The Mortal Thor #12 – We All Have Layers

Sigurd Jarlson, better known as Thor, has had enough. Stripped of his power and his divine armor, he enters the world devoid of fame and the memory of his true godhood. What happens when a mortal man building a life of love and friendship sees the fate of Asgard and Earth rest on his shoulders? How does a man unaware of his true heritage return the magic of the gods to a world that has forgotten they exist? As Sigurd has moved towards his true heritage, what happens when a past instance of his exile to earth, Dr. Donald Blake, returns? Will his soul be reclaimed by Blake?

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Creative Team

Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Jesús Saíz
Color Artist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: Alex Ross

Writing

What an exciting issue. Al Ewing continues to craft a modern-day epic when it comes to his various Thor series. The Mortal Thor #12 revealed a lot that we already thought we knew and gave us new leads to pursue in our minds. This issue had it all. There’s some action, some lore, and even a regular Odin appearance. I love what Ewing continues to do with Jarlson as a character.

It’s clear at this point that Jarlson has some sort of almost god-level powers of denial. Ewing makes it clear that he’s smart and he appears to be beginning to put the pieces together but it’s almost as if he refuses to acknowledge what is right in front of his face. I really enjoyed the callback use of Donald Blake in a way that not only appreciates the established lore, but actually builds on it a bit. The cliffhangers of this issue leave me wanting to see where Ewing goes from here.

Art

Jesús Saíz, Matt Milla, and Joe Sabino really did a great job on this issue. Saiz crafted a version of Blake that is not only true to the original but completely and utterly terrifying. Blake in The Mortal Thor #12 is truly well-crafted nightmare fuel from Saiz. The lines on this issue are sharp with readers able to feel the emotion coming from the characters.

Matt Milla does a superb job with colors, perfectly capturing the shadows and light. The almost purple tint to Sigurd does an amazing job of portraying the character as being in a position of darkness within the scene. As the panels progress, Milla has Siguard being coated by more and more light both filling the narrative as well as subtly indicating that Jarlson is beginning to learn more and more about his true heritage. Joe Sabino does an outstanding job helping with such an important issue, while ensuring you get the important information from the story and follow it easily. He gets a poster-worthy SFX moment thanks to Odin that really lets him shine.

Final Thoughts

The Mortal Thor #12 was deep, thought-provoking, and revelational. Sigurd is learning more and more about who he is, even if he doesn’t want to. With the fate of Asgard maybe resting in his hands, I can’t wait to see where Ewing takes the story from here.

Overall Grade: 10/10

What did you think of this issue of Mortal Thor? Let me know in the comments