The Good
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #22 is superbly written. In fact, it's so good that I thought "superbly" was an appropriate fit. Jason Aaron brings so much variety to this book and it's all so entertaining. In just this one issue, Aaron's able to include jaw-dropping action with another glorious Old Galactus fight, drops at least two remarks that made me burst into laughter, hits us with solid plot development, and delivers two cliffhangers that build some major hype. Seriously, this issue covers a good amount of ground and it does so incredibly well. And, if you didn't hate Agger already, there's one hilarious line that's sure to make you loathe him.
I'll admit, part of me was wondering why Thor didn't take action after he's hit with the legal info in the last issue. He's a God, so these restrictions should be laughable to him. However, Aaron does a proper job addressing that conflict in this one. He makes it clear that, if Thor wants to, the God of Thunder would have no issue defying the restraining order and other legal mumbo jumbo that's involved. There's even a brilliant bit of banter about this. Aaron has several lines explaining why Thor hasn't swung around the hummer just yet and they're good enough for me to understand actions.
Esad Ribic's art and Ive Svorcina's colors are every bit as grand as the script. The two excellent splash pages are well-earned and the character work, as well as effects such as blasts and chaos on future Migard, remain topnotch. Despite the intended lack of visibility (one environment is heavily polluted, the other is a barren wasteland), these panels felt cleaner than usual and the close-ups were terrific. There's some great storytelling with perspective, too (e.g. Agger leaving the diner). These are pages that are indeed worthy of a God's eyes.
The Bad
Honestly, in a world like 616 Earth, it's a little tough to believe S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have the authority to take action when Roxxon is blatantly destroying a town with pollution.
The Verdict
This series is ridiculously good. Aaron packs the pages with astonishing action as well as engaging dialogue and Ribic's artwork is tremendous. This is yet another issue that proves why THOR: GOD OF THUNDER is easily one of best titles out there. It'll make you laugh, drop your jaw, and by the time you're done, it'll make you demand the next issue right away.
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