I suspect that a lot of what happens in this comic is not what it seems.  At times in this issue, Athena appears to be somewhat villainous, but that does not match her past portrayal in this series.  Through most of this series, Athena has functioned as Zeus’ chief advisor who is always looking out for the best interests of Zeus and Olympus.  This very issue recounts the story of how Athena advised Zeus in his defeat of Typhon.  Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, knows that Mikaboshi is returning, and she is arranging her strategy for battling him.  I think that Pak and Van Lente are setting Athena up as a kind of opposite number to Loki.  Athena is wise, but she can also be devious and cunning like Loki.  Unlike Loki, Athena is one of the good guys.  I may be wrong about this, but I’m not even convinced that Hercules is dead.  We never get to see the body.   Athena says that he was “vaporized,” but is that possible?  Hercules has a magical invulnerability (derived from Hera’s breast milk) that makes him one of the most physically durable characters in the Marvel Universe.  Is it possible to vaporize him without a trace?

            I thought the Agents of Atlas follow up was just o.k.  I’m not sure I like the idea of Aphrodite abdicating.  Pak and Van Lente had been using her in a very dryly humorous way.  I hope her “going away” is going to be the beginning of something interesting.

            I liked the art in both the main story and the follow up.  I really liked the cover on this issue.  I notice that Alex Garner is getting to do the covers on Marvel’s coolest comics.  He also contributes a great cover to this week’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.”