There is an inscription, carved into a block of Uru, that holds back the power of storms: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if (s)he be worthy, shall possess the power of… Thor.” If you are worthy, you may lift this block and with it, command the storms. But where does this worth come from?
Is the worth innate? Is it immutable? Or is it earned, as transient as a leaf on the wind? How does one measure the worth of another?
These are the questions Jason Aaron concerns himself with as he slowly builds his 5-year run with Thor and attempts the unenviable job of following up on Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen’s runs on their Thor titles.
So, raise your horns of mead and prepare to journey across realms, across universes and across generations because this week, I’m going to take a look back at all 67 (as of writing) of his Thor issues: from “Thor: God of Thunder” to “Thor” to “Thors” to “The Mighty Thor” and even “The Unworthy Thor.” I will not be looking at “Original Sin,” as it’s only tangentially Thor (and I don’t find it a particularly engaging event) but I will touch on its effects. I’m also not going to look at “Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm” as it is more of an Angela title and . . . I had completely forgotten it had been published.
Also, while I will be trying my best to avoid them as we get closer to present, I cannot guarantee this will be spoiler-free, so consider this your spoiler warning.
Act 1: ‘Gorr: The God Butcher’
Aaron begins, as all good stories do, with an introduction to our hero in his natural habitat: fighting, drinking, and having general merrymaking with whoever it was that called him down. But this is not the Thor that we have known for the many years prior, no, this is young Thor, one who does not yet have Mjolnir, one who is not yet worthy.
For those who do not know who Thor is going into this series, the introduction Aaron gives is all you need. You are dropped into the aftermath of a fight, with Thor recounting what had transpired, in a way that only someone as arrogant and carefree as young Thor could have. But we do not remain with our young friend for long, as Aaron and Ribic must set up the rest of our story. Thus, we finally see present Thor (circa 2012): older, wiser, yet no less temperamental or any less of a drinker.
Just from this one introduction, with him flying across the universe to save a dying planet, we get a new characterization of Thor, without ever having to followhis growth from that opening section. That doesn’t mean we don’t see young Thor grow, which will come in subsequent issues, but we know that he changes and the question is no longer what will he change into, but how? How and when does he become worthy?
And how does he survive until the end of time, alone, beaten, missing an arm and looking exactly like his father, Odin. These are the first questions posed by this series and they are the driving factors behind it. By setting up the three time periods in the first issue, we can get acclimated to the type of story this will be and, throughout the arc, Aaron uses this to undermine present day Thor’s proclamations and tease out what had happened when Thor first encountered the God Butcher.
It’s a grand entrance to a grand story and I don’t think it would’ve been possible without Esad Ribic’s art and Iva Svorcina’s coloring. Ribic’s style is not photorealistic like Alex Ross but it is highly detailed, giving each person a high degree of realism, even in such a fantastical setting as this. There is a grandiosity to his designs, especially his ability to draw worlds and structures. Other gods tower over Thor and the scale of their sizes is not lost. Whenever he draws a splash page, like the one at the end of this arc, you get the feeling like you are no longer looking at a comic but instead a painting from centuries ago.
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Art by Esad Ribic.
This has a lot to do with the coloring as well. There is a muted nature to most of the colors but in ways that do not take away their vibrancy. It doesn’t feel digital (I genuinely do not know if this was colored with analog, digital, or a mix) and there are panels where you can even see the brush strokes, usually in the darkness. As much I want to compare this to later Thor artist Russell Dauterman, I can’t in good conscience do it (you’ll see why I bring this up later).
“Thor: God of Thunder” has a completely different feel and a completely different focus than “Thor” or “The Mighty Thor.” To compare the two is a fool’s errand and does not do either style justice. I will comment on Aaron’s writing as there is a greenness to it here. His plotting is strong but his narration and dialogue, as well as character set up (for his non-Thor characters) is a little thin. It’s obvious that this is a story focused on Thor and not the world Thor inhabits and that’s fine, as a start.
Art by Butch Guice
Interlude 1: ‘What the Gods Have Wrought’
The ‘Godbomb’ arc opens on a one-shot drawn by Butch Guice detailing Gorr’s backstory. This starts the trend of arcs broken up by one-shots that act as narrative bridges, filling in story beats for us that would otherwise be out of place in the flow of the regular arcs.
It’s placed at the perfect moment and gives us an understanding of our main antagonist beyond his own words. It gives us an explanation for what motivates him and why he so vehemently hates gods. Guice does a fantastic job of capturing the desperation and rage that fills Gorr as he watches his family slowly die and his own people ostracize him for daring to ask why it is that the gods they hold is such high esteem cannot and do not help any of those who pray to them.
I talk a lot about changes in artists throughout comic runs, how many times fill-in artists or changes in main artists can be jarring, but as with any rule, there are exceptions. “Thor: God of Thunder” is one of these exceptions. By having these one-shot issues not drawn by Ribic (or Garney), it sets them apart more and allows them to feel different while also fitting right in.
