The mighty Asgardians are forced to come to grips with the fact that their mystical home has fallen from the heavens to Earth and that this once mighty warrior race is being pushed to its knees by mere mortals. Sure the odds are stacked against them with Loki juicing up all of the Hood’s gang using the Asgardian Norn Stones, and Dr. Doom has played his hand well, but the fact remains. Mortals are pushing the forces of Asgard to the brink of destruction.
Loki is the central figure in this issue, as many of the key Asgardians hunt him down after realizing his role in the fall of Asgard. After taking beatings from several of the Norse gods, Loki is finally banished. But anyone that knows Loki, knows that events in which he is involved seldom happen without Loki having shaped them that way. So I am sure we will see more of Asgard’s mischief maker soon.
Billy Tan’s art was the saving grace of this book. Despite sharing the artistic duties with Rich Elson, it was Tan’s work which shone through. And it was a good thing too, considering that the whole story could have been told in 4 pages, but instead was stretched out to cover an entire book. This story did not further SIEGE, at all. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining, but ultimately, the base storyline remains the same.
One thing is for sure, Balder is a moron. His name should be Balder the Buffoon. I mean, how many bad decisions can one guy make? Seeing Balder at the helm of Asgard, and Thor before him, makes me realize that there was only ever one true ruler of the mythical city at the end of the Rainbow Bridge. And that was Odin! His savage strength and unwavering dedication to tradition is what Asgard needs right now. Sure he is a tyrant. But he never would have let Asgard fall at the hands of Norman Osborn. Oh, that, and he would have bitch slapped Sentry half way round the world!