We’ve seen time and again how great ongoing comics suddenly become less great when forced into the crossover event mold. Jason Aaron’s Thor run is just one more unfortunate example. War of the Realms is an entertaining romp, yes, but it struggles to blend larger-than life spectacle with real human drama in a way that’s always come easy for the monthly Thor comic. It’s a problem that seems to be growing worse, not better, as this crossover unfolds.
With so many moving pieces to juggle and tie-in books to accommodate, War of the Realms #4 doesn’t have much time to devote to any one character. Portions of the book plays like a greatest hits album, touching on the various scenes of battle but never lingering in any one place for long before venturing elsewhere. The end result being that this chapter delivers a lot of fun, silly moments (such as Punisher coming to the aid of the Light Elves and Ghost Rider living out his worst heavy metal fantasies) but rarely gets to the emotional core of the conflict. As large as the scope of War of the Realms has become, it doesn’t really *feel* like the apocalyptic battle of the ages it was made out to be. It reads more like just another crazy day in the lives of the Avengers.