My favorite panel set up has to be on page 14 when, after seeing that the gods of his world are real, Gorr, almost dead, wanders up to them as a gold-clad god lays dying, skewered by what will later be revealed as all-black the necrosword. The god begs for help and Gorr goes from puzzling through those words to a blind rage, vocalizing all his suffering and asking the question, where were you when those who believed in you needed you?
It’s chilling to see Gorr suffer this way because up until this issue, he was merely another fanatic, one who hated gods for reasons unknown. But now, we see the tragedy that lead him to make those decisions and the dark path he set for himself.
Act 2: ‘Godbomb’
As the second arc, ‘Godbomb’ feels more like act 2, with Gorr’s backstory acting as an intermission, instead of another chapter in the continuing adventures of Thor. It picks up essentially where the previous arc left us, with the reveal of Gorr’s slave planet at the edge of time and space, and Thor the Avenger having arrived 900 years after Gorr.
Thus, the narrative shifts, from one of Thor at three points in his life, all dealing with Gorr in various ways, to three Thors at the same time, fighting the final version of Gorr. It shifts from a non-linear narrative (well, jumping between three sets of time periods) to a more linear one. It allows for a tighter focus and it gives us panels such as this one, with three Thors, hammers in hand, jumping into battle with an antagonist who has vexed them and tortured them for centuries.
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Art by Esad Ribic.
Again, Ribic’s art is grand, capturing the immensity of the arc. There isn’t much change in his style between the first and second arcs but the action quota is upped. Gorr is building a bomb, a monumentally large one that threatens to kill every god, throughout all time, throughout all space and the three Thors, two who are time displaced, must fight together to defeat Gorr.
Yet, there is a bigger question that is asked by this arc beyond just how will they stop Gorr: Aaron, no longer asking about what makes each Thor worthy, instead has Thor the Avenger ask, how right is Gorr? What makes a god worthy of being a god?
Gorr believes that no one is worthy, that there is something irredeemable in being a god, while Thor sees it as something to struggle for. Worthiness is something earned through constant action and that is something Thor the All-Father knows all too well. This is also why, despite the three time periods, Thor the Avenger is the one we follow, the one we root for and the one that we identify most with, even though all three have gotten almost equal panel time.
Art by Esad Ribic
With the end of this arc, we are half-way thorough the series and with it, we can see another, third character arc appear in the background: Gorr. His is one of tragedy, a tragedy of his own making, true, but sad none-the-less. Something I missed during my first read through was that his family on this dead planet was never real, it was merely a recreation of them from the necrosword.
I had forgotten that they were dead from the start, which makes his son’s betrayal of him all the more important. It was not a separate entity that wanted Gorr to stop, it was Gorr himself, lost in his own rage. This rage transformed him into something unrecognizable and furious by a weapon of unimaginable power, something that is reflected later on down the line with the War Thor.
Where does Thor go from here? Why, well back to him home. Back to Midgard.
Interlude 2: ‘Once Upon a Time in Midgard’
Aaron has just spent a year’s worth of interstellar travel so, to close out his first year on his Thor run, he takes us back to Earth to show us exactly why Thor is hero and not just a god. The issue is drawn by Nic Klein, who successfully balances the imposing stoicism of Thor with the compassion he has and shows. We follow Thor as he presents a friend with fruit from a long dead planet that tastes like everything he’s always known he’s wanted as a last meal, providing comfort during his last few moments. We watch as he travels around the planet, giving food to the hungry, long extinct seeds to a convent to grow them anew, as well as telling stories to a monk upon a mountain who wishes to hear them.
In a singular page, we see him drink with vets, brings water to a drought-stricken caravan, chases away hateful protesters and strikes a familiar pose upon a modern fishing vessel. He accepts an invitation from one Roz Solomon, recent graduate of S.H.I.E.L.D. academy, and dances with her at her graduation.
This is the world-building that was missing from the first half of this series but that was not the purpose of that arc. Gorr’s attack on gods was irrelevant to Thor’s modern activities on earth and, as such, we did not need to know the current status quo. It was an adventure only Thor could have gone on and, as such, he was the only one who truly went on it.
Old Thor goes to walk upon a dead Midgard while Roz Solomon discovers a graveyard of whales, witnessing the start of Roxxon’s quest to destroy everything, in order to chase profits in order to fill their obscenely large vaults beyond their already full capacity.
We also find out that long-time Thor mainstay, Jane Foster, has cancer but refuses to get magical treatment because, as Doctor Strange knows all too well, magic always comes at a price. Who knew how prophetic those words would become?
