Thor: The Deviants Saga #2 (of 5) Review http://www.o-r-c.co.uk/media/reviews/photos/original/da/b5/0e/_thor-deviants-saga-issue-2-cover-1331219470.jpeg

THE GOOD

I really liked the art. The writing, for a seemingly "forced" issue, is good, but at times confusing. The battle scenes are nice, but again, somewhat confusing. The art and the battle scenes save this from a lower rating.

THE BAD

I suspect that Issue #3 will be much better. This issue, while a #2, really could be considered a 1.1. The events of this issue are simply a small distraction for Thor on his way to Lemuria. The cover is a bit misleading, as Ereshkigal is only mentioned and not seen.

A portion of the battle between Thor and Tutinax seemed strange, "forced", and a bit confusing (when they break into containment cell). It only led into another seemingly "forced" part of the battle where everyone's elemental analog is illuminated (because a portion of the duct which supplies the amusement arcade was broken during the battle). This proved a great distraction, for everyone - including the reader.

Then, all of this is forgotten when everyone's attention is drawn to Thor getting his @$$ kicked. He may have likely been killed by Tutinax, but he was called off by Kro. I am not saying that Thor should have been killed by Tutinax, but I feel that it is out of character for a "bad guy" to just stop his final strike because someone says it is time to go.

The story ends with a badly injured Virako (no reason why, as there wasn't a specific panel with him being hit or anything of the like). He is so injured, he cannot go with Thor, Ransak and Karkas to Lemuria. I wonder, will this character be revisited? His appearance raised more questions than anything else.

For all of this, I am giving this issue a 3/5 stars.

THE VERDICT

I picked this issue up because I liked the first issue, and I wanted to be sure I had the entire story for my collection. While there are some great battle scenes, the entire issue seems superfluous. In fact, it raises more questions than it answers (not that it had to answer any) - questions that may never be answered. Questions like: What happened to the rest of the Eternals besides Virako; Why has Olympia been abandoned?; Who put a couple of ex-Deviants in charge of Olympia security?

I recommend this issue if you are collecting the mini-series. It also has some nice art. I am still hopeful for the rest of the series, so I will be picking up the rest regardless.