Journey into Mystery #626 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Doug Braithwaite (pencils), Ulises Arreola & Andy Troy (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Loki cuts a deal with the biggest, toughest demon in limbo before seeking the aid of a very shiny resident of Asgard.

What’s Good:  One thing I’ve really appreciated about Kieron Gillen’s Journey into Mystery has been it’s pacing.  Each issue is a full experience, seeing Loki get himself into a scrape, cut a deal with a megapower or two, and achieve an objective.  Each issue then leaves us with a prelude for next month’s issue, showing where Loki’s going to be heading to next.  It’s a really great format that makes each issue comprehensive and satisfying, while also leaving the reader desperately wanting the next installment.  It’s a fine balance, and Gillen rides it well.

Meanwhile, Loki remains as endearing as ever as we once again watch his machinations unfold as he constantly seems one step ahead of the big boys of the Nine Realms.  Gillen makes it easy to see suggestions of how exactly Loki is manipulating the great powers he runs up against, Surtur in this case, yet that the big demon seems unaware of any foul play ends up forging a kind of link between Loki and the reader and makes us all the more attached.  Loki’s escape route was also a really nice touch of comedy and mischief.  Similarly, it’s just so easy to root for Loki as he runs from a vengeful Hel-Wolf or dodges giant demon swords, as the character manages to be crafty and lovable, but also vulnerable.  As witty and smart as Loki is, Gillen is aware of his physical fragility and how most readers will react to a kid in danger.

Meanwhile, Doug Braithwaite is as epic and generally awesome as ever and despite the extra colorist, there’s really not any noticeable difference from previous months.  I remain impressed at how Braithwaite is able to produce detailed, impressive work like this month after month without any delays.

Also, that ending…  Wow.  Just wow.  It’s as though Gillen sat back and thinks to himself each month “how can I make Kid Loki more awesome?”

Thor #621 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry & Salvador Larroca (art), Matt Hollingsworth & Ulises Arreola (colors), and John Workman (letters)

The Story: The Blood Legion battles the World Eaters for all the marbles.

The Review: I’m really pretty torn over this comic.  As a huge fan of Thor, there were things that really worked and things that simply did not, and they’re all big things.

On the one hand, I really do tip my hat to Matt Fraction when it comes to the sheer scale of this comic.  Seeing the massive Asgardian Blood Legion golem battling a horde of World Eaters is awesome on so many levels.   Seeing it attempting to attack the world tree as reality itself threatens to come asunder…it’s really, really massive stuff.  In this respect, that tells me that Fraction gets Thor.  The size alone of what he writes is enough to attest to that.  The panicked citizens of Broxton, the hellish environment, the number of bodies involved in the fight itself, Odin and Uthana Thoth’s battle of wills, and the victory celebration at the end all suggest epic stuff.

The problem, though, is Fraction’s pacing.  Many have criticized Thor and Invincible Iron Man for the slow pacing, but I was fine with it.  What I’m not fine with, is how Fraction built everything up for so long and that neatly ties everything up in these 22 pages.  The conclusion, and the fight itself, relegated as they are to just about one issue, ends up feeling rushed and far too easy.  It’s as though Fraction suddenly woke up and realized he only had one issue to wrap everything up and went nuts as a result.  Hell, nobody even really fights Uthana himself.

Thor #619 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and John Workman (letters)

The Story: Odin is greeted by a returned Loki and we learn some interesting facts about the World Tree courtesy of old One Eye before Balder and Tyr go on the attack.

What’s Good: I’ve been going on and on about Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth’s respective work on this series and this is just as gorgeous as ever.   Big, lush artwork with smooth layouts is mixed with awesome, fantasy-perfect colors.  The characters look iconic and heroic and the environments are a perfect mixture of craggy fantasy and cosmic sci-fi.  The fight scenes are no less awesome, basically ending up as a dramatic explosion of violence.  I also continue to enjoy Ferry’s Odin, who is positively jacked.

With Fraction’s writing, I quite enjoyed his use of Odin.  The character reacts to his resurrection much as we thought he would, and his treatment of Loki was fun to read as was Loki’s subsequent reaction; it reflects well on Loki’s new form.  Odin also adds a new/old dynamic to the series: someone who can curse out Thor.  More than that though, because he’s able to come down on Thor, Fraction is able to use Odin to point out a bizarre habit of Thor’s lately: resurrecting anybody and everybody.  Fraction does a good job of showing how this is isolating Thor, and, more than that, I loved Odin’s bringing up the point that Thor simply must have trouble-makers about.  It highlights a very interesting character flaw that I hope is explored later.

