Thor #621 – Review

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

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

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

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

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

Thor #620 – Review

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

The Story: Odin summons some very powerful forces in his defense against the World Eaters.

The Review: After a rocky issue last month, Thor comes back this issue with all guns blazing, leading to a much more enjoyable experience overall.

That said, it doesn’t necessarily look that way for the first few pages.  Thor #620 is one of those issues that’s a little hard to get into at first.  What I mean is that it’s one of those comics where it feels like you missed something between issues.  When the comic starts, Odin is yelling amidst a field of bodies and there’s little indication as to what’s going on or how this situation arose.  Frankly, when the focus shifted away to Broxton, I had to double-check to make sure that the comic didn’t start in media res.  It’s a little frustrating, as it essentially feels like I missed at least half an issue somewhere.

Once things get going though and the reader settles in, the book becomes a rocking good time.  Suffice it to say, this issue is very, very heavy on the smiting.  Giant monsters abound and bodies go flying all over the place.  In other words, it gives Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth a chance to really cut loose.  Ferry’s action scenes are stupendous in size and scope and altogether very exciting, while Hollingsworth paints the whole comic in brilliant shades of red to go along with the raining blood, leading to a downright hellish looking warzone.  Ferry’s Odin also looks fantastic, as do his big creatures.

I think Odin fans will also have a lot to like this month.  For most of the issue, the All-Father comes across as a complete badass and Matt Fraction puts him to very good use having just brought him back.  Almost every page with Odin on it is one that’ll have you saying “hell yeah!”  He’s a great character, hardened, violent, and perpetually pissed off.