by Emil Favila, Reporter
Up for review is the latest graphic novel from legendary artist/writer Walter Simonson, Ragnarok: Last God Standing. You may be familiar with Simonson’s work on Thor, which was Marvel’s version. Ragnarok is his version of the Norse god from IDW. Walter Simonson’s time on Thor is considered one of the best comic runs in history. In fact it’s so great, that all his work today has been measured to how much he can top his own legacy. Simonson continues to put out work better than his last in Ragnarok.
Ragnarok would not come together without the beautiful coloring and lettering of Laura Martin and John Workman. Laura Martin is one of the most consistent colorists in the industry today. Martin has done work for Marvel, DC, Image, Valiant, and IDW. She’s literally the go to gal when it comes to vibrant colors in a story. John Workman is also a legend in the industry as a writer, artist, and letterer. He’s quite the one man shop. Workman has worked on titles such as Thor, Judas Coin, and Doom Patrol with Grant Morrison. He has collaborated with Simonson on many occasions. He’s Walter Simonson’s right hand man when it comes to putting out great titles and Ragnarok is no exception.
The only person that can out do Walter Simonson’s run on Thor is the man himself. There is pressure to not do the same book he did decades ago for Marvel. Because Simonson and team are working with IDW, there is more creative freedom to really make the Norse god their own this time around. In Ragnarok, Walt and his team manage to pull it off in a way that’s new and interesting.
In Ragnarok Last God Standing, Thor is darker, grittier and more dead. In fact he’s so dead he’s a zombie, which of course, thanks to The Walking Dead, the culture is very much alive. Ragnarok takes place centuries after the world has ended. This Thor is more deeply rooted in mythology than the Thor at Marvel. Thor is more a superhero book based on Jack Kirby and Stan Lee‘s vision for the character. This version of Thor is more anti-hero. Thor is violent and his hammer is deadlier looking. Ragnarok is a fresher take on the classic Norse god.
Ragnarok: Last God Standing collects the first six issues of the series in wonderful hardcover format. There’s also an introduction by Walter Simonson explaining the development of Ragnarok and how it came to be. The end of the book collects all the issue covers (including the variants) illustrated and colored by Simonson and Martin. The sketches by Simonson are also in the art gallery. There’s not a ton of special features but Ragnarok has all the features you would want. I’ve always enjoyed graphic novels because of the the covers that are shown at the end. This is wonderful to have if you were late to the series or don’t have the cash to splurge on all the variants.
If you haven’t gotten a chance to read Ragnarok: Last God Standing, I would highly recommend picking it up. For new readers, Ragnarok will influence you to go back and read his classic Thor run on Marvel. Old readers will appreciate Simonson’s continued development over the years. Make sure to pick up your copy of Ragnarok: Last God Standing off Amazon today.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Ragnarok: Last God Standing 5 of 5 hammer strikes!
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