Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S01E15 – Review

By: Shalisha Francis (story)

The Story: The ultimate girly-girl and ultimate tomboy have it out, once and for all.

The Review: As I mentioned in my review of Loki: Agent of Asgard #2, Lorelei is a minor figure in the Thor mythos—minor in the sense that she’s far less likely to be recognized than the Warriors Three, Sif, or even her big sis Amora.  That makes her a somewhat unusual, but safe choice for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first bona fide supervillain.  We’ve had power players on the show before, but Lorelei is of a different level altogether.

You can see that right from the cold open, in which her voice alone puts a whole motorcycle gang under her permanent sway and she sends her first conquest flying with a single flick of her wrist.  True enough, her army of men never grows much beyond this first group of desert rednecks, but her potential for wide-scale chaos is very clear.  In that sense, she’s the perfect S.H.I.E.L.D. target, someone who poses a major risk that they can preemptively shut down.

Thor: God of Thunder #13 – Review

by Jason Aaron (Writer), Ron Garney (Artist) Ive Svorcina (Colorist)

The Story: Malekith the Accursed comes out of his prison and cause some chaos.

The Review: Well, here we are again. Another story that is set to tie-in many elements from a movie for the new readers. While this does not necessarily means that the story including those elements will be bad, the more pessimistic readers might see this as an editorial obligation. The more optimistic ones might think that the writer can be skilled enough to incorporate those elements in his story without hurting the narrative flow and the themes. Between the two, who would be closest to the realities presented by this issue?

There’s a little bit of both here, as unlike the amazing last issue, most of the ideas revolving around the ideas of godhood in the Marvel universe are dropped in order to provide a story featuring Malekith the Accursed. It is a bit disappointing to see such a novel approach to the god of thunder being dropped in order to showcase a character that never was the greatest or most impressive foe in a line-up that include such antagonists as Loki, the Destroyer armor and the Enchantress.

Still, Jason Aaron makes for the most of it as he uses the nine realms and some of the ideas of including some of the actual Norse mythology from Walter Simonson in his tale. The scenes with the dark elves going to rescue Malekith from his prison in Niffleheim are well-paced, show plenty of action and delve into the mythology with enough depth as to bask the readers in the more fantastical angles of Thor’s corner of the Marvel universe.

Journey Into Mystery #655 – Review

by Kathryn Immonen (Writer), Valerio Schiti (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: Gaea needs to return back to normal and it seems that only Beta Ray Bill, Sif and Ti-Asha Ra/Skuttlebutt can make it so.

The Review: Journey Into Mystery has a strange history when one looks into the title’s history since it’s return into publishing. After Kieron Gillen was done with his Kid Loki story, people were dubious a bit as they wondered if the quality would be consistent with a new writer and lead character. Thankfully, Kathryn Immonen knew what she was doing when she wrote the first arc, Stronger Than Monsters, which featured a much deeper Sif interacting with the Asgardian mythology of the Marvel universe. It was energetic, fun and featured plenty of things that people were asking for, namely a female lead-character written by a female writer. It was great and this title seemed to keep on with the tradition that its precedent writer had set.

Unfortunately, the book is cancelled, most probably due to low sales. It is always a bit disheartening to see a beloved title gets the cancellation axe as it is so early in its run, yet it’s a reality that a lot of people are sadly aware of in this market. However, what’s much more disappointing, in a way, would be the fact that the closing arc, including this very conclusion, hasn’t been exactly on part with the other issues of this series.
What began as a book with a strong identity turned into something else that did not seem to quite fit with what was established before. Despite the use of Beta Ray Bill, a staple in the Asgardian lore of the Marvel universe since Walter Simonson created him in his seminar run, the whole arc with Gaea never really flew very high, due to many problems.

