Post by goldenfist on Oct 30, 2008 11:36:09 GMT -5
Ign.com reviews Thor #11
Editor's Note: This review contains general plot spoilers for Thor #11. If you want to be completely surprised, don't read any further.
Look, I don't need to tell you J. Michael Straczynski's Thor is good. At this point, 15 months into a run that is similar to Captain America in its ability to have one continuous arc, you should have heard good things already. At this point all I need to do is tell you why this issue of Thor is the best one yet - and one I've been waiting for since July 2007 (perhaps earlier depending on how you look at it).
When Captain America died, there were two characters I instinctively wanted to see react to the death - Iron Man and Thor. Brian Bendis delivered a definitive take on Tony Stark's emotions in Civil War: The Confession, but with Thor we never saw enough reaction. He was dead at the time. There was a related skirmish in Thor #3, but that was mostly contained to Thor's anger towards Stark. Finally JMS got around to dealing with the topic, and I have to say, if I need to wait this long for issues this good... so be it.
The strength of JMS is that he has the uncanny ability to know when to stop. He knows when to let moments play out in art and he knows when to simply shut up and let the reader consume the emotions on the page. Better yet, he doesn't dedicate an entire issue to the Captain Cause, moving the core plot of the series along while running a parallel between that and Thor's visit to Cap's memorial. JMS gives us a moment we've been waiting for, but doesn't drag his entire book into the past. It's a fantastic blend, and it's handled in a way that makes me not care I had to wait this long. Best yet, the actual reflection done by the God of Thunder hits exactly the right note. Bendis had Stark pour out his heart and soul, the weight of the world crashing down upon him. In Thor, JMS strikes a tone of reflection and mourning. It works beautifully.
Speaking of beautiful... let me just say that Olivier Coipel is absolutely stellar. I remember being a bit frustrated by him in House of M (too many panels in some really weird places), but he suits this series nicely, and somehow has managed to improve every single issue. And before I wrap up this critique, let me just say that Laura Martin is easily one of my favorite colorists in the industry right now. Some of the moments in this issue are defined by the tone and mood set by the color. She is an incredible talent that stands above most others.
Thor has the distinction of standing alongside books like Green Lantern and Captain America as one of the best the superhero genre has to offer. The series also has an entirely original tone that sets it apart from its top tier comrades. Best yet, it seems to set the stage for some very, very strong issues in the coming months.
Review Score: 9.5 Incredible
Editor's Note: This review contains general plot spoilers for Thor #11. If you want to be completely surprised, don't read any further.
Look, I don't need to tell you J. Michael Straczynski's Thor is good. At this point, 15 months into a run that is similar to Captain America in its ability to have one continuous arc, you should have heard good things already. At this point all I need to do is tell you why this issue of Thor is the best one yet - and one I've been waiting for since July 2007 (perhaps earlier depending on how you look at it).
When Captain America died, there were two characters I instinctively wanted to see react to the death - Iron Man and Thor. Brian Bendis delivered a definitive take on Tony Stark's emotions in Civil War: The Confession, but with Thor we never saw enough reaction. He was dead at the time. There was a related skirmish in Thor #3, but that was mostly contained to Thor's anger towards Stark. Finally JMS got around to dealing with the topic, and I have to say, if I need to wait this long for issues this good... so be it.
The strength of JMS is that he has the uncanny ability to know when to stop. He knows when to let moments play out in art and he knows when to simply shut up and let the reader consume the emotions on the page. Better yet, he doesn't dedicate an entire issue to the Captain Cause, moving the core plot of the series along while running a parallel between that and Thor's visit to Cap's memorial. JMS gives us a moment we've been waiting for, but doesn't drag his entire book into the past. It's a fantastic blend, and it's handled in a way that makes me not care I had to wait this long. Best yet, the actual reflection done by the God of Thunder hits exactly the right note. Bendis had Stark pour out his heart and soul, the weight of the world crashing down upon him. In Thor, JMS strikes a tone of reflection and mourning. It works beautifully.
Speaking of beautiful... let me just say that Olivier Coipel is absolutely stellar. I remember being a bit frustrated by him in House of M (too many panels in some really weird places), but he suits this series nicely, and somehow has managed to improve every single issue. And before I wrap up this critique, let me just say that Laura Martin is easily one of my favorite colorists in the industry right now. Some of the moments in this issue are defined by the tone and mood set by the color. She is an incredible talent that stands above most others.
Thor has the distinction of standing alongside books like Green Lantern and Captain America as one of the best the superhero genre has to offer. The series also has an entirely original tone that sets it apart from its top tier comrades. Best yet, it seems to set the stage for some very, very strong issues in the coming months.
Review Score: 9.5 Incredible
