Jason Aaron has proven his knack for writing a hard-boiled drama and warrior mentality in books like “Wolverine” and “Punisher MAX.” He’s honing his underrated comedy muscles every month in “Wolverine and the X-Men.” With that in mind, who better than to write the mightiest warrior god in comic history, who hacks at his enemies with a gleam in his eye?
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Esad RibicThroughout the ages, the gods of the Marvel Universe have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. NOW! the Mighty Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future selves. The only hope for these ravaged worlds lies with the God of Thunder unraveling the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher!
Aaron has promised us the story of 3 Thors throughout the ages, a concept that is beautifully executed despite the fact that it is not yet clear why the main threat is spanning all three time periods. The genius lies in the fact that Aaron gives us three subtly different voices for Thor (all of which have clearly been affected by the period they inhabit) that still sound like they’re all potentially coming from the same character. In the ancient past, Thor and his warrior band find a god washed up on the shores of Iceland – a chilling portent of things to come from an enemy that has seemingly done the impossible. This brings us to the present, wherein Thor finds the ripples of the events caused by the “God Butcher” on a world far away. Finally, there is a short segment that depicts a Thor who has been weathered by time, standing off against the forces of the God Butcher. This segment keeps the reader at arms length by being artfully economic in its exposition. It’s intentionally impenetrable, leaving the reader clamoring to understand how it all came to this right at the very end of the issue. In having 3 segregated sections of story, the pacing seemed to be the book’s weakness upon first blush. The line drawn through the 3 eras, however, is actually well-executed because of what Aaron chooses not to tell us at this point.
But I don’t think that it’s hyperbole to say that what he does tell us is among the best scripts he’s ever written. He nails the voice of Thor and clearly has a handle on this character already, regardless of which era and which circumstance he happens to be writing him in. His young Thor is brash and boastful, while his “present day” Thor is just as brash, but also shows some magnanimous qualities as a leader of men and the spirit of inspiration. Aaron writes him as something of a detective at this point, using his knowledge of battle to survey the concealed threat of the God Butcher. But both versions of the character show a wide-eyed idllic view of Asgard and highlight his status as an immortal being. The future Thor has been weathered by time – broken many times over, but not yet beaten. He has no time for fond feelings of Asgard, but a sense of duty and honor that will not be broken. That demeanor and his appearance nicely harken back to the rule of his father, Odin, a thematic touch that does not go unappreciated.
For as good as the script is at stringing the “Thors Three” together, Esad Ribic does just as much to sell the idea as anyone. Again, the three versions of Thor are distinct in appearance to match their demeanors, while maintaining specific touchstones to the character that run throughout the issue’s 20 pages. The young Thor is clean-shaven and wears unceremonious garb, a reflection of his inexperience and evoking more of a Viking leader than a god or a prince. The present day Thor wears his Avengers costume, obviously, which Ribic renders as elegantly as anyone. The addition of his armor and helmet reflects Thor’s status as a leader and asserts his power. But the most beautiful and effective designs are in the final segement, where Thor’s classic armor is as worn and beaten as he is, and his scraggly beard reflects a man whose sole focus is on the survival of the last threads of his kingdom above all else. The colors fade in this segment as darkness creeps into Asgard. Ribic also instills looks of frozen horror onto the faces of the slaughtered gods that terrifically sell the idea that our hero faces a threat that outclasses even these immortals.
I actually undersold it in the introduction, because this book looks to give us so much more than just a good fit of writer to character. Aaron and Ribic are clearly looking to give us an expansive and gorgeous exploration of the timelessness of an immortal Asgardian being weighed against whatever weaknesses they can find in that concept. Stories of gods and supermen can become tiresome when writers aren’t creative enough to find those weaknesses. From the very first issue, it’s clear that Aaron and Ribic have a plan to put Thor and company through the ringer. And we’re all the richer for it.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – A big, beautiful buy.
