Post by goldenfist on Oct 23, 2008 16:47:35 GMT -5
Ign.com reviews Thor: Truth of History #1
As a burgeoning comic fan in the whimsical (and lame) decade of the 1980's, my favorite comics were self-contained back issues--titles like Marvel Two-In-One or Marvel Team-Up. They were cheesy, given, but they were also as diverse as they were complete. This brand of self-contained storytelling is a dying breed in the comic book medium, which "Thor: Truth of History" proves is an undeniable shame. Davis' story entertains with an old school mentality, its value transcending mere nostalgia, providing an exciting and intelligent story that is safe for fans of all ages.
From a conceptual level, Matt Fraction's recent Thor one-shots and "The Truth of History" demonstrate a polar divide between two generations of creators. Davis earned his initial chops in the pre-Watchmen era, where dark themes were rare, maybe even taboo. Fraction is the product of a relatively unconstrained industry, coming from a generation of writers who take full advantage of free reign.
What I find refreshing is that both titles work, and work well. They use different means to entertain, but both succeed in doing so. The character of Thor, inarguably cheesy from the outset, in this case proves that good writing can salvage any concept from mediocrity.
The bulk of Davis' story revolves around the differences between Thor's ideology and the slavery driven empire of ancient Egypt. While it can be argued that the author spends a little too much time using exposition to drive his point home-- particularly in the early stages of the story-- by the time the yarn wraps, he does a commendable job of framing a morality tale about forced indoctrination.
But when it comes down to it, all this stuff is nothing more than subtext. At its heart, Truth of History is a traditional action story. Davis uses his themes to glue together a series of exciting battles, culminating in a skirmish between the Thunder God and a deity-like creature, providing a perfect climax to a well-told story.
Davis' pencils are also worth noting, in that his character designs feel entirely at home with vintage fantasy comics (particularly from the late 1970's). His action sequences flow well, transitioning between panels with interesting angles and varying perspectives. Davis comes from an era that focused on substance over flash, which benefits his story in suitable fashion.
This is good comics, folks. Davis provides a complete, thoughtful story in a style he actively demonstrates is far from dead. It may not be the morbid sort of enterprise we've grown accustomed to over the last twenty years, but it is every bit as entertaining as any straightforward action story I've read this year.
Review Score: 8.5 Great
As a burgeoning comic fan in the whimsical (and lame) decade of the 1980's, my favorite comics were self-contained back issues--titles like Marvel Two-In-One or Marvel Team-Up. They were cheesy, given, but they were also as diverse as they were complete. This brand of self-contained storytelling is a dying breed in the comic book medium, which "Thor: Truth of History" proves is an undeniable shame. Davis' story entertains with an old school mentality, its value transcending mere nostalgia, providing an exciting and intelligent story that is safe for fans of all ages.
From a conceptual level, Matt Fraction's recent Thor one-shots and "The Truth of History" demonstrate a polar divide between two generations of creators. Davis earned his initial chops in the pre-Watchmen era, where dark themes were rare, maybe even taboo. Fraction is the product of a relatively unconstrained industry, coming from a generation of writers who take full advantage of free reign.
What I find refreshing is that both titles work, and work well. They use different means to entertain, but both succeed in doing so. The character of Thor, inarguably cheesy from the outset, in this case proves that good writing can salvage any concept from mediocrity.
The bulk of Davis' story revolves around the differences between Thor's ideology and the slavery driven empire of ancient Egypt. While it can be argued that the author spends a little too much time using exposition to drive his point home-- particularly in the early stages of the story-- by the time the yarn wraps, he does a commendable job of framing a morality tale about forced indoctrination.
But when it comes down to it, all this stuff is nothing more than subtext. At its heart, Truth of History is a traditional action story. Davis uses his themes to glue together a series of exciting battles, culminating in a skirmish between the Thunder God and a deity-like creature, providing a perfect climax to a well-told story.
Davis' pencils are also worth noting, in that his character designs feel entirely at home with vintage fantasy comics (particularly from the late 1970's). His action sequences flow well, transitioning between panels with interesting angles and varying perspectives. Davis comes from an era that focused on substance over flash, which benefits his story in suitable fashion.
This is good comics, folks. Davis provides a complete, thoughtful story in a style he actively demonstrates is far from dead. It may not be the morbid sort of enterprise we've grown accustomed to over the last twenty years, but it is every bit as entertaining as any straightforward action story I've read this year.
Review Score: 8.5 Great
