Ultimate Comics Thor #1

November 7, 2010

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Pencils: Carlos Pacheco
Inks: Dexter Vines
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Carlos Pacheco
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Ultimatum effectively killed off my interest in Marvel’s Ultimate universe. Actually the run-up to Ultimatum did the trick, I didn’t even last into the event itself, and from all reports, I was more than justified in this decision. However, I decided to make an exception and try another Ultimate book when I heard that Jonathan Hickman was working on a Thor title.

This first issue seems to be taking us into the true origins of this universe’s Thor. Found and held at the Dome, the man who calls himself Thor is furiously scribbling old Nordic runes on the floor of his cell. James Braddock (father of Brian) calls in Dr. Donald Blake to examine Thor, and here we get our first major deviation. Blake, in this universe, is a psychologist (and, conveniently, “dabbler” in linguistics) who happens to be perfect to examine Thor. As the interview begins, we flash back to 1939, when Thor and his family were hunting down Frost Giants and Baron Zemo was helping Hitler out with some experiments to unleash the power of the enemies of the Aesir gods on Earth.

Hickman’s pedigree is the reason I read this book – he’s saved Fantastic Four from mediocrity and done some damn fine work on his other Marvel Universe titles, so I was willing to give this one a chance. I wasn’t disappointed. The story is clever and entertaining, and Hickman throws in plenty of energetic, fan-pleasing moments. (Come on, Thor versus Frost Giants versus Nazis? How can you possibly go wrong with this combination?)

The script is strong, and there’s some very strong artwork to accompany it. Pacheco and Vines have done some fantastic work together for years, and here they’re really effective at showing three very different time periods and environments: Asgard, a modern science lab, and the classic castle environs of Nazi Germany. All three of these settings look perfectly compatible with each other.

While this book isn’t making me love the Ultimate universe again, I at least enjoy the book for what it is. I’ll definitely follow it through to the end.

Rating: 8/10

The Heroic Age: Prince of Power #3

August 5, 2010

Title: Our Lady of Slaughter
Writer: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Penciler: Reilly Brown & Zach Howard
Inker: Terry Pallot & Zach Howard
Colorist: Val Staples
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover: Carlo Pagulayan, Paz & Peter Steigerwald
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The unlikely allies, Amadeus Cho and the mighty Thor, have undertaken a quest to find the artifacts of life that may help them find the lost Hercules, but the heroes will have to take on some of the most power gods of myth if they’re going to get the artifacts before the insidious Vali.

The Marvel Universe plays with the Asgardian gods all the time, and the Greeks have always been pretty well represented too, but it’s a lot of fun to see Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente delve into other mythologies. There’s a lot of great Egyptian stuff in here, and it’s not just the trappings either. These writers have done their homework, pulling in actual stories, myths, and concepts to craft this story of Hercules’ return. Much of the fun in the Incredible Hercules series was in seeing the growing friendship and partnership of Amadeus and Hercules. Thor makes for a good substitute in this story, not just in terms of power, but in giving Amadeus somebody to relate to. This is an odd pairing, where the God of Thunder is the character who has to help anchor a mere mortal to reality to keep him from going off the deep end.

The artwork is solid, but not really spectacular. Reilly Brown, Terry Pallot, and Zach Howard tell the story with good layouts and choreography, although their faces and body types are just okay. They’re getting the job done, though, which is more than can be said for some artists out there.

This miniseries, like the Hercules book that birthed it, has been a lot of fun. Marvel has already announced a follow-up to this series, but I really hope that Pak and Van Lente are allowed to continue the saga of Herc and Amadeus in an ongoing series rather than these “series of miniseries.”

Rating: 8/10