So this series has already gotten a lot of love from us at Multiversity, and it’s not difficult to see why. Epic, nuanced, well thought-out and beautifully drawn, this is a big and inventive story that’s both accessible and complex. But how does it all hold together now that we’ve reached the end of an arc?
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Esad RibicThe shocking finale of our opening salvo…! As three Thors from three eras race to stop the God Butcher, the full extent of his vicious scheme takes terrifying shape.
Actually, the most remarkable thing about this arc-ending issue is that it doesn’t really feel like the end of an arc. While we do learn a few things about Gorr’s philosophy and his reasons for what he’s doing, Gorr’s actual origins – not to mention any kind of conclusive encounter between him and Thor – are saved for the next arc. In other words, the story is proving to be a lot bigger than it first seemed. But then, maybe that’s not so surprising, being that this is a story about freakin’ gods being killed.
It helps that there’s so much thought and development of ideas woven into this issue. We’ve all encountered overly decompressed stories before, but this big story feels like it’s being given just the right amount of room to breathe – and that’s quite a feat, given that the story encompasses eons of time and the vastness of space. From Gorr’s meditations on the nature of gods (holy crap are those first few pages disturbing) to Thor’s reaction when he encounters the future version of himself, there are all kinds of little moments in this book that prompt deeper thought, and add nuance and texture to the whole while still moving the story forward. More than just action, there’s meat to this story, and we’re being given ample chewing time.
Sometimes it’s a little difficult to tell when we’re transitioning from time period to time period; the most noticeable indicator of such a shift is a change in Thor’s costume, but not every panel gives us a good view of it. That said, the time shifts are usually handled quite well, with Aaron matching up a couple of parallel key moments within each timeline and using these as hinges. We’re always watching the most important, pertinent thing that is going on within any of the timelines, and this, more than anything, keeps the issue reading smoothly and the suspense running high.
Meanwhile, Esad Ribic’s art continues on being both easy on the eyes and (generally speaking) fluid in terms of storytelling technique. All three Thors from their three different time periods are as expressive as you could ask for, and nicely differentiated in terms of the manner after which they emote. Similarly, Gorr’s character design, which we get a good long look at in this issue, carries a nice balance between familiar and alien. And while he does look a bit like the lovechild of Voldemort and a Twi’lek, he’s got a good range of expression in this issue that keeps him from looking too flatly villainous.
Finally, and as we’ve seen throughout this arc, there’s an interesting use of hatching rather than solid ink to suggest black space or shadow. It’s a nice way of breaking up a look that is overall very smooth, and marrying a futuristic look with the elements of a more rustic, archaic one. Ive Svorcina’s colours hold it all together with the usual verve and consistency, nailing the mood and atmosphere of each individual panel.
Storywise, this definitely isn’t the most conclusive issue ever; it feels more like a brief pause to flesh out Gorr’s motivations before even bigger stuff happens than anything else. But so far as pauses go, this one’s enthralling. Aaron and Ribic have set us up for another ambitious arc, and there’s no telling where things will go from here.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – oh Hel just buy it
