THOR #50 (Best of the Week!)
"To Reach Eternity"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Jack Jadson
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Recently, I've come to pay more attention to Thor thanks to the strong pencilling work of Tom Raney. This issue caught my attention as well, but not for the art (Raney's work isn't to be found here). Instead, it's Jurgens's thought-provoking, down-to-earth script that reels me in. The writer explores the nature of faith, and how easy it would be to lured away from it. Jurgens is making the most of the title character's divine origins to tell a grounded story.
The fabled city of Asgard hovers above Manhattan, and its presence weighs heavy on the minds of New Yorkers. Still, they go about their lives as usual, taking the bus to work, dealing with bills and making an impact on one another's life. But when Thor and the Asgardians get directly involved in the day-to-day struggles of the common man, some embrace their impact while others questions it.
Joe Bennett's never been one of my favorite artists, and his past fill-ins on this title didn't do much to change my mind. But it would seem that he's been honing his skills... and perhaps a strong script brings out the best in his work. Here, he includes a stunning array of detail in the art in order to reinforce the sense of everyday reality that's at the heart of the story. He balances moments of wonder with more grounded elements nicely. Not every figure is an impossible paragon of physical attributes. The use of splash pages to convey the larger-than-life quality of the Asgardians works succeeds as well.
I think what gives this issue its impact is an examination of the difference between faith and guidance. Many find guidance in their lives thanks first to a faith in God or an equivalent concept or philosophy. Here, though, Jurgens presents us with some sympathetic Doubting Thomases, people whose faith is overwhelmed by the coming of "real" gods. It's a far more chilling story than it seems to be, really. The cover hints at the slippery slope that the Church of Asgard represents.
Jurgens has, wisely, decided to make this title about gods, not super-heroes. This is far from the first time we've seen such themes touched on in comics -- DC's Superman titles have explored similar ideas, as have the writers on The Authority, for example. But Jurgens seems to really bring it all together with an even greater focus by exploring those ideas through the eyes of regular people. I just hope the book doesn't shift back into super-hero mode by giving the Church of Asgard its own "arch-nemesis" in the form of a Loki cult or some such thing.
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