Journey into Mystery #644 – Review

By: Kieron Gillen (writer), Carmine di Giandomenico (art), Chris Sotomayor (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  Loki tries to save Leah while Thor finds himself in Hel.

The Review:  Five issues in and the Everything Burns crossover is still going strong, serving as an effective and complete culmination of Kieron Gillen’s run on Journey into Mystery, with no stone left unturned and no element left unused, as Hela and the Disir get in the mix this month.

What really makes this issue shine, like most issues of JIM, is the excellent character-work.  Amidst all the bluster and wit, there’s a real aura of sadness and guilt that comes off of Loki throughout the whole issue.  Truly, Everything Burns is everything Loki has done throughout the series coming around to bite him and Gillen does a great job in emphasizing that fact.  This isn’t just Loki with his back against the wall, this is a sad Loki faced with the ruin he’s wrought, alone and outcast.

Mighty Thor #19 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Alan Davis (art), Chris Sotomayor (colors)

The Story:  Thor tries to either rally, or beat down, the Asgardians and the Nine Worlds catch fire and Loki finds his back against the wall.

The Review:  I’ve been pretty high on the Everything Burns crossover thus far.  It’s brought the absolute best out of Fraction’s title while serving as a perfect culmination for Gillen’s title.  Unfortunately, this issue of Mighty Thor is very much a transitional issue.  Things are consolidated, pieces are shuffled a bit on the board, and there’s one, big, giant reveal/cliffhanger on the last page.

That doesn’t mean this is a bad issue though, far from it.  Everything that’s made this crossover so great is still present: I continue to enjoy the political machinations, with rulers being scandalized and imprisoned and the Asgardians going into revolt.  Politics are a tried and true staple of great fantasy novels (just look at the Songs of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones!) so it’s no surprise how well it continues to work here.

Fraction also does make some adjustments that strengthen his work overall.  One of the very few complaints I had in his last issue was that Kid Loki’s voice just wasn’t as strong as it is in Gillen’s book.  Well, this month, Fraction fixes that problem and Kid Loki is back to his lovable self, with a couple of great lines and his always fantastic, nuanced relationship with Thor on full display.

Art-wise, once again it’s Alan Davis drawing a fantasy book so, no surprise, it’s excellent.  Davis gets to draw some great, worlds spanning battle scenes this month, which is awesome.  His Surtur also continues to look amazing and Davis’ remains escapist, immersive fun with a very classic fantasy, swords and sorcery feel.  He’s a perfect fit for this comic.

Journey into Mystery #641 – Review

By: Kieron Gillen (writer), Rich Elson (art), Sotocolors (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Loki brings an unpopular kind of peace to Otherworld and fulfills his debt to Hela.

The Review:  KIERON!!!!!!  Seriously, this issue made me feel like Captain Kirk in Wrath of Khan.

That’s actually not really a bad thing though.  It’s just that Gillen delivers an absolutely heart-rending, downright unfair character death this month that almost hits too hard.  Given that it’s a character that Gillen has done such a great job of building from the ground up, and one with a really great dynamic with Loki, it’s hard to read.  Gillen also shows his skill as a writer:  this is one of the best written death scenes that I’ve read in a big two comic in some time.  In just a couple of pages, Gillen makes the scene truly emotional by capitalizing on the reader’s investment, using dialogue that recalls former elements of the character’s relationship with Loki.  I guess that’s what makes it so sad as well: those elements are, chiefly, a running joke between the two that now takes on a very sad and ironic, and hence very different, meaning.  I guess this touches upon why this death is written so well – it feels meaningful because Gillen has spent so much of the series getting us invested in the character and his/her relationship to Loki.  Gillen spent the time in the script, he made the investments, and now he’s reaping the dividends.

Journey into Mystery #638 – Review

by Kieron Gillen, Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Carmine Di Giandomenico (art), Chris Sotomayor (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: As they run wild, we learn that everything we thought we knew about the history of the Disir is wrong.

The Review:  While Journey into Mystery is one of favourite books, I’ll admit that I’ve not been too high on Exiled as of yet.  However, after the genius twist at the end of last week’s issue of New Mutants, things are definitely coming together with this issue.  As the Disir cause mayhem, it seems that the prior issues were only awkward because it was Gillen and DnA getting the pieces in place so that we could get to the story that is told this month.

