Review: Thor #3

Donny Cates is the Greatest new creator at Marvel in the past two decades. Every comic he writes is overloaded with energy, character moments, action and heart-wrenching choices. As much as comic reader say they don’t want to see heroes fighting heroes, seeing a cosmic-powered Thor making tough choices forcing him to face down his greatest allies is amazing. This comic reminds us that, when it’s down right, there’s nothing better than a good old fashioned superhero battle.

Nic Klein has similarly used the grandeur of this story to elevate his incredible visceral art. The details are so great that even the panels focusing on Mjolnir feel as battle-worn, bloody and exciting as any other character. Matt Wilson’s colors match the art and ton perfectly. This is a bloody, big-screen action fest without sacrificing emotion.

The actual plot is extremely simple. The destructive threat of Black Winter, which we saw in such incredible destructiveness in Silver Surfer Black is returning and a damaged Galactus needs to power up in order to face him. Thor becomes his herald to spare the people of five worlds which Galactus will then consume. Becoming the Herald of Galactus carries the pain we have seen in many versions of the Silver Surfer. But Thor wields this power not only with the guilt of that role but also with the gusto of a warrior.

Of course the destruction of the first world Clypse cannot go unanswered and Thor is faced with Beta Ray Bill. Beta Ray assumes that Thor’s mind is being controlled by Galactus. This makes the battle even more fierce and horrifying as Beta Ray learns that Thor is allowing the destruction of worlds without any coercion.

The cosmic powered Thor clearly overpowers Beta Ray, but the battle is being fought on two levels. One is the physical battle which Thor repeatedly dominates, but the other is the emotional conflict. Beta Ray quite correctly points out that Thor should have come to him, sought out his friends, looked for council. The fact that he did not show’s the difference between Thor and Silver Surfer in these positions. While Surfer saw his work as Herald as tragic, Thor sees it simply as the duty of a king. Battles may be lost, but the war is what a King focuses upon.

Thor is finally able to defeat Beta Ray not on the physical or emotional level, but with superior strategy. The end of the issue sets up yet another fierce battle fans should be clamoring to see next issue. In many ways this conflict is one we all played out between heroes with our action figures at some point in our lives. The fact that such a simple conflict is given emotional depth and feels fresh is a tribute to the abilities of these creators.

This is a true battle between masters of their craft and weaponry. The art evokes the swordplay of Jim Cheung’s Scion and the emotion of the battle on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. The team of Donny Cates and Nic Klein take Superhero Action to the level of true artistry. The simple plot and incredible execution leads to conflicts, characterizations and visual dynamism which any child or grown-child will read and reread for generations.

Writing: 5 of 5 stars
Art: 4 of 5 stars
Colors: 5 of 5 stars

Overall: 5 of 5 stars

Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Nic Klein
Colors: Matt Wilson
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.