COMICS: Dave's Marvel Rant: Thor, Ka-Zar

[Dave Van Domelen]

Dave's Marvel Rant:

Thor v2 #1 "Left The Home Fires Burning Too Long"
Ka-Zar v2 #15 "Internal Exile"

Spoilers....

Thor "In Search Of The Gods": Despite the v2 in the indicia, this is the
first Thor #1, at least that I'm aware of, since the previous Thor title was
transferred over from Journey Into Mystery. Why couldn't JIM have turned
back into Thor? Fear of high numbers, probably.
Anyway, this book only has one flaw worth dwelling on. Unfortunately,
that flaw is named Jurgens. Early on, it wasn't too bad, but as the story
progressed and the need to bring in the sense of wonder and majesty became
paramount, Jurgens dropped the ball. Thor seems more petulant than wrathful,
despite JRjr's good job of carrying his end of the equation. And the fact
that Jurgens doesn't seem to have researched things very carefully (he writes
Scarlet Witch as a generic spellcaster, which REALLY bugged me) doesn't
help. Adding this to the ton-o-bricks foreshadowing about Thor becoming
merged with an EMS guy introduced this issue, and I think Jurgens is falling
into the same trap which eventually claimed DeFalco on this title: emulate
the surface features without really understanding the inner workings that
give the title life. DeFalco had an initial burst of creative energy which
carried him for a few years before the shortcomings became apparent (to me,
anyway), but Jurgens seems to be charging in right away with the hollow
Thor.
I think what really crystallized the writing as pretentious rather than
portentious was the second-to-last page where the Avengers are acting like a
Chorus, and claiming that if the Destroyer opens his visor, the world will
end. Gee, that never happened the dozens of other times he used his
disintegrator beam while on Earth. It's a nasty weapon, but having the
Avengers react like it was doomsday manifest struck me as bad farce.

Ka-Zar "Jungle Book": Ah, a cleansing of the palate from Jurgens.
Acclaim may be in a coma, but we've got ourselves a nice little transplant
being nurtured at Marvel. Quick history lesson for the Waid-fans giving
Priest a chance who haven't read Quantum & Woody: "Noogie" is code for a
similar word which makes the legal staff nervous.
This issue is all about communication. Or rather, how little there
really is. Everyone in the main story except Ka-Zar is too panicky or
shortsighted to stop and bother communicating, and Ka-Zar is blind and deaf,
so he can't communicate. Well, okay, Zabu can communicate, but his
vocabulary is rather hard on personal property. Punisher isn't panicking,
but he leaps to conclusions about Ka-Zar having gone bad/mad. And he's not
much of a listener.
Of course, this isn't simply a chase scene combined with a comedy of
errors, although that aspect does provide amusement for much of the issue.
It also sets up an entirely non-combat plot about communication and its
lack. Y'see, after the furor initially dies down, Kevin gets help from Foggy
Nelson (yes, another portrayal of Foggy as competent!) and hides out in Matt
Murdoch's apartment. Aside from the simple irony of this (a blinded Ka-Zar
hiding out in Daredevil's apartment), there's a deeper element to things.
Apparently, Shanna and Matt were once either an item or almost an item.
Staying in the apartment starts to bring up Kevin's memories of this. And
then he finds a few things Shanna gave Matt to remember her by (not sure why
he'd have the picture out on display, he certainly can't sense it at all
through the glass)...including a knife Kevin gave Shanna when they were
dating.
He's been shot at, maced, chased, and generally had a rotten day, but
this is the capper. He is REALLY bummed now. So bummed that he takes off
the headset he got that lets him hear Jameka (the woman who maced him and
then took him in) and bails from the apartment. This, of course, is when
Castle shows up. And if he survives the Punisher, he's still got Jameka
lusting after him, evidence that his wife was two-timing him at some point,
and a home to return to that may no longer welcome him (it's certainly not
interested in letting Shanna hang around). Maybe he should let Frank cap
him. }->
The Kenibal art still needs work to fit the adult characters better, but
it's not that bad. And they have a good feel for the non-human races of the
Savage Land, which suggests they'll be able to handle the loopy things we all
suggested to Priest.

Dave Van Domelen, "Tell me you didn't name our son after someone you
used to have the hots for!!" - Ka-Zar, in flashback