Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Mighty Thor #9

Yesterday I talked about how Captain America, in the wake of the new film, has been treated like royalty.

It's somewhat the same for fellow movie star The Mighty Thor - but not quite.

The God of Thunder also got a brand-new title with a new "#1" - but his old title was converted to Journey Into Mystery and handed over to Loki. And then there was Thor's fate at the end of Fear Itself (let's just say it wasn't pretty).

Now through means not yet explained he's been replaced in his own comic by Tanarus , who has somehow taken Thor's place throughout Marvel's continuity, so he's always been a member of the Avengers, and no one remembers Thor. Well, almost no one.

It's a twist that feels like a Silver Age plot point - especially since they've already revealed his true identity (which shall go unrevealed here). So he's been pretending to be a hero for all these years?

We get some clues about Thor's fate (though not many), and a connection is made in quite a clever way.

So while I'm obviously struggling with Matt Fraction's story, I should add that I'm more than willing to ride this one out and give him the benefit of the doubt.

The art here is something of a mixed bag, with two artists credited - Pasqual Ferry and Pepe Larraz. Some pages are lush, while others are crude and look rushed.

Is it just me, or does the art for most comics these days seem to be done by committee? Is it that difficult to maintain a monthly schedule? But I digress.

I think some of the story frustration comes from the fact that Asgard still lies in ruins almost two years after it was demolished. Should it take that long to repair? Does it seem prudent to write Odin out of the series so soon after his long-awaited return?

It's still too early to tell how this story is going to go, but so far, I'm struggling. Here's hoping for some clarification soon.

Grade: B

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