Welcome Earthlings.

Cost Savings Tip

These are lean times for a lot of folks, and the gang here at Thor’s Comic Column is committed to looking out for your dime.  To that end, periodically I’ll be dropping comic book cost saving tips. The first one is the Borders’ Rewards Program.  Borders bookstores have a decent selection of trade paperbacks, and members of their Rewards programs get period email coupons.

The latest coupon, effective from February 17th through February 22nd, is for 30% any item.

In short, that means you can pick up the first trade for phenomenal series like 100 Bullets, Scalped or Northlanders for seven bucks and change. (The first issue of each of these series is available for free download HERE) You can sign up at any Borders store, or online HERE.

(And, no, we’re not receiving any compensation from Borders for this message. It just struck me this weekend to put this message out there when I realized that you could get 200 pages of Northlanders for LESS than the price of 44 pages (two issues) of The Dark Avengers.)

Thor #600 (Marvel) ($4.99)
By Jeb D.
 
Hitting an anniversary issue usually calls for some sort of career character retrospective, but there’s something odd off about this particular anniversary: as has been the case recently, Marvel has decided to make some kind of marketing connection with its past by renumbering the current Thor series to synch up with the old Thor and Journey Into Mystery series. But the strength of J. Michael Straczynski’s revived Thor series has not been slavish imitation of the past, but its ability to rethink the potential of the Asgardian characters, and place them in a new environment. So while I’m sure there was a temptation to run through Thor’s Greatest Hits as a milestone celebration, it’s good to see that Straczynski has decided, instead, to simply tell the climactic chapter of his reinvented Asgardian saga.
 
For those who may not have been following Thor’s return, the Thunder God managed to restore Asgard (lost in one of the various iterations of Ragnarok) and most of its denizens, to a new home in the clouds above Oklahoma (one of the issue’s high points is an amusing exchange on that juxtaposition between Don Blake and a local lad being treated in his clinic). While such familiar faces as Balder and Volstagg have returned, the new “version” of Loki has been, if anything, more dangerous than the one we knew before: he appears now in the form of a seductive female.
 
This issue brings the fruition of Loki’s latest plan: he has returned to life Bor, first King of Asgard, Odin’s father, who fell to wizardry and charged his son to find and restore him. Using a sorcerous device (which echoes Mark Miller’s “Old Man Logan”), Loki convinces Bor that the Midgard world in which he finds himself is populated by monsters and demons, and he goes in search of his son, wreaking terrible destruction as he searches for Odin. When Thor arrives, not knowing who this godlike berserker is, Bor is led to believe that the grandson who confronts him is the greatest monster of all. The generational showdown father to son and beyond—has always been a touchstone of this mythos, but this one carries with it a unique and deadly consequence which plays into Loki’s hands, and which only he/she really grasps until events visit the noble Balder with the most difficult responsibility any Asgardian could face.
 
Though the Bor/Thor battle (so to speak) is epic enough to hold the reader’s attention on its own, JMS adds his usual touches of humor and pathos. In particular, longtime Thor fans may get a chill as the overmatched Thunder God calls his old allies to his side with a resounding cry of “Avengers Assemble,” and another at the result that produces. The story’s conclusion is decisive, and open-ended enough to start us off on a new direction for the Thunder God; and the coda that follows is guaranteed to bring readers back for issue #601.
 
In the space of fewer than a dozen issues, Olivier Coipel has placed himself in the pantheon of great Asgardian artist like Kirby, Buscema, and Simonson. He’s ably assisted here by Marko Djurdevic (who inks his own segments; Mark Morales does a fine job on Coipel’s) and the coloring team of Laura Martin, Paul Mounts, and Christina Strain. The 44-page main story brims with action, but never lacks for subtleties and characterization (Coipel’s Loki can say more with a raised eyebrow than most villains could in an entire page of exposition).
 
That story takes up about half the book for your five bucks, and I’d call it worth the money on its own. There are two other new stories, though, and while neither is any sort of “must-have,” they make a nice bonus. Stan Lee turns in a fairly rote Thor-Avengers-Sif story illustrated by David Aja, who is sorely missed since leaving Iron Fist, but doesn’t exactly feel at home with this material (the giant robot in particular feels a bit muddy and dull). Chris Giarrusso contributes another entertaining “Mini-Marvels” story that has some good fun with Thor and several of Marvel’s recent events. Filling out the book are some well-chosen  Lee-Kirby reprints, focused on the characters of Balder and Loki.
 
