REVIEW: ‘Thor’ Issue 801

Thor Issue 801 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by AI Ewing, art by Pasqual Ferry, colors by Matt Milla and letters by Joe Sabino.

Sigurd Jarlsen begins a quest to bring Thor back to life in this issue, entering Hel. Thor Issue 801 continues an epic that started long ago in The Immortal Thor, from Thor’s death into Mortal Thor, and Ewing has been leading us here.

In some regards, the exposition is handy for catching up with what happened with Thor and the quest he was on when he died. But a lot has happened between then and Sigurd stepping into Hel. For those following along, it’s been a profound, mystical journey worthy of the godly majesty. But for newcomers after the name and numbering change, it would be very confusing to understand what is happening.

As soon as Sigurd walks into the Asgardian underworld, the pace is electrifying; there are undead warriors galore, and Jarlsen is willing to fight him with all of his mortal might. That is what makes this quest so intriguing: the fact that Jarlsen is so vulnerable. It adds even more danger and malice to the mystical journey.

Remnants of Ewing’s writing in the various one-shots and series keep popping up. Sigurd is living alongside the immortals, and so there are some mythical power plays underway, with Karnilla claiming dominance over Hel. All of this makes Thor Issue 801 full of content and life even among the unliving.

As a character, Sigurd has been one of the most prominent recent figures inside the Marvel Universe in recent years, albeit isolated. He is the reincarnated body of Donald Blake, and so carries a huge amount of bravery and confidence. He never looks fearful of the monsters and beings he’s coming up against. And he does all of this with just a hammer on a chain, actively damaging them.

Sigurd is a real warrior. Even when taking a beating, the human keeps fighting and moving. He is the ultimate vessel for readers to experience the realms, with Ewing repeatedly hammering home that there’s nothing special about him.

The voices of the more fantastical characters are loud, funny and enjoyable. Each soldier he faces has their own story and personality, not just a faceless figure. Their story ends in profound sadness and a sickening conclusion, showing the depth of the dialogue and character development.

Karnilla feels like a low-level version of Hela in this story. She is obsessed with power and being the Queen of Hel. The minions had respect for Hela, and so Karnilla has to be extra cruel to try and stamp down her authority. She is one of many plot threads within this series that make Ewing’s storytelling so epic and enthralling.

The art is magnificent. Despite the magical realms, Jarlsen tries to stay grounded to give Sigurd a fleeting but fighting chance. The fight scenes are incredibly physical and bloody. All Jarlsen has is his hammer and his body, and he is happy to use both to inflict as much damage as possible.

The punches, hammer swings, and even headbutts give Thor Issue 801 an unexpected grittiness. Sigurd never balks or backs down, always lunging forward against his foes. Even in dramatic situations, he still wears normal clothes.

Each enemy has its own design, with various stages of decay. Their faces are beautifully cartoony, blending the horror of their appearance with some lovely corniness. Karnilla’s design is also terrific, carrying so much detail and revelation. She looks fantastic, changing costume multiple times in Thor Issue 801, which leads Ferry to craft multiple forms of clothing and armor for her.

Karnilla’s eyes are very large and expressive, which helps show her range of emotions. And while she wears a headdress similar to Hela’s, the spines are nowhere near as long or prominent, suggesting how new she is as the self-proclaimed ruler of Hel.

The colors are stunning. The design of the realms is largely down to colors more than cityscapes, and they really are gorgeous. These shades shift throughout the comic, from blues to a sea green that signifies an entirely different plane of existence. And through it all, Sigurd wears muted, natural tones in his clothes, reminding everyone that he doesn’t belong there. Thor Issue 801 uses many custom fonts and word balloons, but the lettering is comfortable and easy to read.

Thor Issue 801 starts to finish a long-awaited quest. Asgard and the Ten Realms have been locked away for a while now. This issue opens the doorway once again, and a very different journey begins anew. Ewing reveals just how broken and changed the realms are, thrown into chaos with Thor dead.

The elevation of Sigurd has been a phenomenal story, exploring worthiness and might through the eyes of someone who truly doesn’t have anything special. He’s not like Peter Parker or Tony Stark, who had huge intellects. He’s a guy with a hammer, but he fights with Thor’s might. The only downside to Thor Issue 801 is that it really isn’t friendly to newcomers, and a more in-depth recap page would be appreciated to get everyone up to speed.

Thor Issue 801 is available where comics are sold.