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 #603 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), Dany Mik (inks) Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic with Lauran Martin (colors)

The Story: Thor is in deep trouble as he and Sif try to get acclimated to their new lives together while Loki and Doom plot all-out evil and destruction. William has his first heroic adventure that ends in disaster for him and possibly his new King, Balder. While all these dramatic themes and dire threats culminate, the Warriors Three look for small town employment.

What’s Good: Happily, everything about this book is great except for the fact that this is the second to last time that JMS will be on this series. Seriously, raise your hands if you will be reading Thor after JMS will wrap up his run in thirty days. I for one won’t be. To me, the fact that JMS decided to leave this series is a gross mistake for Marvel. Basically, because he refused to write Thor into the next “event,” whether it is Dark Reign Seige or World War Hulks, JMS had to leave the series. Let me not understate this point; Marvel lost one of their most prolific writers and in turn, arguable their best on-going series because one of the best writers of all times wouldn’t write his muse, Thor, hit She-Rulk with his hammer. Insane, insane and insane.

Anyway, back to this issue. It’s basically perfect. The art is way back on track since the dip in quality that took place last issue. It’s a gorgeous affair and works on every level ascetically and story telling wise. Especially note worth was the band of attackers at the end. Those character designs are almost unforgettable. However, the biggest compliment to the art is that it perfectly compliments the varying perfect moments that JMS writes. The comic beats are flawless and the slower dramatic moments are lasting and emotive.

Of course every comic works from the top down. It all starts with the writer. JMS has so many great ideas and characters being flawlessly executed simultaneously. This is master story telling in any medium and Thor is a true classic. The best part is Thor is mostly absent from this issue, but the whole story revolves around him completely. You lean so much about his character by his influence in his world.

The other high point is the Loki and Doom relationship. The reader gets the feeling that these two could easily destroy and rule the world and their characterizations are impeccable.

Conclusion: A great, great issue. There is something in Thor for everyone. The only down side is that it signals JMS’s run coming to an end. It’s hard to not long for what could have been if JMS was able to stay on this series for another dozen or so issues. Marvel promises that the next and final installment in this run will be in thirty days and trust me, I’ll be the first in line to buy it.

Grade: A

-Rob G.

Dark Reign: The List – Avengers One Shot #1- Review

Avengers feature by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) & Marko Djurdjevic (artist); Daredevil preview by Andy Diggle (writer) & Billy Tan (artist)

It seems to be a prerequisite of all mega-maniacal geniuses in the Marvel Universe to carry a list.  Reed Richards has one.  I’m pretty sure Tony Stark’s got one too, although he may no longer be able to remember where he left it.  And now Norman Osborn has compiled his very own list of things to do now that he is the man in charge.  Compiled in part to finally assassinate people he’s had longstanding grudges with, it also contains some strangely logical goals, like dealing once and for all with Hulk’s mindless rampages, arresting Nick Fury for training “youth terrorists,” and apprehending the unregistered New Avengers.  In short, it’s a list that will change the very status quo the Marvel Universe has operated under until now because, as Osborn observes, if the old status quo had actually worked, he wouldn’t be in charge now.

The first eight months of “Dark Reign” have been largely uninspired and unfocused, full of talk and petty spats blown out of proportion by writers. The stories out of “Dark Reign” were made to seem more impressive than they really are. As the year winds down though, Marvel’s latest storyline moves into its second phase with “The List,” in which Osborn seems to be finally ready to take his abuse of power to new heights and let villainy reign supreme. I have to admit, from what I’ve read in this issue, my interest in this storyline is fully renewed, and I’m excited to see if “Dark Reign” can be salvaged.

The feature of this issue involves an incredibly intense, well-executed infiltration of Avengers Tower by Clint Barton, who is dead set on killing Osborn before he can cause any more problems for the superhero community. In a world populated by people who can fly and shoot lasers from their eyes, it’s easy to underestimate a hero like Ronin who has no powers, that is, until you watch him stalk the night and take on the Dark Avengers by himself. To his credit, Bendis has defied my expectations here and set the stage for what seems to be a story full of betrayal, ulterior motives, and lethal action, all qualities I wanted to see more of in “Dark Reign”.

Rounding out this issue is a preview of Daredevil’s role in “The List,” and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the Avengers story, which is mind boggling since I haven’t touched a Daredevil story since Miller left the title. Andy Diggle and Billy Tan seem to have a good handle on the character, and I was so impressed with the title’s new direction, first revealed in Daredevil #500, that I’m now planning on following the comic!  This one shot was a surprisingly entertaining issue and a great jumping on point for anyone that has managed to avoid the baggage of “Dark Reign” until now. I’m convinced that there’s real potential to be found in “The List.” I’m alsomore than willing to stick around and see what happens.

