In a world of frost giants, fantastical realms, and magical hammers, my favorite setting in Thor was the little town of Broxton, Oklahoma. Placing the Realm Eternal over such a normal city allowed for some incredibly fun “fish out of water” stories, a literal juxtaposition of the ordinary and extraordinary. These stories allowed for a good amount of humor but also gave Asgardians challenges that weren’t necessarily physical, navigating a world foreign to them. The thing is, there needs to be a certain level of balance when writing these stories, you have to find that sweet spot between obtuse and charming. A series that was usually effective at this balance was “Fables” by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham. While the series had its fair share of issues, Willingham did a good job of making his characters feel like fantastical outsiders in a mundane world. So to see that Bill Willingham wrote a comic about The Warriors Three, one of my favorite teams in comics, set during the Broxton Era of Asgard, I was excited. It felt like a natural fit. “Warriors Three” #1-4, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ is an entertaining series, but there is a lot of wasted potentials to make this comic great.
Warriors Three #1-4Cover by Salvador Espin & Jason Keith
Written by Bill Willingham
Penciled by Neil Edwards
Inked by Scott Hanna with Daniel Green and Crimelab Syndicates
Colored by Frank Martin and Fabio D’Auria
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles
While that might sound like faint praise, there is plenty about ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ to like. All of the dialogue of The Warriors Three is a lot of fun. Willingham is excellent at capturing each of the individual characters’ personalities, Fandral’s easygoing charm, Hogun’s quiet anger, and Volstagg’s overconfident gregariousness, but is at his best in writing the way they interact with one another. Oftentimes it feels like a sibling rivalry, each of these warriors trying to prove that they’re the best, the strongest, the most clever that Asgard has to offer in their hunt for Fenrir. There is often snide remarks and gentle ribbing between the three characters, but it’s clear that they have a deep bond of fraternalism that can’t be broken. Quite literally it seems, based on an earlier adventure involving the great wolf of the Norse. In fact, we’re shown this earlier adventure, with “Warriors Three” #2 pulling double duty as an origin story of The God of Thunder’s three best friends. It’s incredibly engaging, and therein lies the problem.
There are two sections of ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ that work really well and should have been given more focus. The first is the origin of the Warriors Three, which is a playful counterpoint to the characters we know today. With the exception of Hogun, both Volstagg and Fandral have similar personalities, but their experience with the wolf helped to create the exaggerated personalities of the characters today. Of the three, Hogun is the most changed. He has never intended to be a warrior, but almost being killed by Fenrir hardened him, turned him into a Killer. Volstagg’s guilt at abandoning his comrades led him to overeat, making him the voluminous warrior he is today. Fandral also changed, finding comfort in womanizing and alcohol. It would have been nice to spend more time with the younger versions of these characters. If Willingham had spread these memories throughout the series, showing the parallels between their younger more foolish selves, and the warriors that they had become, it would have been a stronger series. It could have also enhanced the role of Helen Gable. There seems to be a suggestion of a similar trajectory of her story arc and the younger versions of the Warriors Three, initially starting out as antagonists, but over time becoming a team. It could even help to illuminate what she brought to the team that helps them succeed this time around. While she was interesting and well written, she sometimes felt out of place.
The other section that would have benefitted from a broader spotlight is the beginning where we see the Warriors interacting with Oklahoma City. Each of the vignettes is an excellent shorthand way to introduce the characters. Sadly, though, once we get out of this section it becomes a fairly standard Asgardian adventures (albeit with A.I.M, scientists.) One notable exception is when Hogun stops a train with his body because it’s the next best thing to fighting a dragon. It’s possible that the joke would have become old quickly, but it’s just surprising that given his experience with “Fables” that he didn’t take advantage of Asgardians among us.
Continued belowWhile there are aspects of ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ that could be improved, the art throughout the series is spectacular. Neil Edwards (“Fantastic Four”) does a great job of presenting the action throughout the series and knows how to take advantage of his space. This is especially true in “Warriors Three” #3 when the heroes uncover the destroyed A.I.M base. It starts from an aerial shot of the warriors observing the damage to then transition into the cavernous ruins of the base, showcasing the damage and carnage of Fenris. Similarly, the action of “Warriors Three” #4 is somewhat chaotic, but you always have a clear understanding of where all the characters are in relation to one another. Plus it gives Edwards the opportunity to play with the magical weapons of Asgard, with the energy creating dynamic coloring showing the power of all the characters in the fight.
Yet, of all the things that work well in this, the coloring deserves a special shoutout. As with the best Thor comics, each realm is given its own special coloring that really enhances the mood of the scenes. Hel, for instance, features muted reds and grey tones. Nifelhel features various copper and bloody red tones, which help to make the monsters of the realm feel more monstrous. Finally, most of the sequences in Asgard are bathed in yellows and golden tones, even the lighting of Asgard makes it feel divine. Finally, no matter the setting, the Warriors Three always stand out, it’s the benefit of vibrant costume colors. The coloring work of Frank Martin and Fabio D’Auria takes Edwards’ work to the next level.
In recent years, Volstagg has had the most prominent role of the Warriors Three in Asgard, serving both as a senator in the Congress of Worlds and later as War Thor. While Hogun and Fandral searched the cosmos for Odinson. It’s surprising that The Warriors Three have only gotten one shot at a solo series and a pretty solid one at that! The dynamics of the trio is always entertaining, close friends but with just a touch of friendly antagonism. Each knows they’re the best while trying to get get the other two to acknowledge that fact. With a dynamic like that, antics are sure to come. Hopefully, Fandral the Dashing, Hogun the Grim, and Volstagg the Voluminous will get another chance to shine in their own adventure. But if ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ is their only opportunity, they can hold their head high.
