Thor #3: Backhand of KRAKADOOOOOM

So this issue, as I may have mentioned, Bill and Thor fought. Epic though it may have been, issue-long fights are never my favorite and I’m already beginning to feel the same way I did during Cates’ GOTG series. We need a little more focus and a little less constant guest-star appearances. Three issues in and the actual story has hardly progressed, we are no closer to stopping much less understanding the Black Winter and there are no indications next issue will be anything different.

That said this issue had some fun moments and possible ramifications (i.e. Stormbreaker) and could probably go down as one of the all time great Thor and Bill issues. I don’t hate this issue in a vacuum, I’m more just disappointed it didn’t do more to push the narrative is the point I’m trying to make I suppose. One major complaint I have on that note is one I made last issue as well, a show of Thor’s new greater power is made (in the backhand of Doom, an homage to Surtur’s hammer in Bill’s first arc if I’m not mistaken) then he removes it to put himself and Bill on equal footing. Why give Thor all this power just to remove it every issue to kneecap him and keep it interesting?

The art by Nic Klein and Matt Wilson is phenomenal in these action packed pages the linework is dynamic and expressive. You can feel the power of the blows. Not one to disappoint, Matt Wilson answers in kind with an extremely expressive color palette that helps the action flow and stay exciting. One particular thing I noticed and enjoyed in terms of colors is the way all four big name characters that fire beams or energy in this issue have distinctive and obviously different power sources thanks to the colors. Likewise the sound effects were likely Klein, I love them but that’s not to detract from letterer Joe Sabino, who is given a difficult task with such action in bubble placement and does a phenomenal job of it, at no point does the lettering detract from the art but is still easy to read and flows perfectly. I will say Klein does have occasional panels that although emotive seem a little too exaggerated or something I can’t put my finger on, it’s always Thor so I figure it’s intentional just something I noticed.