Heimdall is dead and as Valkyrie, Jane Foster must escort him to the afterlife. Just not the afterlife that all other Asgardians are headed. Mild spoilers for Valkyrie – Jane Foster #3 follow.
In its first couple of issues, Valkyrie – Jane Foster has really done anything to make it stand out. It’s felt like Jane Foster’s Thor adventures with just a slightly different skin. This isn’t a bad thing, just slightly disappointing. However, with its third issue, the series has begun to establish itself as something different, just as Jane is learning how establish herself as Valkyrie. If that isn’t quality meta-context, then nothing is.
By moving forward with the idea that its Jane’s job to, essentially, be a version of Chiron, and ferry the dead to the afterlife, this series is beginning to set itself apart. And that’s all Jane does in this issue, ferry Heimdall’s spirit to an afterlife. It may not sound all that interesting due to its simple nature, but the premise for this issue is well executed. Given that Heimdall doesn’t want to go to Valhalla, it makes sense as to why Jane and Heimdall run into the troubles that they do in this issue. Because the issue expands on the simple premise that it gives, that’s what makes this issue interesting.
The one real story aspect of this issue that doesn’t work though is how quickly the story is told. Jane already gets Heimdall to the afterlife in this issue, already closing the chapter on this story. This is probably my own fault for expecting the arc to be two or three issues, but it feels like the story was rushed a bit. There were tribulations for Jane and Heimdall in this issue, but neither of them fully felt dire. Because the issue is so fast-paced and the story already ends in this issue, it doesn’t fully feel like these trials meant much for either of them. It’s a good story, executed well in most parts, it just feels much too fast.
On the art front for this issue, there are three different artists who provide art for this issue. Often, with that many artists, styles clash and there doesn’t feel like there’s any cohesiveness to the issue. That isn’t the case with this issue though as every artist handles a different realm. Because each artist is distinctly in their own realm, the difference in art feels natural. When the art changes it can feel jarring, but at times, that is purposeful given the context of the scene.
Each art style is very different though, so even though they work in the different realms, it is still a bit annoying to have such drastically different art styles. This may just be a personal preference, but having multiple artists with vastly different styles on a single issue can often be distracting.