Grade:  B

-Tony Rakittke

Thor # 602 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), Dany Miki and Mark Morales (inks) Paul Monts (colors)

The Story: Thor gets wind of Sif’s whereabouts and enlists the help of Doctor Strange to fix Mjöllnir. However, his mighty hammer’s repair comes with a mighty price and one that may eventually cost him dearly. On the other side of the world, the Asgardians, led by king Balder and manipulated by Loki, continue to settle into Latveria, the kingdom of Doctor Doom. Kelda brings William the mortal into the new Asgard where he quickly becomes an unexpected  confidant of Balder and almost nearly as fast a target for restless warriors.

What’s Good: The highest praise I can heap on this book is that it is a full read. JMS tells a lot of story in these pages and at $3.99, you almost get your money’s worth. Almost. Many different plot lines develop and end, and there are many interesting moments. It’s in issues like this where you see why JMS was such a good TV writer as Thor reads like a soap opera. Not that I ever watched one of those…

Over and over JMS has set up Thor’s return to be an uneasy, delicate, and tenuous affair. Thor is dealt another dramatic challenge as Mjöllnir’s  rehabilitation is a veritable Pandora’s box. After being exiled from Asgard, killing his Grandfather, and busting his hammer, you’d think that finally finding Sif would be a pure moment of happiness for Thor. But, it’s not to be, and Thor’s troubles continue.

The scenes with Strange were the highlight of this issue. Its good to see both of these heroes interacting, and the way Strange fixed Mjöllnir by calling primordial energies and such was very well done. Also, William’s role in this series suddenly became more interesting and important. A nice development that I’m sure will be used to tell some compelling story.

What’s Not So Good: I’m not sure if it was the pencils, inks or colors, but something about the art in this issue just didn’t seem up to par with previous installments. For sure,  the color scheme seemed flat and burnt, rather than the sharp and bright hues of the first couple arcs. The character designs while decent, seemed rushed, with faces left undefined.

This issue seemed more like a Simonson issue than a Straczynski one. Just something about Thor lying on a bedroom floor seems silly; and that bubbly, almost campy  feel of tons of characters and big dialogues in varied settings, pulsed throughout this issue. I became a fan of this series for JMS’s character work on Thor and his near unmatched ability to capture memorable moments of a story, not this type of crowded, perhaps rushed even, story telling. I’m not saying this is a bad, it just lacks the novelty and specialness of the first 12 issues of this series.

Conclusion: This may be the weakest point or issue in this series so far, but at the rung of the comic book ladder where Thor resides, that is still not a bad a place to be. There is quite a lot to like here, but I wish it focused more on Thor and less on the Asgardians, as I rather learn about their plight through Thor’s.

Grade: B-

-Rob G

Thor #601 – Review

J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (artist), Paul Mounts (colorist)

Before the Review: I’ve never read Thor before. Okay, slight exaggeration – I have a yellowed copy of Thor #384 that I rescued from a discount bin.
But I’ve never read J. Michael Straczynski’s Thor before. I honestly didn’t know what to expect.

The Story: We find Thor sitting around a campfire, pondering the shattered Mjolnir. In killing his grandfather, Bor, he broke the godly hammer, and it’s a cause of some confusion for the two-in-one of Blake and Thor; how do you fix Mjolnir?

Meanwhile, Loki and Balder are visiting Dr. Doom in Latveria, and moving forward with plans to determine the future of the earth-bound Asgardians – while some of them start to decide their own.

The Good: J. Michael Straczynski’s done an incredible job; since I had very, VERY minimal exposure to Thor before, I was delighted to find that the comic reads well, with characters and storylines that pull you in, regardless of the Asgardian English they employ.

It’s a funny juxtaposition to have a young, ineloquent diner cook and a demi-goddess falling for each other, but it works – just like the rest of Thor. The art, by Djurdjevic, is outstanding in so many ways. His interplay between the real and the fantastic gives Thor a cinematic quality of storytelling that’s hard to come by in any comic, much less a movie. It’s immersive, identifiable, and is a perfect fit – and Paul Mounts’ colors bring out the best of Marko’s pencils.

The Bad: The comic is certainly engrossing, but the epic scale of things can be a little intimidating if you (like me) are new to reading Thor, even with a healthy knowledge of the Norse pantheon.

Unlike other epic sagas that could be confusing without knowing all the key players, Thor manages to be welcoming, and doesn’t overwhelm the reader with an abundance of characters.

