It’s Thor vs Beta Ray Bill. The showdown between friends and allies, and it won’t end in celebration.
So far in Donny Cates run, Thor has had to challenge his morals at every turn. It started with him agreeing to help Galactus, then he became a herald, followed by allowing Galactus to consume a planet (but not without trying to save it), and finally he is face-to-face with his old ally.
As mentioned in the review for the previous issue, his duty to do what is necessary is conflicting with his duty to do what is right.
Firstly, this issue is much more focused than the first two. The entire comic centers around the fight between Thor and Bill. There’s no subplot or second story going on in Asgard, and Glactus plays a smaller role.
This issue sees Thor acting more villainous than in in other stories, with the new power he’s acquired quite possible going to his head. His unquestioning devotion to his duties as king are leading him to darker moral dilemmas.
Again, Nic Klein’s artwork is on point. He uses the pencils and shading to display the conflict and anger on Thor and Bill’s faces to an almost lifelike extent.
Some readers might find this issue to be a slower dragging segment of a run that was shaping up to be quick and steady, and some might find it a refreshing change of pace to see a smaller scale story happen in this run. Either way, it’ll leave the audience hanging.
“Thor #4” is on stands March 11, 2020.