Thor. Odin. Loki. If you even have a passing awareness of comic books, or literally any popular culture in the 21st century, these names conjure very specific images in your mind. These may be of winged helmets and long horns, or they may be of the actors Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. But while the MCU’s Thor films captured the imaginations of the mainstream audiences, and Marvel’s “Mighty Thor” comics have given us some of the greatest epics in four colors, But they’re not exactly accurate depictions of the Eddas.
Fresh off a twelve part “Olympians” series detailing the Greek gods, George O’Connor writes and draws “Asgardians.” The new four part series from First Second takes a look at Norse gods, starting with the chief of the Aesir himself, Odin. While O’Connor is no stranger to the more Lee/Kirby depictions of the Norse Gods, he contributed a Thor and Loki six pager to the “Marvel Super Stories” anthology last October, he’s gone back to the source for this series. Pulling directly from the Eddas themselves, he explores the grittier branches of The World Tree, in sharp contrast to the pristine halls of Olympus.
Written and drawn by George O’ConnorCover by George O’Connor
Colors by Norm Grock
Cover Design by Molly Johanson and Casper ManningA retelling of the Norse myths, following the birth of the Asgardian Allfather and his quest for knowledge.
“Asgardians: Odin” starts with the Norse creation myth, then details the life of its title Allfather all the way to what appears to be Ragnarok. Along the way, we see him from blood pacts with Loki, brutalize himself for knowledge of magic and fate, and fly to Asgard in the form of a swollen, mead dripping eagle. That last sequence may be the best art in the entire book, if only for the giant boulder of a bird flapping away from danger. As Odin pushes forward, images of flames and sharp teeth haunt him, teasing the “Twilight” to come.
Right from the start, the book sets up a grand tone. The first image we see are slain warriors spread out across a battlefield. A light splits the sky, and a fleet of Valkyries sweep up the souls of the dead, bringing them to the grand feast hall of Valhalla. From there, we are taken up a spiral staircase and introduced to three storytellers, each with a different chapter in the story of Odin. Not only does this intro very quickly establish a more historical depiction that what we are used to, but it gives you a feeling of how far above Midgard these stories are set.
From there the rest of the book almost feels like a guided tour. In a good way. As the perspective shifts to the three narrators, the book feels as if you’re being taken on a journey of discovery. Or you’re listening to a skald recount the ancient saga. It’s a cool framing device that adds that nice epic boost to the rest of the book. It brings us into the story of Ymir, the giant from whom all of reality was carved from. We are treated to an extended sequence of the creatures of the Norse world crawling out from the sweat of the floating being, and the gods slaying him. The sense of scale is reinforced as seemingly microscopic Odin, Vili, and Ve travel past towering back hairs.
Focusing on Odin was a wise choice for the first book of the series. Not simply because of his importance in the chosen pantheon. But after the world is formed, Odin goes on his own quest. Soon after, a golden goddess appears in his hall, and he is confronted with the reality that there are realms outside his. This leads to the creation of Kvasir. Kvasir’s death leads to Odin drinking the Mead of Poetry. With each new knowledge Odin seeks out, we are given a bigger glimpse into the mythology itself, with hints of what is to come. The panels of flame and sharp teeth mentioned earlier hint at Ragnarok, which will be the fourth and final book in the series. Setting up the rest of the series while managing to stand on your own can be a balancing act, but “Odin” does manage to strike it well.
The art is vivid and expressive. Many of the character designs are very much a rejection of your standard depictions. The book’s depiction of Dwarves lack beards. Ymir is a vaguely humanoid shaped blob. The six headed creature that forms from his knees have faces with only one feature: screaming mouths full of jagged teeth. There’s also the swollen eagle full of mead. Totally the best art in the book. While the book doesn’t get too overly graphic, it is worth noting a substantial amount of blood is spilled in the story. There’s a river of blood that pours from Ymir as Odin and pals hack away at him (in the distance). And most folks familiar with the story of Odin should know to expect at least one gouged out eye. It’s nothing older kids can’t handle at least. But parents may still like to know there’s an extended sequence of Odin bloody and dangling from a rope off a cliff.
Overall, this book was a great start to the series. I’m excited to follow it to Ragnarok.
