TARANIS THE THUNDERLORD #1 – Review

The Details

• Written By: Eric N. Bennett
• Art By: Arnaldo dos Santos Ferreira Jr.
• Colors By: Victor Raniery
• Letters By: Eric N. Bennett
• Cover Art By: Arnaldo dos Santos Ferreira Jr. (cover A)
• Cover Price: $5.00
• Release Date: June 2022 (estimated)

Was It Good?

TARANIS THE THUNDERLORD #1 is the Thor interpretation the MCU’s Thor wishes he could be. No quippy goofiness. No silly slapstick shenanigans. Just pure warrior power from start to finish. How’s that for a first impression?

For the comic purists out there, this latest offering from G-Man Comics reads very much like a classic Thor comic. Some may rightfully argue that it reads a little too much like a Thor comic, but there are enough differences to put up a wall of distinction between Thor and Taranis.

For example, there’s a genuine effort to clarify Taranis’s real-world roots in Celtic mythology. Bennett uses the backdrop of a field trip to a museum to fill in the history blanks organically without creating a history lecture. There are a few spots where the expositional dialog gets wordy, but not so much that your mind wanders. In all, this is a solid introduction that tells you all you need to know to latch on to the character while leaving enough curiosity questions to keep you coming back for more.

Ferreira Jr’s art is generally good. The panel compositions are well done, the lines are clean, the character designs (especially the monster in the prologue) are creative, and the progression is smooth. The minor down point is an overall flatness in the coloring, a typical side effect of digital art. The characters look fine, but the backgrounds and sets look downright cartoonish in spots.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We begin with an invisible narrator explaining the legend of Taranis the Thunderlord’s many adventures against a Celtic giant named Beglog. When Taranis’s battle reaches a fevered pitch, we see the narrator is a school teacher recounting the legend to his students during a museum field trip. The teacher explains how the Celtic legends of Taranis passed down through generations in his family, and he’s happy to share them with the class.

Outside, two shadowy figures plan to steal something valuable from the museum. At the command of one, the other leaps in through a museum skylight and demands to be given what he seeks. The attacker is a massive troll named Kurzol who tosses museum attendees around like ragdolls, searching for his prize.

The teacher makes the mistake of getting in Kurzol’s way and is thrown through several displays, including the one housing a stone statue of Tiranis. Reeling from the impact, the teacher hears a voice calling to him from the statue and feels compelled to pick it up. We conclude the issue with a prison escape, a battle in the streets, and a call to the G-Men.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

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