Before we begin, it’s worth mentioning that the comic we’re reviewing today opens up with a very touching tribute to John Romita Sr. While I never met him, I think it’s safe to say that anyone who picked up a comic or enjoyed a comic book movie (especially anything to do with Spider-Man) knew of him. He was a titan of the industry on par with greats like Kirby and Ditko and he will be missed.
Anyway, today we’re talking about Thor and how Marvel’s god of thunder can never have nice things and will never be happy.
Written by Al EwingCover by: Alex Ross
Illustrated by Martin Coccolo
Colored by Matthew Wilson
Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino
AL EWING, MARTIN COCCOLO & ALEX ROSS GIVE THE GOD OF THUNDER THE “IMMORTAL” TREATMENT! In Norse myths, they called him Thunderer. Vuer has he been called, and Hloriddi. The Gods know him as Asgard’s King, keeper of Mjolnir, hero of the tales. When injustice grips the Earth and ancient powers bring down the sky, he fights for those who cannot – and when the tale is done, we will know what that cost him. This is the story of THE IMMORTAL THOR. PLUS: A bonus page written by Jonathan Hickman – WHO ARE THE G.O.D.S.?
“Immortal Thor” #1 opens with Thor at his most powerful and Asgard at its most peaceful. While it’s currently being attacked by magic wielding frost giants, the new King of Asgard is able to make short work of them. Even his mischievous brother Loki doesn’t seem to be presenting that much of a problem. The two brothers seem to be patching things up and Loki even repairs the Bifrost bridge, giving Asgard a clear road back to Midgard. This allows Thor to take a break from being a king who has to deal with a new crisis every five minutes and just relax for a bit. You might even say he’s…happy.
Of course, this is the world of superhero comics, and trouble is always just around the corner. In this case, a new pantheon of gods is on the rise from a realm known only as Utgard, and this is a pantheon that is a dark reflection of Asgard and does not share Thor’s love or appreciation for humanity.
“Immortal Thor” #1 is written by Al Ewing, one of the most familiar names in modern comics and someone who knows how to take characters who appear too strong and powerful to be interesting and create stories for them that make them interesting and relatable. It’s a skill set that is put to good use here, because Ewing wastes little time showing just how powerful and capable Thor can be, since this is a version of Thor that deals with frost giants like they were unruly children and commands the skies with a wave of his hand. What’s great about this is that Ewing uses Thor’s power to take a breather and lets Thor be happy for a little bit. Granted, there’s some really good foreshadowing with Loki that hints at something big and nasty on the horizon, but the moments where Thor gets to just hang out on Midgard with humanity are genuinely sweet and enjoyable. However, said joy does not last long and Ewing introduces the new threat of the Utgard gods with brutal and terrifying efficiency, and introduces the cosmic beings living above us all who’s spats and philosophical disagreements lay the foundations for future conflict. It’s the kind of storytelling format that evokes the Marvel Comics from the 1960’s, and it does a great job of grabbing the reader’s attention and leaving them wanting more.
If the writing in “Immortal Thor” #1 has any problems, they’re problems that the book understands and accepts with grace and wisdom. As stated above, Ewing foreshadows trouble on the horizon with an appearance by Loki, the god of stories who understands that every moment of great joy is going to be offset by a moment of great trial and tribulation. This cyclical nature of the universe is also reinforced by the villains, who are revealing themselves because they believe that life on Earth has grown stagnant and it’s time for new blood to bring about change. This whole thing could be interpreted as Ewing acknowledging how superhero stories are a never ending cycle of war and peace that don’t really change anything, and the presence of the Utgard gods does bring the issue of stagnation and maintaining the status quo to the forefront. Still, “Immortal Thor” #1 is a book that is wise enough to understand this, and there is definitely room to do something interesting.
Continued belowThe art team on “Immortal Thor” #1 definitely understands that this is a call back to the days of old school Marvel storytelling, which is probably why they got Alex Ross–the artist you call when you want to give your book a sense of history–to do the cover. The interiors are done by Martin Coccolo, who has the usual realistic style that has been so pervasive in a lot of the books that Marvel and DC have been putting out over the last couple of years, and like all those books, it’s a fine art style that tells its story with clarity and fine detail. WIth that said, since the book can’t really be judged by the art style, it can be judged by the visual choices that Coccolo makes, and he has made some fine choices here. Coccolo understands how to use scale to show the audience just how massive and scary things can be and he does this through great use of double page spreads and low angle shots that show just how massive this latest threat is, and just how small Thor looks in comparison. The return to basics can also be seen in Thor’s character design, which is a modern update on his classic, clean shaven look along with the winged helmet. This is artwork that tells a story, and it tells the story well.
“Immortal Thor” #1 feels like a return to an older style of storytelling for Marvel’s god of thunder, and while some readers might miss the Thor of the last decades, this is a great example of a comic book superhero that acknowledges its Norse past and its 1960’s origin in a way that feels respectful while introducing something new and dangerous at the same time.
Final Verdict: 9.1- This is a textbook example of classic superhero comic book storytelling created by a team of consummate professionals with a proper understanding of scale and stakes, but who aren’t afraid to show more quiet and humanizing moments.
