Post by goldenfist on Dec 29, 2007 10:47:35 GMT -5
Here's the Review for Thor #5 from ign.com
Thor and I have had a love/hate relationship for a while now. I feel bored and entranced at the same time. It's taken me a few issues to really identify what was bothering me about this series, but I think I've figured it out. My problem doesn't just come from my overall dislike of the angle being used for the resurrection of the thunder god. That said, where's the epic return? Where's the attention from the greater Marvel Universe (aside from Tony Stark)? While I do appreciate Marvel's interest in allowing J. Michael Straczynski to try something new with this return, I really wanted to see Thor come back in a big way. At this point that entire momentum is lost – honestly I feel this is one of the company's bigger missteps (though clearly not even in the same league as the failure that is One More Day).
But back to the issue, and reality, at hand. I'm enjoying Thor's journey to find his lost friends. I'm enjoying his interaction with the sleepy nearby town – what limited interaction there is. I'm also digging some of the twists and developments that are stirring as of this issue (though one twist struck me as a bit silly - but more on that when it's not going to be a spoiler). What is less pleasing is the lack of character development. Thor might as well be a rock. His comrades are equally lacking outside of brief, brief moments where we only get cursory descriptions of their personalities. "The fat one likes cake" is about the best I could determine this issue. Marvel (and JMS) is making some major assumptions about my knowledge of Thor's world. Sorry, after Loki and Odin I'm a bit lost. This being a relaunch, I figured I'd learn as the arc progressed.
The saving grace here is Olivier Coipel's art. His work is simply stunning, and no matter how dull or misused some of these characters are, I will return to see Coipel draw them. Gone is the muddled and confusing page layout from House of M. Coipel's work here is crisp, powerful and stunning. I know he already did one, but let's get this guy on an event. I'd love to see Marvel draft a top tier of artists for use solely on blockbuster storylines. No offense to some of the artists helming those stories now, but guys like Coipel deserve to only work on books with the highest exposure. Coipel has definitely secured a place on my short list of artists whose works I will immediately seek out.
Thor is a bit of a confused project. It's trying to be grand in its treatment of the Asgardians yet rolls out a plot that can best be described as "sleepy." It wants a large cast of characters but fails to properly give them proper face time, if only to effectively establish their basic personality. Even Thor is being robbed of proper character development. The bigger picture holds a lot of promise, but I'm not sure I'll care when we get there. That's a shame, particularly with the brilliant work of Coipel attached to this lagging title.
Review Score:6.8 Passable
Thor and I have had a love/hate relationship for a while now. I feel bored and entranced at the same time. It's taken me a few issues to really identify what was bothering me about this series, but I think I've figured it out. My problem doesn't just come from my overall dislike of the angle being used for the resurrection of the thunder god. That said, where's the epic return? Where's the attention from the greater Marvel Universe (aside from Tony Stark)? While I do appreciate Marvel's interest in allowing J. Michael Straczynski to try something new with this return, I really wanted to see Thor come back in a big way. At this point that entire momentum is lost – honestly I feel this is one of the company's bigger missteps (though clearly not even in the same league as the failure that is One More Day).
But back to the issue, and reality, at hand. I'm enjoying Thor's journey to find his lost friends. I'm enjoying his interaction with the sleepy nearby town – what limited interaction there is. I'm also digging some of the twists and developments that are stirring as of this issue (though one twist struck me as a bit silly - but more on that when it's not going to be a spoiler). What is less pleasing is the lack of character development. Thor might as well be a rock. His comrades are equally lacking outside of brief, brief moments where we only get cursory descriptions of their personalities. "The fat one likes cake" is about the best I could determine this issue. Marvel (and JMS) is making some major assumptions about my knowledge of Thor's world. Sorry, after Loki and Odin I'm a bit lost. This being a relaunch, I figured I'd learn as the arc progressed.
The saving grace here is Olivier Coipel's art. His work is simply stunning, and no matter how dull or misused some of these characters are, I will return to see Coipel draw them. Gone is the muddled and confusing page layout from House of M. Coipel's work here is crisp, powerful and stunning. I know he already did one, but let's get this guy on an event. I'd love to see Marvel draft a top tier of artists for use solely on blockbuster storylines. No offense to some of the artists helming those stories now, but guys like Coipel deserve to only work on books with the highest exposure. Coipel has definitely secured a place on my short list of artists whose works I will immediately seek out.
Thor is a bit of a confused project. It's trying to be grand in its treatment of the Asgardians yet rolls out a plot that can best be described as "sleepy." It wants a large cast of characters but fails to properly give them proper face time, if only to effectively establish their basic personality. Even Thor is being robbed of proper character development. The bigger picture holds a lot of promise, but I'm not sure I'll care when we get there. That's a shame, particularly with the brilliant work of Coipel attached to this lagging title.
Review Score:6.8 Passable
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