This issue’s big reveal is, basically, that everything we thought we knew about the Disir is wrong.  Frankly, I love it when writers pull things like this, particularly given that Gillen created the Disir anyway.  The best part is that this sudden reveal about the Disir’s true history makes them far more sympathetic, which completes a slow-burn effort Gillen has been working towards throughout his run; since his run on Thor, the Disir have gradually become more sympathetic and this reveal is all of that reaching its fruition.  It’s a lot more tragic and it makes a lot more sense than a bunch of women randomly deciding to take up cannibalism in a cave.  It’s a great story by Gillen that serves to truly flesh out the Disir, putting the reader in the odd position of feeling a bit bad for the monsters as they rage around and tear the city up.

Quite honestly, that flashback tale/retelling carries the issue and it alone makes this by far the best issue of Exiled thus far.  There are other things to like, however.  Dani Moonstar really shines this month as the souped-up Valkyrie action hero, courtesy of Hela.  The last page is also a pretty bold move by Gillen and DnA, bringing back a very, very powerful character who is suddenly extremely relevant to this story.

Journey into Mystery #637 – Review

by Kieron Gillen, Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Carmine di Giandomenico (art), Andy Troy (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: So what did Sigurd’s spell do?  Not that much…it just turned all the Asgardian gods into humans.

The Review:  What an utterly bizarre issue. Of course, that’s rather the point.  Through Sigurd’s spell, Gillen and DnA effectively turn the world topsy turvy and the surreal, dream-like atmosphere that results is certainly part of this issue’s appeal.  Also, there is a certain joy the writers take in finding appropriate human roles for the depowered gods (who seemingly have forgotten their godliness).  Loki is an avid pen-and-paper role player, always a player in the game of his devising.  Volstagg is a baker who eats all of his own products (except the healthy stuff).  Sif teaches an MMA class.  For the most part, it all makes sense, and seeing what role each god occupies is rather amusing.

A big problem, however, is the dialogue.  Gillen and DnA elect to have the gods speak colloquial English (though their dialogue still has that Asgardian lettering) to reflect their human status.  This is great in theory, but not so good in practice, as it means that the Asgardians no longer sound like themselves at all.  For instance, Thor’s talking like an average joe takes something away from the essence of the character.  I see where the writers were coming from, but in execution, it falls flat, as the characters, in losing their distinctive voices, essentially become entirely different people.

Worse still, while JIM rarely falls flat when it comes to humour, Loki’s narration just didn’t work for me here.  Gillen has the issue narrated as though it were a game of D&D in which Loki is the player character.  It feels strained and forced and ultimately distracts, showing far too much artifice on Gillen’s part.

Exiled #1 – Review

By: Kieron Gillen, Dan Abnett, & Andy Lanning (writers), Carmine di Giandomenico (art), Andy Troy (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  After a mysterious hero from ages past dons his suit of armour, the Disir break loose from their enslavement in hell.

The Review:  I confess that I’m not at all a New Mutants reader and, as such, wasn’t particularly thrilled at the announcement of this crossover.  However, as a huge Journey into Mystery fan, I’m happy to say that a lot of the charm of that series remains in this issue.  In fact, you could argue that this is more a JIM storyline than a New Mutants one, as Thor and the Asgardians run amok, the Disir are the baddies, and Hela arrives on Earth.  Really, it actually made the New Mutants more palatable to me.  They felt somewhat disoriented and confused, suddenly thrown into a high fantasy, Journey into Mystery story, having to play outside their usual realm/genre.  Their presence is so dissonant, that it actually ends up being kind of cool.

As he had throughout JIM, Loki continues to light up every page on which he appears.  Even in this issue, which has much less Loki than your average issue of JIM, Gillen’s wit nonetheless crackles.  Loki’s playing a telephone game of sorts in relaying the bad news regarding the Disir was entertainingly scripted and Gillen continues to amuse with Loki’s eager adoption of contemporary slang.

