Advance Review: ‘Odin’ #1 Kicks Off A Road Trip From Hell — Or Asgard
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
This new horror miniseries kicks off in style with a group of alt-Gen Z racists trying to get back to their White roots in Norway. It’s an interesting post-Covid tale mixed with straightforward but effective artwork.
Overall
9/10From the start, the new limited series Odin tries to walk the line among genres.
There are elements of a road trip story. There are the young people trying to find themselves. There’s an undercover investigative journalist trying to expose the group. Oh, and there’s horror and bloodshed. Plenty of it.
In this oversized first issue of the nine-part series, writers Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV introduce readers to columnist Adela Weber and the group of so-called Odinists she is investigating. Bennett and Tynion take their time in introducing us to each member of the group, from the ringleader Austin to is assistant Dylan to the mysterious Fred, who seems to be bankrolling the group. Don’t spend too much time on the dramatis personae — not all of them make it out of this first issue.
The group thinks they are some combination of Nazis and white supremacists. Their Norwegian adventure is meant to be a sojourn to the origins of the White race so they can summon Odin and reclaim their birthright. Adela cuts them just a little slack because their teen years were impacted by Covid. But the writers know that no amount of isolation excuses anyone from their racism.
By the end of the issue, the group begins to understand the consequences of their actions. It seems that summoning a god requires sacrifices of its own — something these Gen Zers hadn’t figured on. And that’s where artist Letizia Cadonici shines. Her illustrations are largely simple and straightforward, until the group drinks some concoction and starts tripping.
Jordie Bellaire’s color palette, which had been dominated by reds, blues, and whites, gets jumbled. With Cadonici illustrating bloodletting and ecstasy in the forest, you can almost hear the rocking background music — and understand why nothing is really what it seems.
Odin starts strong and gives the creative team plenty of places to go and avenues to explore. Where it ends up is still a mystery, which is perhaps the most exciting part of this journey.
Odin #1 — written by Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV, illustrated by Letizia Cadonici, colored by Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by Tom Napolitano — will be available Wednesday in comic book stores and on digital platforms from Image Comics.