I suppose JMS will be leaving Thor soon, and I’d say that both of the developments that conclude this issue’s main story provide a good starting point for a new writer. I’ll echo those who’d like to see Matt Fraction take a crack at it, but part of the beauty of what’s happened here is that the path to keeping Thor interesting and rewarding to read is very clearly laid out for some time to come.


FOUR OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS



Kull #4 (Dark Horse)($2.99)
By Adam Prosser

Dark Horse seems determined to turn everything Robert E. Howard wrote into a comic book…along with a bunch of stuff he didn’t write, as well. If that sounds like a put-down, it’s not meant to be. Pulp and comics have always been kissin’ cousins, and Conan will probably be haunting the comics pages as long as there are comics pages. But what’s more, Dark Horse deserves their success with this particular title - from the beginning, Conan was a well conceived, well executed series that, even at its worst, never dropped below “solid”, and occasionally even approached greatness. It’s no wonder that Dark Horse would continue to mine this particular vein, and in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if we started to see more comics based on pulp authors’ works start to arrive on the shelves. Clarke Ashton Smith, destiny is calling!
 
I gave a four-viking rating to Solomon Kane a few weeks ago, but in retrospect I’m starting to feel like that storyline was a bit padded. Why? Because I just got caught up with Dark Horse’s third ongoing Howard series, Kull, and it’s much better.
 
The concept, for those of you who don’t know, may seem just a tad familiar. Kull is a barbarian in an ancient, prehistorical civilization, exiled from his homeland. He struggles with a series of jobs, most involving stabbing things, until he rises to become king of a mighty empire in decline.
 
…Howard really wasn’t THAT unimaginative, I swear. What happened is that he was having trouble selling the Kull stories until he rewrote one of them, “By This Axe I Rule”, into a more sexy and violence-filled yarn starring a new character, Conan, who clicked with readers. Since only two Kull stories were published during Howard’s lifetime, Howard probably felt justified in mining Kull’s backstory for Conan. Still, there are some differences - Kull is a more contemplative character, and the stories tend towards more complexity and even philosophical musings, whereas Conan’s stories are much rawer.
 
The comics series stand apart, too. Whereas Conan has followed our erstwhile barbarian from his humble beginnings, with presumably many years to come before he becomes king, the Kull series opens with Kull consolidating his power over his new kingdom, Valusia. Issues 2 through 4 have then retold one of the published Kull stories, “The Shadow Kingdom”, in which Kull struggles with the Byzantine machinations of his court.  For instance, he’s got a wife, Igraine, daughter of the old king, who he married as the culmination of a mutually beneficial agreement, but now he’s thinking of taking a second wife for political reasons, and Igraine seems like she’s willing to throw a monkey wrench in that plan. Oh, and an ancient conspiracy of serpent-people are apparently out to get him, and the only people who can help him are the Picts, who are the longtime enemies of Atlantis and thus don’t have a lot of motivation to help him.
 
Writer Arvid Nelson deserves serious props for making this series, which seems like it ought to be redundant in the wake of Conan, something distinctive and interesting in its own right. Since, as mentioned, Conan is a more primal and exciting character to many fans, Nelson takes the series in another direction, focusing more on intrigue and tension than straightforward swordplay (not that there’s a shortage of that). This is, for all intents and purposes, a political thriller set in a fantasy world, which is a neat hook for a series. On top of that, there’s a lot of fun to be had with the culture clash of a rough-living barbarian having to learn the ins and outs of courtly conduct. Kull’s used to hacking his way through squalling horrors, but now he’s got to learn which fork to use on the fifth course.
 
On top of that, Kull’s lack of published stories mean that there’s a lot more room for Nelson (and artists Will Conrad and Jose Villarubia, who bring a nice, old-school Marvel look to the series, eschewing the Frazetta-lite style of the other Howard books) to come up with new stories, and he’s made sure to lay the groundwork for some interesting plotlines to come. This has the potential to be a much more intricate and serialized story than Conan, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Nelson takes it next, now that he’s got a virtual blank slate to work with.


FOUR AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS



Batman #686 (DC)($3.99)
By Devon Sanders

We are the devoted. We have been down this path before. The one where they die and we wait for a resurrection. We wait, for we know that this death was not a true death. There WILL be a resurrection. There will be a rising, a rebirth. We know this because of the way these things have played out before. We know this because the story has yet to come to an end and will not. At least, not in our lifetime, anyway. So, the page is turned and we wait for an end to death. In the meanwhile, there’s a story to tell.

Batman #686 is on sale now.

An engine roars in the alleys of Gotham City. The man who began it all with two shots of the gun raises a pint glass and speaks to a beautiful woman in purple. He shouldn’t be here but he is. He isn’t going to miss the end. The Dark Knight lies dead and there are stories yet to be told. Good men and women, allies and angels, sit to the right, bad guys and gals to the left. In death, as in life, The Batman has brought them all together for one final act. One by one, the vile and the valiant rise to tell their story of the definitive death of The Batman.

Writer Neil Gaiman returns to the DC Universe with a new spin on an old familiar tale, the one where Batman dies and everyone individually killed him. It’s been done before within the comic pages and on the TV screen but under Gaiman, it’s given new life as an exploration of Batman lore, better yet, and exploration of “story.” Gaiman asks us, the readers, to take what we know, examine it and reconsider its origins and the effect is often quite exhilarating. Gaiman seamlessly navigates the reader through the many lives and deaths of Batman with an ease that comes with knowing. In less capable hands, this type of story could be jarringly disjointed, under Gaiman, it’s shaping up to be one of the better Batman stories of recent years.

The true star of this issue is artist Andy Kubert. Kubert imbues everything with a sense of grandness and scope befitting a hero’s final tale. From the establishing shot of Gotham to the little flourish Batman’s gentleman’s gentleman, Alfred uses in lighting a simple candle to the epic feel of the “Cat-Woman’s Tale” opener, Kubert makes this feel like something you have to get in on. This is, quite possibly, Kubert’s finest work to date.

Batman #686 is a refreshing break from the previous superhero angst of the Grant Morrison-penned story arc, Batman: R.I.P. With Gaiman and Kubert, we’re given a rare opportunity to rediscover and ponder our chosen mythologies. Who’d have thought you could find fun in the death of the hero? We did. We read comics, after all. Definitely recommended.


THREE AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS



Raided: Scalped #25 (DC/Vertigo)($2.99)
By Sean Fahey

Scalped is the only thing that comes remotely close to filing the void in my life created when “The Wire” went off the air.  Now, before I go too far down that road, comparing the two...well, it’s apples and oranges.  But like “The Wire,” Scalped pulls absolutely no punches in the way it approaches crime and the social impacts of crime on a community.  In the case of Scalped, that community is the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation in South Dakota, an impoverished and hopeless region long forgotten by the rest of America, populated by alcoholics, meth addicts, strippers, corrupt tribal police, gangsters, and the collateral victims left in their wake. Scalped #25 is the beginning of a new story-arc, and is an excellent jumping on point for new readers, as the the bulk of the issue follows a newcomer to the “Rez,” a card-shark and con man trying to learn the ins and outs of Prairie Rose.  Pretty innocuous at first, but a chance encounter with an old acquaintance threatens to turn the status quo of this book on its head. With 100 Bullets coming to an end this month, writer Jason Aaron and artist R.M. Guera now have the premier crime book on the hands.  Hell, they have the premier book period - the characterizations and dialogue in this series are second to none.

(Note: The creators of Scalped are offering a money back guarantee on the first trade paperback, and have put the first issue online for free. Check out the details HERE)


FIVE OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS

Raided: The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks #0 (Moonstone)($1.99)
By Sean Fahey

