Customer Reviews

Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter

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You may not know a lot about Beta Ray Bill--upon first glance, you may ask yourself, "Why is that weird horse thing dressed up like Thor?" And such a question is completely acceptable, especially for the casual comic-book reader. And although the character is unfortunately steeped in mainstream obscurity, he has been a fan favorite for over 25 years and recently has finally been getting some much-needed attention.

Created by legendary writer and artist Walt Simonson in the pages of Thor, Beta Ray Bill is one of the few creatures in the universe deemed worthy enough to wield the hammer of Thor. Seeing the nobility in the alien, Thor's father, Odin, bestowed upon Bill the weapon known as the Stormbreaker, equal in power to Thor's mighty Mjolnir. Bill, along with his sentient spaceship known as Skuttlebutt, uses his newfound power to protect his people, the Korbinites. But what happens to the protector when he no longer has a people to protect?

In the pages of Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter, which collects both the prologue one-shot Beta Ray Bill: The Green of Eden by Kieron Gillen and Dan Brereton and the Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter miniseries by Gillen and Kano, we find out the answer to that disturbing question. Bill, seeking vengeance against the space god Galactus, is determined to destroy the planet-eating entity that has wiped out Bill's people--everyone he has ever known and cared about. Bill must switch from protector to avenger, and, as the last of his race, he will not rest until he destroys Galactus for what he did to his people.

In this collection, writer Gillen successfully displays his knack for storytelling. His characters all have a unique voice--from the vengeful Bill to the zealous Stardust to the ever-hungry Galactus--whomever Gillen writes, whether they have pages of dialogue or a single line, comes off as real. Gillen grounds his characters by giving them clear motives, emotions, and, most importantly, flaws. Although this is a story about gods and aliens, Gillen makes them all seem so human.

But while the characters are well written, Gillen is not without his flaws. First and foremost, he does not write Godhunter for the uninitiated; one who doesn't have a grasp on Marvel events--both past and present--most likely will not find this an enjoyable read. Much of Beta Ray Bill's back story--who he is, where he comes from, how he got his power--is hinted upon but never fully explained. The same goes for such characters as Silver Surfer and his master, Galactus. And this is great for longtime fans; they are already familiar with Bill and company and don't need a history lesson. That said, if you're a fan of the cosmic side of Marvel or are familiar with Bill's exploits from his time in Thor, then this is certainly the story for you. But if your knowledge of Marvel is limited to what you've seen in the movies, then my suggestion is to go with something that is a little more new-reader friendly.

As far as the art goes, Brereton, artist of The Green of Eden, is competent but unsuited for the story. He definitely has talent--the splash page of Bill fighting a monster atop a spaceship proves that--but his overall style is too scratchy and muddled. It's a style that's better suited for a more urban-toned book such as Daredevil or Punisher, but it unfortunately feels out of place for a space adventure. However, Kano, who pencils the main Godhunter miniseries, really knocks it out of the park. His art is crisp and fluid, and it is a perfect complement to Gillen as--much like the writer--his art helps the reader empathize with the characters on the page. When Stardust proclaims to the I'thans that their world is doomed, one look at the creature (who almost looks as if he's a skeleton on fire) is enough to send chills down the reader's spine. When Bill loses his way at the climax of the story and is no longer worthy enough to wield the Stormbreaker, no words are needed as Kano's pencils are enough to express Bill's grief. He is truly a gem, and it's a crime that he hasn't gotten more high-profile work.

-- Stephen Giordano

Walt Simonson's run on "Thor from 1983 to 1987 was famous for many things, but few were more well-known than the introduction of Beta Ray Bill in his first arc on the title. A horse-like alien of the Korbinite race, Bill proved worthy to wield Thor's hammer, something that astonished both Thor and Odin, and later defeated Thor in single combat, before becoming a recurring figure in the Thor mythos. This collection of stories (a one-shot and a three-part miniseries that might as well be four parts) is Bill's latest spotlight, and Marvel newcomer Kieron Gillen does a great job of handling him. Some spoilers follow.

Functionally, this series is a sequel to the consequences of two different Beta Ray Bill-related stories in the last decade: Michael Avon Oeming's 2005 "Stormbreaker" miniseries, which saw the Korbinite homeworld consumed by Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds; and Matt Fraction's 2008 "Secret Invasion: Thor" miniseries, which returned Bill to our world after some time in another dimension, and sent him off into space to track down the Skrulls who had tortured him and wrecked his hammer. The opening story brings him face-to-face with the warring remnants of the Skrull Godkillers who attacked Asgard in Fraction's miniseries. This is followed by the miniseries that gives the collection its name, as Beta Ray Bill decides to seek justice of the being that slew his people by killing Galactus and ending the threat he poses to the universe. To do this, he adopts a novel approach: blow up any planet on which Galactus is about to feed, thus denying him sustenance.

Gillen, who made his name initially writing the indie series "Phonogram", has had an extremely rapid rise at Marvel, starting with the material collected here and quickly adding more miniseries and two upcoming ongoings (a temporary spot on "Thor itself", and a new "S.W.O.R.D." ongoing, the latter especially fitting since this collection guests Agent Brand); based on this series, he well deserves it. He does a great job with Bill, a character who has suffered quite a bit in the last few years, and finds himself feeling isolated and lacking any hope for the future, with his people gone (nor belief in a god "in any way that matters"). Vanquishing Galactus is his great bid to see justice done in the universe, whatever the cost may be. There's not much in the way of a supporting cast, beyond Bill's talking ship Skuttlebut; Galactus and his heralds, the Silver Surfer and Stardust, are also featured, and the aforementioned Brand cameo (Thor also puts in a brief appearance; this is a busy comic). The finale introduces a new character likely to feature quite a bit in Bill's future (hopefully including appearances in Gillen's "S.W.O.R.D.").

As far as flaws go, the ending of Bill's confrontation with Galactus isn't perfect; they sort of fob off the question of why Bill no longer wants him permanently dead, though explaining why he saves him that specific instance. And Gillen comes up with yet another reason why killing Galactus would be a bad thing. Surely that his death would cause a universe-wide apocalypse (the explanation used to get Reed off the hook for saving him in the 1980s) is enough, but now he also explodes in lightyears-wide bang that would kill trillions. I'm also not sure of the intended long-term significance of resurrecting a single female Korbinite. Their people are still doomed.

All in all, though, a strong little story, and it bodes well for Gillen's future at Marvel.

I was expecting an epic Beta Ray/Galactus story. The story was good but the art was a let-down. The alien race was a joke and the encounter with the herald was underwhelming.

This book is another great one in the on going story of Beta Ray Bill. He and Stormbreaker cause havoc. Bill had to learn about himself in this story. It comes after other stories that have happened. It fits in with them. I love graphic novels, do to the fact that you don't have to get each comic book that makes them up.