The Mighty Thor #2 Review

Thor’s in bad shape.  Odin is acting weird.  Silver Surfer visits Broxton to tell people to get as far away as they can.  Galactus is coming for Asgard.  Can things get any worse?

The Mighty Thor #2

Thor and Sif have gathered champions from each of the nine realms to serve as the Brigade of Realms, a group tasked with protecting all nine worlds from all threats.  What the two Asgardians don’t know is that Loki, in his tireless endeavor to impress Thor, has disguised himself as one of the Brigade.  Thor sics a giant rock monster after them as a training exercise.  When Loki becomes endangered, Sif and Thor intervene.  Meanwhile, Heimdall comes to Odin knowing he is keeping something from the guardian’s all-seeing eyes.  Odin refuses to reveal much other than his quest to rule over a unified Asgard.  Heimdall is given a choice to serve with or against the All-Father.  After realizing what his fate would be, Heimdall swears himself to Odin.  After issuing his warnings to Broxton, Silver Surfer arrives in Asgard asking Odin to give up the egg that was retrieved from the roots of the World Tree.  Odin denies it, and just as the Surfer attacks, Thor arrives to do battle with his former friend.

Matt Fraction and Olivier Coipel has given Thor fans something to be excited about.  Asgard is once again the shining city in the sky.  Their threats are epic, and the book reads and looks sharp.  Fraction adds quite a bit of intrigue as well.  What exactly is happening to Thor?  What did the seed that scratched him do?  I mean, it can’t be good to bleed rainbow colored fluid, right?  Our hero doesn’t seem likely to be able to stand up to the Silver Surfer, let alone Galactus.  These are all the questions I ask even before I get to what’s going on with Odin.  What is so darned important about that “egg” that both Odin and Galactus covet?

This is a good story.  I’ve always been a fan of how Fraction can build on ideas.  Frankly, what’s really key is that we’re seeing gods deal with god stuff.  There’s a lot to take in because the ideas are built so much around the mystical, but it’s handled in a way that is easy to follow and keeps you coming back for more.

Speaking of mystical and keeping you wanting more, Coipel’s art is pretty damn stunning.  He has a good eye for what a Thor story should have.  Every frame feels important.  He’s particularly good at telling a story with images.  His work on all his Thor related stuff never seems to be too big for him to tackle.  Any writer can throw crazy ideas or particularly awesome shots at him and he can nail it.

The Fraction/Coipel team is building toward a fantastic partnership and is definitely putting their mark on the character.

Tags: Matt Fraction Mighty Thor Olivier Coipel Thor