Did you guys check out that trailer for Thor? How awesome was that?! What an odd coincidence that they would debut the trailer for the movie the same week that Thor #618 came out. Speaking of the comic series I’ve been on the fence with Thor since Fraction took the book over, but this new issue really got things together and made me a happy reader.

First we see Odin who is in limbo fighting monsters every day until he dies and then is reborn the next day to repeat the cycle in glorious violent bliss. After Odin spears a Helwolf in the eye the book then shifts to Earth where we see all the creatures of the other nine realms that have been forced out of their worlds by warriors from am unknown tenth realm. They all migrate to Oklahoma and the remains of Asgard in search of refuge. Then King Balder shows up to basically say, “Asgard is destroyed, we can’t help you because we can’t even help ourselves.” Then all the refugees throw out this guilt trip on the Asgardians claiming that their homes were destroyed and taken over because the bad guys are just after Asgard. Then they get all pissed off and go to battle Asgard. That’s when Thor finally shows up with the child version of Loki to put an end to the violence.

So Thor gets the Asgardians with the refugees to figure out what’s going on. Basically the nine realms are connected by the World Tree and at the top of the tree there should be Asgard. Asgard is the “Kingdom of Kingdoms” so it’s the Asgardians responsibility to protect the other realms from this new threat because even if they refuse the responsibility their foe is still going to come after Asgard. So Thor and Balder agree that Asgard will fight even if it ends up being the last war for the Gods. Thor has one last idea, he takes Balder to Odin’s Trophy room where Odin’s casket sits. Thor then takes his hammer and smashes the casket which brings Odin back to the land of the living.

My biggest problem with this series since Fraction came on board is that it’s been really confusing. I didn’t understand who these guys who’ve been attacking the nine realms came from, I didn’t understand why or how Loki came back as a child, and I didn’t understand why Balder was still king. Balder has been driving me crazy, all he does is complain and act like a whiny kid instead of the King of Gods. I understand the guilt of being King when Asgard fell, but he hasn’t done anything to fix it, which is what Thor’s been trying to get across to him. My complaining aside, I thought this issue was the most coherent storytelling I’ve seen in this book in a while, and it got me excited for the next issue. I’m not surprised they decided to bring Odin back to life since they got freaking Anthony Hopkins playing him in the movie and they have to get things in the comics back to the status quo, by the way my prediction is that Asgard will be back where it’s supposed to be by the end of the story-arc. And I can’t wait to see the action when the Asgardians go up against these guys from this Tenth Realm. I’m glad the story is picking up because I was getting ready to throw in the towel on this book.

Ken Zeider
Ken@ComicImpact.com