Beyond Fraction’s Odin, I continue to enjoy child Loki, who really returns the character to his “trickster” essence.  It boils the character down a bit, but also shows a side of the god that is not only fresh, but makes perfect sense.  Thoth and his goons are similarly fun to read, let alone look at.  I continue to love the retro-sci-fi vibe they bring to the book.

Thor #618 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and John Workman (letters)

The Story: Asgard finds itself beseiged by World Tree refugees.

What’s Good: Epic.  That’s a pretty apt description of Fraction’s story thus far, and this issue only cements that.  With refugees coming in from all over the World Tree, there’s a sense of great migration, with Asgard as a final sanctuary.  It’s a massive story and one that suits epic fantasy.  It feels downright big, and when you see all the Asgardians raise their weapons into the air and vow to fight and defy Thoth to the last, it’s a major fist pump moment, sort of like when you first watched the start of the Helm’s Deep sequence in the Lord of the Rings movies.  In other words, it’s pure fantasy comic goodness.

It’s also interesting seeing how Fraction uses Thor this month.  As has occasionally been the case with his Iron Man comic, Fraction seems comfortable with allowing other characters take the spotlight a bit, and the result is some fun character dynamics (Volstagg humorously telling Balder that he’s a crappy king).  It also makes Thor feel all the more pivotal to the book.  Having characters watch him from a distance, or having him show up to interrupt a conflict only makes the character seem, well, mightier.

Pasqual Ferry’s artwork continues to be a joy.  With all the goblins and storm colossi and various critters that storm Broxton this month, Ferry also gets a chance to let his creative juices flow.  The end result is another really visually fun issue.

I also should mention that readers complaining over Fraction’s pacing of this series should be happy this month.  The story definitely feels like it’s moving forward and building momentum and there’s a definite sense of progression.  Things are building up to a fever pitch, stands are taken, and the pieces are just about set, with the story and conflict to come being crystal clear.

Thor #617 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and John Workman (letters)

The Story: Thor awakens the resurrected Loki and Dr. Eric Solvang finally finds someone to listen to him as Uthana Thoth continues to expand his dominion.

What’s Good: In all honesty, if you’ve liked Matt Fraction’s first two issues of Thor, you’re going to like this one for pretty much all of the same reasons as the quality remains utterly consistent.  It’s still the epic, quirky mix of fantasy and old school sci-fi that’s had me raving over the last couple of months.

Beyond that though, this issue introduces an elephant into the room: a resurrected Loki.  I’ll admit, while I was curious, I was also a bit miffed; Loki’s death was a big event at the end of Siege and was examined nicely by Kieron Gillen, and he’s already being brought back from the dead?  It seemed hasty.

Well, I was wrong to doubt Matt Fraction, as this is far from simply bringing Loki back.  The Loki Fraction introduces is essentially a new character to the series.  I won’t spoil the surprise, but what Fraction does here is utterly ingenious, essentially making an old character completely new and fresh both in personality and what he stands for.  There’s huge potential here.  Furthermore, Loki’s human alter-ego, a child street hustler in Paris, is an absolute delight to read in all his carnie goodness.

I also was surprised by how well Tony Stark functioned in this book.  It’s a character Fraction knows very well, but one that also works very well as a middle-man between the quantum cosmologist Eric Solvang and the Asgardians.  He’s basically a big name Marvel Universe figure who serves as a bridge between these two very disparate genres who both occupy that same universe.  It’s well-done by Fraction.

Art-wise, Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth deliver another knockout, even in an issue that’s a bit more restrained, focusing more on everyday environments.  The work is still brimming with character, both comic booky and incredibly polished.  Art-wise, there’s nothing not to like here and I really loved Ferry’s goblins, who made the last page funnier than it should have been.

Thor #616 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and John Workman (letters)

The Story: Volstagg tries to get Thor to listen to a grave warning as the god of thunder comes to a decision about Loki.