Art by Ron Garney
Enter Malaketh, ‘The Accursed’
Here is the arc that I consider to be the true start to Aaron’s run, plot wise. Thematically, Gorr’s actions echo throughout the Odison’s character, changing him and stripping him of much of the bravado that tends to characterize the younger him. However, Gorr only affects Thor the All-Father while the release of Malaketh from his icy, snake infested, giant, poisonous/venomous spider-guarded prison continues to be the leading, driving factor for the book.
I’m going to say it here before I continue: the Gorr arc has to be my favorite of Aaron’s run as it stands on its own and can be read as such. Gorr is a very strong antagonist and character, the events of his arc — even though much of it fades from “present day” Thor’s memory — reverberates throughout Aaron’s run. It shapes him and speaks to his greatest fears. It also begins Aaron’s trend of foreshadowing events that have only just now begun to see fruit in the pages of the comic.
I say all that as a preface to this next statement: Malaketh is Jason Aaron’s focus villain and I could not have thought of a better villain. This arc is all about setting up Malaketh as a viable and in your face threat, slippery as a snake and more conniving than even Loki. He sets up plans within plans, always playing a dangerous game of chess with Thor and his compatriots.
Art by Ron Garney
Going into the arc, it feels as if this will merely be a chase and one that Thor should be able to handle readily, yet each passing issue shows Thor fail more and more, and feel more and more vulnerable. He cannot do the one thing which he believes makes him worthy: saving people, or Dark elves as the case may be. He is forced to work with a group of elves, trolls, dwarves, and giants who cannot get along, constantly getting in each other’s way to let Malaketh escape.
Art by Ron Garney
His frustration is palpable, which is a testament to Jason Aaron and Ron Garney’s plotting. Garney’s art gives this arc a cleaner feel than that of Ribic’s, which probably has a lot to do with his less ink-heavy, less detailed style and Svorcina’s choice of color palate, which is significantly brighter than it was during Gorr arcs.
It provides us with a contrast of villains, one which uses the dark and the shadows to hide their deeds and keep them secret from the wider world, while the other uses the light to blind others, using it as a distraction from the knives they have hidden behind their back.
Gorr was physically faster and more powerful than Thor while Malaketh is mentally quicker, stronger, and so much more devious than anything Thor can imagine. He doesn’t need to do much himself, instead relying on others to do his dirty work, even Thor’s allies. Most writers would use Loki this way but by using Malaketh, this can go beyond just a vendetta against Thor as the two of them are intrinsically tied together, with so much history.
Continued belowPlus, Loki is so much more interesting as a complicated trickster archetype than as a straight up, I wanna conquer the world (or 9…10…9 at this point in the comics, realms) villain.
By the end of this arc, Malaketh has successfully killed thousands of Dark Elves and gotten himself crowned king of Svartleheim, Thor has had an infuriating (in the best of ways) chase with a band of supporting characters (called the League of Realms) that have been criminally underutilized in the current Thor book, and we finally have a true tour of the nine-realms, complete with a map at the end of every issue.
Art by Ron Garney
All of Thor’s work, all his plotting and scheming was for naught and, to add insult to injury, only made it easier for Malaketh to gain his throne. By positioning this after Gorr’s arc, we can see how the events of that affect Thor’s acceptance of each new turn. If he cannot help these people, what good is he? This thought angers him and forces him to fight even harder. What kind of worthy god cannot even stop one clear villain?
Thus, the League of Realms is no more and Malaketh is safe, starting a plot that would reverberate for years to come and a dark council that would be a cancer to the realms.
Cover by Esad Ribic
Interlude 3, ‘Days of Wine and Dragons’
Another one-shot that tells the tale of young Thor and parallels his lifestyle and parental issue with that of a young dragon, one whose tale ends much more tragically than that of Thor. It is a cautionary tale and gives Aaron another chance to give us another side to Thor. Here we see the younger him, not as foolish and haughty as he was at the start of the series but still a god of booze and merriment more than that of thunder.
Yet, in this issue, he must confront what could happen were he to lose himself too much in his drunken revelries or become who he is “meant” to be, a god of Asgard, not of Midgard. True, he is not a giant dragon, but he is still powerful beyond compare. Das Pastoras paints a beautifully grungy issue, even if I am not the biggest fan of the way he draws his faces. He draws people and especially Thor’s mouths in such a way that it look like their upper jaws were pushed out of their faces by a particularly hard hit to the back of their heads.
However, his control of action and panel transitions more than makes up for that and gives us a tale of young Thor that could be seen as one of events that begins to make him worthy. The final couple pages of the issue are slow and somber, with Thor refusing to party after having to have to slay Skabgaag. Young Thor feels the weight of his actions in a way that hasn’t been seen yet for him.
A Return to Midgard: ‘The Last Days of Midgard’
Ribic returns for the final arc of “Thor: God of Thunder,” which is split between Present Thor and Future Thor, and his Present Thor run goes out on a topical one.
