Andre Payne is just trying to get through life. That’s not easy when you’re the son of the god Zeus…or when the Scorpion Queen decides she wants you dead and your power for herself. Things just aren’t easy when you’re a Demi-God.
This stand-alone Grimm Universe story puts the spotlight on Hercules Payne.
Writer: Joe Brusha Art: Jason Muhr
My Thoughts
Hercules Payne is one f those characters with whom I resonate. Zenescope has untapped potential with this modern take on the bastard child of Zeus the Olympian gods. Hercules is easily one of the more popular Independent black superheroes on the site. The character has appeared on our 100 Independent Black Superheroes you should know and Freedom! (2020) 40 African American Superheroes for Juneteenth (2019) and 50 Indy Black Superheroes you should know!? (2015) lists, respectively. If it’s not obvious, I like the character a lot!
This one-shot finds Hercules continuing his battle against drug dealers in the hood using his demi-god abilities while balancing time with his family life with his daughter and girlfriend. She wants him to stop what he’s doing, he can’t because of what happened to his brother (See Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Godstorm Hercules Payne #1 Review). That night they are teleported to another dimension and his family held captive by the Scorpion Queen to force him into completing the twelve labors on her behalf. The first trial is to slay the “Numerian Lion”. Hercules completes the task and all eight others; with each, he becomes more ruthless as he can only think of saving his family. They are traumatized as his single-mindedness scares them. His final trial is here. However, he can’t complete the task as the town elder makes him realize how far he has fallen morally and what will happen if he does what the scorpion queen has her way.
He decides to find another way to save his family. The Scorpion Queen stings his girl and her daughter leaving them for dead and deciding the complete the final trial herself. Enraged Hercules attacks her but he is defeated. Luckily the villagers rally to his cause and they reward him with the fruit from the very tree he was to destroy.
When he awakens he is healed with the fruit’s powers and he, in turn, heals his family. Now cured of his rage and empowered with the Kingdom of Oz. He is offered the Throne. It’s left ambiguous if he takes it but he returns to his neighborhood with the intention to build.
The Cover and Art in this issue are courtesy of Jason Muhr and it is glorious, slick, sexy, and downright perfect! Hercules is distinctively depicted with his bald head and mask, even without the colors you could pick him out of a crowd. This is the same strength of all the characters. Everyone is distinctive. I love the use of multiple panels on the two-page spreads. Emotion is well captured and illustrated as well. The action scenes also flow seamlessly. Jason Muhr is a serious talent and deserves your respect.
Joe Brusha has provided the script and I must say it’s pretty strong. It takes the last appearance of Hercules Payne as a street-level hero cleaning up his community and elevates him to a dimensional class warrior who keeps his community and family in his heart at all times. In any other story, he would have become king of Oz with his girl and daughter elevated to Queen and Princess Status. Instead, he goes back to his community to build it. Powerful message in a time when “moving on up” out of the ghetto is still a hot topic.
His costumes change from blue to green is also perhaps noteworthy if we examine the psychology of color. Green is described as a refreshing and tranquil color often associated with nature and immediately brings to mind the lush green of the grass, trees, and forests, good luck, health (Cherry, 2021). Hercules is now clad in a shiny new Green garb which he gained through his empowerment with the nature-based power fruit but it also made him lose his anger which has been part of his characterization since inception, green is calming and Hercules displays this effect (Cherry, 2021). Hercules heals his deceased family which is another aspect of the color that is tied to “healing power and is understood to be the most restful and relaxing color for the human eye to view” (Bourn, 2016). This is an interesting contrast to Hercules’s usual Blue which was tied to his anger and psychologically can create feelings of melancholy, negativity, sadness, self-righteousness, and self-centeredness (Bourne, 2016). Although I may be reading too much into this as his blue suit may just have been because he was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, Hercules was a blueblood which is often used to refer to persons of royal, noble, or superior birth (Bourne, 2016).
There is certainly a discussion that could be had with Hercules embodying the more positive aspects of the color green while the Scorpion Queen embodies the more negative side of the color; envy, and greed (Smith, 2021).
Verdict
I was pleasantly surprised by this issue which just popped up out of nowhere. Hercules Payne is back and better than ever! Great art, great story with a family at its heart with enough fairy tale hijinks to keep everyone happy.
Collectors get your wallets 3/5
References
Bourn, J. (2016, June 04). Meaning of The Color Green |. Retrieved from https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-green/
Cherry, K. (2021, May 28). How Does the Color Green Make You Feel? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-green-2795817
Smith, K. (2021). Finally, COLOR EXPLAINED by an expert in a way that everyone can understand. Retrieved from https://www.sensationalcolor.com/meaning-of-green/