What’s Good: One of the things that has me most excited about Matt Fraction’s run is his bringing back the goofy sci-fi element to Thor.  Aside from the odd Marvel Universe cameo, sci-fi has really been wholly absent from Thor since the title’s return under JMS.  Though I’ve liked all of the series since that relaunch, it really is the right time.

Really, when read with a critical eye, that generic return, and earlier absence, are what this comic is all about as Fraction crafts the central conflict of this arc around this battle of genres.  Thoth and his minions, wacky cosmic villains that they are, can sort of be seen as personifications of old school Marvel science fiction.  Thus, it’s very, very effective how Fraction scripts Thor and Balder’s treatment of the quantum cosmologist that Volstagg brings; they’re too busy wandering about Odin’s trophy room, doing very Asgardian type things.  They have come to be in ignorance of those sci-fi threats, and that’s what this arc is all about, really.  When approached by science fiction, Thor rejects it with hostility and incomprehension, preferring instead to stay in the strictly mythological arena that the comic has been hugged to since the relaunch.  Cosmology, science, and sci-fi threats are, well, far too alien and other to the world Thor and his buddies have become accustomed to.

Of course, Fraction’s point is that these elements can’t be ignored.  Thor is going to have to fight these dudes and recognize “quantum cosmology.”  And so, Thor will eventually grow accustomed to the book’s sci-fi elements once again.  It’s beautiful writing by Fraction and very nuanced and I hope most people see what he’s doing.  This story is less about thumping bad guys than it is stamping out Thor’s generic territory and such remarkable writing in mainstream superhero comics needs to be commended.

On a more “down to earth” level, there’s a lot to like here, much like last month.  Volstagg is still a blast to read, Fraction’s take on Broxton’s residents is different from JMS’, but no less charming, and Ferry and Hollingsworth continue to crank out gorgeous, lush artwork that distinguishes Thor from anything else on the stands.  It’s amazing how well Ferry can go from Thoth, to Broxton, to Asgard.  Ferry and Hollingsworth suit each other so well and make for a glorious visual product.  Oh, and the book has one heckuva cliffhanger.

Thor #615 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and John Workman (letters)

The Story: A new age for Thor and Asgard begins, as an ominous threat fills Asgard’s void and rages across the metaverse.

What’s Good: Thor fans can breathe a sigh of relief; Matt Fraction arrives and his first issue is a great one.

While it’s difficult to make sweeping judgments after only one issue, I think that it’s fairly clear that Fraction has a very good understanding of the characters and how to use them.  Thor is appropriately brooding and stoic; his bittersweet feelings about Loki, summarized this month in a kind of informal quasi-eulogy, are a highlight of the issue and are very well written and minimalist enough so as to be affecting.

Yet, Fraction also seems aware of the character’s potential as a comedic straight man.  Fraction shows himself to have an incredibly strong handle of the Thor/Donald Blake connection and dynamic.  I had forgotten what a joy this element of the series can be, what with Blake having been absent for some time.  The chemistry between the two is light-hearted and very funny, with Blake even serving as an unlikely adviser.  A couple of his comments on Thor’s behavior even border on making the comic feel amusingly self-aware.  And I’m not even getting started on Fraction’s Volstagg, who can make even the most otherwise boring scenes funny.

Perhaps the most promising aspect of this first issue, however, is what it does generically, mixing sci-fi and high fantasy.  The issue feels like several things elegantly melded together that should be utterly disparate, but somehow come together to form a kind of fresh, sleek, and completely distinct whole.  You have scenes of blue-skinned evils battling sword-wielding demonic barbarians on a snowy plain transitioning to a discussion of “quantum cosmology.”  It sounds utterly insane, and perhaps it is, but it gives the book a unique life and tone that make it unlike anything else out there.

Thor #613 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Rich Elson (pencils & inks), Jim Charalampidis (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Thor journeys across hell on his quest for Eir-Gram while Tyr tries to hold the line.

What’s Good: In this issue, Kieron Gillen’s latest story-arc really feels like it’s come together into something really special.  There’s a greater sense of craft and purpose that leads to a thoroughly entertaining and page-turning experience.

Part of the reason for this is Gillen’s use of narration.  The narration only accompanies the scenes depicting Thor’s quest, but it lends it an epic feel that makes it seem all the more grand and Odysseus-like.  It makes Thor’s journey seem even bigger and more inspired.  It’s also proof of Gillen’s skill as a writer, functioning as an extremely clever way for him to condense Thor’s trek into only a few pages, without making the reader feel cheated or the material rushed.

