Review: Ultimate Thor #1

Three periods of Thor's life are explored here: when he was a teenager battling Frost giants, when he was protecting Asgard from Nazis as an adult and when he was imprisoned by Captain Britain as an exile. 
 

The Good

It might sound odd to say that a book like this gives me a sense of nostalgia, but it honestly does. Hickman's terse writing, Pacheco's cinematic art and the sensible modernization/streamlining of long-establish elements of the Marvel universe bring me back to what was so exciting about the Ultimate line in the first place. Whether it's the real-world research backing Thor's floortop recreation of the Eddas or a depiction of Baron Zemo that's much more plausible (and thus, far creepier) than how he's traditionally been depicted... this is one of those rare comics that delivers on the high-concept concept and eye candy while still having such verisimilitude that it feels realer than few comics I've read.
 

The Bad

Not much, except that the frost giants looked a little silly wearing the SS uniforms at the end.  I can't imagine there being tailors crafty enough to sew outfits that are that enormous.

The Verdict - 5/5

I'm going to put this over the cliff for the rating because it represents a return to what I enjoyed so much about the Ultimate line. I feel like the line's lost its way a little, but this comic feels like an old blade that's been sharpened in a way you didn't think was possible. I really hope this is a sign of more to come in the Ultimate universe.