Weekly Comic Book Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Doug Braithwaite (Penciler), and Paul Mounts (Colorist)

So far, the Secret Invasion tie-ins have been fairly entertaining, but none of them come close to rivaling what is occurring in the main title. If this first issue is any indication, Secret Invasion: Thor may be the best non-core series to come out yet. It begins with the return of Beta Ray Bill. The Skrulls capture and study him, and then send him to Asgard as a harbinger of their imminent attack. As Thor prepares his people for war, Loki, even in this desperate time, is already spreading her seeds of discord. Soon, even the Asgardians are asking “who do you trust?” Now, this could actually be because Loki is a Skrull (after all, she has changed much since the rebirth), but I highly doubt that J. Michael Straczynski is planning to work it in to his Thor ongoing, so it is more likely that she is being her usual master of deceit.

Of course, what I am looking forward to most, is the upcoming Skrull-Asgard battle that opens in the closing panel of this issue. Is it just me, or is it going to be insanely awesome watching Norse gods armed with magical weapons taking on green-skinned aliens armed with blasters and powers of their own? If his Invincible Iron Man hasn’t convinced you yet, than Secret Invasion: Thor will serve as further proof that Matt Fraction is a master story teller. He deals with the Secret Invasion’s theme of mistrust, as well as the happenings of Asgard extremely well. While other Secret Invasion tie-ins such as Fantastic Four and X-Men aren’t nearly as enjoyable as their main titles, the story in Secret Invasion: Thor #1 stands level with any other issue in the Thor series. I absolutely love JMS’ current tale, and will probably cry the day he leaves the title, but Matt Fraction will be a more than adequate replacement when that day comes, and he gets my vote to take the helm.

As for the art, the Doug Braithwaite’s penciling is fairly well done; at least there is certainly nothing to complain about. No, the art complaints in this issue come from the inks and colors. The complaint about inks is simple: there are none. Granted, Braithwaite does some great work, he is in severe need of inks – almost everything looks way too sketchy. Likewise, most of Paul Mounts’ colors are way too muted. The colors don’t necessarily need to be eye-poppingly vibrant (indeed, that may have harmed the issue), but they needn’t be so dull either. So while this may have a great story, the art could use a bit of improvement. Nonetheless, I definitely think this deserves a buy, especially if you are reading Secret Invasion or Thor. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples