Scan barcode
A review by billyjepma
Immortal Thor Vol. 1: All Weather Turns to Storm by Al Ewing
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
Thor is one of the few Marvel characters whose comics I’ll consistently seek out and try to stay on top of, but ever since the Jane Foster era ended, I haven’t been quite as invested as I’ve wanted to be. I liked Aaron’s concluding stories, and I liked the start of Cates’ run, even if it did start to lose me (I’ll finish it eventually, maybe). But it’s been a minute since a Thor comic felt properly epic and mythic. Thankfully, that’s exactly what Ewing brought here.
The villain is mostly one-note, admittedly, so the stakes don’t feel too lofty, despite the lofty size of the threat. But that doesn’t end up mattering too much because this is clearly an appetizer, a prelude to whatever larger scheme Ewing is planning. That’s not to say this volume is without tension, though. While it lacks stakes in the classic sense, Ewing does a lot of strong character work that gives Thor problems to solve that require more than the whack of a hammer, which I love. Seeing Thor flex some new muscles—he smiles now!—that isn’t his biceps are fun and gives the story some clever, refreshing personality. It’s a personality plays very well alongside Ewing’s take on Loki, too, which leans into the Trickster’s chaotic vibes with a smirk and wink. The sibling dynamic between Loki and Thor in the first few issues is a delight.
Cóccolo and Wilson’s art is superb—vibrant, expressive, and epic—and I really, really hope they both stick around for the long haul because the energy they bring pairs with—and elevates—Ewing’s scripts in the best ways. We’ll see how this series unfolds, but I’m very optimistic based on this introductory volume.
The villain is mostly one-note, admittedly, so the stakes don’t feel too lofty, despite the lofty size of the threat. But that doesn’t end up mattering too much because this is clearly an appetizer, a prelude to whatever larger scheme Ewing is planning. That’s not to say this volume is without tension, though. While it lacks stakes in the classic sense, Ewing does a lot of strong character work that gives Thor problems to solve that require more than the whack of a hammer, which I love. Seeing Thor flex some new muscles—he smiles now!—that isn’t his biceps are fun and gives the story some clever, refreshing personality. It’s a personality plays very well alongside Ewing’s take on Loki, too, which leans into the Trickster’s chaotic vibes with a smirk and wink. The sibling dynamic between Loki and Thor in the first few issues is a delight.
Cóccolo and Wilson’s art is superb—vibrant, expressive, and epic—and I really, really hope they both stick around for the long haul because the energy they bring pairs with—and elevates—Ewing’s scripts in the best ways. We’ll see how this series unfolds, but I’m very optimistic based on this introductory volume.