Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #3 // Review
A squirrel asks the god of thunder where his hammer is. It’s in Limbo with a valkyrie who has also served as coroner. She’s up against some very vicious demons in Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #3. Writer Torunn Grønbekk enters a particularly fanciful and poetic entry into the saga of Jane Foster with the aid of artist Michael Dowling and colorist Jesus Aburtov. From a fiery battle in Limbo to the chaos of war in Asgard to a peaceful pasture, Grønbekk delivers a truly beautiful fantasy.
Odin is trying to tell Jane Foster that she’s not fit to face the demon hordes of Limbo all by herself. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to. She’s got the hammer that Odin’s in, and she’s got a flaming sword...and she’s up against a single demon: S’ym. Meanwhile, a couple of valkyries rally to fight the dark elves in Asgard. They have the aid of Lady Sif and Beta Ray Bill, but even the biggest mystical firepower in all the realms won’t save everyone from the ravages of a very, very brutal act of war.
The conflict between S’ym and Jane Foster in Limbo is cool. Classic superhero stuff where a hero launches herself into danger in direct violation of the advice of a very powerful god. It’s fun stuff. Grønbekk does something a bit more novel with the battle in Asgard, though. Fantasy battles so rarely deliver the terror of war between the swashbuckling heroism of the good guys. Grønbekk manages a clever balance between derring-do and frontline brutality. Grønbekk is at her best, though, in a casual conversation between Jane and the librarian of Limbo in a more peaceful scene. Jane’s deep, philosophical discussion with the librarian about life in Midgard makes everyday human life seem fantastic in a way rarely achieved by fantasy. It’s quietly breathtaking.
Dowling captures the subtle AND dramatic differences between conflict on a battlefield in Asgard and person-to-demon combat in the library of Limbo. Aburtov’s bright yellows and reds on the open battlefield give off a sense of heat, while the mystical, shadowy purples of Limbo give off a sense of danger and mystery. The glow of magic is electrifying, whether it’s the twin energies wielded by Jane Foster or the overwhelming force of black holes above the field of battle in Asgard. The graphic tensions of war are contrasted against the serene peace of the fantastic airship journey of Jane Foster and the bird-headed librarian of Limbo.
Grønbekk carefully constructs the third part of her five-part series with an exhilarating mix of drama, horror, action, and mystery. The philosophical elements that she adds in to the conversation with the librarian elevate the chapter to something far more than the sum of its parts, lifted as it is to lofty inspiration guided to the page by the wisdom of Jane Foster.
