ARES #1 - Thoughts & Spoilers

[Hippy-san]

This is the first i've read from Oeming, I think, and he's pulled me in. Ares was brilliant in terms of taking the revered character I loved in my Ancient Civilization class and put him into a believable setting. I'm officially hooked.

[Young Avenger]

The Ares series sounds awesome. After reading that summary I might have to pick it up.

[Will.S]

I picked up Son of M and Ghost Rider but not Ares.

From what I see here, it might be worth picking up although the art doesn't look great but I'll give it a look see at the Midtown store since my shop continually has problems receiving Thunderbolts on release day.

Both Son of M and GR rocked btw, don't feel like doing a long review but Quicksilver's powers post terrigen mists has me the most inteterested in what's next for him.

[Wannabe]

Ares #1 is the one of the best single issues I've read in about a year.Michael Oeming is one of the best people at dealing with Mythology, and I hope they do more than this mini.

[Core]

ARES is the only book of the three I picked up, but I really enjoyed it. Going into the book, I was scared that it wouldn't be much more than a mythologically-based version of the Punisher, but Oeming has set up something different in this first issue.

Some highlights for me:

--Hermes on a skateboard--classic!

--Hermes getting his foot nailed to the 2x4.--son of a...!

--The dynamic between Ares and his son--"What have I told you about fighting?"...heh...

--Foreman's sequential work--when he's portraying fluid action sequences, he really can turn out some great panel-to-panel kinetics. Pages 2 & 3 in particular have some of the best sequential panels I've seen in a while. Fridolf's inks help to add to this fluidity as well. Tasty.


I was a bit disappointed by some of the panels--the ones in which some of the characters had no faces come to mind--but all in all, I think that Foreman's work looks much less rushed in this issue than it did in the DOC SPECTRUM mini, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm on board for number two, at least.

[Expletive Deleted]

Just to ease discussion a bit, I'm splitting off the ARES #1 stuff into its own thread.

Here's the original post:
Ares #1 *Spoilers*
Ares is asked to stop the army of Hades from taking over olympus as he singlehandedly takes on the undead armies and wild huge massive soldiers. cutting,slicing,destroying. He makes no bones about his method. He is a complete genocidal monster and he helps whoever is willing to do the worst. He hopes by saving olympus that he will be allowed back in good with the greek pantheon. They essentially regret having to call him because to them he is nothing but a dumb guard dog with one good use and no other redeeming qualities.

He fights for the fury the rage and no strategy or honor. Ares has had enough and decides to live on earth and renounce his title as god of war. He is on earth raising his son Alex. He has a beard and long hair and works as a carpenter by day and made good money selling ancient greek artifacts.

His son's teacher was saying he is very good at everything but that he is very aggresive always fighting in school and drawing pictures of him killing or beating up people. Ares does not want his son to know his mother and does not want a female influence around him...feels it will make him weak in a world of man. He calls himself "John Aaron". He finds his son's lingual very odd when he heard him say "peace out" to his friend his father said "PEACE WHAT!"!!" Scene change...ares is working on a house and a young adult shows up on a skateboard racing around him going rather fast. Ares then notices how fast he is going and calls him hermes. Hermes say's how the gods have asked for him to return for zeus has need of him,since the fall of asgard the greek pantheon is now targeted by old enemies. Ares then uses a nail gun and nails the foot of the messenger of the gods and chokes him out while syaing he will never go back. Hermes departs and leaves the house in shambles in his wake.

Ares drops his son off to school and tells him he will pick him up at 3. Ares comes by later and is told his son is missing and that the police have no record of his son or ares Social security number. Ares grows angry and say's they should be busy looking for his son and not messing with numbers. Ares goes home starts shaving his head and goes into his robert deniro "taxi driver" mode. opens up his garage where he has all kinds of weapons from swords,spears,sheilds,guns,grenades. He realizes that the gods took his son in order to get ares their. Ares promises to take them all out. The police come to his door because he has no history on record. He breaks down the door and is loaded with guns and swords and along with the door goes the detective's jaw.

VERY VERY GOOD COMIC,MUST READ!!!!

[Core]

Just to ease discussion a bit, I'm splitting off the ARES #1 stuff into its own thread.


Thanks, ED!

By the way, did any one else get a copy with a printing error on page 21? The copy I initially received from my comic shop had a page that was smeared with black ink, and when I went to return it, I found out that all the remaining copies had the same defect.

Anyone else?

[Haunt]

i actually like Ares a great deal more than Hercules now.

[dfridolfs]

--Foreman's sequential work--when he's portraying fluid action sequences, he really can turn out some great panel-to-panel kinetics. Pages 2 & 3 in particular have some of the best sequential panels I've seen in a while. Fridolf's inks help to add to this fluidity as well. Tasty.



Tasty indeed! Thanks :)

Those opening 5 pages or so of issue 1 are some of my favorites as well. And you'll see a lot more crazy action coming up in issue 2. And I can't comment enough how lucky we are to have Len O'Grady on colors. He really adds a visual component that not only compliments, but builds on the art...you'll see more in issue 2.

You can even check out the Oeming interview on comicon's "The Pulse" website for some preview pages to issue 2 that they posted up.

Anyways...it's definitely fun finally having this issue out on the stands and getting to read all the thoughts, positive or critical, that the readers have. Hopefully it's as enjoyable an experience for those that pick up the book as it is for me throwin down the inks over Travel.

- Derek

[dfridolfs]

i actually like Ares a great deal more than Hercules now.

And you'll get a chance to see the both of them squabble through this mini-series. Before working on this, I never really knew about the Marvel version of Ares...but already he's one of my favorites now.

- Derek

[Modi]

i actually like Ares a great deal more than Hercules now.

Ares is a cold,uncaring(with anything other then his son) badass who eats monsters and gods for breakfast.

Hercules is dumb Thor-lite (very lite) without his hammer.

[Wannabe]

i actually like Ares a great deal more than Hercules now.


Hercules can be written into some fun stories. Like when he got Galactus drunk.

[Tony Starkz]

Is it just me or is Marvel trying to pull a "Vertigo" here?

[Indigo Al]

any plans for an appearance by Golden Age Venus?

[Will.S]

By the way, did any one else get a copy with a printing error on page 21? The copy I initially received from my comic shop had a page that was smeared with black ink, and when I went to return it, I found out that all the remaining copies had the same defect.

Anyone else?
My Cable and Deadpool #24 had that very same print error problem (and in all the copies I saw in my shop). Botched batches are becoming really annoying.

Anyway now that I heard Ares is going to be on a team on Joe Fridays has me interested even more in this book. BTW what are his powers? Seems like super strength and insane fighting skill so far.

[Will.S]

Finally got to read it, excellent book.

It had it all, great art, really good characterization and buildup for the next issue. The first few pages have some really huge, badass epic battles then we get to the aftermath which led to some cold hearted yet intruiging talk amongst the gods which pissed off Ares royally. It was weird to see Hercules there so modest looking but it added alot more to the familiarity of the gods.

What I liked the most were the human parts of the book such as Ares's relationship with his son, his involvement in the school and his actual job.....and man the dude is just huge. The parts with Hermes put a smile on my face once you realized who it was and Ares's priceless reaction, I didn't expect him to start going all gun happy but the next issue is sure to have much action.

I didn't expect the art to be so good but it is, Travel Foreman has a sort of Olivier Coipel'ish style at times but does epic scenes masterfully as well as capturing all the character moments. Definitely buy the book if you're interested in the character.

9/10

[REAU]

I loved this book. It is truely one of the best first issues I've read in a very long time.

and travel foreman's art is amazing
http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Ares/4_5thumb.jpg

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Ares/6_7thumb.jpg

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Ares/ARES001006_07_lores.jpg

[Jessica Drew]

Loved it. Oeming's work with these mythological/adventure-type characters (Ares, Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Red Sonya) is both grandiose in theme and personal in story. He may just in fact be the best writer Marvel has right now. The art--especially during the scenes set on Olympus--seem to really fit the story. I'm ready for the next issue.

[Will.S]

I loved this book. It is truely one of the best first issues I've read in a very long time.

and travel foreman's art is amazing
http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Ares/4_5thumb.jpg

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Ares/6_7thumb.jpg

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Ares/ARES001006_07_lores.jpg
Ah so THAT'S what he was carving into it. That really is amazing work right there, I almost wish he did New Avengers instead of Mike Deodato.

The solicitation cover to #4 looks nice too:

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Apr06/ARES_004_COVcol.jpg

ARES #4 (of 5)
Written by MICHAEL OEMING
Pencils & Cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN
The God of War and The Prince of Power have clashed before, and the bitter enemie’s hatred for each other knows no bounds. But now, as a perilous new foe wreaks havoc upon Mount Olympus, Ares and Hercules are forced to forgive past hatreds and fight side-by-side! But the gods’ last hope may lie outside of their hands, in an enigmatic deity from the ancient Japanese Pantheon who might hold the key to victory. Will they accept this stranger’s help? Or has godly arrogance already doomed the Greek Pantheon? Meanwhile, the threat of patricide, which has plagued the Greek gods for centuries, rears its ugly head again, but this time it is reflected in the face of Ares’ very own son -- Alexander – who has taken steps to destroy his father and claim the mantle of the GOD OF WAR for himself!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99

[Neolucifer]

i actually like Ares a great deal more than Hercules now.