Remember that whale graveyard from earlier? Well, that was caused by the other big villain of Aaron’s Thor run, Dario Agger aka The Minotaur. He runs the Roxxon corporation, an obscenely wealthy and late capitalist-style corporation, which treats human life as a product and the earth as something to be harvested and actively polluted and monopolized in order to generate the most profit for himself.
Continued belowIn description, he sounds and feels very much like a Captain Planet villain. In execution, however, he is much, much scarier. The pick to have Agger as an antagonist is an interesting one as he is very different that most of Thor’s other villains, as they tend to be from his own pantheon or from space. Agger’s focus is on one thing, money, and all the things he can control to funnel it towards himself and only himself.
Art by Esad Ribic
Art by Esad Ribic
The present day Thor story is genuinely terrifyingly, even now, because it feels like an extrapolation of today instead of some fantastical other world. It makes us want to root for Thor to solve something, anything and makes his loss even more crushing. True, he saved people but not enough and this, combined with his loss at the hands of Malaketh, primes him for his fall from worthiness. For worthiness is not just the sum of one’s actions, it is also belief.
It’s a soul crushing way to close out this series and only cements Aaron’s idea that this is an epic. Problems won’t be so easily solved as to be resolved within one, 5-6 issue arc and that each event will stack upon the last, weaving a tapestry that, when viewed once completed, will be complex and beautiful. It will tell a tale of questions, ones which have no easy answer, and a tale of thunder.
Art by Esad Ribic
Thus, the hammer falls: ‘Tales of Thunder’
The final issue of “Thor: God of Thunder” is framed as tales read aloud by Old Thor’s granddaughters, one about Malaketh’s origins, one of Young Thor and Laufey’s skull, and one of the future (well, the past from their perspective), of unworthiness and trials.
RM Guera renders Malaketh’s swampy origins brutally, not shying away from showing the ugliness of his world and the true ugliness of Malaketh. The introduction to the wizard who teaches Malaketh in particular is horrifying: broken, blackened teeth, a gnarled, wizened beard and a smile is all at once disarming and vicious.
Contrasting that is how he draws that very same wizard later, once the future looks bright and the war that made the world ugly is waning. He looks soft, pretty and clean. The whole scene has that feel. Even the swamp feels cleaner when Malaketh goes back to feed his mother to the dogs that he was sold to feed.
Simon Bisley draws a highly angular, highly detailed yet cartoony Thor, one which feels like someone took old Viking drawings and recreated the style in order to depict Thor’s fight against a bunch of ice giants who were trying to resurrect their dead king with blood magic.
Art by Simon Bisley
The final story, the frame story, is Ribic’s and it is the most poignant as it is the inevitable conclusion of Thor’s journey throughout “Thor: God of Thunder.” Thor does not know what made him worthy in the first place and, although we can piece it together, we do not know either. We only know that each new failure weakens his resolve and makes him question his own worthiness, leading to the time he was unworthy, when he was laid low.
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Art by Esad Ribic.
The missing year
“Original Sin” & “Original Sin: Thor and Loki”
Quick rundown: Nick Fury, in the pages of “Original Sin,” whispers something into Thor’s ear and he drops his hammer on the blue area of the moon. He is now unable to pick it up. He also goes on an adventure to Heven, the secret 10th realm, from which Angela, his sister, was sent to and then exiled from. If you wish to know more, I’d suggest tracking the trade down at your local library and then read some more Angela books, they’re pretty good.
Ok, back to Thor and her journey. Oh yes, we’ve arrived there.
Art by Russell Dauterman
The Lady Doth Protest: ‘The Goddess of Thunder’ & ‘Who Holds the Hammer?’
I’ve bundled the entirety of “Thor,” the pre-“Secret Wars” series, into one section because it feels like one long arc instead of two separate ones (for the most part).
It also has a different feel to that of “Thor: God of Thunder,” which might have to do with its artist and colorist. I know I said I wouldn’t compare the two but I must point out why there is this difference. Ribic and Svorcina employed an analog feeling, painterly style to render Thor’s adventures, giving it the feel of an ancient, focused epic, while Dauterman and Wilson, employ a distinctly digital but no less detailed, no less painterly, style.
It instead feels modern, shiny and dense. Ribic utilized the emptiness of his pages to make us feel like Thor was alone and that the world around him was oppressive and vast, even though it was lovely. Dauterman, on the other hand, chooses to fill his panels with heavy amount of small details, making the world feel inhabited, full and providing a beautiful contrast in tone for this new Thor. She sees the world differently than the Odison and, as such, we should as well.
Art by Russell Dauterman
“Thor” concerns itself with three big questions: who is this new Thor? What did Thor hear to make him drop his hammer? And why is this new Thor worthy?
Of those three questions, only one is truly answered by the end. The second is answered much later and the third is still being born out, though you could argue this one is answered as well.
