We need a hero, hero, hero! Hercules is back with his comic book series, chronicling his adventures after choosing a mortal life. Find out more in Hercules #1 by Dynamite Entertainment!
HERCULES #1
Writer: Elliott Kalan
Artist: George Kambadais
Colorist: Giulia Giacomino and Simona Guida
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Nate Crosby
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 10th, 2024
Previously in Hercules: Hercules, the son of Zeus, embarked on a journey to become a hero and gain his father’s attention. After saving Meg and defeating Hades, he had the opportunity to become a god on Mt. Olympus but instead chose to stay with Meg as a mortal. Now, having proven himself as a hero, the gods are pleased to enlist his help with missions in the earthly realm.
Hercules #1 begins with Hercules’ triumphant return after defeating the Man-Eating Lion of Nemea! However, when he speaks to Zeus about it, he feels pressured to return home. Instead, he heads to meet Aphrodite for a mission. Aphrodite informs Hercules that she had a statue come to life and needs him to destroy it because it is wreaking havoc. He meets with the sculptor, Pygmalion, and sees the hole the statues made. Hercules prepares for battle against a monster, but in reality, the statue is a woman excited to finally be alive and doesn’t know her own strength. Instead of destroying the statue, Hercules reluctantly takes her under his wing to try and teach her to control her hardiness and vigor.
I anticipated the storyline of Hercules right from the inciting incident, being familiar with the mythology behind Pygmalion and his statue. Everything fell into place nicely. Because of that, I could focus on the other elements of Hercules #1. The characterization of Meg and Hercules was strong, meeting my expectations for a children’s book. The issue is that the character isn’t attractive to my children. I tried to sit through Hercules with my kids, but the themes of a man trying to become a god overshadowed the themes of Hercules trying to “Go the Distance” and gain acceptance from his father. So, my kids lost interest in the story, even if the songs were entertaining. Without the auditory aspect of the film, my daughter was not interested in reading this title with me.
The artwork is solid, and I appreciate that everything resembles the movies for artistic reference. The style is simple and not overwhelming, but the design didn’t WOW me. However, is it really supposed to? Good work overall by the creative team.
Hercules #1 is a solid book, but I’m uncertain if it will attract a new audience among younger readers. I can see using this book for mythology lessons in school, but it doesn’t replace the actual stories from that time. However, I enjoyed the read overall, which deserves a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Hercules #1
Hercules #1 is well-written and designed, but I'm unsure if the character will resonate with modern audiences.
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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