Thor: God of Thunder #18 – Review

by Jason Aaron (Writer), Das Pastoras (Artist)

The Story: Dragons are the original party animals. True story.

The Review: This is a rather weird issue to review really. While some issues are impossibly easy to analyze in terms of general appreciation, there are some that simply are very different, demanding a deeper inspection to see if there are some aspects that you might have missed or if you actually like or dislike some of its elements. While something that requires a second reading is not an indicative of general quality or a lack of it, it does leave a certain puzzling sensation that manage to take a hold of your thoughts for a while.

This issue of Thor: God of Thunder had this exact effect on my person. While it certainly has its moments and does feature some particularly unexpected qualities, it also falls a little bit short of the mark in some of its aspects. As a continuation to some of the theme presented in Jason Aaron’s tenure, it’s solid, yet as done-in-one it doesn’t exactly does the best of jobs.

Where it works, it does so splendidly, though. Presenting the tale with the younger Thor from the past as the protagonist, the definitely less wise and more impulsive personality of Thor is on full display here. Pushing forth the lessons that Thor needs to learn as well as the impetuosity and proneness to party and drink around in ways that could be counted as excessive, the writer makes for a tale that manages to hit many different notes in ways that feels right. The relationship between Thor and Skabgagg, the dragon, builds up in ways that feels fun, sad and then tragic in a way that present snippets of what Thor had to live through, showing a lesson that he had to learn that make him very enjoyable to read in this issue.

A character which is a bit more ambiguous in terms of quality is Skabgagg himself, which is actually fascinating, yet ends up not being fleshed-out enough. The very idea behind a dragon that wants to understand man and simply want to party along with them is a sound one, with potential for development and pure entertainment. However, there is a certain lack of motivation or background for the character, making him less than what he very well could be. While his eventual fate does end up being tragic in a sense, the sympathy for the character ends up being that there could have been more out of this concept than what has been offered. It’s simply the incomplete journey of an alcoholic dragon that wanted to be accepted for what he wanted to be, which is sadly cut short in this issue.

What’s also a bit of a waste here are the attempted parallels between Thor and Skabgagg, which aren’t delved into deeply enough. There is a certain comparison done between the two in how they react to authority figures, their father and what they want to do in life, yet it’s that precise aspect to how they see their responsibility to who they are that puts them at odd in the first place. The similitude’s, for the most part, are very well done, yet they reach a point where they become rather rushed, leaving a bit of potential left to waste near the end of the issue. Both characters are prideful, love to party and are generally just looking for a good time, yet their fate and desires makes them depart from each other. It’s aptly made, for the most part, yet it could have been handled a little bit better, with a bit more space for deeper interactions and back-story for the two.

Still as it may, another aspect that is rather ambiguous in its quality is the art by Das Pastoras. The artist, mostly known on the European market for works like Castaka (the prequel to a very good series) and a Wolverine story, has a very distinct style that is very muddied and rough, yet shows a very potent beauty despite those traits of his. To speak of his art is not just to speak of his lines, but also of his approach to colors, as there is a painted quality to each and every single panels that make many single elements a bit imprecise, yet each of them are part of a visually beautiful whole. The scenery, the armors, the smaller yet almost invisible details and the characters themselves all participate in the strokes of this unseemly master. There is an inherent richness in the way the massive amount of elements and the high diversity of colors makes for visuals that are decidedly very different, yet of a quality that is rather high. Some of the faces are perhaps a bit too stoic and rough, while some of the motions are perhaps a bit limited, yet the rest is of an almost hypnotic quality that manages to makes these weaknesses look less important than they really are. It’s a beautiful illusion that allows for the visuals, no matter if they are appreciated or not, to be utterly memorable.

The Conclusion: There are some weaknesses in the parable of this story, yet the combination of tragedy, entertainment and decidedly different art makes for an issue that is hard to put down. It’s decidedly unique, which makes for something that deserves to be read, despite some of its fault.

Grade: B

Hugo Robberts Larivière