Post by goldenfist on Dec 18, 2008 11:08:03 GMT -5
Read this review of Thor God-Size Special #1 from Ign.com
When it comes to modern Thor comics, J. Michael Straczynski reigns supreme. But coming in a close second is Matt Fraction. Through his work on Secret Invasion: Thor and the three one-shot specials that ended with Thor: Man of War, Fraction has demonstrated his impressive handle on Thor and the many denizens of Asgard. Well, as luck would have it, 2008 is delivering one more Fraction-penned Thor comic for us all to enjoy. And enjoy you shall. I insist on it.
Thor God-Size Special #1 follows a similar formula to he previous Fraction one-shots, though with a slightly longer page count. The various stories aren't even separate tales so much as chapters of the same novel. All have to do with the fallen Asgardian warrior known as Skurge. Skurge is a former villain who sacrificed himself in a battle against the forces of Hel. His name is well-revered in Asgard now, but as Thor and his compatriots discover, their memories have inexplicably been changed. Thor, Balder, and Loki embark on a quest across the Nine Worlds to uncover the source of this tampering and restore the name of Skurge.
This is fodder for a rollicking adventure, and it's made all the more fun by the unlikely inclusion of Loki. This odd trio encounter numerous threats along the way, and Loki is often the source of some much-needed comedic relief. Fraction perfectly captures the voices of these three characters. I'm continually amazed at how well Fraction handles this corner of the Marvel Universe, given how far outside of it the rest of his work falls. The script here is far stronger than what we saw in SI: Thor, mainly because that series was mostly a collection of fight scenes. This issue isn't quite as strong as the three previous one-shots, though. I prefer Fraction's slightly more mythological take on Asgard to the continuity-laden events of this story, but my disappointment is merely relative. This is still one of the better Thor stories I've ever read.
Each of the numerous chapters in this issue is rendered by a different artist. For me, the highlight is Doug Braithwaite's work. Braithwaite also worked on SI: Thor, but his art is all the more impressive here thanks to the capable colors of Andy Troy. Every sequence is impressive in its own right, and the only one that didn't completely wow me was Mike Allred's segment. Allred is a bit of an odd departure considering his cartoonish, retro-flavored style. I understand that Fraction was going for a very Jack Kirby-esque feel in this segment. My problem is that it doesn't quite reach that level of visual flair. I've seen Allred do some admirable Kirby approximations in the past, so I'm a little bemused that it didn't quite work out here.
Thor God-Size Special #1 may not be quite the best effort from Fraction this year, but it's still a Hel of a read and a great way to cap off a year of terrific stories. I'm extremely interested to learn how Marvel plans to outdo their 2008 Thor output next year.
Review Score: 9.0 Outstanding
When it comes to modern Thor comics, J. Michael Straczynski reigns supreme. But coming in a close second is Matt Fraction. Through his work on Secret Invasion: Thor and the three one-shot specials that ended with Thor: Man of War, Fraction has demonstrated his impressive handle on Thor and the many denizens of Asgard. Well, as luck would have it, 2008 is delivering one more Fraction-penned Thor comic for us all to enjoy. And enjoy you shall. I insist on it.
Thor God-Size Special #1 follows a similar formula to he previous Fraction one-shots, though with a slightly longer page count. The various stories aren't even separate tales so much as chapters of the same novel. All have to do with the fallen Asgardian warrior known as Skurge. Skurge is a former villain who sacrificed himself in a battle against the forces of Hel. His name is well-revered in Asgard now, but as Thor and his compatriots discover, their memories have inexplicably been changed. Thor, Balder, and Loki embark on a quest across the Nine Worlds to uncover the source of this tampering and restore the name of Skurge.
This is fodder for a rollicking adventure, and it's made all the more fun by the unlikely inclusion of Loki. This odd trio encounter numerous threats along the way, and Loki is often the source of some much-needed comedic relief. Fraction perfectly captures the voices of these three characters. I'm continually amazed at how well Fraction handles this corner of the Marvel Universe, given how far outside of it the rest of his work falls. The script here is far stronger than what we saw in SI: Thor, mainly because that series was mostly a collection of fight scenes. This issue isn't quite as strong as the three previous one-shots, though. I prefer Fraction's slightly more mythological take on Asgard to the continuity-laden events of this story, but my disappointment is merely relative. This is still one of the better Thor stories I've ever read.
Each of the numerous chapters in this issue is rendered by a different artist. For me, the highlight is Doug Braithwaite's work. Braithwaite also worked on SI: Thor, but his art is all the more impressive here thanks to the capable colors of Andy Troy. Every sequence is impressive in its own right, and the only one that didn't completely wow me was Mike Allred's segment. Allred is a bit of an odd departure considering his cartoonish, retro-flavored style. I understand that Fraction was going for a very Jack Kirby-esque feel in this segment. My problem is that it doesn't quite reach that level of visual flair. I've seen Allred do some admirable Kirby approximations in the past, so I'm a little bemused that it didn't quite work out here.
Thor God-Size Special #1 may not be quite the best effort from Fraction this year, but it's still a Hel of a read and a great way to cap off a year of terrific stories. I'm extremely interested to learn how Marvel plans to outdo their 2008 Thor output next year.
Review Score: 9.0 Outstanding