Thor was not a favorite childhood comic book. Sure the guy looked good with the winged helmet and massive hammer, but somehow there was alienating factor to him. Could you really understand Thor and his pals without studying Norse mythology? Reading an academic book would take away time from my other comics. How can a kid relate to this guy since he was the God of Thunder? He wasn’t a plucky kid bit by a radioactive spider or a scientist exposed to radiation. There was no chance for a kid to think he’s an industrial accident short of being the next Thor. The summer blockbuster of Thor with Natalie Portman was a mess. Pretty much the character has been something for other people. Marvel Knight’s Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers proves there is something worthwhile in Asgard.
Loki, the god of mischief, has finally taken over the kingdom. He has imprisoned all those that have been thorns in his side. Thor is chained up in the deepest of dungeons. Why would Loki do such a thing to his brother? Turns out they’re not that related. Odin had killed his parents and brought the orphan back to the castle to be Thor’s little brother. So there’s a reason why Loki might really have an issue discovering he was “adopted.” He quickly learns the bad part about wearing the crown is all the annoying little work. But he’s not going to give it up. He does have to give up his adopted family. He orders construction of a gallows for the execution of Thor. Can he really kill the guy?
Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers animates the four issue mini-series written by Robert Rodi and illustrated by Esad Ribic originally called Loki. Smartly they moved Thor’s name into the title so that people might pick this DVD instead of the crummy Natalie Portman version. The movie is presented in four chapters that cover each of the graphic novels. Ribic’s watercolor images flow beautiful across the screen. This is a step up from the previous Marvel Knights Animation DVDs.
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The quality of the image brings out the beauty of Ribic’s paintings. This isn’t just the usual ink and paint animation. The audio is Dolby Digital stereo. The effects on the actors’ voices makes things sound realistic. You almost think parts of it are recorded on location.
Turning to the special features, the disc includes a behind-the-scenes feature, a retrospective about the comic and a trailer.
Sons of Asgard – Looking Back at Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers (14:32) lets Roid and Ribic explain how Loki came about. They went for a Shakespearean vibe to the project.
Behind the Scenes (21:12) explores how they animators have made another step up in bringing motion to the original comic panels. They give a tour of the studio that created Thor & Loki.
Trailer (1:35) pushes the concept of Loki in control of Asgard.
Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers gets beneath Loki’s anger at Thor. This is a much better film than the recent theatrical version of Thor. Loki is a much more powerful and complex character in this animated format. This is the best thing made involving Thor.
Shout! Factory presents Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers. Written by: Robert Rodi. Illustrated by: Esad Ribic. Starring: David Blair, Daniel Thorn and Katharine Chesterton. Running Time: 72 minutes. Released on DVD: September 13, 2011. Available at Amazon.com.