Journey into Mystery #632 – Review

by Kieron Gillen (writing), Mitch Breitweiser (art), Bettie Breitweiser (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Loki gets a very special present from Hela, courtesy of Garm.

The Review:  This was originally advertised as something of a Christmas issue, but ultimately, while Gillen delivers on that promise, we get something a little more subtle.  While there definitely is a nice message and a certain Christmas-y atmosphere, outside of an opening scene, it’s never overtly a Christmas issue.  Rather, it’s a charming one-shot that feels appropriate for the spirit of the season.

The first thing you’re going to notice about this book is the art.  It’s a pretty big departure from the look Doug Braithwaite established for the book and yet, it’s utterly gorgeous and totally appropriate in its own way.  Much like the Allreds, the Breitweiser husband/wife duo are perfect artistic compliments to one another.  They come together to bring you a book that feels, well, mysterious.  It’s a book that’s heavy on atmosphere and one really gets the feeling of a fantastical wintry wonderland.  And then there are the little puppies which are the core of the issue, and the Breitweisers do an absolutely adorable job on them, making them little bundles of malcontented fur.

And really, those puppies sum up this issue: completely and utterly charming and adorable.  This is a comic with a big heart, but one that also has mature sensibilities when it comes to its storytelling.  Loki, Leah, the puppies introduced in this issue, all of them are just so bloody lovable.

This helps Gillen in getting the reader to really become emotionally invested in the issue.  On the one hand, yes, the ending was predictable and yet, in spite of that, I was still crying out at “Loki, don’t do it!”  The fact that I was so desperate to get the ending I expected/wanted and that Gillen kept me on the hook throughout says quite a bit about this book.  When I finally got that ending, it was all too satisfying.

There are a lot of laughs to be had this month as well.  From Leah and Loki’s always wonderful relationship, to Volstagg’s honorary Christmas job, to the ridiculously murderous quips of Loki’s new pet puppy, you’re guaranteed to laugh out loud with this comic and all of the jokes are of the good-natured sort.

Journey into Mystery #625 – Review

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

The Story: With war in hell on the horizon, Loki brokers a deal with Mephisto and Hela.

What’s Good:  In case you didn’t know, Kieron Gillen’s Journey into Mystery is among Marvel’s very best books.  It’s witty, charming, funny, dramatic, and epic, just like its lead character.  It’s also remarkably consistent in its quality and so, once again this month, we get a fantastic outing from Kid Loki and friends.  As ever, the little guy oozes charisma and carries the book with ease.  His machinations are a joy to watch, his jokes are consistently funny, and he’s all-around adorable and naturally likable.

This month in particular, it’s really good fun-seeing Loki play the mega-powers off one another, manipulating beings far beyond him in power to suit his ends.  He also does it with such grace and humour that it’s a joy to watch and the dialogue is eloquently written by far, far ever ever being dry.  Loki’s humour is also often edgy in its wit.  One line he delivers in particular to the Tongue of the Serpent really got a laugh out of me.  Gillen’s clearly quite a funny guy, and the humour isn’t just extended to Loki; Hel-Wolf’s grumpy, murderous demeanor is great and there’s a fantastic sight gag Gillen delivers near the end of the issue when Loki, Ikol, and Hel Wolf get beamed to a backyard in New Jersey.

Mephisto, Hela, and new character Leah are all excellently written.  I cannot stop heaping praise on Gillen’s dialogue, which carries this issue.  Mephisto is as slimy as ever (he even gives us the recap page!) and Leah’s playing the straight man to Loki makes me very happy to see her as an addition to the cast.

Avengers Prime – Graphic Novel Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers, Iron Man, and Thor find themselves trapped in a strange, Asgardian realm and under attack from Hela.

The Review:  Sometimes you get a comic that is not at all what it was advertised as.  Judging from the preview of the first issue of Avengers Prime, as well as Marvel’s hype around the miniseries, you’d think you were getting a comic that was heavily reliant on the aftermath of Siege.  You’d also think that you were about to get a thrilling comic focused on Steve, Tony, and Thor yelling at each other about the events of the last ten years of Avengers continuity.