Now i can finally care about the Greek mythology side of the MU !!!
Never have been a fan of that clown of Hercule , doubt i'll ever be ..
Sure Ares might be considering and reduced as the second coming of the Punisher .. but i find it more interested that those "fun" Hercule stories .

I'm loving the book and cant wait to see which team he ends up joining .

[MatthewC]

I picked this up on a whim, but I enjoyed it enough that I'll definitely be getting issue #2. What sells it is that withing just a few pages, Ares is transformed into a character with actual depth. He's this guy with a lot of flaws, some of which he is trying to overcome and some of which he can't see. He has somebody he loves and people he hates for what (to him) seem like good reasons.

I really hate the mohawk look, though. Don't know why, but it just annoys me.


Anyway now that I heard Ares is going to be on a team on Joe Fridays has me interested even more in this book. BTW what are his powers? Seems like super strength and insane fighting skill so far.

As far as I can tell, he's sort of an amped up version of the Punisher. His real "super-power" is being able to kill people with great efficiency, using any tool that comes to hand.

He probably has some other godly abilties too, which we'll no doubt see, but being a super-killer is the main point.

[Will.S]

As far as I can tell, he's sort of an amped up version of the Punisher. His real "super-power" is being able to kill people with great efficiency, using any tool that comes to hand.

He probably has some other godly abilties too, which we'll no doubt see, but being a super-killer is the main point.
Ahh, figured as much.

[stealthwise]

And you'll get a chance to see the both of them squabble through this mini-series. Before working on this, I never really knew about the Marvel version of Ares...but already he's one of my favorites now.

- Derek

Sharp inks from what I've seen Derek.

[Lord S]

Didn't get a chance to go to the comic store last week...went yesterday but it was all sold out.

Have to wait two weeks now. :mad:

[XPac]

Hercules can be written into some fun stories. Like when he got Galactus drunk.

I agree... Hercules can be a fun character. His brief bit in She-Hulks defense during her trial in issue 100 for example.

That said, in one issue Ares was given more depth as a character than decades of issues and appearances for Hercules.

[XPac]

I picked this up on a whim, but I enjoyed it enough that I'll definitely be getting issue #2. What sells it is that withing just a few pages, Ares is transformed into a character with actual depth. He's this guy with a lot of flaws, some of which he is trying to overcome and some of which he can't see. He has somebody he loves and people he hates for what (to him) seem like good reasons.

I really hate the mohawk look, though. Don't know why, but it just annoys me.



As far as I can tell, he's sort of an amped up version of the Punisher. His real "super-power" is being able to kill people with great efficiency, using any tool that comes to hand.

He probably has some other godly abilties too, which we'll no doubt see, but being a super-killer is the main point.


Ares actually did have a bio in the old Marvel Universe Handbooks (though I wonder if like Hercules he won't be powered down a bit). It says:

Strength Level: Ares possesses greater strength than most Olympian gods, and can lift (press) approximately 70 tons under optimal conditions.

Known Superhuman Powers: As an immortal god, Ares possesses vast strength and endurance. His physical capabilities are superior to those of the majority of Olympian gods. He has virtually inexhaustible stamina, and does not tire appreciably after any exertion.

Like all Olympian, Ares is immortal, possessing a life essence that cannot be ended by any conventional means. He can be wounded in battle, but his godly life force gives him incredible recuperative abilities. He can fully recover from penetration wounds (such as by knife, sword, or bullet) in anywhere from minutes to hours, depending on their severity. Only an injury of such magnitude that it incinerates him or disperses a major portion of his bodily molecules could cause him physical death. Even then, his life essence may still be unharmed, and Zeus may be able to resurrect him.

Abilities: Ares possesses great skill in the use of all the implements of war used in the time of ancient Greece and Rome.

[Mr. Biggstuff]

Oeming was is my comic shop today signing stuff, I ask him about Ares joining a team he said it will be a Big team ( not the thunderbolts.) I asked him if it was New Avengers and he saidI'm not saying anything and laughed so I take that to mean it's the Avengers.

[TheSentryLives]

thank god,it would suck if he was on thunderbolts.

[Guts/Batman]

Loved it. Especially the first part of the book. Fantastic.

I have gotten most of Marvel's minis to come out lately (cept the ones that deal with Decimation and HoM). I have been looking forward to this for monthes.

I would have to say that Ghost Rider is my favorite so far.