Odin #3 — The Ancient Gods Don’t Care About Your Goals

Three strangers enter the woods with personal goals. The old gods have entirely different plans. Tynion IV and Bennett deliver their third drop of atmospheric, boundary-pushing horror that treats nature as an indifferent, terrifying force.

There’s a specific kind of dread that settles in when you realize the monster doesn’t hate you — it just doesn’t see you as anything other than a resource. That’s the chilling vibe radiating from issue #3 of Image’s Odin. We’re deep in the woods now, far past the initial arrival, where the characters’ human motivations begin to collide with something ancient and utterly indifferent. It’s the kind of tension that makes you want to turn the page but also wish you were back in the light.

Let’s look at the cast, because their individual desires are the fuel for this engine. Adela is there for the story, Austin is chasing some kind of great white destiny, and Tanner… well, Tanner has much simpler, very human priorities. They all entered this expedition with clear goals, but the setting is about to remind them that the old gods of the forest have their own lusts, their own agendas, and zero interest in fulfilling human wishes. It’s a classic setup twisted into something deeply unsettling by the creative team’s hand.

This is the third drop in a nine-issue run, and James Tynion IV and Marguerite Bennett are proving that they can handle ensemble horror with precision. Letizia Cadonici’s art brings a visceral texture to the environment, making the woods feel alive in all the wrong ways, while Jordie Bellaire’s colors amplify the creeping unease. They aren’t just telling a scary story; they’re exploring what happens when modern ambition meets primal, uncaring power. The limit-pushing nature of their work shines through in how they handle the characters’ reactions to the unknown.

If you’re looking for a companion read that shares this love for atmospheric dread, check out Bennett’s Witchblade or Cadonici’s House of Slaughter. Both carry that same signature blend of stylish art and narrative weight, though Odin feels like a distinct, standalone beast in its own right. It’s a compact, potent story that respects your intelligence and your ability to handle discomfort.

A quick heads-up on the shelf: these Image titles move fast, and the Alex Eckman-Lawn cover art is getting noticed. If you’ve been on the fence about jumping into the middle of a series, this is a great place to peek in. The stakes are high, the mystery is deep, and the woods are getting darker. Trust me, you’ll want to see where the old gods lead them next.