Thor: Man of War #1 – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Clay Mann (Pt. 1 Pencils), Victor Olazaba (Pt. 1 Inks), Paul Mounts (Pt 1. Colors), Patrick Zircher (Pt. 2 Art), and June Chung (Pt. 2 Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: For as much as I enjoy the more personal, down-to-earth Thor series, I find that the epic Matt Fraction one-shots better fit the bill for what I’m looking for in a Thor story. And why is that? Simply because the brutal action and sense of scale provide the perfect fix for a casual fan of the character like myself. Time to find out if Thor: Man of War lives up to the bar set by Ages of Thunder and Reign of Blood.

The Story: The destruction caused by Thor’s anger-fueled rampage catches the eye of his father, Odin. Feeling that he must respond in some way, Odin summons the Valkyrior warrior Brunnhilda to get Thor under control. Battling as adversaries but soon united by the need to survive a Storm Giant attack, Thor and Brunnhilda give Odin a reason to take matters into his own hands.

What’s Good: Everything that made Ages of Thunder and Reign of Blood creative successes is present in Man of War. If you liked the first two Fraction-helmed one-shots, then I am sure you will enjoy the latest one as well. Both parts of the story feature fantastic, action-driven artwork and fun, yet weighty, narration.

What’s Not So Good: The only thing negative I can say about Man of War is that it doesn’t feel like it holds quite as much substance as the chapters that preceded it. A lot of that has to do with the action-heavy storyline, but it is still worth mentioning. That said, the artwork during the action scenes mostly make up for any complaint about substance.

Conclusion: Fans of a more legendary take on the classic character will find something to like in the final chapter of Fraction’s epic. I highly recommend it, but be sure to track down the other two parts first.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Invasion: Thor #3 – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Doug Braithwaite (Artist), and Brian Reber (Color Art)

The Story: With the baby safely delivered as promised, Dr. Donald Blake returns to Asgard to find a Super-Skrull on the rampage. Blake soon touches the hammer and the Skrulls quickly find themselves on the defensive as Thor teams with Beta Ray Bill as they fight to restore peace to Asgard.

What’s Good: The conclusion to Thor’s Secret Invasion story proves that there is still a little bit of life left in the tired tie-in formula. The whole book aims for an epic feel and absolutely nails it. Matt Fraction’s writing gives the battle some much needed narrative weight, while Doug Braithwaite’s visuals (with color work by Brian Reber) prove to be a perfect compliment.

What’s Not So Good: For those that are completely sick of the Secret Invasion, there is little chance that this book is going to change any minds. It follows a fairly familiar formula and has very little impact on the larger scheme of things.

Conclusion: Secret Invasion: Thor #3 is pretty much everything you might expect from the title alone. That said, it proves to amount to more than the sum of it’s parts, thanks to the writing and artwork. It works for me, but it is far from essential.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #6 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Broussard (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Sheldon Mitchell (Colors)

The Story: After embracing the Darkness in order to survive being blown to bits, Jackie Estacado faces off against his child, a being borne of nothing but pure Darkness. It is a battle of revenge-fueled rage versus primal, ancient evil as the Empire arc comes to an explosive conclusion.

What’s Good: Pretty much everything. Jackie Estacado continues to be one of the most compelling comic characters around, and this issue of The Darkness is a prime example of why. For a book that focuses almost entirely on the action, this one has a surprising amount of depth. And as far as action is concerned, it doesn’t get much better than this. The epic battle is visually stunning, full of entertaining banter, and it all resolves in a surprisingly clever fashion.

Phil Hester does a fantastic job laying the groundwork necessary to give this battle some emotional impact, and the payoff hits all the right notes. It plays off everything that makes The Darkness such an entertaining series. The main character is at his best, the artwork is better than ever, and the Darkness (both the power and the nature of it) is given a chance to shine.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I enjoy Phil Hester’s writing, it comes across as a bit melodramatic or pretentious from time to time. His style works to great effect for the most part, but every once in a while a phrase will pop up that elicits a roll of the eyes. It is as if he is trying too hard to add weight to the story.

Conclusion: The Darkness #6 is easily one of the strongest issues of the long-running series. It is sure to please fans and action-junkies alike. Highly recommended in every way.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Broken Trinity #2 – Review

By Ron Marz (Writer), Stjepan Sejic (Art), and Phil Hester (Art)

First, a quick note. Now that I’ve read the first two chapters of Top Cow’s Broken Trinity crossover, I find myself absolutely baffled as to why the story is being limited to three main books and two tie-ins (one of which is a prequel and another that remains a mystery). The event feels and looks every bit the epic as advertised and yet it all comes to a conclusion next issue without nearly enough plot development to flesh out the story. Another book or two would do wonders for adding more depth to what looks to be an epic confrontation between the powers of the Top Cow universe. Why is this being cut so short?

Structure complaints aside, not a lot really happens in Broken Trinity #2. The characters and powers all come together in preparation for a clash that will take place next month. Yep, it’s a set up issue. While there is some great character work between Sara and Jackie and some more background on the nature of the conflict at hand, I never felt that things were really moving forward in a way that actually developed the story. That said, I came looking for a visually awesome battle and I honestly believe that Broken Trinity is going to deliver that in a big way… it just doesn’t happen in this issue.

Technically, the issue is quite solid. Ron Marz does some nice character work, but falls a bit short in plot development. He obviously has a strong handle on the characters, but it feels as though he really doesn’t have much planned beyond throwing all these powers together and having them fight it out. There’s no doubt that he really couldn’t have picked a better art team to work with. Stjepan Sejic and Phil Hester make Broken Trinity one of the most visually compelling events in quite some time. My only complaint is the (usual) noticeable drop in quality during minor scenes.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t let down by Broken Trinity #2, but I also find myself really looking forward to the conclusion of the event. Here’s to hoping that it delivers the action it seems to promise. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny