Dan Jurgens has really done something entertaining and intelligent with the current Asgard-on-Earth storyline, and my interest in this title and the title character has never been so high. Still, this issue didn't do as much for me, and the reason is that it's offers up the same strengths... but nothing new. The plot hasn't advanced at all in some time. Fortunately, there are signs of change to come, but I have to admit to a small degree of impatience now.
Jake Olson finds himself suspended from his EMT job for his field amputation of trapped boy's leg. Though he's pleased the boy lived and kept his leg, thanks to the intervention of the Asgardian gods, he's concerned about the interference from above. As a creation of the late Odin, he insists upon an audience with the God of Thunder, Thor, new ruler of Asgard. Meanwhile, Thor is occupied with a meeting with the leaders of other earthly pantheons, and Volstagg comes to Earth to watch over the young heroine known as Tarene.
The Lai brothers take over the art chores on Thor with this issue, and it's not a bad debut at all. Their work here is actually reminiscent of the strong work Tom Raney did on the book recently, and I also see a hint of a Travis Charest influence on their work as well. The one thing they do better than anything here is to capture the grandeur of the gods and their home. I would like to see the more grounded elements of the story look a little less idealized. The human characters here are all pictures of perfection, and in the opening scene, they're dealing with older characters that need to have super-heroics physiques.
I really enjoyed the notion of Jake Olson feeling like a stakeholder in the throne and future of Asgard. Checking with Tarene was a nice change of pace as well, and Jurgens's script presents that plotline -- and the others -- in an accessible light. The ethical issues of salvation from above, without effort, remain intriguing, of course.
I also thought the council of gods was an interesting idea, but the direction in which Thor's test was headed was quite predictable. In fact, Thor's been oblivious to the inherent problems of his intervention on Earth for so long now, that he's starting to come off as a bit dim. I hope Jurgens explores why he's being so stubborn about the whole thing, but I also hope that the reintroduction of Zarrko into the plotline will finally move it forward.
