Thor #611

 After the catastrophic events of Siege, the cursed Valkyrie of Bor begin their invasion.

As much as I like the recent events in Thor, I really struggled to get into this issue.  It is a very exciting and eventful time for the Asgardians.  We, the readers, really benefit from this.  I like when stories contain an A plot and a B plot, especially when they seamlessly flow into one.  Unfortunately this one falls just short of achieving that.  Overall it feels hastened.  This might be harsh as one of the things this issue actually does well is make the transition from Siege into a new story arc.

Some of the high points for me include Mephisto, who is always an absolute delight to behold.  His articulate speech and nefarious involvements always deliver.  The Disir ascending upon Valhalla was easily the climax for me - well orchestrated and delivered.  And then there is Kelda, who in my opinion should make an appearance in every issue.  My only major grievance was how little Thor was used.  Aside from Loki's eulogy, he hasn't a single substantial line in the entire book.  I am reading a comic called "Thor" after all.

Rich Elson's art is a mixture of being refined and yet dull.  His characters are sculpted with great detail.  The Disir, for example, are truly terrifying whilst the Asgardians are noble and well-built.  However, I feel the artwork suffers in the combat portions.  I know this team can handle the action but some of the frames feel so rushed, which brings me back to my earlier point.  Nevertheless, the writing of Kieron Gillen does not feel hurried one bit.  He continues to impress and build on this fascinating run.