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.

The Mighty Thor #18 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Mysterious, unquenchable fires break out over Broxton as Freyja dreams of a forgotten war from long ago.

The Review:  When Alan Davis draws an issue, it’s grounds to be excited.  When he draws a high-fantasy comic, it’s time to just fork over the money.  As anyone who’s ever flipped through Avengers Prime should know, while Davis can draw a great many things, his work is nothing less than transcendent when drawing fantasy stuff.  Naturally, Matt Fraction gets this, as this issue is the most straight high-fantasy of anything we’ve gotten from Fraction thus far.  This allows Davis to really go to work, immersing us in a uniquely fantasy yarn that feels epic and distinct from anything else Marvel is offering.  With genre diversification not being Marvel’s strong suit, it’s nice to see Davis doing what he does best and Fraction giving us a straight high-fantasy comic, taking us away to faraway worlds and long-ago times.

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 #626 – Review

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

The Story: Loki cuts a deal with the biggest, toughest demon in limbo before seeking the aid of a very shiny resident of Asgard.

What’s Good:  One thing I’ve really appreciated about Kieron Gillen’s Journey into Mystery has been it’s pacing.  Each issue is a full experience, seeing Loki get himself into a scrape, cut a deal with a megapower or two, and achieve an objective.  Each issue then leaves us with a prelude for next month’s issue, showing where Loki’s going to be heading to next.  It’s a really great format that makes each issue comprehensive and satisfying, while also leaving the reader desperately wanting the next installment.  It’s a fine balance, and Gillen rides it well.

Meanwhile, Loki remains as endearing as ever as we once again watch his machinations unfold as he constantly seems one step ahead of the big boys of the Nine Realms.  Gillen makes it easy to see suggestions of how exactly Loki is manipulating the great powers he runs up against, Surtur in this case, yet that the big demon seems unaware of any foul play ends up forging a kind of link between Loki and the reader and makes us all the more attached.  Loki’s escape route was also a really nice touch of comedy and mischief.  Similarly, it’s just so easy to root for Loki as he runs from a vengeful Hel-Wolf or dodges giant demon swords, as the character manages to be crafty and lovable, but also vulnerable.  As witty and smart as Loki is, Gillen is aware of his physical fragility and how most readers will react to a kid in danger.

Meanwhile, Doug Braithwaite is as epic and generally awesome as ever and despite the extra colorist, there’s really not any noticeable difference from previous months.  I remain impressed at how Braithwaite is able to produce detailed, impressive work like this month after month without any delays.

Also, that ending…  Wow.  Just wow.  It’s as though Gillen sat back and thinks to himself each month “how can I make Kid Loki more awesome?”

The Mighty Thor #4 – Review

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

The Story: The Asgardians go to war with Galactus, as the big purple guy takes on Odin in a battle of wills.  Also, Volstagg takes on the slavering hordes of Broxton.

What’s Good: If there’s one thing that comic books as a medium lends itself well to, it’s “awesomeness.”  By awesomeness, I don’t mean mere positive quality.  Rather, I’m referring to the jaw-droppingly ludicrous that can be described in no other way, things that are so massive that they beggar belief.

With issues like this, it seems that Matt Fraction is very in tune with this when it comes to his Mighty Thor comic.  I mean seriously, this month, we have Thor and the Warriors Three, dressed in space marine armor, battling the Silver Surfer, “cosmic demons,” and Galactus in freaking space.  The very fact that Fraction doesn’t do anything criminally wrong in his dialogue or storytelling pretty much means this issue is a win due to its concept alone.  The space battle is so massively epic that at some points, you’ve just gotta sit back and enjoy it.

A lot of this is also due to the efforts of Olivier Coipel.  I feel like I’m saying this every month, but this really is Coipel’s best outing thus far.  His Galactus is awesome, his actions sequences are mind-boggling in scale and speed, his characters are likable, and he even does really nifty work in altering his style a bit when depicting flashback sequences, shifting from bombastic space opera to dark fantasy mystery.

Fraction also finds space for other stuff as well, not satisfied with awesome space battling.  We get quality Volstagg comedy, full of the usual hot air and exaggerations that have made the big guy such an easy fan favorite.  There’s Kid Loki’s well-meaning scheming as well, and frankly, Kid Loki has been a winner of a character since his creation.  He also is a fantastic straight man next to Volstagg’s bluster.

