Review: Original Sin- Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm

Quick Summary

Pros: There are fun moments of action peppered throughout the collection. Worldbuilding is handled well and gives additional depth to Asgardian society. The conclusion introduces plenty of potential for future stories.

Cons: The central narrative here is lackluster as a whole and has a few particularly dull moments. The conclusion feels rushed in places and robs some moments of their impact.

Overall: This is a volume with a mixed combination of positives and negatives. On the positive side, it contains interesting worldbuilding and introduces tons of new elements to Marvel’s Asgardians. On the negative side, the central narrative is disappointing, especially toward the conclusion. In the end, this volume feels like rising action for even larger stories and should appeal to fans looking for such an experience.

Story

Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm, by Jason Aaron and Al Ewing, succeeds in some regards but fails in others. The successes are primarily derived from the collection’s status as a moderately exciting transitionary period for a number of characters. It allows for brief moments of action or cunning while constantly working toward worldbuilding the Asgardian universe and preparing characters for future story arcs. However, this collection also has a number of stale moments and the overall narrative of the comic is lackluster. These factors together create a book geared toward providing worthwhile stories, while not actually containing one in and of itself.

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One of the most easily recognizable positives in this volume is the worldbuilding, particularly around the unique world of the Tenth Realm. Heaven’s strict dedication to commerce and utter disregard for concepts like honor and bravery set it as a sharp contrast to a majority of the characters in the Marvel Universe. This contrast turns simple transactions between the Queen and her subjects into points of interest for the story. In addition, the entire existence of the Tenth Realm gives more depth to Asgardian history and the diversity of the universe as a whole.

The other major positive here is the way in which it prepares characters for their future roles. Odin has been missing for years at this point, so his return is sure to have a large impact on Asgard and all of its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the reveal behind Angela’s true origin places her in a position wherein she could serve as either a main or supporting character in a number of stories. Plus, the vast threat posed by Heaven is now a factor in any story set in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe.

Unfortunately, the story in The Tenth Realm ends up being mixed as it progresses through this exposition and worldbuilding. Loki’s double-double-cross was so expected that it felt anticlimactic and Angela’s relationship with her homeworld is not nearly expanded upon enough. In addition, the entire inclusion of the evil Loki in this story feels unnecessary and takes away from better aspects of the collection. There are some entertaining moments here, like Thor’s escape from prison and Loki’s destruction of Heaven’s war fleet, but these are simply moments rather than an entire story arc.

The conclusion to this collection also ends up being a bit disappointing. The Queen’s dismissal and banishment of Angela happens so quickly that it robs the moment of any real weight. Odin’s arrival also seems rushed and robs his return of the grandeur one would expect it to have. Plus, the decision of both Asgard and Heaven to back down from a fight seems a bit antithetical to both of their respective societies. This conclusion works well in setting up the future for the Asgardians; it is a bit lackluster in terms of the actual story.

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Art

The artwork in Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm is mostly worthwhile but also contains some points of contention. Both Lee Garbett and Simone Bianchi do well in bringing creativity and detail to this entire collection. Lee Garbett presents a crisp and clean take on Asgard and Earth, allowing the heroes and their actions to stand out. Meanwhile, Simone Bianchi presents a stylized take on the Tenth Realm that ensures this new land remains a location filled with wonder. The contrast between both art styles also helps make the various locations seem more distinct and unique.

However, there are a number of pages, set within the Tenth Realm, where the structure takes away from the visual appeal. The two-page spread introducing readers to Heaven would look great were it not massively obscured by the positions of the main characters, taking away from the majesty of this introduction. There are also a few battles here where characters blend right into one another, making it hard to distinguish exactly what is happening. Though the art in this collection is mostly positive, these negatives are frequent enough to significantly reduce the visual appeal of this collection as a whole.

Continuity

Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm is a tie-in to the Original Sin (Review) event. The entirety of this comic takes place sometime in between issue #2 and issue #6 of Original Sin (Review). This comic also directly continues the stories from the conclusion of Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 4: The Last Days of Midgard (Review) and Loki: Agent of Asgard Vol. 1: Trust Me.

Thor’s story continues in Thor Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder. Loki’s story continues in Loki: Agent of Asgard Vol. 2: I Cannot Tell a Lie. Angela’s story continues in Angela: Asgard’s Assassin Vol. 1: Priceless.

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below.

• The secret Spider-Man sees is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man #4-5, collected in Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1: The Parker Luck.
• The secret Luke Cage sees is revealed in Mighty Avengers #10-12, collected in Mighty Avengers Volume 3: Original Sin.
• Loki’s deal with the All-Mothers began in Loki: Agent of Asgard Vol. 1: Trust Me. His recent work for the All-Mothers is also referenced and is also contained within this volume.
• Asgardia’s new location and its departure from Midgard is explained in Thor: God of Thunder #24, which is collected in Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 4: The Last Days of Midgard (Review).
• Angela’s adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy began back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Angela (Review).
• Odin put himself into exile at the conclusion of the Fear Itself event.