Art by Russell Dauterman
If it seems that I’m rushing, it’s because there are a lot of small plot points that happen throughout these issues, but on the whole, the major plot is only there to give us time to adjust to this new Thor as well as establish a new status quo for Odinson, namely his armlessness, relapse into his old ways as well as fuel our own curiosity as to the identity of this new Thor.
You’ll also notice I keep saying new Thor instead of female Thor, as most news outlets and forum people referred to her. This is probably the best time to talk about this because, back when the news of this broke, people were furious. Wrongly so but still, they were furious and said they’d drop the book and all sorts of horrible, nasty things. They said this would, and has, killed the character of Thor. In fact, if you want to hear their arguments, read issue 5, drawn by guest artist Jorge Molina, or, if you have the single issues, I believe one of these letters was published in the letters section of issue 6.
Continued belowI’m not a huge fan of how Aaron set up Crusher as a straw man for these arguments, it feels out of character for him (I’m probably biased because I’m now picturing the “Black Bolt” Crusher) but it is an effective scene and one which filled me with joy watching Thor take out Crusher. Titania knocking Crusher out and surrendering, as a sign of respect for Thor, was also a great scene.
If you want to know my thoughts on whether or not the decision to have a new, female Thor was a good one, I’ll give you this bit of information. “Thor” #1 was the first Thor title I’ve read, after having read JMS’s run with my father many, many years ago, and the only reason I picked it up was because of this change.
I have not regretted a single penny spent.
Art by Russell Dauterman
The theme of sexism couched in a masculinity built upon control is one that rears its head a lot in this comic from this point on and it’s one that is, unfortunately, necessary to have. Comics, and all art, reflects the times they are created in, as much as people will try to argue to the contrary. It makes sense then, that Thor will have to face these issues, or similar ones. Yet she rises above them, defeating some with words, and others with fists and a face full of Uru.
Art by Russell Dauterman
I have much to talk about with the new Thor but I feel that those ideas will be better born out in “The Mighty Thor.” But before we get to that, we must change over to a patchwork universe, for a noir-style murder mystery of Asgardian proportions.
and Dave McCaig
Beta Ray Thor & the horrible, no good, very bad day: ‘Thors’
This mini-series, set in Battleworld (no, not the original one, the new one), intrigued me and even now, having read it again, I’m not sure what to think about it. Chris Sprouse and Goran Sudzuka do a wonderful job of crafting the cop procedural Thor story artistically, turning in some great panels, such as hobo Loki grinning about how obvious it was that he didn’t kill someone, even if it does feel too clean for a story of this type. I think a lot of that has to do with the style choice that Aaron makes.
He has elements of noir but never leans fully into it, instead leaning back on the usual TV cop procedural tropes, which weakens the story. Still, seeing all these different Thors (such as Throg and Destroyer Thor) made me applaud the creativity. I’d love a buddy cop show with Throg and Groot Thor.
Art by Chris Sprouse
As a story, though, this is a fun diversion but what’s ultimately (heh) important about this mini-series is what happens once Battleworld crumbles. The Ultimate Thor’s hammer crashes down into old Asgard, where it remains, unmoving, until the arrival of the War Thor.
Art by Russel Dauterman
Act 1: ‘Thunder in Her Veins’
And thus, began the War of the Realms. The stars rained blood and the ten realms knew no peace and the world was never the same again.
“The Mighty Thor,” while ostensibly being divided up into arcs, acts as one long, interconnected story that draws upon the events of all the rest of Aaron’s series to craft its tale. “Thor: God of Thunder” set up our three major antagonists: Gorr (strictly for the Odinson), Malaketh, and Dario Agger and established them separately from each other. “Thor” began to draw these threads together as well as start a couple new ones; namely that of Odin and Cul’s crusade to oust any woman of power and set up their nice tyrannical rule, as well as the resurrection of Laufey, king of the frost giants.
‘Thunder in Her Veins’ is where it becomes fully apparent just how long of a game Aaron is playing with this tale. There are so many moving pieces that it wasn’t until I re-read all of these issues that I realized how many plots were only now (at issue #700) coming to fruition and truly beginning.
This is a dense, dense arc, which is why I am hesitant to call it an arc at all. Its central plot is the aforementioned “war of the realms,” which at the time of writing hasn’t even fully begun (I’ll get to that in a couple arcs. Bear with me.) Or to be more specific, the slaughter and conquest of Alfheim as well as the brainwashed marriage of Alfheim’s Queen to Malaketh. It also contains Odin’s farce trial of Freya, the introduction of the new Loki, Malaketh planning at least three different plots and caught in the middle of this is poor Jane Foster, Thor, who literally dies a little each time she stops being Thor.
