Beau Tidwell
May 2, 2008, 01:04 pm
<a href=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0408/THORAOT001_col.jpg" target="_blank"><img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0408/THORAOT001_colt.jpg" alt="Thor: Ages of Thunder" hspace=10 align=left></a> Reviewer: Beau Tidwell, comixfanbeau@gmail.com
Story Title: Thor: Ages of Thunder
“While thunder is, above all things, impressive … it is lightning that gets the job done.”
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist, Part 1: Patrick Zircher
Colorist, Part 1: June Chung
Penciler, Part 2: Khari Evans
Inker, Part 2: Victor Olazaba
Colorist, Part 2: Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artist: Marko Djurdjevic
Assistant Editor: Alejandrao Arbona
Editor: Warren Simmons
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)
The god of thunder is in good hands.
With his new, sporadically-shipping Strazinski-penned book kicking ass and selling out every time it actually comes out, the Odinson’s return to the Marvel Universe has been successful enough to warrant a kind of companion book. In the vein of the THOR: BLOOD OATH series released a while back to tide Thor fans over until his big return, this new one shot by Matt Fraction, Patrick Zircher, and Khari Evans is set well in the dim past — before Thor’s emergence into the mainstream Marvel U.
In the AGES OF THUNDER one-shot, Fraction and Zircher pick up a thread from the end of Dan Jurgens’ run on the last Thor title— that in the endless cycle of Ragnarok, Thor’s people the Aesir live their lives in a grim repeating loop, experiencing the same life stories again and again in each new age. At the beginning of the book, we’re told this tale is set “in the era of the third Ragnarok,” placing it many millennia before the great state of Oklahoma ever existed (much less Donald Blake). Thus offset from the ongoing continuity in J. Michael Stracyznski’s title, Fraction has an incredibly deep, rich playground to explore going back into various Norse legends and fables that— with the aid of the repeating Ragnarok device— he is able to reconcile into a coherent, powerful back story for Thor and the Asgardians.
Fraction captures a beautiful, lyrical rhythm with his dialogue, suggestive of Tolkein in his best moments, and elsewhere calling back to the purple prose of Roy Thomas in his prime. (And for that matter, very early Chris Claremont.) One part Neil Gaiman, two parts Jack Kirby, with a hefty dose of Joseph Campbell mixed in, the tone and texture of Fraction’s work is deeply engaging. While his ongoing collaboration with Ed Brubaker on Iron Fist and his solo work on Punisher: War Journal have met with rave reviews, this is a whole different level for Fraction. Easily the best mainstream work he’s done since his emergence as Marvel’s next hot thing. This issue serves as essentially the first half of a four-part mini-series, with two chapters contained here and the next two slated for the forthcoming Reign of Blood, currently slated for June release. For my money, this is the best Thor has been since the days of Walt Simonson and The Last Viking.
On the art chores, Patrick Zircher is a revelation. Most recently seen on the late, lamented Cable and Deadpool title, Zircher turns in the best work I’ve ever seen him do on this book. In some ways reminiscent of Andy Kubert’s work on projects like 1602 and Wolverine: Origin, Zircher’s artwork likewise manages to channel Barry Windsor Smith in his Conan days, with a result that is literally breathtaking. Khari Evans and Victor Olazaba do strong work as well in the second chapter, but Zircher’s opening pages absolutely steal the show.
Between them, Fraction and Zircher go a long way towards redefining Marvel’s Thor for the new century. At once accessible and seemingly rooted in the deepest legends and myths, their Asgardian mythology incorporates elements of everything from the old ”Tales of Asgard” back-up strip to Lord of the Rings-style widescreen monster-smashing. Their Thor is savage, heroic, and epic on a scale quite beyond being a costumed superhero, and his fellow Asgardians come alive with a depth and an immediacy they’ve rarely shown. The larger plot, presumably to be continued in the sequel, hinges on a story point at the foundation of Lee and Kirby’s launch of the character at the dawn of the Marvel Age. Namely--- why did Odin feel the need to teach his son a lesson in humility? The answer is part and parcel of the character’s established cannon, but the actual back story has never truly been fleshed out in quite this way--- and the result is one fantastic read.
