Thor #10

One-sentence summary: The weighty style of Straczynski really shines in slow-moving saga of the gods.

You know, regardless of whether or not you like it, you've got to give Straczynski credit for taking on the challenge of crafting an original epic in comic book form. He is taking Thor on not as a superhero but as a god in a world of superheroes.

However, this style is definitely not for everyone. For one thing, this is a very slow moving story with a fairly low amount of action. For another, as I said, this isn't really a superhero book. If anything, the one encounter with superheroes the book has had stated pretty intensely just that -- Thor is not a superhero and is not going to concern himself with superhero worries.

This issue is dialogue intense, with only a small amount of true progression through the story, though what's there is important.

One thing that will keep some readers from getting into this is the obviousness of various aspects. Of course Loki is planning something; why can't those who have dealt with him for millennia see that? The answer to that is mythology itself. As anyone who read the old Norse myths knows, many times the evil is obvious, many times the plots transparent, but the gods go on through it, seemingly oblivious to the obvious. Why? There's a number of answers you can find, sure, but I'd say the best is just "because that is what they do." Much like a superhero, a god's characteristics are determined through the stories told about them rather than through any intrinsic characteristics. Out of these stories emerge, along with the characteristics, oddities that are accepted because they are. Why do the gods plunge through a plot thick with evil with their mythic intensity? For the exact same reason no one has bothered to compare the face of Superman with that of Clark Kent.

I like Thor. I read enough comics that I'm not dying for the next installment of any of them, no matter how good -- I can have the patience to wait. Thor demands that patience, which may reasonably too much for some, but I can wait for this story to complete. A story of gods is nice amongst the superheroes.

Thor #2

One-sentence summary: Thor's new book continues to be interesting, though these last two issues have really just served as a prologue (though a cool one).

I'm liking this new Thor. Straczynski is using his ability to make any character broody and detached for good here, as it works pretty well for Thor to seem detached from the world of man. I also like the new look for Thor; classic, but it has been changed a little. The chain mail's a nice touch.

I think Straczynski's the right guy to go about restoring Thor to the Marvel universe as something different than the average superhero. I mean, he is a god after all; his stories need to be different than "beats the Absorbing Man again."

Though nothing action-packed happened in this issue, cool things did happen; for one thing, we saw him summon Asgard in a patch of Oklahoma he bought for a deal of "all the gold you can carry." I'm looking forward to the next issue, as it looks like more action will be happening than in this one, and I'm hoping that this search for the gods arc goes well. I think it will.

Silver Surfer Requiem #3 (of 4)

One-sentence summary: Straczynski's obsession with death continues here, the latest installment of the Silver Surfer's alternate-universe swan song, here embodying themselves in a comic book diatribe against relgious wars (and almost against religion).

I've been alright with this series so far. It's been a bit, well, sentimental (?) so far, but it hasn't been too bad. I liked the last issue the best. This one? I could have done without.

This issue was either too blatant in its rants (does anyone who read comic books really support religion-fueled wars?), or too confusing in its conclusions. It ends with Surfer being worshipped as some sort of humanist God (which seems to be one step away from a oxymoron) after destroying established religious headquarters. Not sure really what to think of that.

The art was very nice in this, and the story wasn't really bad, I'm just not sure I was a big fan of how it got its point across. No, I'm sure of it: I disliked how they got the point across.

Amazing Spider-Man #542

One-sentence summary: Peter seems to have taken a page from Penance's book and broods and threatens through this dark Spider-Man story.

So, thus far we have Spidey tracking down the Kingpin because Aunt May was shot on his orders, alright? This issue is the showdown between Spidey (or, rather, Peter Parker) and Kingpin, and it goes, in what was a pleasant surprise to me, exactly as makes sense. During the fight, Peter guarantees that he will kill the Kingpin, just not yet.

I don't like this storyline. Spidey's always been emotional, but never this angry. He could've just left the fight as is and not guaranteed the death (which I'm sure he won't go through on for some reason, but still). Why now? He's never struck me as a selfish character, really -- whiny, sure, but never selfish -- so why after seeing loads of other innocents die because of Fisk does this one make him so much angrier than the others and pushes him to a level he's never approached before? I don't know, really, but I'm not sure I agree with it. It doesn't feel right for Peter's character.

This was an alright issue, overall. The art's fine, I just don't like having such a dark Spider-man comic, and so consitently. I realize they need to be dark sometimes, but it's been this way for awhile now, and I just want a fun Spidey comic again. Hopefully in the upcoming stories we see some return of the character of Spidey.