The action in this issue is unparalleled and furious, even if the plot was rather sparse. Sepulveda has a wonderful understanding of these characters and his gritty style is perfectly suited to the large canvas Abnett and Lanning like to work on. I loved the contrast of Nova and his strikeforce leading an incursion into the Cancerverse while Lord Mar-Vell and his Revengers stalked our universe in pursuit of the Avatar of Death. With every issue, this cat and mouse game is becoming more intense and bloodthirsty, the stakes are being continuously raised as each side fights relentlessly to gain the winning advantage, and after this issue I'm at a loss to see where the creative team could possibly go from here with the story.Perhaps even more interesting than this is the subplot involving the conflict between Thanos and Drax, and this month's revelation that Drax is an Avatar of Life who, in the Cancerverse, is utterly compelled to destroy Thanos more than usual. Here again, DnA toy with u

As this book slowly draws closer to the rest of the Marvel Universe and the cornerstones of Thor's cast of characters, it's becoming quite clear that Thor: The Mighty Avenger is quality entertainment and a rare gem of a comic that is not to be missed. You want to know why I read comics? It's for stories like this that delight and entertain me in equal measure.

If I've come off as being overly bitter and harsh on the book, it's only because Parker and Walker have proven themselves to be more than capable of delivering great entertainment, which makes a filler issue like this that much more painful to endure. I didn't care for the art, thought the plot was nonexistent, and resent having one of my favorite teams get their asses handed to them in one a mediocre storyline like Shadowland. Not only do you not need this issue, but I'll go on record now and say you probably shouldn't bother with next month's issue, either.