This ten-page comic serves as a primer for Moonstone’s upcoming relaunch of The Phantom, recapping the origin and legacy of one of the oldest pulp action heroes. The sole survivor of a brutal pirate attack off the coast of Africa, the original Phantom vowed to dedicate his life, and the lives of his sons, to combat piracy, greed, cruelty and injustice. From a secret lair in the African jungle, the legacy of the Phantom has continued for over four hundred years. Now, armed with only his wits, his fighting skills and a pair of Model 1911 .45 pistols, Kit Walker carries on the legacy as the 21st Phantom.  Being a sucker for Golden Age era pulp characters (The Shadow, Flash Gordon, Doc Savage) I’ve always had an appreciation for The Phantom.  I like high adventure, exotic locales and protagonists that fight the good fight for no other reason than because it’s the right thing to do. If that’s overly simplistic and nostalgic, so be it. Writer Mike Bullock does a good job getting right to the heart of the character, boiling down a long history to the essentials, and the art, while nothing to write home about, is perfectly functional. If this were a dollar, I’d say you’ve got nothing to lose by picking this up. But two bucks is a little much for what you’re getting here (there’s no story, just a summation of the character’s history). Still, Moonstone ain’t exactly Marvel or DC - so given their scales of economy, I have to give them credit for doing the best they can to make this character, and the upcoming series, accessible to new readers.


THREE OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS


Raided: Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising #1 (of 5) (Radical)($1.99)
By Sean Fahey

Regardless of when the narrative takes place, good science fiction generally comments on the period and society in which it was created, and although I won’t pretend to know what inspired the creators of Shrapnel, I found several of themes explored in this work - the growing schism between “elites” and the underclass, the morality of genetic engineering and preemptive wars of expansion - particularly relevant. The first part of a planned trilogy spanning eighteen issues, Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising focus on the unwarranted invasion of the Venusian colonies (the last free interplanetary system) by the power-hungry Earth Alliance, and the brave (but overwhelmed) Venusian resistance fighters opposing them, chief among them Samantha, an enigmatic soldier with a mysterious past. The scope of this story is nothing short of epic, and artist Bagus Hutomo’s big-screen visuals hammer that point home; the battle sequences are absolutely breathtaking. Despite all the massive battlemechs and armored marines though, this is still a character driven story with very human elements driving it - the desire for equality and freedom, and the willingness to fight for it. True to form for Radical Publishing, this inaugural issue is being offered for a budget introductory price - 48 pages for $1.99, and it’s well worth the money.

(Note: Issue #2 hits the stands on February 18)


FOUR OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS



Raided: Captain Britain and MI-13 #10 (Marvel)($2.99)
By Jeb D.
 
Dracula and Dr. Doom on the moon? Well, why not? Like TV’s Dr. Who (for which MI-13 author Paul Cornell has written), this comic is a wonderful blend of elements of horror and sci-fi… as well as fantasy, mystery, and wicked humor. Though it’s set in England , Cornell keeps a sense of real integration with the Marvel Universe proper: the series stands on its own, but never feels like some irrelevant overseas cousin. In fact, the most recent story arc had Captain Britain , Pete Wisdom, and the rest of MI-13 (the British government’s supernatural counterintelligence/counterterror agency) making a devil’s bargain to repel the Skrull invasion: entities of supernatural evil were allowed freedom from their mystical bonds to ally with MI-13 against the spaceborne enemy. The very fact that England is steeped in magical power had been the reason for its targeting by the Skrulls… a fact which has not gone unnoticed by Dracula, who now sees an England beset by the loosing of supernatural evil as the ideal place to establish a new kingdom for himself and his vampire legions. And hard on the heels of the events of Thor #600, Dracula seeks a non-aggression pact with Doom and his powerful new allies. That accomplished, the prince of vampires launches a deadly attack on an ill-prepared England . And while I’m still sorry that artist Leonard Kirk isn’t revisiting his stellar Agents of Atlas work on their new series, he’s more than welcome here: like Cornell, he’s able to blend the disparate elements of magical and superhero storytelling into a distinctive visual palette. This issue is an ideal jumping-on point for new fans of this series, and besides the wonderful regular cast of characters, it has not only Dracula himself, but the best portrayal of Blade since his pre-Snipes days. (You can check out some preview pages HERE)


FOUR OUT OF FIVE VIKINGS



QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?

We’re always looking to find ways to improve in our mission to provide the best comic book reviews on the web. To that end, let us know what we can be doing better. Is there a genre we’re not covering enough of? Is there a book in particular you would like to see reviewed?

Please send any and all questions and suggestions to me at: scfahey@yahoo.com