Beta Ray Bill #1
- WRITER
- Daniel Warren Johnson
- Artist
- Daniel Warren Johnson
- Letterer
- Daniel Warren Johnson, VC's Joe Sabino
- Cover Artist
- Laura Martin, Ryan Stegman, Daniel Warren Johnson, Rachelle Rosenberg, Walter Simonson, Todd Nauck, Chase Conley, Frank Martin, Mike Spicer, Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2021-03-31
- Colorist
- Mike Spicer
Of all the fan-favorite characters among Thor's supporting cast, none perhaps have a larger outpouring of fan admiration than Beta Ray Bill. Created by Walter Simonson in 1983's The Mighty Thor #337, the Korbinite warrior Beta Ray Bill discovers he is worthy to wield the power of Mjolnir and has since become an enduring part of the Thor mythos. Acclaimed comic book creator Daniel Warren Johnson helms a new miniseries starring Bill that starts out big and bombastic before examining the vulnerable heart of the character in an impressive debut issue that mixes Asgardian fantasy action with a decidedly cosmic backdrop where the sky is the limit on the story's scope.
Spinning out of the events of King in Black, the insidious reach of Knull and his army of symbiotes spreads to Asgard as the mythical realm finds itself under attack from a symbiote-infused Fin Fang Foom. With Thor away, it's up to Beta Ray Bill to command Asgard's armies to lead a spirited defense. Bu, in the wake of Bill's own recent confrontation with Thor and the events of Donny Cates and Nic Klein's run on the main ongoing series, Bill finds himself at a personal crossroads that will set the cosmic warrior on an ambitious journey of self-discovery as he moves out from under the God of Thunder's shadow to forge his own path.
Johnson -- who writes, draws and shares lettering with VC's Joe Sabino in this five-issue miniseries -- has more than proved himself as skilled in delivering epic, high-octane action, and he comes out the gate swinging as Bill leads the armies of Asgard right into the events of King in Black. After the thrilling battle sequence subsides, Johnson is able to really delve into who Bill is and how he sees himself in the wider world of Asgard, especially compared to characters like Thor and Lady Sif, before the true story really begins. There is more than a little bit of Simonson's influence on Johnson's approach -- and this oversized issue also contains a printed conversation between Johnson and Simonson. Still, Johnson is also not beholden to any previous creator's voice, respecting what came before while taking advantage of the full canvas laid before him.
And working with longtime collaborator and color artist Mike Spicer, Johnson knows when to pull back and unleash sweeping, mythical action and when to go in tight and really hone in on Bill's hopes, fears and insecurities in the issue's quieter moments. Johnson finds a lot of pathos in what can come off as a lesser, one-note character in a less invested comic book creator's hands, and this level of added investment is especially apparent in Johnson and Spicer's artwork, which really ups the emotional ante of the story that Johnson is crafting.
One paper, Beta Ray Bill is a bit of a strange character, but Daniel Warren Johnson approaches this tale as a love letter to the cosmic superhero while subtly deconstructing some elements of his mythos. Johnson is swinging for the fences on every page here, not just with the epic battles but also in the more intimate, emotional moments, and he really makes the readers care for his cosmic protagonist while weaving in current events from across the Marvel Universe. And with the scope for this story shaping up to be quite expansive, Johnson's canvas is only getting bigger moving forward.