Marvel Comics “What If…” — how was this year’s run?
By Mark Lynch
Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics
What if Thor was raised by Frost Giants?
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Michele Bandini
Cover artist: Marco Checchetto
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In the mainstream continuity, Odin kills Loki’s father Laufey, adopts Loki, and then raises him as a god. In this story, Laufey wins the fight against Odin and raises Thor as a Frost Giant. Loki was small for a Frost Giant and his father treated him terribly. Laufey barely acknowledged that he had a son. At first, Laufey took Thor under his wing to shame Asgard, but ended up treating Thor like a son and loving him. Meanwhile, Loki found Thor’s mother and spent his days with her. It’s very similar to the original story, except this time Loki is a good person.
Grade: B
This was another good story. The relationship between Thor and Loki was different because they both loved each other. The biggest shock was when Thor killed his mother and then immediately found out who she was. The art was amazing, and that combined with the story makes it worth the money. It was also cool seeing Thor as the God of Winter.
Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics
What if Magik became the Sorcerer Supreme?
Writer: Leah Williams
Artist: Filipe Andrade
Cover artist: Jeff Dekal
Magik has been an underused character for years. In Avengers VS X-Men, she was powerful enough to trick Dr. Strange into following her to Limbo and beat him in a fight. There’s no telling what is actually holding her back. In this book, Dr. Strange took her under his wing and did something no one else did – treated her like her age. Magik was a teenager and didn’t need to be used like a soldier. Strange was like a father to her, and you could tell this was just the beginning of how Magik became the Sorcerer Supreme.
Multiple Man No. 5 review: The conclusion to the series. dark. Next
Grade: A
This was the book I was expecting the least from and got the most out of. With such a good story, it could be continued in the future. This was a side of Magik and Dr. Strange that we’ve rarely seen. Magik may care for her brother Colossus, but she rarely cares for other people. Dr. Strange is an arrogant jerk who put his pride aside and cared for Magik. Of all the stories I recommend this one more than any of them.