Review: Thor Plays Trickster In ‘Immortal Thor’ #2

Thor is perhaps the greatest of Marvel’s heroes, a grand deity who understands the people who admire him. In Immortal Thor #2, that side of him leads Thor to some difficult choices.

Al Ewing, Martin Coccolo, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Sabino continue their new epic here.

Toranos, the Ur-God of Thunder, has arrived on Earth, seeking to destroy Thor, who he sees as an usurper. It will take everything in Thor’s power- including the Odin-power itself- to fight him back before the Odin-power forces him into the All-Sleep. And what is Loki doing on the fringes of it all?

Ewing is able to take the grand epic situations that Thor finds himself in, and adds appropriate stakes to it. Toranos is a massive creature of stormcloud and thunderbolt, so Ewing is able to help us understand his desperation and fears that this might be an enemy he can’t defeat. It’s grand and epic, and that’s not even getting into the conclusion that sees Loki make a startling transformation.

Coccolo and Wilson’s work is stunning. The fight between Toranos and Thor isn’t a traditional superhero battle, but Coccolo still paces it in a way that feels like it. He uses extreme close-ups for Thor and wide shots for Toranos to create a sense of scale as Thor tries to stop him. And the page revealing Loki’s new form- even if I don’t fully get it- is stunningly beautiful, nearly poster quality.

Wilson’s colors add a layer to that, with ethereal glows and otherworldly realms. The greens that he uses on Loki’s pages creates a sense of awe. It makes for a gorgeous book that moves beyond simply being good.

I like Sabino’s letters. It gives the book an identity all its own. He conveys a lot of information in an interesting way, and uses different fonts and balloon styles to add to the story, rather than just show off that he has the tools.

Immortal Thor #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.