Scott's Take: Immortal Thor Volume 3: End of All Songs by Al Ewing

 

Immortal Thor Volume 3: End of All Songs by Al Ewing collects issues 11- 15 plus a bonus page from G.O.D.S.. This volume starts off pretty randomly. One gets the feeling that you have missed a volume between, but no it just starts off that way.

So, for some reason Thor has decided it is time to rescue his brother Tyr. Why now? Why does he care now? Who Knows, but that is what he has decided to do. Thor gathers all of Odin’s children for the rescue. This includes several folks that even though I have read a lot of Thor comics, I have no idea who they are. Outside of Loki, most people going in probably are not aware of Thor’s six plus other siblings. I feel like this volume could have been helped by a volume between with Thor teaming up with his other siblings. Odin really got around….. I guess eyepatches are sexy….

 

Remember, don’t hate the player. Hate the game.

 

So, you have all this happen, then the next part of the volume is not connected to any of that.  Thor, Hercules, and Loki team up to fight Zeus and Nyx, who were dead has now been resurrected by the Wheel. Apparently, the Wheel seems to be sometime of evil cycle of change that is going on. This concept still has a lot of questions about why this all is happening. Things go bad when the heroes are surprised when Loki turns on them even though they all were warned that they are not in control of themselves. As a god, Loki is not fully in control of themselves, and they must play their part in the story even though they do not want to.

 

Then after all this, a tired Thor returns to Asgard to go to sleep, but Amora is waiting for him and she wants to talk about her feelings and why she betrayed him in the previous volume. Also a few pages setting up volume 4 which is called Son of Thor.

 

There are consequences in this tale that don’t work for this reader because I did not really know the character that suffered, so it did not work for me. Also, they make a big deal that Odin is in Valhalla and he is dead and gone except Thor has visited Valhalla and is friends with the Valkyries. If he wanted to talk to his dad all he would have to do is give a letter to one of the Valkyries and ask them to return Odin’s response. It would not be that difficult.

 

Also, the single issue called Giant Thor 2024 ties into this volume but is not collected here. I would recommend reading the Tyr stuff, then going to Giant Thor, and then reading the rest of this volume.  This volume is heavy on the exposition since Ewing is referencing a lot and I don’t think he does a good job of explaining things to people who have not read the other stuff. I enjoyed this volume but to call this read “scattered” would be accurate. It does not feel like it belongs together. I am not saying this is a bad read, but Ewing in this run is not doing a very good job of connecting his arcs. As a result, it reads as if there is a book missing in-between this volume and the preceding one.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/423VhUp

 

 

I read this through Marvel Unlimited app.

Scott A. Tipple ©2025

Scott's Take: Immortal Thor Vol 2: All Trials Are One by Al Ewing

 

Immortal Thor Vol 2: All Trials Are One by Al Ewing collects issues 6-10 plus the Roxxon Presents issue. This is a more scattered volume than Immortal Thor Vol. 1: All Weather Turns To Storm. There are a couple issues set in the past setting up future events which I am not fully sure of how important they actually are. Thor and Loki face the Trials of Utgard and Thor confronts his Mother Gaea about why she let the Utgard out. The final issues deal with Thor going after Roxxon (the evil oil company) but he is walking into a trap set by the Enchantress and Skurge.

 

So, this volume is all about Thor being constantly manipulated and messed with by people with their own agendas. Several of these people claim to be helping him. The trap set for Thor is pretty clever and unique. This volume feels less connected than the previous volume. Ewing likes his complex tales, but sometimes there are too many spinning plates at once, in my opinion. The art works well for these tales. I enjoyed this volume, but not as much as the first volume. I read this through Marvel Unlimited in the app.  Volume 3 is called the End of All Songs and is out now.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ciU1A1

 

 

I read this through the Marvel Unlimited app.

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2025

Scott's Take: Hellboy: The Bones of Giants by Mike Mignola

Hellboy: The Bones of Giants by Mike Mignola adapts the book of the same name into comic form. I have never read the original book so I have no idea how good of a job they did on the adapting part.

In this graphic novel, a man is found dead in Sweden. The deceased is holding a large old war hammer. It appears that Thor is the dead man. Hellboy picks up the hammer and that causes the power of Thor to be transferred to him. That could be a positive. But, a major negative is the fact that the hammer is now stuck to his hand. He literally cannot let go.

Not only does Hellboy need to figure out how to let go, he also needs to figure out who killed Thor, and why. Hellboy is now stuck trying to figure out who and why Thor is dead. Hellboy meets Norse Mythology in this action-packed volume.

The main characters are Hellboy and Abe as they do their buddy team up investigate weird stuff thing. The art is typical Hellboy ---you either like it or you don’t.

I highly enjoyed this volume. This is a unique tale since Norse Mythology and Hellboy do not crossover much. I am a big fan of both so I might be biased. I recommend this volume for fans of both.

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

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