Oh, thank God that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Funnily enough though, for the first few pages, that’s exactly what you get.  And really, those first few pages are by far the weakest portion of the book.  Then out of nowhere, the comic entirely shifts and you end up getting a continuity light (Steve Rogers falling in love with an elf chick), high fantasy comic that is barrels of old school fun for everyone.

Of course, when you say “high fantasy,” Brian Bendis most likely isn’t the first writer that comes to mind.  In fact, he’s probably not the last one either.  However, Bendis actually acquits himself really well here.  There’s something about the new setting and genre that revitalizes Bendis’ work, giving freshness to it.  You don’t really get any of the usual Bendis foibles of mischaracterization and irritatingly repeated lines of dialogue.  Instead, you get a comic that’s all fantasy ass-kicking and when there are “moments” between the Big Three, they feel genuine and sincere, and certainly more than enough to put a smile on your face.

Journey into Mystery #624 – Review

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

The Story: “Have fun!  Don’t get killed!  I’ll be back soon!”

The Review:  It’s one thing for a series to be capable of putting out awesome issues, but it’s another thing entirely for it to be consistent, and now, in it’s third issue, that’s exactly what Kieron Gillen’s Journey into Mystery is proving itself to be.  Nothing that made the first issue so fresh and generally fantastic has been lost and, in fact, most of what I praised the last two issues for can be applied just as aptly to this month’s work.

Once again, the heart and soul of this series is kid Loki, upon whom Gillen anchors the issue with a near unwavering focus.  That’s a good idea given that kid Loki remains an absolutely charming character who also proves to be one of a kind.  Loki’s voice is incredibly unique; writers often are guilty of writing kids unrealistically, making them too smart-mouthed, witty, or otherwise super-capable.  With Kid Loki, Gillen gets the rare opportunity to get away with this and, in fact, profit from it.  Kid Loki has the innocence and excitement of any child protagonist of a fantasy yarn, but he also has the roguish intelligence and humor of the god of mischief.  Indeed, there’s a constant sense that Loki’s gears are constantly turning and that intellectually, everyone else is two steps behind him.  He’s a bloody smart kid and it’s impossible not to love him for it.  He’s also still capable of creating laughs, particular with the chemistry he shares with his grumpy and generally evil Hel-Wolf companion.

Gillen also gets the chance to write Mephisto again, which he did so wonderfully in his run on Thor.  The big red dude is perfectly slimy and devious and seeing he and Loki chat is a real treat, one that I could’ve read for pages upon pages.  It’s fantastic stuff.  Better still is how kid Loki manages to play Mephisto and Hela off one another, using these two mega-powers as, essentially, pawns.  It’s great fun to read.

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 #12 – Review

By J.Michael Straczynski (writer), Olivier Coipel (artist), Mark Morales (inker)

The Story: In this thematic prequel to “Dark Reign,” Loki hijiacks the title for an issue and meets with Hela in Las Vegas.  There, he asks for her help in sending him back in time in order to confront the demons of his past, and maybe even create them.

The Good: Thor continues to be one of the most well-produced comics out there.  Straczynski’s characterizations of the Asgardians are dead on, epic and otherworldly. He captures the stoic detachment of gods forced to walk the Earth and interact with humans.  Likewise, Coipel’s art is absolutely stunning to look at.  Thor has never been more regal, more powerful, and more intimidating than Coipel’s rendition of him. The same goes for Loki in this issue as well.  In the hands of such a stellar creative team, Loki is a truly malicious villain, moving with ease from moments of great cunning to horrible brutality in pursuit of his goals.  When he insists to Hela that he is close to bringing down Thor once and for all, I actually believe it.

The Not So Good: Thor is not meant to read like a traditional superhero comic.  Straczynski’s scripts are tightly structured and methodically paced, and a new reader may grow frustrated with the lack of action and speed they’ve come to expect from other comics.  Also, longtime readers of the title may even consider this issue something of an oddity, a sub-plot at best that was allowed to be stretched out for the sake of filling pages.

Conclusion: This issue was a dark look at the thoughts and actions of one of Marvel’s most notorious villains, and longtime readers of the series will probably enjoy the experience.  To be fair though, it’s not for everyone, and new readers may want to wait for the next collection to hit the stands before reading it.

Grade:  C+

-Tony Rakittke