Better still is how Gillen even goes so far as to bring humour and self-awareness into the book through this narration.  The narrator actually turns out to be a visible character in the comic whose sole function is, well, narration.  He’s actually narrating Thor’s quest for Mephisto as well as us, which somehow turns Mephisto into a reader much like ourselves, almost putting him on our level of experience.  Apparently Mephisto is so powerful, that he’s actually able to read, or listen to, the comic book that he’s in.  It gets even more fun when Mephisto even offers criticism of the narrator’s “writing,” and by extension, Gillen’s.

While Thor’s journey is certainly epic, Gillen also continues to strengthen Tyr as a character.  Gillen has not only brought Tyr back in his run, but also expands the God of War further, making him both conflicted and badass and more compelling than ever.  It’s easy to make a god of war a two-dimensional ass-kicker, and Gillen is doing anything but.  This is a Tyr forced to live up to, and negotiate, that very stereotype despite the fact that he is very capable of feeling fear.  There’s a great shame complex to the character that I love reading.

Thor #612 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Doug Braithwaite (pencils), John Rauch & Andy Troy (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Thor and Tyr rush to the rescue as the Disir lay siege to Hela.

What’s Good: In heading to hell to battle zombie valkyrie, Kieron Gillen’s Thor has managed to regain its identity, distancing itself from Siege and giving a story and atmosphere directly opposite to the big event storytelling of earlier this year.  The result is a comic that is entirely unique from anything else currently being released by Marvel and, for a book like Thor, that’s a very, very good thing.  It’s a natural move for Thor to fully indulge itself as a book based in mythology.  Having a sword and sorcery adventure in hell just feels right, offering a fantasy yarn in a medium often more influenced by science fiction.

While I love the tone and the setting, what sets this issue far above last month’s is the character-work.  Take the Disir, for example.  Gillen has already made them into a credible threat and continues to do the same this month, fashioning them as Asgardian bogeymen who are nigh-on invulnerable.  What makes them more compelling, however, is that this month Gillen makes one among their number, Gondul, not only lack confidence but actually be fearful of Thor, constantly predicting the failure of the Disir’s plans and their inevitable doom.  This added a refreshing layer to villains that would otherwise risk becoming the typical, cackling, overconfident sort.

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.

Thor #610 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Doug Braithwaite (art), Andy Troy, Doug Braithwaite, & Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: The heroes of Asgard come to grips with Siege’s aftermath, while Thor concludes his unfinished business with his clone.

What’s Good: This issue of Thor does what needs to be done in positioning the series, and the Asgardian status quo, moving into the Heroic Age as a time of rebuilding.   I like where this series is going.  Partly, it’s because not everything is being reversed; for instance, I like the fact that Balder is going to remain king.

Then there’s Kelda, who’s left in a very interesting position after this month’s issue.  This is most particularly due to the painfully “sort of, but not quite” return of a much beloved character.  Just seeing this character in an issue of Thor that isn’t a flashback was a heartwarming moment that’ll fill any reader with a desperate kind of hope.

I’m also pleased that Thor’s clone is dealt with.  This is a piece of history that needs dealing with and this resolution is perfectly timed by Gillen.  The character is a clear representation of Civil War and the past and thus, having this character dealt with is a symbolic step forward, away from the past and into a fresher, brighter new era.

Thor #609 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Billy Tan, Batt, & Rich Elson (art), Christina Strain & June Chung (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Loki faces the consequences, Kelda stands and fights, and Volstagg picks himself up.

What’s Good: With Thor not being present this month, several supporting characters pick up the slack.

Kelda, a character I’ve enjoyed since JMS introduced her, still strikes a sympathetic portrait.  Her defending Bill’s parents was touching and it was nice to see them come together.  Of course, it’s always a blast just to see Kelda kick some ass.  She’s one of those characters’ whose potential we’ve never been sure of and I’m glad to see her in a more empowered position this month.

Having a similar “fist-pump” moment this month is Balder, who reminds the world why his name is “Balder the Bright.”  Gillen does his best to make Balder personify the Heroic Age.   When he lights himself up to rally the troops and owns the Hood in a Matrix-like fashion, it’s all kinds of awesome.  Balder has bumbled around quite a bit and it’s nice to see him take up position as the quintessential hero.

