Well with the Thor movie right around the corner, i'm not surprised that marvel decided to choose Malekith as the main villain of the new arc, which is welcome of course since Malekith is an interesting villain that could be brought back. This issue was fairly entertaining and surveys as a good set up, however, it does have some flaws.

First of all, i really do Like the art, it might not be as energetic and more fitting like esad Ribic, but it's still nonetheless consistent and good. I really do like Melikiths design, it gives him a skinny build yet somehow shows that he is still very much a threat. However, There was one thing that bothered me here, which was premature case of Nudity. True that i personally wouldn't mind this if this were Image Or Dark horse, but keep in mind that Marvel and DC can be picked up by kids as well, and their writing and art should be much more clean. This isn't a Big issue mind you, but i feel that i had to mention it here.

Moving on. I really like the introduction to Malekith. I really do get a kick from the villains who actually think that what they are doing, no matter how Logical, is beneficial and makes sense. I also like the insanity vibe that comes from The Dark elf, he seems really threatening and the way he was introduced was actually sets the mood perfectly. His sheer laughter scares the living hell out of monstrous creatures. that is something you can respect in a villain.

I also really like the Interaction between thor and His team, while some of the didn't get a chance to show off, the characters that did get a chance to talk were actually well handled. So far, this has been an excellent set up issue. I do Hope that we get to explore more creatures and monster, which is actually something the book implies, and it's a great way to keep the series fresh.

My only gripe here was Thors confrontation with Melakith, sure they bounced off each other with insults and taunts but the transition between Melakihh vanishing and appearing on a flying tiger was handled in a sloppy way, and the art didn't make in any clearer either, in fact if they hadn't mentioned t that Melakith had actually vanished, i probably wouldn't have known in the first place.

But not to leave this on a bad note, despite my gripes this was actually really good and i enjoyed the hell out of it.

Recommendation: yes