The Mighty Thor #18 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Mysterious, unquenchable fires break out over Broxton as Freyja dreams of a forgotten war from long ago.

The Review:  When Alan Davis draws an issue, it’s grounds to be excited.  When he draws a high-fantasy comic, it’s time to just fork over the money.  As anyone who’s ever flipped through Avengers Prime should know, while Davis can draw a great many things, his work is nothing less than transcendent when drawing fantasy stuff.  Naturally, Matt Fraction gets this, as this issue is the most straight high-fantasy of anything we’ve gotten from Fraction thus far.  This allows Davis to really go to work, immersing us in a uniquely fantasy yarn that feels epic and distinct from anything else Marvel is offering.  With genre diversification not being Marvel’s strong suit, it’s nice to see Davis doing what he does best and Fraction giving us a straight high-fantasy comic, taking us away to faraway worlds and long-ago times.

Thor #611 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Rich Elson (art), Andy Troy (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: The souls of the Asgardians who fell during Siege come under attack in Hel.

What’s Good: It sure feels good to see a good old fashioned Thor story, rife with occult baddies, Hela, and trademark Norse heroism.  The last couple of pages in particular are something of a “hell yeah” in that last regard as Thor literally leads his men to hell.  That’s pretty damned awesome in concept alone and very, very “Thor.”

What makes it even more effective, however, is how Gillen has subtly made this upcoming war in hell into something of an echo of Siege itself.  In doing so, perhaps this story arc can be seen as a kind of redemption for the Asgardians.  Hela has turned herself into a castle to house the souls of the departed Asgardians from the attacking Disir and Thor and his band, at issue’s end, go to relieve the besieged.  Essentially, they’re fighting another siege, in hell, to save those who died in, Siege.  It’s really well orchestrated and I’m quite impressed with Gillen’s being able to find such an effective parallel to recent events.

Gillen does a great job with these Disir, who are really, really creepy.  The demonstrations of their power are also pretty impressive and, in one case, explosive.  I’ve got to say that Gillen doesn’t hold back one iota on the gore and violence.  One particular trick pulled by the Disir late in the issue is downright shocking.  All told, their used very effectively by Gillen.  I also thought it was pretty cool to see Hela back in action again.  In fact it’s just cool to see her in an important role again and a sign to me that it’s back to business as usual for Thor and that we’re leaving the event behind.

On art, I generally like Elson’s work.  It has a painterly feel that sort of reminds of classic fantasy pin-ups, which really suits Thor.

Conan the Cimmerian #5 – Review

By Timothy Truman (writer) Tomas Giorello and Rochard Corben (art), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I was actually quite hesitant to pick this one up. While I have enjoyed the series for the most part, my interest is definitely beginning to fade. Conan’s “trip back home” arc has gone on long enough in my opinion, but seeing as though it is going to run through issue seven, I figured I might as well just stick it with it a bit longer.

The Story: Conan and Caollan find themselves on the defensive, as Horsa’s group moves in for the woman. Luckily, a recent acquaintance shows up just in time to provide some support so Conan can continue on the path back home. As for Connacht, he finds himself on board a slaver’s ship in a situation ripe for a revolt.

What’s Good: While I have little doubt that this story arc will read much better as a collection, each installment is still entertaining and visually pleasing enough. Conan’s journey has a weight and urgency to it that allows for some nice character work among all the action. Connacht’s tale also proves worthwhile, as events and decisions made in his time continue to be subtly reflected in the present. Also good is the fact that the ending of the issue means that the next will bring a very welcome change to the somewhat stale proceedings.

What’s Not So Good: Some of the action in the book is marred by awkward or confusing direction. While the artwork is strong as a whole, I found myself a bit confused on the flow of events on more than one occasion. Also, it is worth mentioning that Timothy Truman’s storytelling structure is probably better suited for a collected format. I consider this “not so good” because, while the bigger picture improves every month, the chapters ultimately feel as though they are lacking the instant gratification that most people read monthly comics for. Conan The Cimmerian #5 is no exception.

Conclusion: The latest chapter in the Conan the Cimmerian series is entertaining, but I can’t say that it is necessarily worth the cash. If you have been enjoying watching the bigger picture come together, then by all means pick it up. But if you, like me, have been a bit frustrated by the arc’s pacing, you may want to skip it.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

I agree with Kyle that this story will probably read better as a collection. I get the sense that once the second half of the story starts, all the previous issues will feel like filler. Everything is entertaining, beautifully written and drawn, but it feels like these five issues could have been cut down to two or three. Nevertheless, I respect the meticulous setup of Cimmeria and the reintroduction of Conan. Mission accomplished. Now I’m ready for things to get started and to move away from all the walking and little battles.

After seeing these little glimpses of his life, anyone else really want a Connacht series?

Grade: B

-Ben Berger

Conan the Cimmerian #3 – Review

By Timothy Truman (Writer), Tomas Giorello & Richard Corben (Art), and Jose’ Villarubia (Colors)

Now this is more like it! While I enjoyed the first two issues of this series, I was a bit let down by the way in which Conan was sort of pushed by the wayside in favor of the extremely compelling, horror-tinged tale of Conacht. While (somewhat surprisingly) Conacht returns this month to star in another tale, Conan is featured much more prominently and does, well, what I always figured Conan was supposed to do.

While traveling through icy, dangerous terrain on the way back to Cimmeria, Conan has a chance-encounter with a childhood friend, Caollan. The reunion doesn’t exactly go as Conan had hoped and the two quickly find themselves fighting off an angry band of Aesir that was hunting down Caollan for abandoning a wedding arrangement. Some action and a daring escape later, the two find themselves taking refuge in a cave where Conan tells a tale about Conacht while the Aesir prepare to escalate the hunt.

I really can’t say enough about the creative team working on this series, as they provide us a compelling issue that manages to find a nice balance between the main Conan story and the adventures of Connacht. Timothy Truman’s writing is spot on for this type of book and it delivers just what I had hoped for when I decided to start reading about Conan. The storytelling has a classic feel to it, the darkly humorous dialogue is entertaining, and the introduction of Conacht helps to keep things from getting stale. As for the art, both distinct styles (one for Conan and one for Conacht) do a fantastic job elevating the stories being told. Tomas Giorella really brings Conan’s gritty environment to life, while Richard Corben gives Conacht’s story a surreal, unnerving tone that makes me think that his tale may once again dabble in the horror genre. Both artists are complimented by some fantastic color work by Jose’ Villarubia.

What else can I say? I really enjoyed the latest issue of Conan the Cimmerian, and I think you will too. While I wish there was a bit more substance to the overall plot at this point, I can’t act as though I have not been thoroughly entertained. Another strong issue from what looks to be a strong series. (Grade: B+)

– Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

This book is definitely worth checking out simply because it stands out from other comics. It’s one of the few good sword and sorcery books, and it somehow manages to carry a horror tone as well– thus making it a distinguishable book of its genre. From swords and barbarians to blood rituals, you might want to consider peeking through this book.

My only complaint is that it’s still tough to see where things are going. Conan’s returning home to Cimmeria, but why? Conan’s fought raiders, saved a childhood friend and presses on deeper into his homeland. But so far there’s no villain, no Thulsa Doom, or the like with an evil plot to foil. Conan the drifter is fine, and definitely works in the context of this story. But sooner or later I think I’ll want to see him pushing towards a goal rather than killing raider after raider. And for the record, Conan, Conacht, and Caollan– just because you’re a god-dang Cimmerian, it doesn’t mean your name has to start with the letter “C.” (Grade: B+)

-Ben Berger