpha Flight character and also just criminally underused. Don't forget: there are no bad characters, just incapable writers. :D

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm reading this solely because I'm reading all of the Secret Invasion tie-ins. I have no itnerest in Hercules as a Marvel character, no interest in the Eternals, and no interest in the cosmic Skrulls.

As such, I don't really feel qualified to rate this. I just didn't care about a single panel. I couldn't follow what was happening, and wasn't bothered to do any research to find out what happened.

Back when Hercules took over The Incredible Hulk series, I had several friends tell me I should read it, but I balked because I don't care about Hercules.

I made the right decision. I usually enjoy Pak's writing, and I don't run screaming from Van Lente's work, but I found this volume totally impenetrable. And as it doesn't actually deal with the Secret Invasion plot (the series is actually titled "The Sacred Invasion" in this volume), it's completely unnecessary if you're just trying to read Secret Invasion books.

But if you like Hercules and The Eternals, I guess this might be fun.

[Rusty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. What a mess this was. I recall reading another Incredible Hercules collection a few days ago and flipping out at how awesome it was. I picked this one up and was floored by how crappy this was. I mean, is this even the same character? Same company? Same medium?

Honestly, I'm not sure if I even know what happened here. Skrulls for sure. Something about going into the spirit world to kill the Skrull god so that the Skrulls would no longer have the spiritual authority to keep invading earth.

I blink in confusion.

Okay.

So, Herc, Amadeus Cho and a whole bunch of unknown gods head off to Skrull heaven to fight for earth. Except giant things kept killing the gods, I think. I mean, they were dead, then they weren't. None of them actually did much except that girl that Herc slept with. She died too, but came back as mosquitos or something. The other ones died, but Herc said they weren't dead.

Blink.

What?

So, then Herc punches out the Skrull god and it's over. Except one of the dead gods from earth, who is totally alive, steps up and says he's the new Skrull god. And someone on earth, Herc's sister, Hera, maybe, is watching and is like, 'good.'

Me, I'm thinking this is one big hot stinking pile of shit. But, I liked the art, so a bonus star for that.

[Lynn Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this volume, we follow the Incredible Hercules, and his sidekick Amadeus Cho, as they go on a quest into the dream world to kill the Skrull god.

The premise for this one is a bit out there, I’ll give you that, but I did quite enjoy it. Hercules is a bit of an oath and Cho is all brains and no brawn, but together they form a formidable team. There are lots of other obstacles as they travel through the dream world and it gets crazy.

I really liked the artwork for this volume. It was very dark and surreal and there were some impressive full page panels.

There is lots of fighting and action. It’s also a very different way to fight the Skrull.

A group of gods and demi-gods go to kill some other gods. Expect big fights and over the top dialogue.

[Labyrinth Rossiter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a great fan of Marvel's Hercules. I liked Amadeus Cho better when he was with the Hulkster. I only read this as a Secret Invasion tie-in. The overall plot sounds cooler AFTERWARDS than it actually feels, in my opinion, to read panel by panel, so poor execution? Hercules leads a Task Force of gods from various cultures into the Never Never (or whatever) to fight the Skrull gods. However, this book is vital in figuring out the basics of the Skrull religion & why they keep saying "He loves you" in every other Secret Invasion book, which was driving me crazy.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun, but the art was sometimes hard to follow and I had some trouble understanding some of the theological mumbo-jumbo. I chalk some of this up to my lack of familiarity with the series as a whole, though -- when I've read the rest of Incredible Herc, I might change my mind. Either way, Herc and Amadeus Cho are tremendously engaging characters, and I look forward to reading more of their adventures.

[Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, well...umm...snowbird bones
Herc. Amadeus Cho sacrifices himself for greater good. Herc fights Skrull God, turning tide of war...kinda ok, ho hum in places, too wordy.

Just didn't hold my attention.

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In ancient days, Hercules was the greate....yadda yadda, boring, yawn, yawn."
The art was really nice, the only good thing about this comic...3 🌟
Awful, boring, irrelevant...0 🌟
Relevance to SE, 0 🌟 So overall for this TPB 0 🌟

[Twyst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Loved. This. Story. Gods! Goddesses! Snowbird! Plots! Yes.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun roadtrip with lots of different gods who don't get on.

[Paul W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is way better than I expected. The story has depth in ways that I did not predict. The myth of Hercules and his story gets tested and twisted. It's wonderful, casting him as both more and less noble than ever before. I loved it, exploring the depths of his rage, showing more of his history.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic statement of fact: I liked “The Incredible Hercules: Secret Invasion” by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente. My problem is, I wanted to LOVE the graphic novel, but it didn't give me enough reason to do so.