In other words, if you don’t read Thor, and you’re intrigued (especially after hearing about the Kenneth Branagh-directed movie coming in 2011), start reading Thor. You may feel like you’re lost in Asgard, but just remember – it’s still in Utah.

The Grade: B

-Brian Lynch

Ultimate Hulk Annual #1 – Review

Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines (pencils p1-9), Marko Djurdjevic, Danny Miki (pencils p10-32), Guru eFX (colors)

The Story: Zarda accepts the personal challenge of Captain America to travel cross-country to become better acquainted with humanity. While making a stop for lunch, she runs into the Hulk, who’s being refused service. Chaos, and hilarity ensues.

What’s Good: I hope all of Hulk’s solo adventures have moments like this. This issue is a good example of how good Ultimate Hulk is. This isn’t something that could fly after World War Hulk. But here in the Ultimate U, the idea of the Hulk being the opposite of Banner is taken to such an appropriate extreme. Shy, vegetarian Banner, and horny, meat-eating Hulk; it just works.

What’s Not So Good: The Hulk gets beat. I mean, I’m not expecting him to KO a God or anything, but, it’s the Hulk. This sort of thing violates Marvel’s unofficial rule of “the toughest guy is whose book it is.” If you have doubts on that, read the Marvel Knights Punisher where he beats up Wolverine with ease, and a shotgun. Rules aside, I just wish Hulk would’ve done better. Furthermore, I don’t like changing an artist between issues of an arc, and I think it’s worse when it’s done during an issue. It’s executed very well, but it’s still distracting. I shouldn’t need to wonder why people are looking different between pages.

Conclusion: Think what you will about Jeph Loeb, I like his work on Hulk. I think this issue would’ve worked better as a one-shot than the intro to an ongoing series since there’s no hint as to what Hulk will be up to. Still, this series has the potential to be pretty interesting, I just hope it isn’t a funny series of mishaps. If we see Hulk at the laundromat I’m out.

Grade: B

-Ben Berger

Thor #8 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors)

One thing I’ve been enjoying about this new Thor run is J. Michael Straczynski’s use of restraint. With a book full of powerful deities, it’d be very easy for an author to fly off the handle and give us a bunch of no-holds barred battles. But Straczynski doesn’t do that. Instead, he plays the story close to his vest, giving us a little here and there.

Not since the second or third issue (where Thor owned Iron Man) have we seen Thor lay down the law. This issue finally gives us what we’ve been craving, even if it’s minute compared to the rest of the issue – Thor kicks some butt. Keeping action like this sparse can sometimes lead to a book crossing that fine line into boredom (the modern Daredevil title walks this line, too), but this is not the case with Thor. When you see him swing the hammer, it means something, and Straczynski doesn’t mess around here either. Divine being, demon, ghost, or whatever – being hit by a huge blunt object is not something your skeletal structure is going to enjoy. It’s painful and yet, gloriously satisfying to finally see.

Other parts of this issue deal with Donald Blake confronting a woman of his past, Thor trying to save his father from his own personal hell, and well, that’s pretty much it. As I said before, it’s all about restraint. As the pieces of the story unfold, we finally understand why these people, fixtures, and places are there. And with the last page, the big picture is revealed.

For those who complained that this new Thor series has been drudging itself along, this two-part storyline should silence those complaints. And really, how can you complain with Marko Djurdjevic doing the art? The guy was born to draw this book and as much as I love Olivier Coipel, there’s just no competing with Djurdjevic. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes

FIRST LOOK: Thor #8

COVER BY: MARKO DJURDJEVIC
WRITER: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
PENCILS: MARKO DJURDJEVIC
INKS: MARK MORALES
COLORED BY: LAURA MARTIN
LETTERED BY: CHRIS ELIOPOULOS

THE STORY:

The God of Thunder keeps sizzling off the stands! Part two of a two-part arc by writer J. Michael Straczynski (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) with sumptuous art by DAREDEVIL cover artist Marko Djurdjevic sees the mighty Thor ruling over a newly glorious Asgard and all its people! But what danger has risen on the horizon of its American heartland surroundings? And how will Thor equip himself to face it??

Rated T+ …$2.99
IN STORES: April 23, 2008

Mighty Avengers #11 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils) Danny Miki & Allen Martinez (inks), Marko Djurdjevic (art), Justin Ponsor (colors)

Mighty Avengers #11 brings the current story arc to a satisfying, yet rushed ending. Buying himself some time, Doctor Doom travels back into the past to coax Morgana into teaching him the ways of summoning a demon army. With knowledge in hand, he ditches her and rushes back to the present to confront the Avengers. With little effort, the team is captured by Doom.

