Thor #11 ( Marvel / Straczynski / Copiel / Morales )
“ As Thor ventures further beyond the walls of the Shining City into Midgard, the sinister Loki begins to tip her deceitful hand. In spite of her promise to reform since being restored to life by the God of Thunder, Loki’s insidious moves against Balder, Thor, and the rest of Asgard start bearing poisonous fruit. The reinvented THOR builds to unbelievable heights, by writer J. Michael Straczynski (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) and Olivier Coipel (HOUSE OF M)!”
This issue hold the best moment in Marvel comics for me so far this year. In all the coolness that has come from Thor, this one scene has taken the storytelling bar to a new level. As Dr. Donald Blake is off on a date with Jane, the immortals of Asgard engage in the timeless game of capture the flag. Albeit with a viking twist. In the heat of the games, one viking insults another and someone ends up dead. Now, in the new Asgard there is no living to fight another day. People die and there are consequences.
But that’s not the cool scene. The best part is when Don sees a news cast reflecting on the memory of Steve Rogers and visits Cap’s grave. Don gets to say his peace and what Cap meant to him as a symbol, then Thor gets his chance. Thor uses the power of his godhood to summon the spirit of Steve Rogers, the real Captain America. Hooded in a blue cloak, Thor and Cap have a touching conversation where Thor offers to enact vengeance upon those who killed Cap. Cap says no, although he does have another request. It seems that, although dead, Cap can still feel the world moving. He sees that we have forgotten what he was fighting for, to be the symbol of things that are right about this country. Now he feels that there are people trying to turn Cap into what ever is convenient and fits with the times. That is not who or what Captain America is. Steve Rogers spirit asks Thor to try and show people the truth of who he was through the din of their own voices.
Very cool, and also pointed given that this issue came out the week before the election.
Grade: A
