Review: Fear Itself #3

In war, there is always the first to fall. Whether king or peasant, righteous or rogue — there must always be a first. And on this day the Worthy have claimed first blood as their own. 

Issue three of the Marvel Universe changing Fear Itself, hits the stands with a devastating blow. Though not as emotionally gripping as the first two installments, we are blessed with a bevy of brutality that makes up for the lack of story development. From Washington D.C. to Brazil and all the way to new Asgard, action assaults us on every panel, leaving one’s mind reeling at the quickness that the devastating (though not shocking) ending comes. The pace is so quick that a second read through is needed to actually take in all aspects of the story.

And therein lies the rub, my friends. There is just too much going on in this issue to make it feel like a complete story. A single panel of Absorbing Man and three pages of the Hulk running around does nothing to enrich the story in anyway. I get that it’s cross promoting the tie-in books, this is a business after all, but I think a bigger focus on the already well done aspects of the book would have been more beneficial. Bucky/Cap and his rag tag team of Avengers trying to defend D.C., the sweet siren song that calls out to yet another hero and Thor’s verbal combat with Odin (which is entirely reminiscent of the movie!) were all well done. A couple more pages of the battle in D.C. would have better enhanced the final assault more so than quick glimpses of things that by no means drive the story.

Fraction continues to shove the Marvel U. in directions never seen before. The playing field has never had so many pieces in play at the same time nor with as high a stakes. This tale will revitalize and revolutionize the entire Marvel U. and when the dust settles, both pawn and king may lie side by side in the discard pile.