The first one of them, which is actually seen in this issue, would be the fact that it never seem to stick to a particular tone, switching around multiple times which cause the narrative to become unfocused and jumbled. Is it a comic which revolve around Beta Ray Bill or Sif? Is the problem of Ti-Asha Ra important or is it secondary to the whole Gaea situation? Is the primary aspect the ambiance, the characters, the humor, the awkward relationship between those various personality or the conflict with the ship and Gaea? It seems that the comic itself never really knows which of these aspects it should focus on, as some of them don’t get developed very much, or at least not enough to be properly interesting for the readers.

Journey Into Mystery #654 – Review

Kathryn Immonen (Writer), Valerio Schiti (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: Gaea gets out of her funk as Beta Ray Bill gets reason to get out of his as well.

The Review: I am of two mind about this issue. While I can certainly appreciate the amount of panel time one character I love is getting, I am not sure if this is a good thing for the story and its progression. On the other hand, the character work on some of the players in this issue is well done, so it’s quite troubling to see that it doesn’t necessarily adds up to the overall experience in a compelling fashion.

Kathryn Immonen, on her short tenure on this title (a tenure that actually ends in one mere issue), has done wonders with Sif, giving her a wholesome personality that went beyond being the love interest warrior woman of Thor. In this issue, she continues the trend by pushing forward her dedication to her duty, her friends and her willingness to go forward to meet danger. Just like in the previous issue, Sif remains a compelling lead as her adventurous side take us to other place that show that she can fit in close to any context. She also works that magic with Beta Ray Bill, using the development put in place by writers like Walter Simonson and Kieron Gillen in order to use the character in smart ways. She plays his desperation, his bravery and his awkwardness with the unknown and women to create a fun, yet very truthful interpretation of the character.

However, while these two characters are very well-written, they do not mesh together that well in the actual story they are in, as if they were actually stealing the spotlight from each other. As we switch from the space-horror story to the general trouble with Beta Ray Bill and his ship Skuttlebutt, we never see those scenes connect in ways that truly feel organic and important to the developing story. While these scenes are interesting on their own and do plenty to showcase the history of the characters and how their interaction might have changed, it lacks cohesion to the picture at large.

Journey Into Mystery #652 – Review

By: Kathryn Immonen (Writer) Valerio Schitti (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: Gaea, one of the All-Mothers of Asgardia, fall prey to a strange sickness and needs to be quarantined away from Earth and Asgardia for the time being.

The Review: It seems that Kathryn Immonen does not want us to see her coming miles away when writing her stories. With her first arc being about Sif beating monsters among other things as she explore her more brutal side with some surprising introspection put in and her one-shot issue being not so much about her, I thought I could potentially see what would be coming in this issue.

As it turns out, I was wrong. Thinking that this would follow a pattern where we’d see some new vision or new twist on the Marvel Asgardian mythology with some nice action thrown in for good measure. Well, we don’t get that here, not even by a long shot, as there’s close to no action to be found.

Journey Into Mystery #651 – Review

*100th review. Hurray!*

*Ahem.*

Kathryn Immonen (Writer), Pepe Laraz (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: During the night, one of Volstagg’s children wanders in Asgardia, meeting Fenris, the wolf of mythology. Hilarity and wonders ensues.

The Review: From what I can see of the Asgardian side of the Marvel universe, all is well. We get Kid Loki in Young Avengers, our main and most important character in Thor: God of Thunder and pretty much everyone else, yet mostly Sif in Journey Into Mystery. With such a large cast of possible character and a whole world full of mythology and possibility, would it ever be possible for Kathryn Immonen to take full advantage of such a rich mythology?

Journey Into Mystery #650 – Review

By: Kathryn Immonen (Writer), Valerio Schiti (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: Sif returns to Asgardia with her berserker’s friends, learn some truths about herself, then defend Broxton from a huge threat.

The Review: The conclusions of multi-part storylines in ongoing serials are always difficult to pull, as there can be no true conclusion to a character or a story based in a shared universe. Writers may conclude an arc by teasing the incoming one or by directly leading into the next chapter, but things are never quite over. It would be hard to do something conclusive with close to any character of the Marvel universe, as though Wolverine’s or Captain America’s story is over, we all know they will get a new writer, a cameo or make an appearance in another team book before they continue their daring adventure. There is close to no real thematic conclusion at the end of any arc nowadays.