Art by Russell Dauterman
Yet the question of worthiness remains, only for this arc, the focus shifts from Jane onto Loki as Aaron begins to dive into the psyche of Jane and Loki here, leaving the Odinson aside. In fact, we don’t see him again until issue 5 and even then, that’s only for a splash page. We’ll get back to him later as well. I did warn you Aaron likes to play the long game.
Loki is trapped in his webs of lies and desires. He wants to be worthy in the eyes of his father, even though he never can. He is deemed worthy of trust by as a spy by Freya but, because he must stay worthy in the eyes of Malaketh, he must to stab Freya in the back, literally. He desires to be seen as worthy by Thor as well as his brother but he knows this is not possible. He can never earn back that which he, himself, crushed underfoot. Yet, this weary half-giant, half-god has his own plans and works behind the scenes to fix that which he can.
He is no longer the evil villain he once was yet he is not the good guy he was for a while. He is trapped between the many versions of himself, as Aaron visually represented during his battle with Thor, and has no good way to define who he wants to become, that of a worthy man.
Art by Russell Dauterman
Art by Russell Dauterman
Interlude 1: ‘The Strongest Viking There Is’
A longer series means the return of the interlude and the breather issues between arcs. Although, as I said before, each arc bleeds into the next and the interlude issues are no exception. In this one, Loki spins a tale of a younger Thor and a younger him, about the power of prayer and the dangers of greed, to one Dario Agger, king of the greedy.
The story segments are drawn by Rafa Garres, who’s illustrations are reminiscent of charcoal paintings, his characters energetic and extreme in their posing, as befitting a story about war and the folly of those who live in it for purely selfish reasons. It is a good tale, giving us an explanation for how the beserkers work, how they gain their power and offers a glimpse into how Loki has changed, even when he says he has not.
There isn’t much to say about this interlude beyond this, as the events of “present day” tie directly into the next arc. One detail I will mention is the name drop of Kurse, at least half a year before she reappears in the comic. These are the details that makes this feel like one long, interconnected story instead of a series of arcs, one right after another, and I applaud the foresight while also wringing my hands in frustration at all the details I will forget month to month.
Art by Russell Dauterman
Act 2: ‘Lords of Midgard’
Continuing from the interlude, we return to Dario Agger’s plotline of turning the ten realms into his own personal toilet as well as a machine that prints money. We also continue the theme of Jane proving her worthiness, not in the way the Odinson tried to, with wars and mead, but with selfless deeds. With sacrifice. With trust. All the things the Odinson did once he was worthy but did not believe were enough.
Art by Russell Dauterman
There is also the introduction of these two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who keep trying to figure out who Thor is and they are a breath of fresh air. Aaron’s Thor series are on the heavy side (if you couldn’t already tell) and, although “The Mighty Thor” has been the most comedic so far, it’s still sparse. When these two are here though, the comedy never stops. Maybe it’s the fast-paced dialogue back and forth between them, maybe it’s the deadpan expressions they are given when delivering them, maybe its Maybelline; either way, they are hilarious and I hope they return soon.
Art by Russel Dauterman
The hammer, the judge of her worthiness, appears in the form of Jane to keep her secret safe. Yeah, the hammer is sentient as well as magic. Who knew? But this scene, between Thor, Mjolnir and Roz speaks to the heart of this series and pretty obviously addresses one of the questions from earlier, why is Jane worthy?
She is worthy because of her heart. Because she is willing to trust and because she cares so deeply about others. Because she always thinks of others, not necessarily before herself, but in addition to herself and at the same level. She tells Roz the truth because she knows it is the right thing to do and the last few pages of this issue simply speak for themselves. Go read them and you’ll see what I mean.
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Issue #12, page 9. Art by Frazer Irving
Interlude 2: ‘The Untold Origin of Mjolnir’ and ‘The League of Realms Rides Again/Ljosalfgard’s burning’
In which we learn the true origin of Mjolnir and it is as batshit insane as I would have hoped it is. Ok, that’s a bit of hyperbole but truthfully, this is an origin story that feels pulled straight out of an ancient tome, complete with a “for seventeen days, the clanging rang like thunder.”
It’s drawn by Frazer Irving and even his art and coloring reflects this. The people look photo realistic yet their proportions are warped, and the background and colors are all very impressionistic and smoky. It sets a tone of mystery and desperation, one which feels like it was dragged out from the depths of some dusty bin, hidden away so no one would ever read it.
Issue #12, page 21. Art by Russell Dauterman
The League of Realms has reformed, with a slightly different cast due to death of one of their members and the imprisonment of another, as well as the addition of three more, in order to try to save the Queen of Alfheim. They are able to save her, but in the process, Malaketh burns her throat & mouth, as well as the entirety of the capital. Her people are scattered to the wind and we learn of the fate of the dark elf who took Malaketh’s place in Nidvalier: she has become the new Kurse.