Highly recommended for fans of the current Stracyznski revival, for classicists steeped in Kirby and Simonson, or even for readers who’ve never picked up a Thor comic before. This is a great book.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg
note--- the thumbnail pictured is taken from the solicited cover image, which differs from the actual cover on the stands. Still a great Thor pic though...
Story Title: Thor: Ages of Thunder
“While thunder is, above all things, impressive … it is lightning that gets the job done.”
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist, Part 1: Patrick Zircher
Colorist, Part 1: June Chung
Penciler, Part 2: Khari Evans
Inker, Part 2: Victor Olazaba
Colorist, Part 2: Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artist: Marko Djurdjevic
Assistant Editor: Alejandrao Arbona
Editor: Warren Simmons
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)
The god of thunder is in good hands.
With his new, sporadically-shipping Strazinski-penned book kicking ass and selling out every time it actually comes out, the Odinson’s return to the Marvel Universe has been successful enough to warrant a kind of companion book. In the vein of the THOR: BLOOD OATH series released a while back to tide Thor fans over until his big return, this new one shot by Matt Fraction, Patrick Zircher, and Khari Evans is set well in the dim past — before Thor’s emergence into the mainstream Marvel U.
In the AGES OF THUNDER one-shot, Fraction and Zircher pick up a thread from the end of Dan Jurgens’ run on the last Thor title— that in the endless cycle of Ragnarok, Thor’s people the Aesir live their lives in a grim repeating loop, experiencing the same life stories again and again in each new age. At the beginning of the book, we’re told this tale is set “in the era of the third Ragnarok,” placing it many millennia before the great state of Oklahoma ever existed (much less Donald Blake). Thus offset from the ongoing continuity in J. Michael Stracyznski’s title, Fraction has an incredibly deep, rich playground to explore going back into various Norse legends and fables that— with the aid of the repeating Ragnarok device— he is able to reconcile into a coherent, powerful back story for Thor and the Asgardians.
Fraction captures a beautiful, lyrical rhythm with his dialogue, suggestive of Tolkein in his best moments, and elsewhere calling back to the purple prose of Roy Thomas in his prime. (And for that matter, very early Chris Claremont.) One part Neil Gaiman, two parts Jack Kirby, with a hefty dose of Joseph Campbell mixed in, the tone and texture of Fraction’s work is deeply engaging. While his ongoing collaboration with Ed Brubaker on Iron Fist and his solo work on Punisher: War Journal have met with rave reviews, this is a whole different level for Fraction. Easily the best mainstream work he’s done since his emergence as Marvel’s next hot thing. This issue serves as essentially the first half of a four-part mini-series, with two chapters contained here and the next two slated for the forthcoming Reign of Blood, currently slated for June release. For my money, this is the best Thor has been since the days of Walt Simonson and The Last Viking.
On the art chores, Patrick Zircher is a revelation. Most recently seen on the late, lamented Cable and Deadpool title, Zircher turns in the best work I’ve ever seen him do on this book. In some ways reminiscent of Andy Kubert’s work on projects like 1602 and Wolverine: Origin, Zircher’s artwork likewise manages to channel Barry Windsor Smith in his Conan days, with a result that is literally breathtaking. Khari Evans and Victor Olazaba do strong work as well in the second chapter, but Zircher’s opening pages absolutely steal the show.
Between them, Fraction and Zircher go a long way towards redefining Marvel’s Thor for the new century. At once accessible and seemingly rooted in the deepest legends and myths, their Asgardian mythology incorporates elements of everything from the old ”Tales of Asgard” back-up strip to Lord of the Rings-style widescreen monster-smashing. Their Thor is savage, heroic, and epic on a scale quite beyond being a costumed superhero, and his fellow Asgardians come alive with a depth and an immediacy they’ve rarely shown. The larger plot, presumably to be continued in the sequel, hinges on a story point at the foundation of Lee and Kirby’s launch of the character at the dawn of the Marvel Age. Namely--- why did Odin feel the need to teach his son a lesson in humility? The answer is part and parcel of the character’s established cannon, but the actual back story has never truly been fleshed out in quite this way--- and the result is one fantastic read.
Highly recommended for fans of the current Stracyznski revival, for classicists steeped in Kirby and Simonson, or even for readers who’ve never picked up a Thor comic before. This is a great book.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/thorfull.jpg
note--- the thumbnail pictured is taken from the solicited cover image, which differs from the actual cover on the stands. Still a great Thor pic though...