Thor #608 – Review

by Kieron Guillen (writer), Billy Tan, Batt, & Rich Elson (art), Christina Strain & Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Siege continues as Tyr defends Asgard from the Hood and Volstagg tangles with Thor’s clone.

What’s Good: Volstagg is really a formula that never fails at this point.  He’s always a great mix of tried-and-true comedy and stalwart heroism, and as such, he’s put to good use this month in his battle with Thor’s clone.  Guillen has a good amount of fun in making Volstagg run yet also knows not to disregard the other half of what makes Volstagg successful.  All comedy aside, we also get enough heroism out of Volstagg to cheer for, as well as a reminder of the fact that the character, for all his bluster, is afflicted by emotional trauma after the events that led to Siege.  Guillen touches on this with perfect timing in a moment of solemnity in the midst of all the fist-pumping.

Kelda, on the other, shines if only due to the conversational dynamic she has with Bill’s family.  Her elevated language compared to the more every day tones of Bill’s family play off really well with each other, reflecting the real divide between two parties that share the same emotions.  It, as well as her appearance, brings the gap between god and mortal to the fore, making the scene all the more tragic and bittersweet.

Art-wise, this is a really great issue.  Billy Tan continues to churn out some of the best work of his career on Thor and his depictions of a crumbling Asgard are astounding.  Meanwhile, the other half of the book is handled by Rich Elson, who’s painted style, aided by positively glowing colors, feels, well, very Asgardian and mythic.  Normally I hate books that have two artists with two such different styles working on it, but this actually works, with the division of work being handled quite deftly.  Tan and Elson handle different scenes and characters from each other, so if anything, it helps thematically, enhancing the gap between Asgard and Midgard (what with Tan’s style being the more Midgardian).

Thor #606 – Review

by Kieron Guillen (writer), Billy Tan (pencils & inks), Batt (inks), John Raunch & Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Thor battles the Doom-controlled Destroyer and Balder ventures into the Latverian dictator’s secret lab.

What’s Good: Guillen has done such a fantastic job in writing a comic so seamlessly linked to Straczynski’s work, if it wasn’t for the name on the cover, it feels like JMS himself actually penned it.  Given that this issue is meant to conclude  JMS’ run and tie up the loose ends, that’s a pretty big compliment.  It feels like an organic point of closure for the series and serves its purpose as a gesture to Thor’s re-integration into the larger stories of the Marvel universe.

Everything feels perfectly paced; I wasn’t left feeling that any of the major players had been brushed over or used merely as means to an end, nor did any scenes, narrative components, or subplots feel stretched or rushed.  Each conflict is more or less resolved in good, if expected, form and there really aren’t any needlessly dangling moments or deus ex machina troubles.

Guillen’s also proven that he can write some damned good bad guys.  Though a little more restrained this month, he continues to write a fantastic Dr. Doom.  Guillen has the balance of inferiority complex and arrogance down perfectly, without letting one overpower the other.  Doom never feels overpowered, nor does he feel like a whiny weakling.  He’s Doom.  Pure and simple.  Even when seemingly outdone, the issue also ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that is the specific kind of awesome that only Doom can deliver.

Loki is also as volatile and inconsistent as ever under Guillen’s hand.  At one moment, he’s working in complete cooperation with his fellow Asgardians, being a team player without being sycophantic.  Then, on the turn of a dime, he’s back to his plotting as one of the Marvel Universe’s key unsavory figures.  This night-and-day approach by Guillen is the perfect method for portraying the deceptive trickster’s nature.

Meanwhile, Balder has perhaps his most sobering moment and decision since Thor’s exile.  Guilt-ridden and increasingly conscious of the weight of the crown and, interestingly, his legacy, Balder is more intriguing a character than ever.  Guillen actually made Balder, a character I’ve at times found rather mediocre, compelling.

Finally, though I can’t remember being much of a fan of Billy Tan’s, his work on this arc has been nothing but stellar, and that remains here.  His action scenes are bombastic and loud, as befits an Asgardian comic and his Destroyer looks fantastic.

Thor #605 – Review

by Kieron Guillen (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Batt (inks), Christina Strain, Emily Warren, & Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Thor confronts Doom, only to discover the Latverian dictator’s pet project.