Journey Into Mystery #649 – Review

By: Kathryn Immonen (Writer), Valerio Schiti (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: Sif and the berserkers are in New-York and they have to fight more monsters that are currently spreading on the whole planet. Fortunately, they are helped by the Superior Spider-Man and other heroes.

The Review: The more I look and read this title, the more I find this to be close to the antithesis of the previous tenure. Kieron Gillen’s story about Kid Loki had the flair of a Shakespearian drama mixed with humorous undertones, telling the tale of a god of mischief trying to change a nature he had close to no idea he ever had, a clean slate of sort. With Kathryn Immonen, this becomes a book where Sif is a victim of a berserker state of mind influenced by a spell, where she is becoming violent and impulsive, wishing to do battle with monsters and all the like.

The themes couldn’t be any more different, yet it is a great strength, with Immonen doing her own thing instead of mimicking what came before. She succeeds in creating a great female-lead book with cool action, great humor and some surprisingly funny moments, bringing it all in one swift stroke into a great title. To mix all of this together selflessly is very hard, yet she manages in Journey Into Mystery.

Journey Into Mystery #648 – Review

By: Kathryn Immonen (Writer), Valerio Schiti (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

The Story: The still-berserk crazed Sif has to confront a giant robot and her desire for violence in the unknown realm her brother Heimdall has banished her to.

The Review: I was a fool. Absolutely unconvinced about the change of writer and lead character on this title, I could not even perceive the potential here. How could Kathryn Immonen make as good a title as Kierron Gillen did with Kid Loki by using Sif the warrior lady? It seems that in my foolhardiness, I could have missed out on a great title. Thankfully, I have been convinced by people in my LCS to try it out.

Thank god I did.

This may seem like some kind of hollow praise, but this title is really something out of the ordinary. It mixes funny moments, violence, badass quotes, mythology and plain silliness in such a way that it creates something unique, a title that is both funny, yet utterly full of awesome action. The script itself lends itself to it, as the fight between Sif and the berserker’s warriors is intense, well laid-out and just plain exciting. The next moment, we get some explanations and great dialogue between the three warriors and Sif that cements the fun and adventurous tone of the series and the issue. Kathryn Immone is having fun here and it shows with the tone she is setting here.

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.

The Mighty Thor #10 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Frank D’Armata (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Heimdall has suspicions about Tanarus, Surfer and Loki try to figure out what to do with Mjolnir, and Thor makes his bid for freedom.

The Review:  Last month, I touched upon how Matt Fraction is playing a dangerous game with Thor at the moment, in that he has so many disparate characters to touch upon in the space of 22 pages that the result can be a little messy.  Well, thankfully, he fairs a lot better this month in finding the appropriate balance.

One of the things that works well in this book is Fraction’s fusing the cosmic with the fantasy/mythological elements.  Everything Thor sailing through the cosmos to the presence of the Silver Surfer fits together neatly.  For instance, seeing Thor and his fellow forgotten gods attempt to break their bonds and battle a monster in space/god afterlife/whatever is a perfect example of this.  There’s the surreal quality of exploring what happens to gods after death, with the fact that, well, it’s a giant monster in what looks like space.  More than that though, it’s nice to see this plot actually move forward after two months in spent in neutral.

But what really gets this issue going is Asgardia and its politics.  The All-Mother remains an engaging addition to the cast, but Fraction has begun to really inject the book with a kind of political intrigue, what with Tanarus being a dick and ruffling feathers, Heimdall’s suspicions, and warnings of unknown assassins to the All-Mother.  The result is a broiling, addictive narrative environment.  As any fan of fantasy novels knows, political intrigue and machinations work wonders in a fantasy setting.  Fraction seems aware of that and the result is that Mighty Thor, this months, is beginning to offer a smarter, more substantial read.

