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Vinny Valenti
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Joined: 17 April 2004
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Posted: 20 November 2025 at 2:50pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

JB is only second to Kirby in drawing Hercules, IMO. Which is saying something since he didn't draw him too often. He drew him in CHAMPIONS but really he hit his stride when he added the little twinkle in his eye by the 80s. His costume tweak is along the lines of Wolverine - keeping what worked but made tweaks to make it even better. Also reminds me of Thunderbird's costume - equal parts native garb and super-hero costume at the same time.

I'm amused that JB never intended the chest plate* he added to evoke an 'H', which was something I instantly assumed when I was a kid.

*A question that perhaps we aren't supposed to ask - how does he take it on and off?
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Brian Miller
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Posted: 20 November 2025 at 4:31pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

I thought the same thing.

I will give Big John Buscema some credit on Hercules, tho. I loved how he
drew him during that 80s run with Stern.
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John Byrne
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 20 November 2025 at 4:55pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

A question that perhaps we aren't supposed to ask - how does he take it on and off?

•••

Up and over. Like a T.

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Charles Valderrama
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Posted: 20 November 2025 at 5:50pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

That time was a great upgrade for Hercules... and I loved the new look.

Having him in that Avengers line-up at the time was great since he didn't have his own series.

-C!
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Brian Miller
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Posted: 20 November 2025 at 7:51pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

The new chest piece was wicked cool and one of the best costume
improvements ever. And his development under Stern made him one of my
favorites in the book.

Edited by Brian Miller on 20 November 2025 at 7:52pm
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Eric Jansen
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Posted: 29 November 2025 at 10:24pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Ever since I was a kid, I've marveled at the possible creative combinations that are really only possible in comics.  I would often "play editor" and assign dream teams to my favorite comics.

(Solo acts like JB on FANTASTIC FOUR or various projects by Howard Chaykin, Jim Starlin, Mike Grell are their own kind of magic that I will address some other time.)

Every writer/artist team was unique in its own way and so was every penciler/inker team.  When a favorite character/team had a favorite writer/penciler/inker team, it was just magic.  Some favorite match-ups:

DEFENDERS by Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema, Klaus Janson
CAPTAIN AMERICA by Roger Stern, John Byrne, Joe Rubinstein
AVENGERS--I probably "dream cast" David Michelinie, John Byrne, and Gene Day for this one.
IRON MAN by David Michelinie, John Romita Jr., and Bob Layton.
X-MEN by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin
DAREDEVIL--aside from Miller's tour de force, I liked Jim Shooter, Gil Kane, and Klaus Janson; also Roger McKenzie, Gene Colan, and (again) Klaus Janson--THE Daredevil inker!
DR. STRANGE by Steve Englehart, Gene Colan, and Tom Palmer was beautiful, as was Colan and Palmer's TOMB OF DRACULA.
FANTASTIC FOUR--of course Lee, Kirby, and Sinnott!  And Sinnott over John Buscema--and Buckler and Byrne too!

DETECTIVE COMICS by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin
FLASH by Cary Bates, Irv Novick, and Frank McLaughlin
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA also with Frank McLaughlin over Dick Dillin, with Steve Englehart as my favorite writer there
BATMAN by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano
GREEN LANTERN--ditto!
Maybe I'm crazy, but I really liked Vince Colletta over Kirby on THOR, George Tuska on various, and Mike Grell on LEGION and WARLORD!
And Joe Rubinstein on Jim Starlin on that one LEGION and AVENGERS and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE annuals!

All of these were such childhood joys of mine, all where the inker played an indispensable part.

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