ComicCritic87’s comic spotlight
Hello there friends, this week is a very minor and small week of comic releases this week, it was only 5 issues but it wasn’t substantial enough to do a weekly review. Don’t get me wrong, this was a pretty good week of comics, Teen Titans was awesome, Justice League Dark was amazing, Godzilla did become worth reading, and Kick-ass was pretty interesting. However the one comic I will be spotlighting will be….MIGHTY THOR #8. This is a highly anticipated post Fear Itself Thor title with a totally new character being introduced as the “new” Thunder God named Tanarus. Who is he, where did he come from, and what does this mean for Thor...let’s find out (Spoilers a plenty in this too)
Quick Note: Tanarus is based off of Tanaris, a Celtic god of Thunder, however in the story and Marvel universe, he is claimed to be a Norse god, suck on that history buffs.lol.
The Mighty Thor #8- THE MIGHTY TANARUS 1: Lost
Written by Matt Fraction
Artwork by Pasqual Ferry
Story: Taking place after the events of Fear Itself 7.2 (which I didn’t read) the realm of Asgard has changed since Odin has left power. Three goddesses have joined to be known as the All-Mother, these three women are Gaea, Freyja, and Idunn who come to the united creatures and beings of the 9 realms to bring about a new order of democracy and prosperity which they have dubbed Asgardia. Meanwhile as repairs of Asgard take place, Loki does not trust or believe in the new mysterious being called Tanarus, claiming to be Loki’s brother. Loki meets with Kelda who is still grieving over the loss for her love, Bill, warns Loki that there is trickery afoot and only he can solve it in time. We then cut to Tanarus attacking a giant monster only soon teleported to a chamber of Trolls and their king. The troll King tells Tanarus not to do anything stupid or else their plan goes down the drain, because Tanarus is a Troll in disguise thanks to a spell by the Troll queen. Back with Loki, he finds the human host of Thor, Donald Blake at his office and needs his help. Just as the issue wraps up, Thor awakens in a weaker body frame is in a room with two mysterious beings who about to enter the Demon forge.
Review: I been following the Thor title since the JMS run, which was a fantastic run, then Gillen came on and made it amazing, then Fraction came on, he did a good job but soon he got to take the character to a new book set in the same universe but following its own story and continuity. So much like any Matt Fraction work there’s build up with mostly exposition and little bits of action, saving all the action for the end. This issue does manage to give us enough early backstory as to who Tanarus is at first, giving us an altered perception of reality where Thor never existed but his actions stayed but replaced by an imposter. I did like that there is one person able to remember who Thor was and on a mission to bring him back (let’s be honest, Thor will be back before May in time for the movie). I like seeing Donald Blake making a comeback, he has been silent since the early Fraction run but now he seems to be a key plot element. What I didn’t like and felt was the biggest disappointment of the entire issue was in one issue….ONE ISSUE we see who Tanarus really is and that he is part of a coupe to overthrow the All-Mother. I had so much hype and hopes for this character, I was expecting him to be this wiser and kinder Thunder God who was to replace Thor while he “died” but was secretly being treated, but sadly my hopes were dashed in only a few pages. Another small peeve that gets to me is that Kelda is still grieving over the loss of Bill, he was introduced in the JMS run and became Kelda’s one true love, but sadly he was killed off and went to Valhalla where she would watch from a afar, but she seems to be less of an interesting character since there has been no closure for her, they keep reminding us of her and it detracts from better story telling. Overall I feel this issue was good but a major missed opportunity for telling us a greater story with a character that could have and should have been told better. I have faith in Fraction to bring us a good arc but the suspense and mystery is all gone.
Artwork: I have nothing but praise for Pasqual Ferry, he is to me one of the best artists in the comic book industry and I’m so glad he is doing some more mainstream titles. He joined with Fraction in the Thor run just after Gillen finished up his extra arc, I love the way Ferry draws characters, giving the fantasy element a helping dose of Science Fiction aesthetic. This return to form with the Thor characters continues that tradition; he gives the tiniest characters such nice detail and the way some armor and clothing appear seem very well done. The design of Tanarus is not that bad; his design is unique and does separate himself from the look and feel of the Asgardians. His armor seems to be inspired by the Destroyer armor which features spikes, so does Tanarus’s armor features. I did like seeing Thor being depowered, having a weaker body frame similar to Blake’s. Overall Ferry is great with his artwork, I hope he does many more titles; I would die if he was signed on to draw Amazing Spider-man.
Conclusion: Overall the issue had some good build up and a well-kept pace, however the big reveal as to who Tanarus was in the first issue without proper build up was a major disappointment. The artwork is nothing short of AMAZING and deserves much praise is what keeps me on this book.
Grade: B-
Well that’s all for this week, next week is only 2 comics; I will skip a spotlight since it will be the monthly comic round-up then. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy friends….