Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Ibraim Roberson
Color Artist: Matthew Wilson
Cover Artist: Alex Ross
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
Thor finally confronted his birth mother, the Earth goddess Gaea, on why she unleashed the elder gods of the Utgard Realm upon the planet. And after hearing her answer, he goes to begin on his solution by starting with having a “chat” with his enemy Dario Agger, aka The Minotaur, CEO of the corrupt Roxxon Corporation. However, Dario has Asgardian friends of his own who are ready for Thor. Read Immortal Thor #9 to see just what kind of trap the villains have set for the God of Thunder.
Review:
Okay, I was very critical of the previous issue and the contents of it for very practical reasons, in my opinion. However, I put that aside to see just what Al Ewing had in store for us, especially with the last issue’s cliffhanger. And since the series has been building up this alliance between Dario, The Enchantress, and Skurge The Executioner, it feels like we were in for a surprise. Fair warning, there will be SPOILERS in this review.
Once Thor entered the Roxxon HQ, he went directly inside and makes his presence known to the disfigured Minotaur. Thor lays it out pretty clear that he and his literal mother Earth are not pleased with his pollution of the planet. The thing is, Dario couldn’t care less. Even the threat of the end of the world doesn’t shake him as he’s still got big plans for the planet and its people afterward. But he’s not the only with plans theres as Skurge and The Enchantress make their presence known to the new All-Father soon enough. And on top of that, the Minotaur reveals the true extent of their alliance’s manipulations of Thor and it’s…interesting to say the least.
Okay, I’ll go through the positives then tackle the negatives of this issue. Firstly, I gotta give it to Ibraim Roberson with the art, it really carries this book, and while it’s not Martin Coccolo’s, it’s more than good enough. Whether it’s depicting the characters, their body language, facial expressions, the environments, and especially the action, Roberson’s art just kills it here. And of course the colors from Matthew Wilson also help bring it even more to life. On top of that, I will say that Al Ewing continues to do a solid job in maintaining distinct characterization for each of the, well, characters here. They each stand apart and you can tell who’s speaking just by reading the text. Also, the big trick behind the villains getting the edge on Thor is admittedly interesting. Now, on to the negatives.
Let me get it out of the way, Dario Agger the Minotaur sucks. At least to me. I didn’t like him when he was first created by Jason Aaron in his first Thor: God of Thunder series or in the War of the Ten Realms event. I didn’t like him when Al Ewing brought him into the Immortal Hulk series. And I still don’t like him here. Why? On top of the fact that he’s got little going for him as a character other than he can turn into a basic minotaur, he’s just a terrible villain straight out of the Captain Planet cartoon. From his design to his dialogue, the over-the-top glee he has when discussing his grand “plan”. The less I talk about his vision of the future, the happier I’ll be. It all just screams “try hard” to me, as if Al Ewing is trying way too hard to sell readers on how bad Dario is, for the planet and humanity. But his vision is so nonsensical and unviable, even for Marvel Comics, that it’s a joke and I don’t take it seriously for a second.
At least back when he was first created, Jason Aaron made Dario a greedy, cold-blooded and ruthlessly calculating CEO that I could take seriously to a point. But here, I can’t do that at all. I think Al Ewing is having way too much fun writing this character that Dario’s become too unhinged and a parody of himself. What’s more, none of that makes him a compelling villain or a real threat to Thor, especially since the God of Thunder always outclassed him in sheer strength when he’s a minotaur. The only things that save this comic as far a villains go are Enchantress and Skurge, they’re the real heavy-hitters here. They bring the real villain energy, and their motives for wanting to fight Thor are far more compelling than Dario’s. If my hunch is right, I feel that Al Ewing will repeat himself and have Enchantress betray Dario in the end, but I that won’t be any time soon. For me, this whole Roxxon storyline is a bit of a jumping-off point, and I will come back once the series returns to the Utgard storyline again.
Final Thoughts:
Immortal Thor #9 has the God of Thunder confront Dario Agger, aka The Minotaur, CEO of the Roxxon Corporation, only for him to fall into the villain’s trap. The thing is, Dario is far from a serious threat, and he comes off like an over-the-top villain straight from the Captain Planet cartoon. He’s too cartoonish to take seriously as a villain especially as a threat to Thor. Thankfully, the real villains save this comic as Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner show up to once more give Thor a hard time. Ibraim Roberson’s art also keeps this comic alive as the action with Thor and the two villains is done very well.