REVIEW: ‘Thor,’ Issue #28

Thor #28 is written by Al Ewing from a plot by Ewing and Donny Cates, illustrated by Salvador Larroca, colored by Edgar Delgado, and lettered and designed by VC’s Joe Sabino. It’s published by Marvel Comics. In the previous issue, one of Thor’s old foes Darkoth the Death Demon returned, only possessed by a Symbiote. This drew the attention of Eddie Brock, aka Venom, who is now the King in Black. Darkoth possesses immeasurable power due to the mystical metal known as Promethium running through his veins. Therefore, Thor and Venom must join forces in more ways than one to defeat him.

Once again, Ewing and Cates prove to be a match made in heaven. The developments that they’ve each taken when it comes to Thor and Venom’s respective mythos fit perfectly well with each other. At the end of Cates’ run, Venom became the King in Black, so Ewing decided to explore exactly what that meant. And Ewing transformed Loki from the God of Lies into the God of Stories, which serves as a focal point for this arc. Stories evolve over time, whether they’re ancient myths or comic books, and that winds up playing a major part in this story. The end also hints at a new evolution for a Thor character that’s equal parts horrifying and intriguing. I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Larroca’s art, while still possessing some of the “same face” that’s seeped into most of his art, does get to draw a pretty epic image of Thor and Venom melding together. It’s the latest in a series of “fusions” between characters in Ewing and Cates’ titles, and it looks phenomenal. The Venom symbiote possesses Thor’s Asgardian armor and lightning powers in addition to its trademark fangs and tongue. This “Thornom,” as Loki so eloquently puts it, is also capable of great destruction. A two-page spread features him unleashing a massive lightning blast that sends Darkoth flying, and nearly shatters Asgard in the process.

Topping it all off is the coloring from Delgado, which mixes the bright, vibrant colors associated with the Thor mythos into the deep darkness of Venom’s world. But the standout is Darkoth. The self-proclaimed “Death Dealer” radiates reddish flames from his body, and he possesses a hammer made of promethium that looks as though it was sculpted from lava. Topping off this metal imagery is Sabino’s lettering, which takes on the same black and white lettering as Venom for the color scheme and also shapes the Lethal Protector’s word balloons. Cates has always threaded metal imagery into his comics work, and it’s great to see that others are following in his stead.

Thor #28 continues to prove that Al Ewing and Donny Cates are a match made in heaven, with some metal imagery and a mind-melting story. The next storyline looks to explore the connection between Thor and Thanos, and I’m looking forward to it. After his showdowns with Venom and the Hulk, where will a confrontation with the Mad Titan lead Thor?

Thor #28 is available wherever comics are sold.