Thor #11

I never thought a "Thor" book could be this good. Okay, the Loki and Balder plotlines are good, and very well written (JMS is a hell of a writer, folks. I'll say it again.) Then you have the great scenes with Dr. Don, Thor's alter-ego, who I don't think has EVER gotten any attention worth a damn that I've seen. I want to see more of Thor's alter-ego. How crazy is that? Then we have the great snippets of public talking heads using Cap to support their policies (very timely and unobtrusive; I like how this came right on the heels of the "Politics in Comics" episode and article.) But the clincher? Thor summoning the spirit of Captain America, and the ensuing conversation. Thor offering to deliver vengeance upon those who were responsible for Cap's death. The respect from a god to a mortal man, a man of honor who stood for a higher ideal than one would think humanly possible. This outdid any of those "In Memoriam" issues after Cap's death. Never before has the death of a major character been handed with such grace and gravitas and with such a feeling of FINALITY (even though Joe Q said he'd be surprised if Steve didn't come back some day), and this issue of Thor was just the icing on the cake. Great, great stuff. I really can't wait to see a reconstituted Avengers with Thor, Iron Man and the new Cap standing side by side. I hope that's where they're going, and I wouldn't mind JMS writing it. Great issue. POTW.