One walk, so many paths...
THE GOOD
This issue has a lot going on. As you will see in the next section, I am classifying that as somewhat of a "bad" thing... but there is some good in it as well. In fact, there is probably something for everyone: many different characters, a couple different battles, various levels of deception, and even a bit of classic mischief and humor as we watch the Loki portion of the story unfold.
All of this I assume is building towards a triumphant climax where the shattered pieces of this hero will be once again be whole.
THE BAD
This issue left me on the verge of confusion. There are a lot of different story lines to follow:
- Thor battling the Demogorge
- Thor trying to remember battling the Demogorge
- Loki in Broxton attempting to enlist allies in the fight to remember Thor (scene with Dr. Donald Blake and cane)
- Rebuilding Asgardia with the All-Mother (with added battle)
- Avengers Assemble to battle Terminus (with the backup from Tanarus)
- Tanarus reconvening with his Troll brethren about the continued plan
- Kelda wandering outside Asgardia looking for Bill, as a witch, stumbing upon her "weird sister" (who apparently is controlling the Queen of Norns and her part with the Trolls)
- Loki wandering the desert (near Broxton?), stumbling upon the Silver Surfer as he "feeds the birds" (complete with the continued weird Silver Surfer angle and a possible re-write of the Mjolnir origin from Dr. Donald Blake's cane???)
- Finally, back to Thor in whichever realm he is in (where apparently he felt the impact of Mjolnir on Earth - something that may just have awakened the true God of Thunder...)
That said, it certainly keeps you on your toes. Maybe all these story lines are a good thing, but it may be too much to follow in one issue. This is why I am docking it .5 for a total of 4.5/5.
THE VERDICT
Recommended. I am still holding out hope for this series. It took me a while to absorb everything that is going on with this issue, but after all the pieces aligned, it actually turned out to be a pretty solid (yet segmented) story. It feels as though the creative team is preparing the stage for something big... something that will tie all these lose ends together in a nice bow - hopefully around "Tanarus'" neck. Overall, it is a good addition to the ongoing series and certainly feels like a needed issue to keep confusion at bay.