And so we enter the next arc with an ominous message from the narrator, overlaid on a burnt and dark capital: “All of them would be next.”
Act 3: ‘The Asgard/Shi’ar War’
As promised very early on by Heimdal, & by the high librarian not more than three issues before, there would be many wars to come and here, during one of his few blinks, arrives another.
This might end up being the shortest main arc section as I find this arc to be the weakest of Aaron’s entire run. It drags on and, especially when they drag Quentin Quire and the Phoenix into the mix. Reading this month to month was a chore and, save for the appearance of Loki in the middle, which acts as an explanation for why this was even happening, has almost nothing to do with the rest of the narratives.
However, that being said, it is a necessary arc. Without this, the Mangog would never have been awakened and we wouldn’t have been given an excuse to see Shadrak, god of bombs, once again. It just could have been tightened up a little bit. I think Aaron and Dauterman wanted an excuse to go all out and really draw some set pieces as well as really push Thor to her limits in what she will tolerate.
Art by Russell Dauterman
This arc is a showcase for Thor’s heroism and bravery as well as a soul crushing reminder of just how cruel the gods of this universe can be, making the question from way back in “Thor: God of Thunder” rear its head again: what if Gorr was right? If the gods are all like the Shi’ar ones, how can any of them call themselves worthy of worship? They are petulant children who squabble and throw a tantrum when things don’t go their way. The world would be better off without them, correct?
“The Unworthy Thor” Year 5
Guardian of the Hammer: “The Unworthy Thor”
Another mini-series but this one is important, this one is here to answer a question that had plagued us for nigh on three years: what was it that Fury whispered into Thor’s ear? What was it that finally broke the Odinson?
Three little words, that was all it took.
Art by Oliver Coipel
Such powerful words and ones which, when I first heard them, felt like a cop-out. What did any of that have to do with Thor’s worth? But then, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Then, upon re-reading “Thor: God of Thunder,” it clicked into place fully. For those of you who have not read/re-read “Thor: God of Thunder” with this knowledge, I encourage you to go back and read them with this knowledge in your head.
I presented my argument earlier for why I believed the Odinson had become unworthy and that is because, in his heart of hearts, he believed himself to be unworthy; That no god could be worthy to hold the hammer. And as such, the hammer took that to heart as well, changing what it believed to be worthiness and picking a new champion to lift it. That is why Odin could no longer lift the hammer (well, that and he’s a gigantic, tyrannical asshole) and why a mortal was chosen to be worthy.
Art by Oliver Coipel
Issue #3, page 8. Art by Oliver Coipel
Aaron teases us with various issue ending moments when, maybe, Thor will take up a hammer again, but no, he refuses. He still feels unworthy and, until he can believe himself worthy again, he will not try. It is a reversal of his younger self, who believed himself worthy when he was not, and once again complicates the concept of worthiness.
The mini-series is also rendered in all its bearded Odinson glory by Oliver Coipel and he does a fantastic job with his return to a Thor title. The mini-series feels darker and more muted than those of the main title but in ways which only serve to compliment it. That is what this series is, anyway, a complimentary title that serves to fill in some narrative gaps.
It gives us an interesting discussion of self-worth and the difference between vanity and self-worth, with The Collector, Thanos, and Hela all being more concerned with vanity while Thor is more concerned with his own self-worth. Yet, this was not the only thing to come out of this series, there was also the rise of another Thor, the War Thor.
Act 4: ‘The War Thor’
First, he came for the Dark Elves and the council said nothing, for they were no friends to each other. Then he came for the Light Elves and the council said nothing, for they had other problems to squabble about. Then he came for everyone else and by then, it was too late for the council to do anything.
Continued belowThus, war comes to the realms thought untouched by Malaketh’s unquenchable thirst for war and thus begins, truly, the war of the realms.
Of all the “The Mighty Thor” arcs so far, this is by far my favorite and the strongest. We get the introduction, the true introduction of the War Thor and the issue that he is formed has to be up there with one of the most tragic in Aaron’s Thor run. In fact, the more that I think about it, war is another theme that Aaron plays with in these series but I digress.
For those unaware from the character design, the War Thor is indeed our poor senator, all things food and filibuster, Volstagg. The issue he becomes the War Thor is just page after page of fire and destruction and death. At first, while he is carrying the children who survived the first attack, we think he might get away. But then, in a cruel moment, they are burnt alive in his arms, his face is twisted in rage and, off panel, he tears the fire goblin into nothingness, coating himself in its blood in order to quench the fires of Muspelheim, although, as the narration reminds us, in his mind, he will always be burning.
Art by Valerio Schiti
Art by Valerio Schiti
When I first reached this arc, I hadn’t realized that Russell Dauterman wasn’t drawing most of the issues and that Valerio Schiti was. I merely assumed he was drawing the fire goblins differently and that Matt Wilson was coloring them to stand out more but it was not and I must give props to Schiti for rendering this scene. It was brutal and horrifying but not overly grotesque.
