This title has had a massive shake up in the recent months. With  JMS gone, he is replaced by Kieron Gillen ; and with the art it is now in the hands of Billy Tan. I find that we lost a very smart, Shakespearean  Marvel title; to a Michael Bay action  comic. Now normally I would say that this would be a bad thing. Cause now this series feels a bit different with this new take. But in all honesty, Gillen has made this one of the best Marvel titles out there right now.

All of this has to be because that Gillen is writing an amazing Doom. Now I know people (you know who you are) think it’s a bit generic or just a simple take on the villain. But I love every single thing that comes out of Doom’s mouth this issue. He’s such a menacing figure but he can say some of the funniest things. Quite possibly one of my favorite lines in comics this year happened in this issue. If you don’t know or guess what it is, the line is:

“That is the last of Doom’s property you will destroy.”

I could not stop laughing at that line. It’s Doom trying to sound all tough and serious; but it such a ridiculous line. That’s up there with Corporate Red Skull in Captain America; maybe we can call this a ‘Carpenter Dr. Doom’?

Everything else in the issue is pretty good too. There hasn’t been much of Thor to be honest, which is a bit annoying. I think Balder, Loki, and Doom has had more lines then Thor so it’s like he is a side character in all of this. But right now Gillen is doing a good job juggling the characters and not making them sound too off. It isn’t a deal breaker trust me, but I wish Thor was a bit more of the focus.

Billy Tan is also doing a pretty great job so far. More film analogy, Tan is like the special effects director in all of this. Anything that Gillen thinks of; from cyborg Asgardians to The Destroyer Armor (oh that sequence is glorious); Tan pulls it off so perfectly. There is a little bit of some weird eyes in this, like the expression of some faces and what not. He does some pretty good rain effects in this as well. But I say about 99% of this issue is pretty damn beautiful because of Tan.

In about a two issue timeframe, I have grown to love Gillen’s run on Thor. He is showing just how perfect he is for the character and also for Dr. Doom as well. Considering what we see towards the end of this, it’s only going to get more outlandish and more exciting. It’s my Pick of the Week and it is a great way to finish the year of reading comics. But it makes me think of something: Do I really want Matt Fraction now that Gillen is just tearing it up on this? Right now….the answer is no.