Comics Review
Your Next Trade Paperback: Ragnarok
Your Next Trade Paperback: JOEL MEADOWS previews upcoming trades to help you plan your buying habits
The world has come to an end, with the Norse Gods seemingly being wiped out by Ragnarok. However one of their number, Thor, somehow survived in an altered form and he awakes in a world he doesn’t understand. That is the basic premise of Walter Simonson’s Ragnarok, published by IDW, which should be your next trade paperback.
Walter Simonson has made a career writing and drawing iconic superheroes like Thor and Fantastic Four for Marvel and Orion for DC. His work has always possessed a dynamism and a kineticism that many of his contemporaries lack. Ragnarok features a number of the Norse gods that Simonson used in his Marvel Thor run but these are not Lee and Kirby’s pantheon of gods. The Thor here is vengeful and alien, looking like an undead skeleton, rather than the Don Blake character, and the world that he lives in one that is mythic and epic. Simonson is an artist who continues to evolve and develop even after decades as a professional and Ragnarok continues that evolution. Many of his trademarks like grand battle scenes and elegant godlike figures are present here and it would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the contribution of colourist Laura Martin who really brings Simonson’s pages to life with pizazz and style.
The world that Simonson has created is a fantastical and mythical one, populated by elves, trolls and former Norse gods. The first story ends with Thor, who is starting to regain his powers, swearing an oath to get revenge on those who destroyed his kin. Simonson has set things up very nicely for another story featuring the characters. If you are fans of high fantasy and Norse mythology that feels a little purer than Marvel’s take on proceedings, then Ragnarok is for you. An accomplished and elegant piece of mythic work with some stunningly beautiful art, Ragnarok displays a creator still at the height of his powers.
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