A Second Look …

Greetings and welcome to a brand new feature on Brave New Worlds.com, our “Second Look,” which is basically me blogging about what comics are tickling my fancy and why. Generally these books are running under the radar but are deserving of attention. So, you know the drill, if you want to know more, click here.

For our first installment I have decided to take a closer peek on two books – Incredible Hercules and Captain Britain and MI:13.

Incredible Herc began its life actually as the Incredible Hulk. However with the birth of a new Hulk title (simply-titled Hulk), the powers that be at Marvel decided to hand over the existing titles reign to a longtime supporting character in the Marvel U, Hercules. Now with Amadeus Cho in tow, Hercules is back on the map.

I have to admit, I am surprised at how well each issue is produced. Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak have done a marvelous job scripting this title and have made us care about what is happening. I think the most important ingredient injected by the duo is heart.

At the end of each issue, I can not help but notice how touching and thoughtful the story was. There is always something that leaves me thinking about it. I also believe the relationship between Herc and Cho is also a strong one that is grounded in true friendship, and that translates in the pages as well.

And now for something completely different, let’s take a look at another supporting character getting another shot in the Marvel U. Captain Britain has been around, most recently in Excalibur. And I was that X-guy back in the day that when Excalibur started I was right on board. There were some good stories, but nothing in it ever made me a huge fan of the Union Jack wearer.

What started as a read because it tied into Secret Invasion has turned into something more as issue #7 just hit stands this past week. Paul Cornell makes me want more and more. I am completely satisfied after reading every issue, and am beginning to care about the characters as a whole. And any book that can bring back the Black Knight and also find a role for Blade can’t be all that bad.

Each month these titles come out, I always find a hand full of books I want to read before turning through these two. And every month after reading through almost everything I sit and think how good Incredible Hercules and Captain Britain end up being, especially over the A-list comics.
Keep up the good work guys, and if you have not checked out either of these titles yet, do yourself a favor and start.