Hercules: Prince of Power

Hercules (1982) #1-4

by Bob Layton

In space, no one can hear you shout "Have at thee!"...unless you've got lungs like the Prince of Power! Centuries in the future, Hercules embarks on an extraterrestrial odyssey and finds there are more gods in the heavens than he imagined! With his computerized comrade the Recorder, he wows worshippers, attacks avatars, and sires a son who may be an even more dangerous demigod than he is! Rigellians, Skrulls, carnivorous horses, and more! Plus: interviews with Bob Layton, creator of Herc's 24th century! Collects Hercules: Prince of Power (1982) #1-4, and Hercules: Prince of Power (1984) #1-4.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Mythology, Superheroes

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most people don't think of superhero comics as having alot of humor in them. Somehow this Hercules series did a great job of being a funny superhero story and still a good read. Very recommended

[Devero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il grande Layton scrisse e disegnò le 2 miniserie qui raccolte, dedicate ad Ercole e ambientate in un futuro di diversi secoli. Ercole gira come al solito in cerca di avventure ma ora tra le stelle, si procura un sacco di guai, nella scia dell'Ercole scanzonato e buffone creato inizialmente da Lee e Kirby. Personalmente ho sempre preferito questo a quello duro e iroso delle sequenze rese da Thomas, Stern e Jonh Buscema, per quanto entrambe buone caratterizzazioni e fedeli all'Heracles classico greco-romano, che conteneva entrambi gli aspetti.
Tra commedia degli equivoci, uno scontro con Galactus, una spalla che è uno Skrull e amenità varie tra cui la "fine" o "transizione" o anche "trapasso" degli dei Olimpici queste duecento pagine si leggono ancora oggi bene, divertono come storie e come gag e sono decisamente disegnate bene.
4 stelòle forse sono troppo, ma tre stelle sono poche.

[Gary Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

48th book read in 2014.

Number 184 out of 391 on my all time book list.

Follow the link below to see my video review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1KLB...

[Ángel Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marvel (y cualquier otra compañía de cómics, pero Marvel más) ha tenido desde siempre tres tipos de dibujantes currando en sus cómics: los artistas, que, a excepción de los que trabajaron durante la Silver Age (Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, Gene Colan, Gil Kane...), y alguna que otra excepción tipo Alan Davis, John Byrne, George Pérez o Bill Sienkiewicz, se prodigaron poco (me refiero a grandes como Barry Smith, David Mazzuchelli, Mike Ploog, Kevin Nowlan, Michael Golden, o Jim Steranko); los tuercebotas incompetentes (bastantes más, e infinitamente más prolíficos: Don Heck, Herb Trimpe, Al Milgrom, Larry Hama, Don Perlin, George Tuska, Rob Liefeld, Greg Land, Mike Deodato Jr., Todd McFarlane, Salvador Larroca, Ron Lim... y eso sin aludir a verdaderos psicópatas del entintado, capaces de arruinar cualquier lápiz que tocaran, por excelso que fuera, como el simpar Vince «cabeza de caballo en la cama de Carmine Infantino» Colletta); y, por último, los artesanos, capaces de hacer un cómic decente que entretenga y no dé vergüenza ajena. Entre estos se encuentran Sal Buscema, Jim Mooney, Howard Chaykin, Tom Sutton, Mark Bagley, Marc Silvestri, John Romita Jr., Mike Zeck y, por supuesto, Bob Layton, un tipo que dignificó en la medida de lo posible aquella basura infecta de colección que tenía Iron Man allá por los 80. En pleno subidón, Layton, que nunca fue gran cosa pero siempre fue legible, se atrevió hasta a ser un artista completo (como si fuera Carlos Giménez o algo, el buen hombre) en un par de miniseries y una novela gráfica de Hércules, un personaje que, no nos engañemos, nunca fue en el Universo Marvel algo más que un Thor de saldo.

El resultado no debería suponer ninguna sorpresa: un señor que hace cómics entretenidos sin más hizo cómics entretenidos sin más. Su mayor logro fue conseguir que el Hércules marvelita resultara más o menos interesante para algún lector del planeta, que no es poco, aunque para ello tuvo que alejarlo del Universo Marvel tradicional tanto en el tiempo como en el espacio. El plantel de secundarios también resulta un acierto, y aporta el contrapunto cómico que el olímpico necesita. En fin, que, después de tantos años desde su publicación, estas miniseries todavía resultan una lectura agradable, al contrario que todas esas basuras que ciertos inútiles que se creían artistas pergeñarían a lo largo de la siguiente década (¿alguien ha dicho Liefeld? ¿McFarlane? ¿Jim Lee?... habrá sido el viento...).

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the four-issue series that the hardcover collects. I’m slowly going through my old comics, and was very pleasantly surprised at this series. It’s a very old-school combination of humor and adventure, pairing Hercules up with a semi-sarcastic recorder robot, with Hercules traveling through space not in a spaceship but in an actual golden chariot pulled by horses. Absolutely wonderful.

The only detraction is that at first reading it I thought that the second two issues were an unannounced flashback, but it turns out that the first four pages are a prologue, and in fact the entire series is a flashback—if I’m reading it right now. It was a little disconcerting getting into issue three and wondering why neither Hercules nor Commander Malin recognized each other when they had already been long-time friends in issue 1. Especially since Malin “still” called Hercules “magician” in issue 3.

The series also subverted several tropes of comic books, though it would have been less of a surprise had I known where the prologue ended. That is, the following might sound like a spoiler, but it’s really only a spoiler for me, since it should have been obvious if I’d read the story right.

