Thor #606

Kieron Gillen has done the impossible. He's actually made me really dig the conclusion to the whole Loki/Doom alliance thing. I had been losing interest in JMS' story, but I actually switched back to floppies for this. Dr. Doom riding around in a souped up copy of the Destroyer armor? Balder the Brave actually seeing that he's in over his head? And best of all, this has turned into one hell of a setup for Siege. It's cool that Gillen is using obscure Asgardian Tyr so much too. With the Warriors Three sort of booked elsewhere, Tyr ends up as a right-hand man for Balder. I think Kelda's fate works well too. Asgard needed another heroic lady, and I'm hoping Kelda can fit the bill.

Most importantly, everyone is right where they need to be for Siege. Loki's in Asgard whispering in Balder's ear. Thor is back in Oklahoma with the Warriors Three. Doom is plotting away and saving face. I always like comic stories where the hero wins but the villains aren't reduced in their loss.

Billy Tan's artwork is getting looser and scratchier every issue. There are some horrible panels where Thor's body looks way out of proportion. The Destroyer armor usually looks good, but the faces of normal people don't look so hot. I'm pretty sure I'd rank this "Good" with tighter art.

Fair