Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Thor: World Eaters TPB


I heard a lot of folks didn’t enjoy this arc, and I have to ask: Are you flippin’ crazy? I haven’t seen such a seamless blend of big cosmic ideas and Asgardian mythology since those old Buscema issues where Thor was flying around the universe in a Viking ship.

Matt Fraction absolutely loads this story with madness and violence. That’s exactly what I want from my Thor comics. I have complained about Fraction’s stories sometimes being too talky, but he doesn’t have that problem here. (He actually gets to give in to both sides, such as his long-suffering scientist trying to warn the Asgardians of their impending threats.)

Fraction makes some really interesting choices; the oddest is immediately bringing Loki back to life. He just died in Siege, and yet he pops right back in as an “awakened” god. It makes sense that Thor would try and bring back his brother as he was when they used to get along.

Another odd choice is the huge blood colossi that support Odin in the big fight. The giants look impressive, but I’m pretty conditioned to expect the star of my book to appear in the conclusion. Instead, Odin gets all the good dialogue while Thor “drives” one of these golems from the inside. What a neat idea; let your lead bond with allies and really fight off the villains as team.

I’m just a tad blurry on the final fate of Balder and Tyr. Are they in the limbo that Odin was stuck in before?

Pasqual Ferry’s art has never looked more cosmic, and he’s got some experience there. His opening shot of Alfheim is gorgeous; it looks like it was ripped from Heavy Metal or something, it’s just stunning. Thor and Odin are bulky figures that own every panel they appear in. I would have liked a bit more Iron Man action, just because Ferry’s Iron Man looks so sleek. The Kirby-esque design of the Asgardians and the other fey is nice, but check out those Kirby circles and dots on the World Eaters! (Lots of nice weapons too!)

Excellent

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