I also really enjoyed Galactus and Odin’s mental struggle.  The flashbacks initiated in Odin’s mind were creepy and ominous, and the way Galactus took shape in the All-Father’s mind was pretty cool and subtle, while also giving the whole thing a tinge of horror comic goodness.

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.

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.

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.

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 #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.

Thor #619 – Review

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

The Story: Odin is greeted by a returned Loki and we learn some interesting facts about the World Tree courtesy of old One Eye before Balder and Tyr go on the attack.

What’s Good: I’ve been going on and on about Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth’s respective work on this series and this is just as gorgeous as ever.   Big, lush artwork with smooth layouts is mixed with awesome, fantasy-perfect colors.  The characters look iconic and heroic and the environments are a perfect mixture of craggy fantasy and cosmic sci-fi.  The fight scenes are no less awesome, basically ending up as a dramatic explosion of violence.  I also continue to enjoy Ferry’s Odin, who is positively jacked.

With Fraction’s writing, I quite enjoyed his use of Odin.  The character reacts to his resurrection much as we thought he would, and his treatment of Loki was fun to read as was Loki’s subsequent reaction; it reflects well on Loki’s new form.  Odin also adds a new/old dynamic to the series: someone who can curse out Thor.  More than that though, because he’s able to come down on Thor, Fraction is able to use Odin to point out a bizarre habit of Thor’s lately: resurrecting anybody and everybody.  Fraction does a good job of showing how this is isolating Thor, and, more than that, I loved Odin’s bringing up the point that Thor simply must have trouble-makers about.  It highlights a very interesting character flaw that I hope is explored later.

Beyond Fraction’s Odin, I continue to enjoy child Loki, who really returns the character to his “trickster” essence.  It boils the character down a bit, but also shows a side of the god that is not only fresh, but makes perfect sense.  Thoth and his goons are similarly fun to read, let alone look at.  I continue to love the retro-sci-fi vibe they bring to the book.

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 #616 – Review

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

The Story: Volstagg tries to get Thor to listen to a grave warning as the god of thunder comes to a decision about Loki.

What’s Good: One of the things that has me most excited about Matt Fraction’s run is his bringing back the goofy sci-fi element to Thor.  Aside from the odd Marvel Universe cameo, sci-fi has really been wholly absent from Thor since the title’s return under JMS.  Though I’ve liked all of the series since that relaunch, it really is the right time.

Really, when read with a critical eye, that generic return, and earlier absence, are what this comic is all about as Fraction crafts the central conflict of this arc around this battle of genres.  Thoth and his minions, wacky cosmic villains that they are, can sort of be seen as personifications of old school Marvel science fiction.  Thus, it’s very, very effective how Fraction scripts Thor and Balder’s treatment of the quantum cosmologist that Volstagg brings; they’re too busy wandering about Odin’s trophy room, doing very Asgardian type things.  They have come to be in ignorance of those sci-fi threats, and that’s what this arc is all about, really.  When approached by science fiction, Thor rejects it with hostility and incomprehension, preferring instead to stay in the strictly mythological arena that the comic has been hugged to since the relaunch.  Cosmology, science, and sci-fi threats are, well, far too alien and other to the world Thor and his buddies have become accustomed to.

Of course, Fraction’s point is that these elements can’t be ignored.  Thor is going to have to fight these dudes and recognize “quantum cosmology.”  And so, Thor will eventually grow accustomed to the book’s sci-fi elements once again.  It’s beautiful writing by Fraction and very nuanced and I hope most people see what he’s doing.  This story is less about thumping bad guys than it is stamping out Thor’s generic territory and such remarkable writing in mainstream superhero comics needs to be commended.

On a more “down to earth” level, there’s a lot to like here, much like last month.  Volstagg is still a blast to read, Fraction’s take on Broxton’s residents is different from JMS’, but no less charming, and Ferry and Hollingsworth continue to crank out gorgeous, lush artwork that distinguishes Thor from anything else on the stands.  It’s amazing how well Ferry can go from Thoth, to Broxton, to Asgard.  Ferry and Hollingsworth suit each other so well and make for a glorious visual product.  Oh, and the book has one heckuva cliffhanger.