Whilce Portacio

Journey Into Mystery V1, was my first foray into “real” comics (and not novel adaptations). I loved it. So, I eagerly ordered Volumes 2-4, and also some Thor compilations. Though I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as V1, I was not disappointed by “Fear Itself Fallout”.

Volume 2 picks up right where V1 left off – Loki has all the tools he needs to help defeat the Serpent, and help Thor, before Odin scours the Earth to prevent the Serpent’s ascension. I was surprised to find that this volume follows the Norse mythology more closely than I anticipated, even unto a somewhat sad ending with the nine steps of Thor. What made it so engrossing was how Loki’s actions are intertwined to fit into the original myth. It is cleverly done and added an emotional depth I feel is missing in the original myths. This volume does not focus solely on kid-Loki, though. There is a section told from Mephisto’s perspective, about how the various Hell realms are reacting to the Serpent, and the book closes with one from Volstagg’s (which is truly the “Fallout”). Though V1 was also a compilation of individual issues, it felt like one cohesive continuing story. V2 feels like a collection of short stories - interconnected, but separate none-the-less. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but something I had to get used to.

One issue I did have with V2 that kept me from giving it 5 stars was the change in artists. Volume 1 was done by the same artist throughout, and I liked the style. Volume 2 has different artists (the writer is the same). Though the costumes remained the same, this change in artists contributed to the feeling of reading short stories. And, I didn’t like the artwork as much. This was mainly because Loki often looked like an adult head put on a younger body. Braithwaite’s Loki looked like a young teen; that is not the case in V2. Still, I enjoyed the book very much and am eager to begin Volume 3, and the Thor books. Highly recommended!… (more)