After an especially dark sixth issue – one in which we took a close look at Gorr’s past – we’re back to a macro view of this epic story. And it looks like this series is continuing to maintain its high standard while mixing in a bit of humour, too.
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Esad RibicGODBOMB Part One of Five
Somewhere at the end of the time, all the gods of the universe are enslaved, working to build a machine that will forever change the face of creation.What is…the Godbomb? And what can Thor, the last free god in all the cosmos, do to stop it?
The most remarkable thing about this issue is just how silly and self-aware it gets. While the plot centres on some pretty serious stuff – Present-Thor consulting with Future-Thor, while Past-Thor falls back into Gorr’s grasp – there are all kinds of little one-off panels that break the drama up and provide a laugh or two. Future-Thor referring to himself as “exquisitely bearded”, Present-Thor happening upon his older self’s wine cellar, Shadrack claiming to be the “god of kittens and coconuts” – they’re silly asides but they play well for the most part. This has been a big, grim story, with the last page of this issue stepping the grimness up yet another notch, and if there was ever an appropriate time for comic relief, I suppose this would be it.
Charlie Chaplin once said that tragedy happens in close ups, comedy in long shots, but with issues like this one “Thor: God of Thunder” turns that rule on its head. The little, personal, familiar moments give us a laugh; when we return to the grand scale of things, and are reminded of the truly awesome scope of Gorr’s brutality, we’re back in epic tragedy mode. Luckily this book is large enough, and contains multitudes, and can make such a tricky balance in tone work; we wind up getting a look at the personal (I almost said “mortal”) aspects of some powerful beings, and thematically, this vision both fits in with and fights against Gorr’s uber-cynical outlook.
Ribic’s artwork is at its usual, effortless-looking best here, with distinct and sensitive portrayals of the three Thors and an appreciably pitiful Shadrack. Incidental characters like Past-Thor’s lover get across a lot of personality in a limited amount of space, while the layouts continue to be clear but inventive. There’s also a great moment where Past-Thor gets swept up by a current of what could only be termed black magic, and the angular panels employed really add to the sense of movement.
There seems to be a certain amount of disagreement surrounding Ribic’s treatment of shadows, which he sometimes fills in with pencil hatching instead of ink, but I think this may be the most recognizable and effective aspect of the art as a whole. It does, on occasion, flatten out the look of a page, because it makes you pay more attention to texture than to form, but it has a wonderful ancient and iconic feel to it as well, adding a bit of grit to the proceedings and getting at a really Norse atmosphere.
Ive Svorcina’s colours take the same idea and run with it; they’re subtle but varied, getting across both a worn, historical look as well as a more futuristic one with blasts of mauve and purple in amongst the greys and browns. It’s a great-looking book overall, and matched up with with a solid and slow-building story it all reads as smoothly as a well-worn legend.
Basically, if you have been reading “Thor: God of Thunder” so far, I have no idea why you’d stop now; and if you haven’t, well, every issue is basically a great jumping-on issue, because they all circle the same circumstances. Only it’s getting to be a bit of a tighter spiral these days, and it would be a damn shame to miss out on any of the grim spectacle going on here.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy!
