Thor #4 By Hervé St-Louis Jan 9, 2008 - 11:35:12 PM

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Thor #4
Marvel Comics
Writer: Michael J. Straczynski
Penciler: Olivier Coipel
Inker: Mark Morales

Doctor Blake, Thor’s alter ego is recruited by Doctor Without Borders to help in an African Crisis. Refugees need doctors willing to help, but an opposing tribe bent on genocide wants to eliminate them. It’s up to the camp’s three hired guns to protect the refuges. But even they are not a match for the fire power of the opposite camps. Can a thunder God make a difference in a war of genocide?

I liked this issue because it showed what Thor and his buddies should have been doing all these years, instead of flying off to distant galaxies and stopping Thanos from conquering the universe. There is so much more work to be done on good old Earth. This story also tries to provide an explanation as to why Thor and his buddies are seldom welcomed in places like Africa and why they ignore it.

Although the answer given by Straczynski feels compelling at first try, it is not enough. That Africans want to fix their problem amongst themselves is not a proper argument. Not all of them argue for such things and much of the conflicts and problems affecting them come from Africa’s involvement with the West. Surely, absolving those responsible for stirring up tensions is not sufficient. On this point I disagree with Straczynski even if most of his story was interesting. Now, I don’t like how he coincidentally meets the other Asgardians. It’s a little too coincidental.
 
Coipel continues to deliver great pages. Here, he draws topics and sceneries that he is not used to. His still succeeds in making the pages dynamic and filled with action shots. The African backdrop is lightly suggested but not explored further.  This is a great story and a great attempt at redefining Thor.
8/10

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