THOR #41
"Taking Charge, Part 1 of 3"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Scott Koblish
Colors: Dan Kemp & Avalon
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
I rather enjoyed this issue. Jurgens convinced me of the Asgardians' grief, and of the notion that Odin's death marks a major turning point for an entire society of gods. I'm not usually one for the lofty characters in Thor, but their grief shines a spotlight on the parts of them that are human. The writer and the artists do quite well with this issue.
Odin the All-Father, the ruler of fabled Asgard, has been struck down in battle with the demonic Surtur, a battle that saved all of reality. But his efforts came at a high price, and it is time for the gods to grieve. However, one -- Thor, god of thunder and the Odinson -- refuses to give up hope for his father's recovery. Meanwhile, Tarene -- the omnipotent Designate who's been hanging out with Thor in her Asgardian goddess form -- finds herself trapped in that form, her more impressive powers gone for good.
Koblish's inks bring a gritty, dark but detailed tone to Immonen's realistic figures. I also loved how Immonen's pencils made the sometimes silly fashions worn by the Asgardians seem plausible. Most importantly, though, he conveys the grief of the throng of characters quite well. It's too bad, though, that the colors are a shade too bright, given the melancholy tone of the script.
Jurgens does a great job of filling readers in on what led up to this moment, but he doesn't get too bogged down in the exposition either. He manages to achieve a balance between the human emotions that dominate the mind during a time of grief and the importance of what Odin represented not only to Asgard, but to the universe as well. I was pleased to find the cosmic aspects of the plot did not interfere with the human ones.
The greatest strength of this book, however, was Jurgens's script. The dialogue, though flowery, conveys the down-to-earth emotions of the characters, and how each of them deals with them. There's also a heartening sense of togetherness in the book, as an entire community of gods gathers to honor its greatest leader.
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