With their capture out of the way, the hilarity begins. Brian Bendis floods the pages with silly thought balloons, long diabolical monologues, and humorous exchanges of one-liners. Eventually, Spider-Woman manages to overload Doom’s magical bonds and frees the team. Ares, who’s already one pissed off demi-god, begins his thrashing of all things Doom. The rest of the team joins in the battle while Ms. Marvel goes off to find Iron Man and Sentry. With the battle drawing more even by the moment, The Sentry tips the scales and does something quite shocking to bring the battle to its conclusion.

The issue is good. It’s entertaining. But it’s not great. In fact, most of it is forgettable. It’s got gobs of action and nice bits of dialogue, but it’s also more of the same stuff we’ve seen in the previous two issues. Only the conclusion and epilogue really stand out as memorable. Even Mark Bagley’s art feels more rushed than usual. And if this is his last penciled Marvel comic (for now), then it’s even more of a let down. I will say this, though: The second to last page serves as a hint of what we’ll be seeing when the Skrulls finally unveil their plans next issue. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Thor #7 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic (colors)

Years from now, I wonder if I’ll look back on Thor #7 with the same awe I have for it now. This issue not only serves as the sequential debut of Marko Djurdjevic as a Marvel artist, but it also contains one of the best Thor stories I’ve read in a long time. Do not miss this issue. It is, without a doubt, the best comic book you’ll buy this week.

Thor’s spent the last months expending his power and resources awakening his brethren and restoring Asgard. With his power nearly depleted, he’s turned to his father’s chamber – a tomb or coffin like structure, that will allow him to regain his strength over an untold amount of time.  As Thor enters his hibernation state, Donald Blake reemerges, taking up a personal quest of his own. Meanwhile, Thor journeys into the netherworld where he encounters (at last), Odin. What plays out here is a stirring fable that builds on Asgardian mythos while exploring the father / son relationship that has haunted Odin for so long.

With The Twelve and now Thor, J. Michael Straczynski’s on one hell of a roll. The way this story flows – the intricacies of Odin’s narrative and the hard hitting themes of sons abandoning their fathers – are all done to perfection.  We all know Marko Djurdjevic is a fantastic cover artist, an his debut as a storyteller is nothing less than stunning. I love Olivier Coipel’s art, but this month, I honestly didn’t miss him. Hell, I could only hope to have Djurdjevic on this book on a monthly basis, but I’ll take what I can get. With this book seemingly back on schedule, I’m very excited to see what comes next. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Ghost Rider #22 – Preview

Marvel sent us a sneak peak of Ghost Rider #22 due out in comic stores on 4/16/08.

Issue #22 continues Jason Aaron’s (Scalped) run as the series writer. From what I’ve heard of previous issues, it sounds like Aaron’s twisted Ghost Rider’s mythos around making him an agent of heaven (which kinda makes sense if you think about it).

Marvel’s promising a “stunning” return of a character that will be “the most shocking last page in Ghost Rider history!” Roland Boschi is on art, and Marko Djurdjevic, provides yet another kick ass cover.

Click on the images to enlarge!

Mighty Avengers #9 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Danny Miki, Allen Martinez & Victor Olazaba (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), Marko Djurdjevic (art)

Wow, where do I start? I guess it’s safe to say that this series is finally getting back on track after months and months of delays. The story picks up exactly where the last issue ended. alien symbiotes invaded New York and after a large battle the Avegers were able to repel them. Tracing the attack’s origin to Latveria, the whole Avengers fleet heads over there to give a smack down on Doctor Doom, who along with his scientists are completely unaware of what happened in New York. But that doesn’t stop the Avengers from starting a full scale war. In a glorious series of consecutive double page splashes (beautifully done by Mark Bagley), the Avengers completely decimate Doom’s army. Seriously, the scale of what we see here rivals the stuff Bryan Hitch did in Ultimates #2. It’s that chaotic!

Iron Man confronts Doom head on and in their struggle Doom resorts to arcane magic to bust through Tony’s shields. Luckily, the Sentry’s around for back up. What happens next is just completely weird, but let’s just say this issue had me laughing at the end! Tony Stark gets in more trouble than any superhero I know. I wonder how he’s going to get himself out of this one.

Brian Bendis is going all weird and random on this book. I’m not sure what its voice or direction is, but the constant odd-ball surprises are quite funny. There are some outstanding questions that need answers, however. If Doom didn’t order the attack on New York, who did? And where is Doom’s army of Atlantians (read last year’s Sub-Mariner if you don’t understand what I’m talking about). Mark Bagley?  Wow! This guy blows the doors wide open when he gets to the battle. If this is his last Marvel comic book, he definitely went out in style. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes