Thor vol. 2 #44Thor vol. 2 #44
Title: “As Lives a Memory…”
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciller: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Scott Koblish
Colors: Avalon Studios’ Dave Kemp
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Thor walks through some type of hallowed halls. Thor walks into a lit room. He looks up at a gold on red tapestry of Odin. On the walls are various weapons, helmets, and shields. Thor looks over at one particular bow and arrow. He thinks about a day from the past where a very young Thor and a very young Loki are fighting with wooden swords. Loki shatters Thor’s wooden sword. They walk into the building. Odin is toasting with a bunch of other warriors. Loki and Thor are hidden among the rafters watching. Below is the bow and arrow Thor was looking at. Loki holds a coin and flips it. The coin comes up heads and Thor goes off to grab the bow and arrow. As Thor climbs down, Loki looks at his double headed coin and laughs. Thor snatches the bow and arrow and sneaks out of the room. Loki is trying to show Thor how to shoot the arrows. Loki has three arrows stuck in a tree. Thor can’t seem to get his arrow to point straight. Loki is laughing at Thor. Thor looks back at Loki laughing at him and accidentally fires off an arrow that actually goes straight. The arrow misses the tree entirely however and it hits a deer. Loki takes off as Thor rushes to the deer’s side. Tears roll down Thor’s face. Odin is still with the other warriors as Thor returns with the bow. Thor stands upset and Odin hugs the upset Thor.
Balder walks into the room with Thor and looks up at the gold on red tapestry of Odin. Balder thinks back to a time where he was the prisoner of Rock Trolls. One of the heats up a spear in the fire and then slices him down the chest with it. The trolls start beating on Balder. Balder manages to reach a sword stuck in the ground and cuts the rope that binds his hands together. Balder stands with two swords and fights the trolls. He slices one of the trolls and then the others cower from Balder. Balder looks out the mouth of the cave he is in. The sun is shining in and the shadow of Odin is cast on the cave wall.
Sif walks into the room and sits down next to Thor, who is now seated at a wooden table in the room. She touches Thor’s hand and looks up at the tapestry. She thinks back on a day where she is walking along with some other Asgardians. The men she is with apparently start walking into some kind of strip club. Sif gets outraged with them. One of the men laughs at her and shoves her to the ground. Odin comes by and enters the club. He raises his hands and demands attention. Odin turns back outside and holds his hand out to Sif as she rises off the ground. Odin has Sif come to the door where all the men inside bow to Odin. He apparently is doing this to give her the respect that she was slighted.
Thor places his hand upon the tapestry. Thor, Sif, and Balder walk out of the room together.
Loki teleports into the room. He looks up at the tapestry and thinks back to that same day where Thor shot the deer. Young Loki is sitting under a tree flipping his two-headed coin in the air. Odin catches the coin in the air. Loki yells at Odin as Odin apparently confronted him about what happened. Loki stomps his feet and runs away. Odin’s head looks downward in sadness.
Loki looks upset. He punches the wall and then walks out of the room reflecting. In the hallway, Loki looks out the windows and sees the Viking ship out by the Rainbow Bridge where everyone is gathered.
Thor walks to
the ship where everyone had congregated. There is a table where
weapons and personal belongings of Odin lie. People are looking
over the things. Thor walks up to the table with his old winged
helmet. He places it down on the table and picks up Odin’s
helmet. Thor put the helmet on and raises his hammer into the
air. The Asgardians all bow before Thor on the Rainbow Bridge.
Thor creates a fireball with the Odinpower. He reaches out and
starts the Viking ship ablaze. The ship takes off from the
Rainbow Bridge. It is completely on fire as it sails out of
sight. Thor bows down to one knee, but watches the ship go as the
others keep their head bowed.
Lightning Crashes rating: 4 out of 10
Well I’m hoping that this issue isn’t indicative of what we can expect from the other ‘Nuff Said issues. It seems like there should be talking in the issue, but that there isn’t simply because it was decided that this was a silent issue. I’m not a big fan of Immonen and his lack of storytelling ability shines through in the issue to me. I think that most telling that even Marvel doesn’t think that this format worked is that they’re providing the scripts to what we’re supposed to be getting from the issue. I thought that the entire point was that they could tell a story without words. It’s as if someone is standing there babbling words and another man standing next to him interpreting, “What Immonen meant to say was…”