Post by goldenfist on Nov 14, 2007 9:10:40 GMT -5
From ign.com here's the review for Thor #4.
"Wait. This is a Thor comic?" That's a question I had to ask myself several times while reading the latest issue of J. Michael Straczynski's new series. For a long time it doesn't feel very much like your typical Thor adventure. By and large that's a good thing. After all, what was the point of bringing Thor back in the first place if not to tell new and interesting tales of the Norse god?
Donald Blake is still a novelty as far as this series goes. To say that Straczynski shifts the focus back onto the good doctor isn't strictly true, as there isn't a clear difference between Thor and his human host's mind anymore. Blake's narrative captions are even rendered in the same floaty script as Thor's mental ramblings now. At any rate, there's little in the way of burly warriors wielding magical weapons until late in the issue. Mostly, Thor #4 uses Thor's human half to tackle a real world crisis as only comic books are capable.
For reasons that might not be immediately apparent, Blake moves out of his cozy Oklahoma hotel room to join Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian relief effort in Africa. This isn't the first time a Marvel book has tackled the political climate in Africa, even this year. Straczynksi's own Squadron Supreme set up shop in the continent for an issue or two, and Mark Guggenheim's follow-up mini-series Hyperion vs. Nighthawk delved even deeper into issues surrounding the Darfur genocide. Unlike Nighthawk, Blake doesn't drive around in a jeep shooting would-be rapists and murderers. I suspect that sort of thing is frowned upon in Marvel's traditional library. So while the overall tone of this issue is ever-so-slightly more optimistic than Squadron Supreme, it succeeds quite well in blending fictional gods with very real conflicts.
Don't think that this issue has nothing to do with Thor's ongoing quest, however. By the end of this issue Blake's true reason for traveling to Africa will become clear. The single biggest complaint that can be lodged against Straczynski's Thor so far (other than the perpetually dumpy expression artist Oliver Coipel draws Thow with) is the criminally slow pace. In the context of the series as a whole this issue is still guilty of moving things along slowly, but taken on its own I didn't mind. Straczynski introduces enough new characters and developments this month that I'm hopeful the story will soon be moving onto bigger things. While it's entertaining to see Thor battle it out with hapless militia fighters for a month or two, I'm ready to see him clash hammers with a more suitable enemy. If not Loki, let's at least throw some frost giants in there.
Review score 8.5
"Wait. This is a Thor comic?" That's a question I had to ask myself several times while reading the latest issue of J. Michael Straczynski's new series. For a long time it doesn't feel very much like your typical Thor adventure. By and large that's a good thing. After all, what was the point of bringing Thor back in the first place if not to tell new and interesting tales of the Norse god?
Donald Blake is still a novelty as far as this series goes. To say that Straczynski shifts the focus back onto the good doctor isn't strictly true, as there isn't a clear difference between Thor and his human host's mind anymore. Blake's narrative captions are even rendered in the same floaty script as Thor's mental ramblings now. At any rate, there's little in the way of burly warriors wielding magical weapons until late in the issue. Mostly, Thor #4 uses Thor's human half to tackle a real world crisis as only comic books are capable.
For reasons that might not be immediately apparent, Blake moves out of his cozy Oklahoma hotel room to join Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian relief effort in Africa. This isn't the first time a Marvel book has tackled the political climate in Africa, even this year. Straczynksi's own Squadron Supreme set up shop in the continent for an issue or two, and Mark Guggenheim's follow-up mini-series Hyperion vs. Nighthawk delved even deeper into issues surrounding the Darfur genocide. Unlike Nighthawk, Blake doesn't drive around in a jeep shooting would-be rapists and murderers. I suspect that sort of thing is frowned upon in Marvel's traditional library. So while the overall tone of this issue is ever-so-slightly more optimistic than Squadron Supreme, it succeeds quite well in blending fictional gods with very real conflicts.
Don't think that this issue has nothing to do with Thor's ongoing quest, however. By the end of this issue Blake's true reason for traveling to Africa will become clear. The single biggest complaint that can be lodged against Straczynski's Thor so far (other than the perpetually dumpy expression artist Oliver Coipel draws Thow with) is the criminally slow pace. In the context of the series as a whole this issue is still guilty of moving things along slowly, but taken on its own I didn't mind. Straczynski introduces enough new characters and developments this month that I'm hopeful the story will soon be moving onto bigger things. While it's entertaining to see Thor battle it out with hapless militia fighters for a month or two, I'm ready to see him clash hammers with a more suitable enemy. If not Loki, let's at least throw some frost giants in there.
Review score 8.5