It’s also worth mentioning that while Kieron Gillen is still my preferred Kid Loki writer, Kid Loki/Silver Surfer is a wonderful odd couple.  Their conversational dialogue is fun and their clumsy “team-up” is a nice spot of comic relief that still manages to remain integral to the plot.

Art-wise, Pasqual Ferry’s artwork remains charming, lush, and full of character.  Frank D’Armata has also adjusted his colors a little, to give the book a warmer hue as opposed to the glossy look he gives to Invincible Iron Man and….most everything else he colors.

If there’s one downside to this issue, it’s that there’s still not much of a reason to be overly invested in Karnilla or her plotting, or that of the trolls.  Fraction still has yet to develop that portion of his overall plot and as a result, there’s not much to grab onto with respect to the antagonists.

Tanarus is a similarly imbalanced and ill-defined character.  While in prior issues, he’s come across as a possibly sympathetic figure, this month, he’s pure jackass.  It’s hard, as a reader, to get a handle of the character.  There’s just something a bit amorphous about him and, despite the arc being named after him, I don’t feel like we’ve gotten to know him at all.

Conclusion:  A big improvement over last month and a solid experience overall.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

 

The Mighty Thor #8 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Pasqual Ferry (art), Frank D’Armata (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Review:  This is one of those comics that I hate reviewing.
On the one hand, it’s a pretty good read.  It doesn’t do anything wrong, and does quite a bit right, but in order to manage this, it’s a book that plays it safe and keeps its ambitions lower than they should be.

I am, of course, referring to Tanarus.  All told, I like the character.  Fraction gives him a unique, brash, fun-loving demeanor that makes for a lively presence.  Better still, when Fraction reveals Tanarus’ true nature, he cuts a surprisingly sympathetic figure.  It’s hard to really go into without spoiling, but it looks like Fraction is building a story around a bad guy from a bad crowd learning to be something more, but still subject to the pull of those evil associates.  This lends itself to the creation of a character in a precarious position; moreover, we get a character whose been empowered and elevated but also entrapped.

Overall, though, Fraction gives us a comic that feels very….”Thor.”  There’s a heavy focus on Asgard, Asgardian politics, intrigue, and magic.  Already, I’m loving Loki’s position of being the only person to know that things aren’t quite right.  It makes an isolated character that no one trusts all the more isolated and powerless.

Fraction also brings back Kelda.  In so doing, he shows us the inevitable, wasted endpoint for the character.  It’s kind of weird seeing her suddenly in this state as we never really saw exactly how she got here, but it makes sense.  It’s nice to see Fraction bring her back in a significant way that is a logical next step for the character.

The Mighty Thor #3 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Olivier Coipel (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Given an ultimatum, Thor rumbles with the Surfer.  Meanwhile, Volstagg finds himself unwanted in Broxton.

What’s Good: It always feels really good to get your money’s worth with a comic.  I definitely felt like I got a meaty book with Mighty Thor #3.  Despite having no more than the standard number of pages to work with, Matt Fraction covers quite a lot of ground this month.  While the plot progresses at your standard rate, a great deal happens and plenty of characters are visited.  There’s the big Surfer/Galactus plot, of course, but there’s also an amusing scene of kid Loki mischief, a subplot involving Volstagg and the residents of Broxton, and the lingering issue of Thor’s mysterious wound.  All of these elements are, for the most part, disparate which removes any sense of decompression and delivers a more rounded and comprehensive reading experience.

Many characters receive solid treatment.  Loki’s scene with a very naked Sif is admittedly a digression, but it’s a fun one that only continues to make kid Loki one of my favourite Marvel characters right now.  Volstagg is as humorous as ever and his exaggerations regarding the citizens of Broxton’s newfound hostility is a lot of fun, all the more because if ever there were deaf ears for those citizens to speak to, they’d be Volstagg’s.

