I have generally enjoyed the work of JMS, and if one thing is true it’s that he generally does better when he can operate away from the restraints of continuity. That has certainly been the case with Thor, from which JMS will soon be departing for just that reason. It would appear that a Thor-centric event is looming and that he will relinquish the writing duties to another writer because of this event. Perhaps the most disappointing consequence of this has been the consistent delay, which now seems to have been a consequence of JMS leaving the book.

I have enjoyed this re-launch, and really these delays are the greatest flaw I have found. They have taken away from the impact of any single issue. However, if even for a short time (really it has only been fifteen issues) JMS has crafted a good Thor story. Loki’s machinations have subtly allowed for Balder’s rise to leadership and Thor’s exile, all of which is masterful, and has slowly created a sense of foreboding that sets up a confrontation down the line. It all has been building gradually and purposefully, each issue providing another piece of the puzzle. It all hinges together very well and having prolonged delays between issues has hurt the flow of such a purposeful story.

Such small complaint aside, there is much to be enjoyed here. For, example there’s Bill, the poor mortal who has fallen in love with Kelda. He is a poor man lost amongst gods. The argument could, of course, be made that Donald Blake has been there and done that, but that is precisely it. He has been there, while Bill is truly a man to marvel at the strangeness of gods. He is a man that can point out their folly, the fresh eyes that can see the emperor’s new clothes for what they truly are. JMS is right to include his point of view, since it provides a degree of humanity that may otherwise be absent. It also provides much needed commentary regarding Dr. Doom’s villainy, which is quite priceless.

This issue also finally wraps up the Sif sub-plot that has been hanging around for too long now, or at the very least goes a long way towards doing so. This is welcome, but feels anti-climactic. It’s something that has been building for seemingly so long, longer because of the delays, that when it is solved so easily, it honestly makes one wonder what all the commotion was about to begin with. It seems so easy that I am counting on something devious being right around the corner, but for now it seems that a sub-plot was all too easily and quickly solved. This may well be because of the looming writer change, but regardless it takes away from the story.

Djurdjevic’s art is wonderful. Between his work and that of Coipel on this title, it has been a beautiful ride. Their work fits well with the Nordic muscle-bound feel of the book, and does so without giving way to the common excess know in portraying such characters. It’s a job well done, and consistently so. Finally, while Djurdjevic’s work has had a darker feel that does work well here because of the general sense of foreboding.

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