After finishing this issue, I gotta say that this is a big fumble on Marvel’s part.  If this is supposed to be the book that retailers are going to drive their customers to after the movie hits, I wish them the best of luck.  As a guy that is familiar with Thor, but not deep in its mythos, I had no flippin’ idea what was going on in this comic.  Like Fraction’s first issue on the previous Thor series he was writing, this issue is filled with a lot of talking and big ideas, but it lacks the context or execution to make it clear in any way.  I don’t understand why this book has to pick up a storyline from his previous series.  Why can’t that be handled by the new creative team while Fraction tackles a new reader friendly tale?  I will say that the inclusion of the Silver Surfer and Galactus does seem interesting, but since I don’t really understand all the Asgard stuff, it sort of makes it hard to feel any stakes with their appearance.  It’s hard because I was hoping that this could be the Thor title I could read to get my Thor fix, but after having been lost through most of the Thor stuff in this issue, I don’t think I’ll be sticking around.

It’s too bad too because Copiel’s art is pretty fantastic in this issue.  He’s one of the most dynamic artists out there, and he challenges the reader with layouts that make the comic visually interesting.  There is a bombasity to his art that carries through the whole issue, and it’s a real treat to read.  It’s just too bad that the story does match up to the art for me.  I really want to give this series a fair shake, but with all the good comics coming out in the next few months, it’s hard to invest in a title that leaves me completely lost.