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THOR #50
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
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Marvel Comics
"By Fire Born, Part V of V"
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Tom Raney
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Avalon Studios
"Forever Divided"
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Deon Nuckols
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Hi-Fi
"Children of the Gods"
Writer: Jose H.P. Armenta
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Jack Jadson
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $4.95 US/$7.95 CAN |
By Fire Born: While Raney's art is quite strong and Jurgens explores a cosmically political plotline here, this opening story, wrapping up a five-part story arc, isn't all that compelling, and the reason lies in his approach to the narration. Exactly what went on in the previous chapter -- which I missed -- isn't all that clear either, and given that this is a "special" issue for a number of reasons, accessibility would be a key quality for potential new readers.
In the aftermath of the battle with Desak, destroyer of gods, Thor is angered to see those around him -- the villainous Grey Gargoyle and various looters and thieves -- trying to profit from the chaos. Before returning to Asgard with the Enchantrees and his royal adviser, Thor unleashes his power and fury before the scared and confused masses in the streets of Manhattan.
This isn't really the end of a story arc, but instead, it's the beginning of a new one, of the next step in Thor's education as supreme monarch of the Asgardian Gods. Unfortunately, the narration focuses on Tarene -- AKA the Designate, AKA Thor Girl -- and her coming cosmic drama. I don't find that plotline all that interesting, to be honest, and the detached tone of the narration doesn't help matters either.
The art is stunning. Raney first turned heads with his work on Stormwatch v.1, but it's on Thor that's he's really come into his own. Unfortunately, the art here doesn't really tell the story. We're presented with full-page moments from the story, but it's not comics storytelling, really. There's no progression to it, no sense of the sequential. Mind you, I suspect this is directed from the script, not a choice Raney makes.
Forever: This story marks the professional comics debut of Deon Nuckols, who won Marvel's pencilling contest. He tells the story clearly and capably, but his style still needs some more polish. His work seems influenced by Ian Churchill, with elongated figures dominating the story, and exaggerated expressions employed to convey emotion. There's definitely plenty of potential there, though, and I hope he's given the chance to show off his development in the near future.
The story -- focusing on the Asgardian people's dissatisfaction in Thor's rule, and the extreme solution he comes up with to address both obligations to both Asgard and Earth -- is far from subtle. Jurgens goes a bit over the top here, but there's also a quality to the story that rings true. The twist here promises to take the title in an intelligent and complex direction, and I look forward to how it plays out.
Children: Of course, we get a hint of things to come in this final story, which tells a tale of the title character's childhood. It stands out as the best story in the book, and that's high praise for its writer -- Jose H.P. Armenta, the winner of Marvel's writing contest. In just a few pages, he does justice to a fantastic but emotionally charged idea. The young Thor learns that he can't be all things to all people... a lesson he's apparently going to have to learn again in future issues under Jurgens guidance.
I'm not usually all that fond of Bennett's work, but here, it just seems to click. He captures the sense of the mystic and historic here, as well as the young Thor's youth, innocence and naivete. His depiction of Thor reminds me at times of the work of John Romita Jr., this title's original penciller. This was a solid effort by the entire creative team.
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