The Mighty Thor #5 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
The Mighty Thor #5
By Hervé St-Louis
September 5, 2011 - 13:47

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Matt Fraction
Penciller(s): Olivier Coipel, Khoi Pham
Inker(s): Mark Morales, Dexter Vines
Colourist(s): Laura Martin
Letterer(s): Joe Sabino
Cover Artist(s): Olivier Coipel, Laura Martin
$3.99 US

While Thor is battling the Silver Surfer and Odin is battling Galactus, the people of Broxton Oklahoma are preparing a fight against Asgard, as good neighbours would. But is there more to this story? For example, what does Loki has to do with the World Tree seed?

I spoke to some friends about the current Tor comic book series with Fraction as the writer and they weren’t enchanted by it. I know Fraction can be a hit or miss. His work on Uncanny X-Men was pitiful and his run on Invincible Iron Man hits both grandiose and dreadful levels. However, here in Thor, he has managed to sustain my interest mainly by sticking to a formula that worked for J. Michael Straczynski. He sticks with the little guys, the common city folks in Broxton as well as handling the cosmic stuff where Thor is involved in world changing fights. It works. I like the humour with the town folks but much of the credit has to go to Coipel who continues to draw the best looking Thor series in ages. He captures all the idiosyncrasies of these characters so well.

While the fight between Thor and the Silver Surfer seems like it will never end, Fraction manages to show how one-sided Thor has been in this war against Galactus. The Silver Surfer is much more level-headed, patient and merciful than Thor, even is his job is dreadfully worse than Thor’s. The best part of the story is Loki. Dare I say that Loki was never as interesting a character as now that he’s a boy? He’s really the god of mischief now. The magic with Coipel’s work, is that his characters all feel like dwarves, even Thor. But their facial expressions are unique and even if there is a lot of familiarity in all the characters, it is so easy to tell each character apart.

Rating: 9/10