I was wrong. This statement will likely be celebrated with fireworks tonight.
OK, so the fireworks will be for the Fourth of July. Still, I was wrong and I’ll own up to it. I was pretty worried that the new Thor comic wouldn’t hold the kind of power that I always thought a godling’s title should have.
I should have known better than to doubt the skills of storyteller J. Michael Straczynski — even if he’s dealing with a character that speaks in Shakespeareian English.
“Thor” no. 1 goes on sale today and it serves as a compelling first step in the return of the character from Ragnarok.
The Viking version of Armageddon has the Norse gods shuffling loose the mortal coil. The Norse gods are not immortal like the Greek deities, and the mythology provided for an end to all the gods in Ragnarok.
“The Mighty Thor” ended with the fabled gods of Asgard, the realm of the Norse gods, completing the prophecy of Ragnarok and thereby dying.
But the manner of his return is mysterious and simple at the same time. The tale should be pretty compelling, and Olivier Coipel’s pencils do a great job. I’m not a big fan of his work, but the stylized penciling works here. Mark Morales and Laura Martin, on inks and colors respectively, do a great job of bolstering the line work.
If you were already a fan of Thor you’ll be excited by this issue. If you aren’t, you probably won’t be won over by issue 1, but it looks like issue 2 will grab you. Pick up this issue so you aren’t kicking yourself for missing it later.
Shawn Munguia does graphics and layout for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at 956-421-9870 or you can e-mail him at shawnm@valleystar.com.
