Thor, Friend To The Wolves: ‘Ragnarok: The Breaking Of Helheim #4’ Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Thor encounters Nidhoggr, the great serpent that devoured the roots of Yggdrasil, the World-Tree. Now that Yggdrasil has fallen, Nidhoggr now dwells in a vast cataract on the border of Helheim. However, Thor discovers that Nidhoggr’s spine has been shattered and the serpent cannot pursue him. As such, Thor, Lady, and Ratatosk continue their journey into Helheim. Before long, Thor and Ratatosk are forced to travel on foot without Lady. Soon, he and Ratatosk discover a wolf being killed by a serpent and Thor saves the wolf. However, it is too late for the wolf and its pack arrives. The leader of the pack wants to kill Thor and the God of Thunder discovers that these are no mere wolves–they are the warriors of Valhalla.
Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim #4 finds Thor finally entering the dread realm of Helheim. His trip through the Dusk Lands provided many challenges, but the God of Thunder is now finally in the land of the dead.
It’s another very classic-feeling issue, with Thor sharing some clever one-liners with Nidhoggr and Ratatosk before being humbled by his encounter with the Helheim wolves.
This is a Thor with a great bit of personality, which is to be expected from the great Walter Simonson. He is driven, has a clear goal, but still has a sense of humor. His interactions with Ratatosk in particular are especially charming.
The story continues to be interesting. This is post-Ragnarok, so all bets and rules are off. The cycle of Asgard has been broken, so Thor must now write his own destiny.
Simonson’s artwork continues to be brilliant and enveloping. This rendition of Thor is memorable, and the world of Helheim is as brutal and cruel as expected. Laura Martin, with assists from Lovern Kindzierski, ensures that the atmosphere of the book is oppressive and foreboding and yet still captivating.
Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim #4 is another strong and absorbing installment for this apocalyptic story of Thor and Asgard. We get to watch as Thor finally enters the realm of Helheim and discovers the horrors and sorrow within, and it looks fantastic thanks to Simonson, Martin, and Kindzierski. This one gets a recommendation. Check it out.
Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim #4 comes to us from writer, artist, and variant cover artist Walter Simonson, color artist Laura Martin with color assists from Lovern Kindzierski, letterer John Workman, and cover artist Walter Simonson with Laura Martin.
Final Score: 8/10