When Hercules meets Commander Malin, the collection of worlds Malin is a part of is under martial law; during the initial prologue, Hercules is working with Malin to crush a rebellion on a mining planet. Rather than turning out that martial law was instituted as a ruse for tyranny, or that the rebellion was in the right, the authority figures (in this case) were actually in the right.

Even the “young noble kidnapped and turning out not wanting to be rescued” ended up with a nearly completely different and fun twist that fit in well with Hercules’s sense of adventure and honor.

This is a very fun and refreshing swords-and-planet adventure.

[Kelvin Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this in reprints in Marvel UK's Transformers, the greatest comic in the history of the medium.

The first half is wonderful. Hercules fighting, drinking, and loving his way through space. Nothing is taken seriously, Hercules doesn't really learn anything, and it's all very silly, but great fun and so good-natured that even the cheesiest jokes somehow work.

The second half is not as successful. A clear attempt to recapture the magic of the original miniseries, it flails around without direction, then goes dark and weird as Zeus goes insane and murders everyone, and it all feels a bit at odds with the freewheeling picaresque nonsense of the first half.

Still, this is worth it for that original four-parter, a comic in which Hercules gets Galactus drunk. Sort of.

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining cosmic romp of no real consequence to continuity, and that last part is it's greatest strength. You can pick this up with almost no knowledge of preceding comic books and still enjoy it without feeling lost.
It's a joyous adventure with plenty of humor; the kind worthy of its title hero.

[Nicholas Dehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seriously old school comic was actually hilarious and left me wanting more! I feared Hercules would be a boring protagonist but in he turned out to be quite entertaining and showed some development within each short story. I really loved the Recorder and his relationship with Hercules their dynamic was super funny and endearing. Overall quite a ride

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set a couple of centuries in the future, Zeus sends Herc off to learn humility, but instead of sending him to earth, he sends them to wander the stars. Lots of fun follows including a drinking contest with Hercules and Galactus.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the 1997 trade paperback of this book five years ago, and this book was every bit as enjoyable on the re-read. It's funny, I got the softcover out of a $5.00 box of used trades, and the hardcover out of $10 remainder/ inventory sale at a comic convention. This book is totally worth full price, though.

Bob Layton crafted a wonderful tale in the first mini-series, where Hercules is sent into the cosmos by his father, Zeus, to learn some humility. Ol' Herc is a lovable, arrogant buffoon, who thinks with his fists (and other body parts) first. I love how he offers people “The Gift”. What is this gift, you ask? Why, the gift of being bested in combat by the son of Zeus! Hercules wants nothing more than the glory of battle, a drink, and the company of a lovely lady. I think that we can all relate to Hercules on that level.

There is so much clever humor inserted into these issues. Hercules goes on a quest for spirits to Ciegrim-7, the distillers planet. They make the most ebullient concoctions in the cosmos, which helps play a role in the issue where Herc takes on Galactus. The second mini-series is also excellent, with Hercules learning humility and compassion.

This is a Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcover, and this line of books have nice paper and sewn binding. It's not Marvel Masterworks quality, but then again, it is not Marvel Masterworks price. There is a dropped portion of a word balloon here or there. These books are perfectly satisfactory on most levels, so my OCD sense turns green when I read these.

[Nicolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a trip and I had a good time with it. Hercules is a major bro and they really lean in. I wanted more with the robot sidekick, but still a fun read.

We discussed this series more on an episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1982, Bob Layton took a B-grade Avenger and unimaginative Thor counterpart, Hercules, and recast him as an outsized goon who is banished to outer space by Zeus, in the hope that he might learn humility. Layton brought a fabulous satirical angle to the project, mocking the florid dialogue and oafish characteristics of Marvel's more serious fantasy characters. Conveyed across the universe on a chariot drawn by magic horses (who have a taste for spaceport workers), Herc careens from one adventure to the next, bestowing "The Gift" – the chance to be punched senseless by a demigod – to all he encounters. The four-issue miniseries was a popular hit, and remains an entertaining and beautifully-illustrated comic for fans of light adventure.

This 2009 hardcover edition collects the original miniseries as well as the 1984 sequel. The follow-up proves less successful, if only because the newly chastened Hercules is less flamboyant and more restrained, limiting the comic elements that made the first series so enjoyable. Still, the artwork remains energetic and colorful, and the character dynamic between Herc and Recorder, the Rigellian robot who chronicles the Lion of Olympus' escapades, is as fun as ever. The addition of Skyppi, the sass-talkin' Skrull, is less welcome, and drags down an otherwise solid storyline.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hercules gets banished to space for his arrogance. There he finds a friend in a Recorder, saves damsels, stops wars and has a drink with Galactus. This is a lot of fun. Hercules works in a space setting, and its interesting to see his journey to realise fighting is not everything. The twist at the end with Zeus is quite shocking and brave. The Galactus storyline is worth the price of the book alone, you will never guess how Hercules beats him. A very good read.

[Stolt-man · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the stories collected here when they first came out(many years ago). I was a little afraid to read them again, because I suspected they would seem silly now. Actually, I enjoyed this reread very much. There might be a little nostalgia in my 5 star rating but this is a really good book.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become one of those people who instead of typing a review just post a link to a review on another site.

http://gelatisscoop.blogspot.com/2010...

enjoy.

[Ola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hercules is a babbling buffoon with big muscles and so his father sends him away to grow up.
Every girl wants to have sex with him and he is the hero in this comedy.

Best: Galactus without his helmet.