Beta Ray Bill #1

Beta Ray Bill #1

Marvel Comics 2021

Written & Illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson

Coloured by Mike Spicer

Lettered by Daniel Warren Johnson & VC’s Joe Sabino

FROM THE PAGES OF DONNY CATES’ THOR AND SPINNING OUT OF THE EVENTS OF KING IN BLACK!

The second-most famous wielder of Mjolnir. The right-hand man to the god of Thunder. And now, a warrior without his best weapon. Beta Ray Bill is tired of playing second fiddle to Thor – and with Bill’s famous hammer, Stormbreaker, recently destroyed at the new All-Father’s hands, tensions are higher than ever. The Korbinite must strike out in search of a new weapon…and a new destiny. Assuming he can first defeat a Knullified Fin Fang Foom!

I was so looking forward to this when I saw that it was announced and boy does this not disappoint! I think what Daniel does here is utterly brilliant as he finds a great way to send Beta Ray Bill on a personal quest. This is the kind of book that I WANT to see more of from Marvel, the only problem is that we rarely get the good cerebral books, see the short lived Hyperion book, to still around. It feels like if it isn’t X or Avengers related they don’t get the kind of press that would keep them around.

I am loving the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. Everything had to go this way in order for Bill and for the reader to come to conclusion he did. It set the stage perfectly for what comes next and i’m really impressed to see that. The character development that we see is phenomenal and the up close and personal look at Bill and how the actions and reactions of others point us in that direction is mindbogglingly good. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing one thing after another we’re drawn into this rooting for Beta Ray Bill!

How we see this being structured so that the layers in the story are just as vital as the main arc itself is blended perfectly. I’m loving every moment of the hypocrisy and jealousy that we see. With how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow we are treated to more than you expect.

Daniel has a very specific style all his own and frankly I was worried it might not fit all too well. Once again however, I am happy to have been proven wrong. His style adds a certain flair to what we see that really is super enjoyable. The linework with its varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail in the work is extremely well rendered. I do wish we’d get more backgrounds but with how the composition within the panels are done it almost seems to negate the need, notice I said almost. That two page spread of Foom though is phenomenal. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a stellar eye for storytelling. The colour work is beautifully rendered as well. I do wonder why we see green in Foom though if he’s Knullified but that’s neither here nor there. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exceptionally well rendered.

​

In some ways this is a much more in touch with himself Beta Ray Bill and I am all for it. After all the Asgardians, though gods they may be, still aren’t couth or too self aware and it cannot be easy for him to be their hand-me-down Thor. I’m looking forward to seeing where this new adventure takes him before or IF he reaches his wanted destination. This is some fine storytelling on all accounts.