This is also the type of artistic synergy that I love to see in a title and it is why I find this arc to be so strong. It has a clear focus, keeps a steady pace and introduces a new, dangerous Thor: the War Thor, birthed from the hammer of a dead universe, filled with all the rage of that universe as well as the rage that filled his belly from the atrocities he was forced to witness.
Art by Valerio Schiti
This arc opened on an invasion of one realm, where the fires of Muspelheim should never have been and ended on an invasion of all the realms that were left. No longer is this a war of skirmishes, now it is a war of the realms.
Act 5: ‘The Death of the Mighty Thor’ & Beyond
We have now reached the most recent issue, Issue #700, which kicks off Legacy numbering as well as a whole lot of foreshadowing. It starts the war of the realms in full force, with an attack on the World Tree and the Norns, as well as a lot of guest artists creating an amazing anniversary issue acting as both a celebration of the past as well as set-up for the future. But instead of discussing the actual events of the issue beyond what I’ve just done, which seems a little silly considering it’s not over yet, I will present my final thoughts and the state of Jason Aaron’s “Thor” run.
To say that this doesn’t feel like the end is an understatement. The sprawling nature of Aaron’s narrative means that threads have constantly dropped and picked up again later, disappearing for many issues only to reappear a year or two later.
Loki’s plotting has yet to reappear, Odin is still holed up in his chambers tending to Freya, the Mangog has finally arrived after many months and years of teasing, Kurse has disappeared once again, and the Hela subplot from “The Unworthy Thor” is still unresolved (unless that was set up for the Thanos book). Agger hasn’t been heard from in a while and there are many various prophecies and teaser pages that have yet to fully come to fruition even though it seems that, finally, Jane’s cancer is getting the better of her and that this will be at the forefront of much of this next arc’s focus.
Continued belowAdditionally, due to the change in focus character two or so years ago (and the fact that he’s been missing for a year or so), many of the Odinson’s plot threads have been shuffled off to the side. The League of Realms is still criminally underutilized and Roz Solomon’s nebulous relationship with the Odinson is one that I hope gets picked up again soon.
I wish to see the Odinson continue to grow now that he has left his funk behind and returned to the rest of the universe. It will not be the same as before, characters change and grow, thank god, but it is time to redefine his relationships with others. Be they friends or more, I want to see Roz and the Odinson interact more and for the Odinson to begin to find his own path once again.
I also wish to unpack the two-page spread that appears in the back-half of the issue because, holy crap did I miss a lot when I first read this.
Art by Russell Dauterman
First, we’ve got our old friend the Mangog, who is most definitely going be a now problem than a later problem considering he appears at the end of this issue. Moving right from him, we have his bloody claws overlaid on Thor, who’s helmet is cracked and she is bleeding, her hammer arm bleeding as well. Next to her hammer, the frost giants, led by Laufey I believe, have frozen a city (probably NYC) and above them is Jane, in her hospital gown, presumably dead on the moon.
Above her is current time Loki wielding the Infinity gauntlet with all six gems (when did those get reformed?) and two CELESTIALS?!, one of which giving the thumbs down. I should know that celestial’s name but I can’t recall it at the moment. Next to that is a once again worthy Odinson, clasping a golden hammer in his real hand and Jaberjorn in his now golden false hand.
Finally, we have Namor (you know, I forgot that I haven’t seen him since “Secret wars”), Brunhilda (I believe), future Loki who looks like old, super-evil Loki, holding All-black the necrosword, as well as Asgardia burning and cleaved in twain.
I say all this to point out that while this arc may be titled ‘The Death of the Mighty Thor,’ the story seems to be far from over and I will be shocked if all of these elements are wrapped up in just one more arc.
Worthiness
And there you go. Thank you all for sticking with me throughout this article. I am aware that it is quite long but considering the scale of Aaron’s Thor narrative, which doesn’t fit as neatly into discreet arcs as I would have liked, it was necessary. This is a series that is as grand as it is complex and I appreciate how vast his vision is. It’s not something everyone can do nor something everyone SHOULD do but Thor is the perfect character for this to happen.
Jason Aaron began his run questioning the concept of intrinsic worth and the hubris of those who assume that worthiness is immutable, instead providing us with many alternate theories on what it means to be worthy and the means of its acquisition.
So, if you ever ask yourself, am I worthy? Don’t worry if you don’t find an easy answer, worth comes in time for those who work for it and, if you cannot find it inside yourself, maybe one day someone else will deem you worthy.
Part 2: ‘The Death of the Mighty Thor.’
Part 3: ‘Thor in Hel and Other Stories’
Part 4: ‘War of the Realms’
Part 5: ‘King Thor’
Art by Ron Garney
