March Madness - - Decimal Points .3 - - - March 30, 2011

By pghhead -

THOR #620.1  (Marvel Comics, May 2011)  Script: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning.  Art: Mark Brooks.  Color Art: Sonia Oback & John Rauch.  Letters: VC’s Joe Sabino.

Wow!  Who is Mark Brooks?  I can’t recall seeing his art before.  It’s magnificent!  An epic look fit for a mythic book.  Art lovers are going to pick this as their absolute favorite “Point One” book.  It is gorgeous to look over.

The story is not too shabby, either.  It starts off with the preparations for a celebration revolving around Thor.  It’s also very funny to imagine a pizza and beer delivery going to Asgard.    It’s Thursebolt, the feast of Thor.  I’ve been reading Thor titles on a fairly regular basis (but not every single title) and this is the first time I’ve heard of Thursebolt - - but I like it.  It makes a great framing device for Abnett and Lanning to set up their story.  Many and various players get to step up to the “podium” and toast/roast the God of Thunder - - which lets the writers touch on some major points in the back-story / history of this title.   It also permits a greater number of full-page and double-page panels that are worthy to behold.

Thor cover

Aye, but there be treachery afoot - - a big heavy stone foot, to be exact.  The Grey Gargoyle has taken advantage of the occasion to search Asgard for the secret of immortality - - The Apple Of Idunn.   ( I remember that old adage - - “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” - - forever!)   Thor uses his wits to get out of this one  - - in a stoic way.  (Read it – you’ll get what I’m talking about.)

This is a very fast read.  If not for the fabulous art I might think I was cheated of a standard story.  I’m not disappointed at all. This is good fun.  If THOR 620.1 is an indication of the style and tone that Abnett and Lanning are going to utilize, then some light-hearted tales are coming.

However, THOR 620.1 does get the job accomplished.  It gets the reader the background without really touching upon any more recent storylines (except the relocation of Asgard to Earth)  - - and does serve as a proper “jumping on” point in this series.  RATING = A.
P.S. . .  I can’t wait to see that movie in May!

Comments

  1. ShaneMarch 30, 2011 at 10:04 PM

    Mark Brooks is criminally underrated and frequently used as a fill-in artist. He's getting a bit of a higher profile these days, with things like this and his upcoming (but incredibly short) run on Uncanny X-Force (I thought it might be his regular book, but no, he's just doing the first half of the Dark Angel Saga to give the regular series artist time to catch up...so yeah, he's a glorified fill-in, again.)

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