Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Angela Asgard's Assassin #1Angela: Asgard's Assassin #1
Marvel Comics
Gillen, Bennett, Jimenez & Hans

The first issue of Angela has a lot of setup and provides a decent base for the lead character. The book has a tall task because it needs to insert a new character into well trodden Thor-verse lore. The comic is entertaining and makes for a good first issue but is not without its missteps. I recommend giving this comic a look.

Angela is a Neil Gaiman creation that first appeared in Image's Spawn comic book. Gaiman brought his creation over to Marvel to find a home as Thor's sister. The opening pages seem to want to channel Neil Gaiman with the narrative but come across as disjointed and confusing as a means to introduce the character. Thankfully, this only lasts for a few pages and comic takes on a different direction.

The comic uses a second character to explain to another character who and what Angela does. She's a vengeful angel that uses her death stroke occasionally as needed. It seems like she settles scores where she is the judge, jury and executioner. This serves a good way to explain to the reader her motivation and a little of her background. This also helps to keep the character at a distance from the reader and keeps her a little mysterious.

As the comic progresses we get more into the general plot of the initial arc of the book. Angela has a baby with her that proves to be another score that she's in the middle of settling. The cliffhanger seems to be begging the reader to come back for the next issue.

The book has a mix of exposition and action, which helps to provide a well-rounded issue. The action feels a little forced but it seems necessary to put on display her abilities in the first issue. The background on the character is helpful but the delivery of it sort of comes across as her companion is her fan rather than her friend. We'll have to see how this all evolves but it seems like this issue could have been tighter to achieve the introduction goals.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe artwork is good. The depictions of the lead character are beautiful and appear to jump off the page. She doesn't eat the scenery but she is definitely the character that demands your eye's attention on each page she appears. The comic struggles with the distance shots. The details are definitely sacrificed and whether that is intentional or not it makes for an uneven presentation artistically.

Angela has already appeared in several comics this year. This issue serves as a re-introduction. This is helpful because the character has a complicated place in the Marvel Universe. This first issue is different from a Thor comic book and proves to be a good companion in the Thor universe. I enjoyed the issue but felt it could have been reined in a little bit. The issue definitely has a great cliffhanger. I recommend checking this out.

3 out of 5 Geek Goggles