CafuRecensioni

Jane Foster is back and better than ever! Jane Foster was once a doctor battling cancer as well as Thor now she's a morgue assistant and the last Valkyrie! With Jason Aaron and Al Ewing co-writing the book is an absolute blast, reminiscent of those good old early days of Jane Foster Thor. Cafu’s artwork is fantastic, too - it's beautiful, fun, sometimes elegant. This volume is tons of fun with humor and heart. It's one of my favorite comics out there at the moment.

1144

In the wake of a massive war between the gods, Thor is now the All-Father, the Valkyries are all dead, and Jane Foster has an unbreakable bond with the All-Weapon. Now Jane is torn between her normal life as a doctor and her role as the only Valkyrie ferrying the souls of heroes to the afterlife. Now if only she can figure out how to keep a flying horse in her apartment...

A couple years ago I ran across this comic in a list of titles to peruse in advance of the upcoming Thor film with Jane Foster as Thor. I'm delighted I finally picked this up. Jane's a fascinating hero, the playing with Norse mythology and the broader Marvel canon is delightful, and the artwork is gorgeous. Recommended.

Vixen is one of the lesser known superheroes of the DC universe, and it always surprises me that she isn't more popular because she is so kick-ass. I was really excited to see that G. Willow Wilson had written a mini-series featuring Mari and picked it up a while back when it was on sale.

This was great! The plot was a bit on the cliched side but it was really nice to see Vixen/Mari as the main character and letting her shine. I really enjoyed how the flashbacks of her old life were incorporated into the plot. I'm not sure if those who are unfamiliar with the character would be able to follow all the backstory, though, since much of it was covered in throwaway comments.

The art was absolutely gorgeous. Just amazing.

I really hope that DC does more with this character in the future. She has so much potential and they let her languish as a C-string superhero.

I sort of like this new start for Jane Foster, mostly because I've developed an affection for the character during her run as Thor, but the writing here is borderline two-stars for me. It is mostly directed at fanboys, with deep continuity references that will probably drive away casual readers drawn to a female lead character. The humor is corny. Mr. Horse is simultaneously ridiculous and growing on me.

I'll probably check out the next volume.

I absolutely loved Jason Aaron's run with Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor. The story was brilliant, with a solid basis for her taking on the mantle, and a natural conclusion for her giving it up. It never felt contrived. So, I was excited to see Aaron and Marvel give Jane a new way to continue as a superhero - as Valkyrie. Minor SPOILER for the War of the Realms: in the final battle, Malekith's forces slaughter all the Valkyries, leaving none available to ferry the dead. Jane decided to take up the hammer of the War Thor to help aid Odinson to defeat Malektih. It works, but the hammer transforms into the All-Weapon, transforming Jane into the last Valkyrie.

Since this is essentially an origin story, much of the book is taken up with Jane learning about her new powers and coming to terms with a double life: as Dr. Jane Foster working at a hospital and her new calling as a Valkyrie. There is just enough action to spice up the formulaic plot, and the artwork is simply stunning (what you see on the cover is what you get inside). Just as she did as Thor, Jane must wrestle with being a literal Goddess and maintaining her ties to humanity. This is a great new character that I enjoy enough to buy the single issues, and hope she gets a long series run. Highly recommended.

Rapture by Matt Kindt is comic book publisher Valiant’s latest event featuring a mix of fantasy, horror, and adventure as a group of heroes travels to a dimension known as the ‘Deadside.’ There are several high points and placing the story in another dimension allows Kindt and Cafu, the artist, to bring their imaginations out to play. Guided by the Geomancer, a young girl drawing power from the Earth, Ninjak the super spy, and Shadowman, a tortured soul tethered to a demon, along with others attempt to prevent Babel, the big bad, from entering heaven and bringing ruin to the world. At first glance, the group of heroes resembles a Dungeons and Dragons adventuring party - a druid, a barbarian, a rogue assassin, a wizard, and so on, and other than Shadowman, none undergoes a character arc. One character reasons the story itself is to rehabilitate Shadowman, thereby allowing him to enter the mainstream Valiant universe again. Which is fine, and Rapture is a great crossover event. If anything, I wanted more. Much of the exposition is told through flashback, which worked to a certain extent, even as the book itself is rapidly paced. While the pacing is quick and no panel is wasted, a deeper back story for the antagonist or additional ways to illustrate the high stakes would give a deeper sense of urgency. Overall, fans of fantasy or supernatural horror laced with humor and action, and fans of Valiant’s characters will enjoy Rapture. I look forward to watching Matt Kindt further explore the deadside with these great characters.

Review provided in exchange for copy provided by NetGalley.½