And now we lay thee down to rest, “Journey Into Mystery”. Your journey is at a close and we must part ways with writer Kathryn Immonen and artist Valerio Schiti, at least for the time being. Did they pull off a graceful conclusion, befitting of the love for this title? Well, let’s see…
Written by Kathryn Immonen
Illustrated by Valerio Schiti
The planet-shattering conclusion to Seeds of Destruction…! Gaea gets in touch with her monstrous side?! To save the ganGREEN goddess, Sif and Beta Ray Bill race to stop the mysterious Ark ship in the (nearly!) scuttled Skuttlebutt! The finish line? Asgardia!
It’s always sad to see a desperately underrated series get cancelled. It’s even sadder because “Journey Into Mystery” was only underrated in comparison to the previous incarnation, under Kieron Gillen’s pen. Since taking over and shifting focus from Kid Loki to Lady Sif, Kathryn Immonen has brought a surprising amount of heart and insight to a character that never got enough of the limelight until now. As I previously surmised, about four issues ago, this series ‘is nothing short of pure fun’ and nothing about that has changed. The last arc of the series saw Sif reunite with old flame Beta Ray Bill, end up drifting aimlessly through space and being hunted by a now-possessed Gaea, All-Mother of Asgard. Here, we catch up with her hurtling back to Earth.
Simply put, what makes this issue so fun is Valerio Schiti’s art. Any other review would focus on the writing first and foremost, but not here. The highlight of this issue, nay, the series, has been the artwork by Valerio Schiti. Schiti has, without fail, managed to capture the frantic pacing of Immonen’s action packed scripts while always being able to slow things down for those little comedic beats or heartfelt moments. His artwork somehow manages to be adrenaline-fueled, balls-to-the-wall intense and slow and deliberate at the same time, taking full use of using panel layouts to play with small moments. One great use of this is the page where Sif and Beta Ray Bill crash through a wall thanks to Stormbreaker and stop for two panels just to lay there. Schiti does not sacrifice an iota of momentum, though, as he fills those two panels with such great expressive character detail that they are all that’s needed before the action kicks back in next panel. It’s like watching a master at work and while “Journey Into Mystery” may be over, it would be an utter shame if Schiti didn’t go on to bigger and better things after this.
Teamed with Schiti on colors is the ever wonderful Jordie Bellaire, who shines here as she did throughout the series. She brings such vibrant life to Schiti’s pencils that it is a joy to see. Vibrant greens and reds punctuate throughout this issue and it is simply a beautiful issue. Bellaire has outdone herself on this issue and, indeed, this series and her working with Schiti is match made in heaven. This might very well be her definitive work right now and it is so sad to see it go. At least we still have her on “Captain Marvel”.
Not only did Schiti and Bellaire put in the work of their career here, but Kathryn Immonen deftly closed her journey with Sif in this issue. After examining her ties to Asgardia and he need to protect it, Immonen has used this arc to explore her realtionship with Beta Ray Bill. It’s been a touching story with a lot of heart and here it closes in just the right way, leaving Sif as she ever is: in charge of her own life and coursing her own journey. Immonen’s dialogue is easily a highlight of the series being snappy and fast-paced and utterly hilarious and full of wit. And yet while her dialogue and inter-character relationships are the strongest parts of her writing, she knows when to let Schiti’s art speak for itself. Everything about this issue is simply masterful and the way Immonen closes her story is no different. She ties up all the loose ends of this arc and gives us a solid conclusion while leaving all the pieces in play for other writers to play with. Her journey allowed her to dig in deep examining just what makes Sif tick and while she had a lot of fun in the process, clearly, nothing about her writing screamed the need to change the status quo too much. If anything, Sif’s journey was to be more comfortable in her position in Asgardia and by the end of this issue, that journey is complete.
Our journey has come to it’s end and while it’s a sad farewell, it was the most fitting this series could ask for. It was funny and it was heartfelt and it was action-packed. It was an issue that conveyed how much fun the creators had putting it together and that speaks to how much fun it is to read. So don’t shed a tear for “Journey Into Mystery” because this is the most fun journey with a series I’ve had. Here’s hoping these three cross paths again sometime soon on something else.
Final Verdict:: 9.1 – While a ‘buy’ rating would only help those already following this series, this is one everyone should look to read collected. What a journey.
