Hades, the lord of darkness, was not invited to the weekly brunch at Mount Olympus! How will this classic Disney villain plot his revenge? Find out in Disney Villains: Hades #1 by Dynamite Comics!
DISNEY VILLAINS: HADES #1
Writer: Elliot Kalan
Artist: Alessandro Ranaldi
Colorist: Alessandro Ranaldi
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Nate Cosby
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 16th, 2023
Previously in Hades: This comic is based on Disney’s interpretation of Hercules and focuses on the lord of the underworld! Hades, the most deceitful and scheming of the Greek gods, will no longer tolerate being slighted.
Disney Villains: Hades #1 shows our title character’s anger at not receiving an invitation to Olympus for brunch. He consults the Fates to seek his revenge. He needs the Golden Fleece of Colchis, guarded by a sleepless dragon. He initially sends Pain and Panic, but they cannot retrieve it. So, Hades decides to assemble a team. He considers recruiting Medusa but reconsiders and instead turns to Arachne, Orpheus, and Icarus, famous characters in Greek mythology. However, Jason of the Argonauts may be pursuing the Golden Fleece as well!
I thought this would be right up my alley, as it would tap into the nostalgia factor. However, Disney Villains: Hades #1 is in a peculiar place. It is categorized as a teen book but attempts to retain the cartoonish humor you would expect. As a result, I find myself struggling to determine the intended target audience. Hades’ humor doesn’t translate well to the comic page because the movie version relies heavily on his charisma and delivery.
Furthermore, the jokes target a younger audience, but it’s hard to ignore that much Greek mythology is tailored to adults. Themes like Orpheus and his deceased wife or Athena’s transformation of Arachne into a spider are complex, probably contributing to the teen rating. Consequently, I can’t quite grasp what I’m supposed to take away as a reader.
The artwork is skillfully executed; I enjoyed these cartoonish interpretations of the Greek myths and commend the character design. It is always fascinating to figure out how to visually interpret these stories and how their designs reflect their personalities.
I have enjoyed the Disney Villains line, but I think the comic focused too heavily on setting up the team, which hindered its momentum. Also, Hades’ rhetoric didn’t resonate well on the comic page, but this may improve in future issues. Despite these aspects, “Disney Villains: Hades #1” merits a 3 out of 5 rating. It might be suitable for a younger audience that appreciates the Disney film.
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Disney Villains: Hades #1
Disney Villains: Hades #1 failed to capture the distinctive voice and charisma of the title character.
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com