As far as the main plot goes, I’m still really loving this Galactus/Asgardian clash, as it brings together the high fantasy of Thor with the cosmic in a way that continues to feel fun and fresh.  The fight between Thor and Surfer is awesome, if only due to the participants.  Best of all though, I really liked how Fraction hinges much of the plot on who between Odin and Galactus is less trustworthy.  That’s a major conundrum, to say the least, and one that has me looking forward to next issue.

Fear Itself #3 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Stuart Immonen (penciller), Wade von Grawbadger (inker), Laura Martin & Larry Molinar (colorists), and Chris Eliopoulos (letterer)

The Story: A major Marvel hero dies at the hands of Skadi/Sin, the final member of the Worthy is chosen, and Thor tries to escape prison and rush to Midgard’s aid.

The Review:  I’ve really been enjoying Fear Itself thus far, but I’ve been pretty honest in saying that the sub-text and tone of the story was often more interesting than the hammer-laden story itself.  I’ve really loved that inclusion of desperation and anxiety that has made the book feel relevant, current, and a surprisingly smart read.

So yeah, cue my disappointment when Fraction basically forgets about that sub-text altogether this month, instead focusing on the Worthy stomping about with their hammers and a crapload of action scenes.  It’s not a bad comic in itself, but certainly a letdown given what we’ve been getting, as the book immediately becomes less nuanced and a whole lot simpler.  It’s dangerously close to going from being a book that’s a reflection of the times, to being “just another” superhero comic event.

There’s a lot of fighting, yes, but things also seem to move slowly.  Thor’s inevitable escape from Asgard seems a little more long-winded than it needed to be, for example.  In other cases, pre-event hype hurts the book: the identity of the last member of the Worthy, crowned this month, has been known for quite some time now.  I mean, even the book’s cover more or less gives it away.

On the other hand, there are definitely things to like about the issue.  The ending, for example, is very well plotted and sequenced and delivers the “shit just got real” effect that was clearly intended, particularly given the deceased characters’ identity and his/her last words.  Things definitely feel a lot more dangerous and the superhero community, and the world itself, continues to look vulnerable and truly in danger, not an easy feat in superhero comics.   While some might have predicted it, the death is nonetheless one that’ll hit home for a lot of readers, as it should.

The end result is one that shows much of what the last page of last month’s issue told.  That is, it emphasizes the powerlessness of the Marvel Universe’s heroes in the face of this threat.  From the Hulk running rampant and tossing Betty around, to the major Marvel characters who die and transform to join the Worthy, to a pitiful last stand late in the issue, the point is driven home.

Mighty Thor #2 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Olivier Coipel (penciller), Mark Morales (inker), Laura Martin (colorist), and Joe Sabino (letterer)

The Story: Thor and Sif begin training a new team of heroes, Odin may be up to no good, and the Silver Surfer brings Asgard an ultimatum from his purple-hatted master.

The Review: Now that’s more like it. I was one of the, apparently, few people who enjoyed Fraction’s arc on Thor.  That said, there was something vaguely underwhelming for me about the first issue of Mighty Thor, something I wasn’t quite able to put my finger on.  This time out though, I got a rock solid experience.

As I noted last month, I continue to enjoy Matt Fraction’s use of Sif.  She’s the major cast member she’s supposed to be and, as Thor’s significant other, she’s frequently in the thunder god’s company.  Between this, the new “brigade of realms” Thor forms out of a motley group from the various worlds, a brief but humorous Volstagg cameo, and a tense scene of dialogue between Odin and Heimdall (plus Destroyer!), this is becoming more than just a Thor comic.  It’s becoming almost a “Thor family” title, or an Asgard comic.  Thor is a major member of the cast, but he by no means carries this comic.  The result is a very satisfying package that feels like it has more meat on its bones.  It’s one thing to have a comic where you get to read Thor, and it’s another thing entirely to have a comic that lets you read Thor’s world, or at least his corner of the Marvel Universe.  Character-wise, Fraction is doing a solid job of using almost all of the tools at his disposal.

