3.18.2008
Today we play a little catch-up, as Thor #7 is due out on retail shelves tomorrow. We continue our series Call Down the Lightning with reviews of issues #4, 5, and 6. For those readers who have read these reviews, but have not purchased a issue of the new Thor series, I hope these reviews gets you out to your local comic retailer.
Thor #4 continued Thor's journey to restore Asgard and his comrades. In this issue Thor is taken to Africa in search of his fellow Asgardian's. Straczynski continues to do well in shaping the locales with Thor involved in current social issues. The various locations further perpetuate the idea that Thor is now a Hero/God of our world, and not some Mount Olympus that sits outside the realm of existence, of the rest of the Marvel Universe. A problem that has plagued Thor comics in times past!
Straczynski tells Thor’s story well and laces each issue with social commentary as Thor traverses the globe looking for his fellow Asgardian’s. Thor #4 places the reader in a small tribal village in Africa. It is in the village that Thor finds awakens the infamous Warriors Three, Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral in the midst of tribal warfare. Stracyznski adds some social commentary in the latter pages of this issue with the leader of the tribe thanking Thor, but also noting how Africa's problems should be dealt with. Thor agrees though gives the tribe what he believes they need to be protected, time. Tearing asunder the land with his mighty Mjolnir and creating a chasm to divide the tribes for the time being.
While not much happened in the way of Thor battling any of Marvel's greatest villains. Thor #1-6 are part of a Story Arc and readers have to take into consideration that arc, which is the rebirth and restoration of Asgard and it Citizens. It is also Straczynski trying to place Thor in the daily on-goings of the world.
Thor #5 could be considered the climax of the story arc. Thor is still searching for his fellow Asgardian’s, but becoming impatient and worried. His worries are; how many of his comrades have met ill fates in their mortal forms before being awakened. Thor is also concerned with waking up enemies. Thor races to the deserts of Nevada, where Heimdall believes there are Asgardian’s. Thor finds a number of people locked in cells that he believes to be his comrades in mortal form.
Ready to free the imprisoned from both the cells and mortal forms, Thor is confronted by none other than long time nemesis, The Destroyer. This battle isn't as epic as any of their previous clashes and somewhat disappointing to be truthful. It's made even more confusing when Thor is able to “easily” draw out the soul empowering the Destroyer, Balder. I say easily because Straczynski at this point has started down this path of everything Thor does seem to put his life in peril. The number of times you can keep up with my life is in danger by doing this takes the nail biting out of it.
After releasing Balder from the Destroyer Thor checks on those Asgardian’s he believes to be released from their mortal forms. None of them are in the cells, but one, one whom he believes is Sif. Thor is disappointed when instead a Female Loki greets him.
Loki is up to “Her” tricks still, conspiring with Dr. Doom to what end, and how I do not know. Apparently, all of the Asgardian’s Thor did not want to free were in the cells and the battle against the Destroyer was planned so Thor would release them unwittingly. Sad part about this issues is we don't know how Dr. Doom and Loki managed to contrive such a plan seeing how the Asgardian’s did not know they were Gods in mortal forms, let alone Dr. Doom having knowledge of this. Hopefully Stracyznski can weave his magic of writing into an explanation.
Thor #6 is a transition issue. The story arc clearly comes to a close by the end of this issue, but to what cost the reader is left wondering at the end as we have the vision of Thor lying amongst the Earth spent. Again, Straczynski lay off them, if I do so, I may die stuff. This issue deals mainly with the effects of Asgard being in the heartland of America on the local populace. We get to see the local’s interactions with the Gods and how they have changed their minds for better or worse, mostly for the better. The big thing here is that Thor wants his friends returned and he wants to do so without traveling the world looking for every single one of them. That he does, but at what cost we are left to ponder. Check out the panels I have provided.
The artwork in this issue is the best of the series yet. My hats off to Coipel got the great artwork.
Look forward to our VS Reflections: Thor Series as we continue to create cards for our Asgardian’s; Balder, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, Loki, and Enchantress. We also begin to look at our 6 cost version of Thor and a possible 1 cost Donald Blake. I'm looking forward to it.
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