There’s something about Al Ewing and his incredible knowledge of Marvel Comics that instills a certain level of confidence in the reader. Pulling from past eras, drawing out forgotten characters, and capturing the perfect amount of a character while delivering something that feels new permeates his work. That includes Immortal Thor, which seems to be drawing from Thor’s long and epic past while spinning those threads into gold. With The Immortal Thor #4, that’s even more the case.
Storm fans, rise, as your favorite mutant gets a pitch-perfect depiction in this week’s issue. She’s forcibly drawn into Thor’s adventure, and her response is anything but pleased. Toranos is barreling toward Earth at the start of this issue after Thor puts every ounce of his power into sending him far away. Knowing he’s outmatched, why else would he call upon Storm?
If you read solicitations, you probably know where this is going, but those who don’t can expect some fun guest appearances. Ewing cleverly sets up their inclusion after the first-half deals with Storm and some Beta Ray Bill elements. It’s clever because I didn’t see Thor’s plan coming, making for a satisfying turn later in the issue. On top of that, the cliffhanger is even more surprising and compelling. I’d delve deeper into the compelling setup and what we’re in store for, but it’d spoil far too much, and this comic is far too fun to spoil.
Time to battle, baby!
Credit: Marvel
Martin Coccolo delivers big time on the art front, with Toranos looking extra-godly and formidable. Colors by Matthew Wilson add to Toranos, giving him a whispy feel as if he’s not part of the main universe. Two things are pulled off by this art team that are very hard to do. The first is smoke, and the other is rain and lightning. These are hugely important in the Storm vs. Thor battle and look incredible on the page. Purples in the storm clouds add a level of anger from Storm, who doesn’t like being told what to do.
This issue also offers heroic moments for multiple heroes with Coccolo brandishing them in new costumes. Again, I won’t spoil a thing, but Coccolo makes each character’s moment feel special and epic. Speaking of, the scale of Toranos is also masterfully done.
It’s not often I like a fourth issue in a series this much, but it’s also a comic that stands alone. It even uses the common hero vs. hero trope, but it still stands up as original in how it plays out. You could easily not have read the first three issues and picked this up, following every page and loving every second. People expecting an elevated superhero story due to the “Immortal” in the title should not pass on this issue. The cliffhanger suggests there’s something a little more complex at work here.
This is as good as it gets in Marvel Comics. It blends the past with the present, delivering something new, and hammers home surprising twists that elevate the superhero genre. Immoral Thor is quite simply a must-read comic.
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