But hey, I’ve not even touched upon the Surfer/Galactus stuff.  I love Fraction’s bringing the old school sci-fi/cosmic stuff into what is otherwise a fantasy comic.  It ends up feeling like a jam session of sorts.  More than that though, after dealing with monsters and, earlier in the issue, a “stone colossus,” there’s something very cool about having the Asgardians facing down someone like the Silver Surfer.  They’re facing something so far out of their world, that it’s out of their genre.  When Heimdall says that the Surfer comes from “beyond” or calls him a “star-bastard,” it’s just really, really cool.  It’s akin to, say, a group of Predators showing up in the Hyborian Age to challenge Conan the Barbarian.  It shouldn’t work, and yet it does, and it’s awesome due to the weirdness.

Thor – Movie Review (Second Opinion)

The Story: I’m not surprised Thor loves super-unhealthy, diner breakfast food— it’s awesome.

The Review: As a god, Thor’s not really threatened by much, and certainly not by the majority of villains in the Marvel universe.  Besides his loyalty to the Avengers, his connections to Earth lean more on divine fondness for the planet and its people as a whole, with few links to its non-superhero-related mortals—especially as his Donald Blake identity saw less use over time.

Straczynski brought back Thor’s human persona to prominence in his relaunch of Thor, so it’s fitting that in his and Protosevich’s screenplay, they try very hard to give the banished god a personal relationship with Earth.  But actually the time Thor spends exiled on the planet is pretty short—about a few days, film-time (which is about 20 minutes, screen-time).  It limits Thor’s exposure to modern mortality, and makes his intimacy with Jane Foster et al seem rushed/forced.

Helmsworth and Portman are both very likeable, and they definitely have a warm chemistry, but really, they only get several minutes-long scenes alone together, and the moments feel friendlier than romantic.  It’s disappointing Thor gets hauled out of the mortal realm so fast, because it feels like his human relationships have just barely begun.  Which is too bad, because they offer some of the funniest moments of the film (KOing Thor in various ways never gets old).

Aside from wearing a desert small-town outfit for, like, a day, and one funny cultural snafu where he smashes his mug (of coffee?  Hot chocolate?  Whatever it is, he really likes it.) on the floor of a diner, Thor doesn’t get a real mortal life experience.  His heroic actions at the film’s climax are more motivated by his innate nobility than a personal investment in Earth.  He would’ve done the same for any planet of innocents.

Mighty Thor #1 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Oliver Coipel (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin, Justin Ponsor, & Peter Steigerwald (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Thor and Sif go on a dangerous mission to the heart of the broken World Tree while Silver Surfer searches for a new target for his master’s hunger.

The Review:  In this first issue, Matt Fraction gives us several things that Thor fans will most likely enjoy, things that have been lacking from the series for some time, certainly more than a year.

First off is Fraction’s heavy inclusion of the Marvel cosmic.  The Silver Surfer and Galactus get a healthy chunk of attention this month.  It’s well-written stuff that shows that Fraction has a solid grasp of writing the Surfer, reflecting his burden and the gravity and entrapment of his endless quest.  More than that though, these scenes continue the dose of the cosmic that has been the strongest point of Fraction’s run on Thor thus far.  However, unlike in his previous arc, the use of recognized Marvel cosmic characters like the Silver Surfer make it even more palpable than the brand new World Eaters.

And hey, Sif actually plays a fairly substantial role this month.  Despite being resurrected and, presumably, in a relationship with Thor, Sif has been almost completely absent for so long that I was expecting to start seeing her on Broxton milk cartons.  While her dialogue is fairly run-of-the-mill, Fraction’s use of her was exciting in and of itself, particularly since it seems to hint at a long-term commitment to the character and her place in the series as a major member of the cast.

Fraction also does fantastic work with Loki.  His mixture of childish glee and old-beyond-his-years determination and insistence on helping make for a charming character that you can’t help but like.

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 #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 #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: 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