The basic plot: Marvel long-timer and famed Greek god Hercules leads a group of representatives from the various pantheons of gods & goddesses who were worshiped at some point of time someplace on our planet against the gods worshiped by the invading alien Skrulls. It's always good to see one of my favorites of the Marvel Universe in action, and the combination of other gods and aliens should provide ample opportunity for him to shine.

It was good to see the Eternals – have always loved most of Jack Kirby's creations and their over-the-top costumes (although never thought that plot details and/or dialog were his strongest suits … but I digress …). And I applaud finding a way to successfully work Nightmare into the plot – probably my favorite of the cosmic / mystical villains in the Marvel pantheon. And Snowbird … yes, Claremont / Byrne's Canadian heroes have also been favorites; her appearance was well explained and integral to the plot.

BUT …
1) I miss Herc's Shakespearean / King James speech patterns. His words were far too … too American for my tastes.
2) Hercules is tasked with leading a group of various gods into battle, despite the fact he's never led before. Uh … geeze, doesn't anyone remember L.A.'s first superhero group, the Champions? (Although, perhaps Natasha Romanova evolved into the leader over time.)
3) When graphic novels are reprints of previously-issued comics, I like the collection to be a complete story. This book certainly did manage to contain a couple of completed chapters, but it required a little too much knowledge about what had occurred in the prior comics (and I assume earlier Graphic Novel), and it certainly made it clear that this was NOT the end of the saga.
4) I found the battle scenes to be confusing. I reflect on some of the climactic scenes from the early James Bond movies, where panoramic shots were used to show the scope of the battle, and isolations to show one-on-one skirmishes within. (Although, perhaps, if Bond were fighting shape-shifting alien gods, those scenes could have been more confusing as well.)

In short, a nice diversion, a good read, but – unlike the greatest works – not one that will remain with me for an extended period.

Rating: A solid 3 stars.

[J'aime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the X-Men tie-in for Secret Invasion, this Hercules trade just shows the invasion from an alternate POV from the superheroes: in this case, the many gods/pantheons of Earth. If the Skrulls wipe out humanity, then these gods will be replaced by Skrull gods.

Athena calls a council of Pantheons to discuss the threat and propose an assault on the Skrull gods directly - led by her brother Hercules. I have never read Marvel's Hercules so I was completely unfamiliar with the character in that context. And he is VERY different from the myth and film/tv versions. This Hercules is not a leader; he's more like Hulk and just wants to smash (at least in this story). I didn't care for this interpretation of him and the focus on him bogged the story down to the detriment of possibly more interesting characters. The team of five gods, Greek Hercules, Inuit Snowbird, Eternal Ajak, god-eater Demogorge and the Japanese trickster Mikaboshi, along with former SHIELD genius Cho, travel via Dreamlands to confront the Skrull god. I liked how so many cultures were captured in the story - recalling that humanity has many religions and that Marvel incorporates them into its universe. I wish these others had been given more weight in the story because Herc was so one dimensional.

The story has a lot of action, but also a lot of bickering among the competing gods. My total unfamiliarity with the characters, and the negligible impact on the crossover event, made this a weak tie-in for me. Fans of Hercules, or Secret Invasion completists, will want to read this but most won't be missing anything if they skip it.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a good Marvel comic that would help me get a better feel for that particular univers, but that was not the main stream stuff. Incredible Hercules Volume 2: Secret Invasion (IH2) was a great chose for that. I randomly read Gaiman's Eternals several years back and had really enjoyed the epic nature of it. IH2 references that work and has an American Gods feel to boot. The story was just the right balance of serious and quirky. I liked it a lot, 4 stars.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best Herc book I've read so far. Honestly. I just love everything that happens here, how everything was handled, and the ending had me in tears. I just really adore Kirby, okay? And Amadeus, okay? And ugh even the stupid jokes were perfect. I'm so emotional after finishing this -- I really, really enjoyed it. I think it might have been the best thing I ever read by the author.

Most memorable line: "SOMETIMES WE CRY NOT FOR WHAT WE'VE LOST, BUT WHAT WE HAVE".

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty cool. I haven't read any Hercules before this, but I certainly will in the future.

This tie in was very different from the rest of the Secret Invasion arc, but still feels relevant to the story, and not just a vague explanation of why they weren't present in the main trade.

I loved the incorporation of other deities, and the development of the Skrull religion - something that in my opinion, was very much needed.

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weaker than the opening arc, but still fun. I didn't care much for the Secret Invasion back in the day and time hasn't changed that.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The God Squad take on an alien pantheon. Overcoming godly fears. Many twists and betrayals.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible Hercules was one of a handful of Marvel titles I read happily from that general era. But, as they say, you can’t go home again.

