You know, I told myself I wasn’t going to buy into all the Fear Itself cross overs. I even got into a whole conversation with someone over the weekend about how if you’re buying anything other than the main issues to get the full story, the writers aren’t doing their job right. I still stand by this, but I recently signed up for a standing order service at Orbital Comics, and they stuck it in my bag as I had requested Thor issues. The reason I didn’t protest was Keiron Gillen’s name, and I’m pretty glad I didn’t.
This is a really cool Loki story, full of classic Thorish mythology. The kind that makes you forget your reading a Marvel comic and not a fairytale. The kind that gets a story from A to B in a way that you couldn’t even have dreamed. Similar to the Russian fairytales Mignola uses in Hellboy, like the Baba Yaga who lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs… Or that guy who has his soul inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a hare, which is in an iron chest, which is buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of Buyan… In the ocean. I love Hellboy.
I’ve never read an issue of Journey Into Mystery before, but is it always so reflective of its title? It truly is a journey into mystery, and it’s given that little bit of reality needed by Loki being a kid. He speaks Thor-speak, but has a perfect amount of punk wit to remind you he’s the god of mischief, like a subtle Damian Wayne. The flash back to Fear Itself #1 from Loki’s perspective is also a great touch, he’s got shifty eyes so you know he’s planning something!
The art is dreamy, really matches the ethereal nature of the series. Wouldn’t say I’d like all my comics to look like this, but Asgard is certainly the place to have soft lines and more pencils than ink. There are certainly some great images that really let you sink into another world, which is why I read comics I think.
So, Journey Into Mystery is now officially added to my list. If you like journeys into mystery, then I suggest you do the same. It’s exactly what it says on the tin.
Joe Innes
