Ultimates #23: Ragnarok is Nigh

Thor and Sif make their final stand against the ruler of Asgard, Loki, in one last bloody battle that spans the nine-realms. Cycles are challenged, new alliances are forged with ancient enemies, and many warriors are sacrificed. THis is how old guys die, so something new can take their place.

Out of the entire Ultimates team, Thor and Sif are easily the least developed. Despite an interesting introduction, Maker’s machinations causing Thor to be jailed with Sif as his guard, not much was done with them before they left the team altogether before the book’s second act. As such the Asgardian pair never really felt truly connected to the rest of the team as whole (I don’t even think Sif and She-Hulk even had one conversation). This issue serves as a continuation to the Asgardian’s focus issue way back in issue 11, and for what it is does a very good job of finishing that plot thread.

Deniz Camp tells the story of Ragnarok through the words of Loki and how this war with his brother brought about the end of all they knew. His prose, like in issue 11. It is stylized like that of epic poems like Beowulf and Gilgamesh. This creates a more grand picture of the war as it unfolds, but it’s clear that this style of writing isn’t exactly Camp’s strong suit with the words getting a bit too flowery at times. Though it is good when writers are allowed time to experiment.

Speaking of “grand pictures”, Stipan Morian brings just that when it comes to art. Each page is a full spread tapestry that illustrates the wonders as well as the horror of this bloody battle. Marion’s stretched pencils and dynamic colors put this issue on par with the best in the series, potentially even beyond it.