I haven’t really revisited it in the years that’ve followed, so Secret Invasion was, when I came across it, an apparent welcome opportunity. What I found was mostly gibberish.

This might be due to having enjoyed a few snatches of the fairly similar Archer & Armstrong from Valiant in the intervening years: Big lug long-lived warrior dude finds unlikely ally in the present. In Herc’s case it was Amadeus Cho, one of those obligatory “smart people” comics produces but rarely has any real clue how to use, either having them invent science fiction in the otherwise ordinary present (Tony Stark is good for this) or, like Cho, mostly in trivia and then boon companionship.

The real pleasure was always Herc’s goofy adherence to throwback heroism, not even specifically his famous Greek (well, Roman) origins but his utterly unrefined counterpoint to other heroes (such as, oh, Thor). And that’s certainly on display here. Actually, Pak & Van Lente seem to go out of their way to undermine Herc in that regard. Sure, this is a tie-in to an event, but it’s also a complete story in its own right.

But it’s also all setup and no real storytelling. It’s just so utterly lazy.

So, I’ll grant this act probably works better, as well as I thought it did back then, in other collections, and I just happened to come across one where it didn’t. I still have the fond memories one way or another. And still wish Herc could return to this kind of prominence. I mean it happened once randomly before, right?

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading New Avengers for some reason and got up to the Secret Invasion storyline and said, “Hey, I have the Mavel Unlimited app, why don’t I just read the entire Secret Invasion storyline? I’d be really interested because I know that the MCU is going to come out with a movie pretty soon.” Great idea, right?

Ugh, that thing is 99 issues long and just starts to d r a g in the middle as Marvel tried to cash in by incorporating as many titles as possible. But I was committed, and I read every single issue. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. Am I glad I read it? I’m not sad, but I wish that Marvel had done a better job writing with concise storytelling. Or that I had not made the decision to read the whole blamed thing.

But, you know, in for a penny, and for a pound. And it’s red and I will never have to read it again and I can enjoy the movie when it comes out. So I’m just going to copy and paste this review in every single trade paperback that contains the secret invasion, storyline and call it a day.

if anyone reads this review, I recommend you just read the essential story itself without all of the side issues.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has such an interesting premise and the art is beautiful. There's lots of action and a cast of characters worth rooting for. However, it is a heavy read that I had to reread several sections of due to the wide range of mythologies that it pulls upon. This will not appeal to some readers, but others will relish the challenge. It ties in a lot with World War Hulk and though it tried to make the connects for the reader, it can feel disjointed. I'm not sure that this really sold me for reading Incredible Hercules comics, but I enjoyed it well enough.

For: fans of superheroes/comics; readers wanting a comic that connects to a large mythos.

Possible red flags: characters in peril; violence; blood; death; invasion and hostile takeovers; religious extremism; implied sex and sexual situations; trickery.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a densely packed five issues of exposition, flashbacks and a heavy, heavy does of theology (for several human civilisations and the Skrull Empire) that I ended up reading twice to take everything in. At times it felt like a bit of a chore but the final issue is really strong and felt like a truly significant event within the wider Secret Invasion story. Hercules and his small crew of Gods, a boy genius and puppy on a big, imaginative cosmic quest gives plenty of scope for big, imaginative artwork and taken together, makes for one of the more unique Secret Invasion tie-ins.

[Matthew J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same. I just couldn't get into this at all. The art isn't bad, but there's just so much happening all the time, with too much dialog, too much exposition, and to much exploding. Normally I love the cosmic stuff, but I don't really think Marvel or DC are very good at it. It lacks focus, character, or emotional weight. It's just a lot of yelling. It's like they've learned all the wrong lessons from manga & anime. So much yelling.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of always liked Hercules and I am a fan of Amadeus Cho. This collection "Secret Invasion" isn't complete and it leaves the story up in the air (which is kind of a crappy way for Marvel to putogether their collections)

I like that the Eternals are in these pages (the Gaiman versions) the poor dog, Kirby though . . . sad.

Fun book otherwise.

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puntaje: 3 Estrellas.

Not much to say. Un tie-in que no me llamó mucho la atención, la verdad es que se puede saltar sin ningun problema.

Me gustó la idea del escuadron divino conformado por dioses de diferentes panteones. Ojala pudieramos conocer un poco más de cada personaje.

[Stephen Theaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hercules leads a team of gods to attack the gods of the Skrulls. The art was good but a bit busy. The story I'll have forgotten tomorrow.