Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Robert Gill
Colorists: Andy Troy
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Release Date: January 7th, 2020
Price: $3.99

Looks like it’s another Gamerverse issue! Sure this is a prequel to the video game but who cares as long as we are getting these issues! This Gamerverse is getting pretty big. First with that City at War story, then the Spider-Man Velocity, now each of the Avengers will have a one-shot, and starting next week Black Cat will have a mini-series in that universe as well. Slowly and surely we are getting another Marvel world-building. Now usually I steer away from reading any Thor books due to his way of talk, hopefully, I don’t regret picking this issue up! Let’s dig in and see what we have here…

Now when we start off an issue with Thor helping out Tony and Bruce with some new device that allows you to teleport anywhere in the world, you know something big might be happening. I had a bit of an Age of Ultron (the movie) vibe when I saw Tony and Bruce working together on something. While Thor was helping them out the artwork was beautifully done! With how everyone looks, to the lightening that is going through Thor, and even when Thor swings his hammer in a circle. Unfortuenly, their experiment didn’t go as planned.

Thor requests for Heimdall to open up a portal, to show “hey don’t worry gents, I can be your transporter”. But things go a bit wrong when the portal doesn’t close when Thor requests for it to close. Knowing this is out of Tony’s wheelhouse, he jets off. So far that is the only forced like a panel in this issue.

And we learn the culprit behind the chaos is none other than Loki. Which does make sense that he shows up if this is a Thor one-shot. With Loki’s wanting some fun, we see what he does best, manipulating others to get what he wants. Like having Bruce and Thor argue each other. Though I will say it is quite too much with how much narration we have for Loki. Too much narration seems a bit lazy for me, and that is in any book. Some I could read and be like, “yep this one was unnecessary”.

As soon as anyone sees Bruce and Thor arguing, they can always assume someone else is going to join the discussion, Hulk. And there you have it, Hulk vs. Thor. And the page with Hulk clashing with Thor and his hammer, gorgeous! Would rate that page alone, 9.3. Would have gone higher but there was a small narration box that could have worked one the previous page. I am a man who loves action scenes in a comic, so was excited when I was reading about their fight. Felt like they did do a nod to the Avengers movie. Mainly due to the fact the power between both Thor and Hulk knocked some trees down. Reminds me of what happened with Thor and Captain America.

Now the fight does go for six pages and the narration again is a bit excessive, but finally, Thor sees who is really behind all of this chaos mainly due to Thor calling for rain and he could see Loki’s outline. Was forced but wasn’t that bad of forced event. Thor uses his hammer to knock Loki out and that was the end of it, which felt like a missed opportunity to have another nod to the Avengers movie by having Hulk smash Loki back and forth.

Our last page we have Thor trying to convince Bruce and Tony to have a drink to celebrate. Even though Tony doesn’t want to drink again and the temptation might be too strong. We get Banner saying over and over again how much damage he has caused, could this be a slight foreshadowing…?

Final Thoughts:

Well, feel like if you are going to have a basic Thor one-shot two of the main things that should happen are Loki showing up and Hulk vs. Thor. The dialogue was good, the narration, on the other hand was a bit too much! The art was amazing, though and I would highly recommend this issue. It’s a very fun basic Thor issue.

8/10