Norse Mythology II #3-4: Thor Did What?

The art in these two issues is great, and I liked the attention to detail and delicate strokes in the drawings. For example, Utgardaloki’s forehead looks mangled, which, given the reveal later in the issue, that Thor actually struck his head, looks like Thor did do some damage to the giants head. These type of details serve characters’ expressions, intentions, histories, through the two issues.

Story wise this is a great telling of this Norse myth, the story of Thor’s journey to the land of the giants. The telling reveals where the tides come from from a Norse perspective, as it unfolds the role of Thor’s honor in the Norse mythologies. He is looked at as a great hero despite the fact that he is really a simple being. Thor is given the honor of causing the tides in addition to standing against death itself and not completely succumbing to her. But then, there is not much to Thor’s character depth, he has a high ego of himself and he does not like it when he is tricked. Loki, in comparison, is more complicated, as he embodies contradictions and has momentary times of nuanced characterization, like when he is angery.  The art shows Loki’s eyes glowing red and the caption says that he hated being fooled but he quickly grows to admire the trickery while Thor continues to stew on the fact that he was tricked. The boy, Thialfi, is honored that he raced a thought and even though he did not win, he still ran well. Thor is quiet, he only thinks about the wrestling old age, drinking the sea, and the Midgard Serpent, possibly a foreshadowing of Ragnarok and the end of the world. All of that entangles beautifully.