The Mighty Thor #19 Review

After two full issues and a prologue chapter, it's clear that Everything Burns is not overly friendly to Thor fans who have only been reading The Mighty Thor. This crossover is building on seeds laid mainly in Journey Into Mystery, to the point where many of the key developments in this chapter might go completely over the heads of those who haven't been reading JIM. And it certainly isn't welcoming for those hoping to dive into the Thor franchise head first. That said, the crossover is a thrilling read for the initiated and an example of how to handle event-level storylines. And really, if you haven't been reading JIM before now, you deserve whatever miseries life chooses to heap upon you.

The previous chapter of Everything Burns set the stakes marvelously high, as it seemed Loki and Thor were untied against the entirety of Asgardia. Kieron Gillen and Matt Fraction step back from that ledge somewhat, allowing Thor to play the diplomat for once. That's not to say the writers don't deliver some enjoyable moments of Thor beating on his allies, but the focus quickly shifts towards mounting a united assault on Surtur's forces. I didn't mind the change of focus, except that the overall sense of plot progression is a bit lacking compared to the previous two chapters. Also slightly disappointing is that the writers gloss over the battles raging across the Nine Realms, with many only unfolding across a single, hurried panel.

Regardless, there's plenty of juicy material to dive into with this chapter. A new flashback scene explores the fallout of Odin's arranged marriage ad how it didn't exactly patch up relations between the Aesir and Vanir as planned. There's also some more heart-wrenching interaction between Thor and Loki. As much as this material might be redundant in light of the previous chapter's Thor/Loki scenes, their bond really forms the heart and emotional center of this storyline. And then there's the twist ending. This image sums up my reaction best:

As before, Alan Davis is the artist tackling the Mighty Thor side of the crossover. Unfortunately, the transition from Davis to Carmine di Giandomenico and back is less than smooth. I really wish the editors could have found two artists whose styles are more of a match. Still, it's hard to complain about seeing Davis tackle the Thor universe again, even if it's only for half of a story. He captures all the emotional drama and epic action the writers throw at him. This is the best The Mighty Thor has looked since Olivier Coipel helped launch the series.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Hulk #56 Review

The odds aren't looking too great for Red Hulk as the fourth chapter of  Mayan Rule opens. The majority of Alpha Flight and his gamma-powered allies have been drained by the rejuvenated Mayan gods, and only his robotic companions are left to aid Red Hulk in the fight. But when have the odds ever been in his favor?

Issue #56 offers less of an action-packed romp and more of a downbeat adventure that sheds more light on the nature and motivations of the gods. Some of this material seems a bit counterproductive. With so many religious and mythological pantheons co-existing in the Marvel Universe, why do the Mayan gods need a more logical, scientific explanation for being? Still, these revelations cast the conflict in a new light and should make for an interesting finale.

This approach also allows Machine Man to step up to the plate again, which is never a bad thing. Red Hulk is about as battered and weakened as he's ever been in this issue, and Parker takes the opportunity to reinforce just how much Ross has come to depend on both Aaron and Annie. What began as an ensemble storyline has become far more intimate and contained. But while it's disappointing that Alpha Flight have been relegated to the background, Parker is focusing on the character dynamics that have made the series such a blast from the beginning.

Dale Eaglesham's artwork isn't quite up to the quality established in the previous issues. Some of his framing is a little odd, with characters seeming to fade out of focus and into the background. On the plus side, the lengthy flashback to the origins of the gods allows Eaglesham to branch out and tackle some more unusual, non-super-heroic imagery. Hopefully Eaglesham will be back in top form for the finale issue.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Ryan Murphy Reveals the New Title for American Horror Story: Season 2

Co-creator and executive producer Ryan Murphy has announced the title of the next chapter for FX's American Horror Story - American Horror Story: Asylum.

"When we launched the show last year, we kept quiet about the closed-ended nature of the show because we didn't want to tip off the audience that the characters were not going to survive," said Murphy. "Now that it has been established that each year is a closed-ended story, the time seemed right to reveal what we’re calling the new installment.

"We picked 'Asylum' because it not only describes the setting -- an insane asylum run by Jessica Lange's character which was formerly a tuberculosis ward -- but also signifies a place of haven for the unloved and the unwanted. This year's theme is about sanity and tackling real life horrors."

The new season stars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Zachary Quinto, James Cromwell, and Joseph Fiennes. Production began in July. As previously reported, none of the returning cast members from Season 1 are playing the same characters.

American Horror Story: Asylum will premiere this fall in October on FX.

Source : ign[dot]com