Friday

REVIEW - Thor: Vikings

Review by Brian Grindrod

Ennis keeps it straight and simple. No need to know all the intricate details about Thor's continuity. No need to buy all the Thor back issues by Walt Simonson to make heads or tails of the story. No need to buy a bloody Marvel Encyclopaedia hardcover to get background info on Asgard, Don Blake and the Thunder God's supporting cast. And screw Beta-Ray Bill's horse face already! All you know need to know is that Thor is going to get thy mighty ass kicked by zombie Vikings who live for the sole purpose of raping & pillaging.

The plot has the same effect of cranking up the classic Sex Pistols' album, Never Mind The Bollocks, at a party filled with virgin teenagers who adorn their walls with posters of Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias & Britney Spears. The dialogue is maniacally hilarious while the characters make Hannibal Lector look like a girl scout. If you are easily offended, then I suggest you crawl back into your parents' basement and await the next issue of Superman. The industry needs more talent like Ennis to shake its creative status quo.

Glenn Fabry's painted artwork is always stellar but his realistically portrayed details and background work within the interior pages of the comic makes this quite a Thor epic. The panel designs make for a clear and concise flow of the script while the cinematic angles are dynamic enough to give Ennis' script the solid visual that it deserves. Paul Monts' coloring cannot be overlooked. His skills and hues brings a rich texture and depth to the final art work.

Thor: Vikings is a breath of fresh air from the diarrhoea type plot lines that have been constantly regurgitated in the character's ongoing series for the past 15 years. Finally, a different approach has been taken to tell a Thor story. One where the name of the game is to actually entertain the audience with a healthy dose of over the top action. After all, Marvel Comics' Thor is a super-hero character ... not a soap opera one!

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