What’s Good: Billy Tan is putting out the work of his life on this comic.  I’ve never really been a big fan of his, but this is fantastic, cinematic stuff with a really slick, “high budget” feel.  There’s a lot of detail, a lot of big, flashy images, and Doom’s creations look all kinds of awesome.  Also, while it’s thanks to a combined effort by Tan, Batt, Strain, Warren, and Mounts, the issue does wondrous things in its combinations of light and dark.  The team does “night in Latveria” really well.  Everything feels inky black, navy blue at best, while Thor’s flashes of lightning and the torrential rain really sets the mood and only highlights Tan’s already impressive work.  Tan also draws a deceptively “nice guy” Loki.  It’s a joy just to flip through this book.

Thor #604 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Batt (inks), Christina Strain (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Balder begins his war with Doom, as the Latverian dictator’s experiments stand revealed.

What’s Good: Gillen and Tan have a very unenviable task in following one of the greatest Thor runs of all time.  Thankfully, Gillen tries his best to work in the spirit of JMS’ final few issues.   There are no problematic shifts in character voices.  Balder and Loki in particular remain just as sound as ever.  If anything, Loki seems a little less sinister and a little sleazier under Gillen’s hand.  His manipulations are just a little more blunt and obvious, but for the time being, it works given the circumstances.

Gillen also gets the award for writing the most arrogant and pompous Doom of the month.  At times it’s a little over-the-top, but ultimately, Gillen successfully straddles the line between badass and campy. Gillen’s Doom is a vibrant, scenery-chewing read and really dominates every page he appears on.

In the meantime, there’s a rather humorous Fantastic Four cameo in the book that got a smile out of me and I actually felt Gillen’s Balder to be an improvement over JMS’ portrayal of the character over the past few issues.  While still a far cry from Reed Richards, Balder actually isn’t a dumbass under Gillen’s pen, despite maintaining his standard heroic shtick.

On art, this is some of the best work I’ve seen Billy Tan produce in some time and is head and shoulders over his recent New Avengers work.  It’s clear that Tan put absolutely everything he had into this issue.  It is easily up to the standard that Coipell and Djurdjevic have set for the series.  It’s very detailed, while maintaining a dark and epic atmosphere and mystique.  Tan’s effort is close to faultless and superior to Djurdjevic’s rushed work last week.  Despite my concern, if Tan can maintain the quality he showed this month, he was definitely the right man for the job.  Also, his illustrations of Doom’s “experiments” are fantastic.

What’s Not So Good: I was nothing less than irate over Gillen’s treatment of one of JMS’ original characters.  In my review of last week’s finale, I stated that JMS’ massive change in direction for this character was perhaps the most interesting strand he left open at the end of his run.  Gillen, however, seemed to have nothing for the character and so, decides to kill said character off.  He basically took one of the most interesting dangling plots that JMS left behind and completely snuffed it out.  The fact that he does this in literally the very first scene of the book is nothing less than insulting.

Even if the character isn’t dead, it doesn’t change the fact that Gillen has placed the character in a passive position of distress, in need of being saved.  This would be a massive step backward from the terrifyingly pro-active state JMS left the character in.

Other than that, Doom, while enjoyable, does refer to himself in the third person a little too much.  Also, there’s a bit of dialogue where Donald Blake essentially out-thinks Reed Richards.  That Reed would not be able to figure out a basic line of reasoning, especially one related to technology, is ridiculous.

Finally, in an effort to convey Jane’s shadowed surroundings, colorist Christina Strain somehow manages to change poor Jane’s ethnicity.  I had no idea Dr. Foster was Hispanic.

Conclusion: It’s far from the horrific drop-off some predicted, but there are some small glitches and the character death is absolutely unforgivable.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

Thor: Defining Moments Review

by J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils & inks), Danny Miki & Allen Martinez (inks), Christina Strain (colors), and Joe  Sabino (letters)

The Story: Bill’s final fate is determined while Sif and the Warriors Three battle the doombots.

What’s Good: If you approach this book as just another 22-page issue of JMS’ run on Thor, it really is pretty solid and is consistent with the series’ quality as of late, at least as far as the writing is concerned.  It’s also got a couple of moments that’ll have you saying “hell yeah.”

Chief among these scenes is one involving a very angry and very naked Volstagg that is a perfect combination of comedy and pure awesome.  It is, of course, that same combination that defines the character himself.  The sequence is outrageously badass, but maintains Volstagg’s characteristic charm.  Oh, and Hogun and Fandral are absolutely on fire this month with the fat jokes.

Most readers are probably coming to this issue most concerned about the fate of Bill.  At first, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed.  That said, if you expected him to scream “I HAVE THE POWER,” turn into a god, and battle Doom, you’ll be sorely disappointed, but really, such an ending would be just a little stupid.

Instead, Bill’s ending is the best he can manage by just being Bill, and so Straczynski maintains the integrity of the character and his sub-plot.  Make no mistake, he is a hero and, ultimately, he is accepted as an Asgardian, but he does so without abandoning his humble roots or acquiring superhuman powers.  Bill’s tale has always been about being a mortal, a little guy in a world suddenly populated by the very large.  Bill’s fate is only so poignant because JMS retains this theme; Bill remains that little guy, but even so, he manages become a hero among the biggest of the bigs.

Meanwhile, JMS leaves us hanging regarding Kelda.  I think we all suspected she was more powerful than she let on, and now we’re going to see that in action.

What’s Not So Good: It’s hard not to be a little underwhelmed by this issue.  JMS’ run has had such an epic quality, that it’s hard not to expect his final issue to be grander.  What we get isn’t really any sort of massive flourish or cataclysmic ending.  Rather, we just get another solid JMS issue that simply lives up to the quality of his previous issues, no more and no less.   This final issue really has no feeling of closure and though the cover may say “finale,” that’s not what we’ve gotten.  That said, the issue also didn’t contain the sort of “hot potato” landmark shift in status quo that writers often leave off their runs with.  Ultimately, this feels like the last issue of a story arc, but certainly not the last issue of a run.

Finally, this may be the worst looking issue of Thor that Djurdjevic has drawn.  While the art is by no means unbearable, it’s weak by the standards Djurdjevic and Coipel have set for the series.  It reeks of an artist desperately trying to make a deadline.  The level of detail continually falters, with many of the more zoomed out shots and smaller panels suffering a great deal.  There are also a few panels where Donald Blake looks like a substantially younger version of himself.  Having three different inkers on the book also certainly didn’t help, making the book feel even messier with its details even more in question.  It makes the book feel sloppy, chaotic even.

Conclusion: It’s a strong issue of Thor, but it’s not the “finale” it claims itself to be.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

 

Thor: God-Size Special #1 – Review

By Matt Fraction (writer) Doug Braithwaite (art) Dan Brereton (art) Mike Allred (art) Andy Troy (color) Laura Allred (color) Frank D’armata (Color)

The Story: After realizing that their collective memories of their former compatriot Skurge the Executioner have been manipulated, Thor, Balder and Loki travel the nine worlds to uncover who or what is behind this treachery. After a run in with Hela, the Mistress of the Dead, and battles with a horde of dark elves and a grumpy storm giant, the team finally learns who’s behind their maligned memories. But they quickly realize that not just their memories are at stake, but rather the fate of all creation.

What’s Good: Well, I’ve been sitting here for a few minutes thinking and flipping through this comic to recall or find something that I thought was good and nothing is really surfacing. The beginning and the end of this comic that deals with the fate of Skurge are the best parts of this read. Matt Fraction does a good job of painting him as a tragic hero. But this is only about eight pages of this oversize issue, which brings me to….

What’s Not So Good: This one-shot suffers from relying on strong characterization, rather than an actual good story when the former relies on the latter. The retelling of Asgardian family dynamics while Thor and his siblings  fight enemies that seem to come from nowhere and have no connection to the task at hand is tedious and boring. Fraction’s characterizations come off as pretentious and drain any sense of adventure that might arise in this story.

The idea of bringing in different artists to tell different parts of this story is novel, but doesn’t really bring anything to the over all tale. Sure, there are some pretty panels, but not pretty enough to save this comic.

Concussion: I’ve enjoyed all of Fraction’s Thor one-shots save this one. There’s too much back story and retelling of Asgardian personalities and not enough action and adventure. In the previous one-shots we were shown something novel about Thor’s persona, like his rebelliousness for example. But here we’re just treated to Thor the cliche, rendered by different artists.  Pass on this one.

Grade: D+

-Rob G.