The first issue of “Thor: God of Thunder” was like some crazy heavy metal mishmash of everything great about Thor comics. So, the second issue of Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s run couldn’t possibly have rocked harder than that, could it?
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Esad RibicSomeone is murdering the gods of the Marvel Universe and with his own life at stake, Thor must step in to put an end to the mysterious God Butcher! From the blockbuster team of Jason Aaron & Esad Ribic, the Mighty Avenger will not only have to stop this destructive force in his own time, but in the past and future as well! This November in Thor: God Of Thunder #2, the Odinson — with the help of his younger and older self — follow a trail of blood to save these ravaged worlds.
The opening issue featured 3 separate thirds of one story, something that likely would have become repetitive or clunky had it been the consistent storytelling choice all the way through. In issue 2, Aaron and Ribic avoid this in the smartest way possible. With the focus on an immature Thor, they dip in to modern and future Thor only briefly for imagery that gives the narration a couple of key thematic punches. The clean-shaven Viking Thor is a brash untested man, not yet worthy to lift the mighty Mjolnir. Aaron highlights him as a budding leader nonetheless, who puts on a braver face in front of his men than he does introspectively. Thor and his men sail into a pre-Russian land, where Thor expects to confront the gods who are sworn to protect the people who inhabit it. Instead, he is faced with the visually horrifying handiwork of the Godbutcher and a head-on battle with the terror himself.
Starting off a series about a god with an adversary who makes his name off of specifically killing gods seems like it would be the end-all, be-all of a Thor story. Instead, Aaron uses it as the perfect excuse to show us everything that this young Thor is. At this point, Thor is not worthy to lift Mjolnir, meanwhile sailing the seas sacking and pillaging towns with Viking cohorts. He leaps headlong into battle against something that he doesn’t understand nor know enough to fear properly. Young Thor comes to self-realization through a beautifully written narration that overlays Esad Ribic’s brutal imagery of the battle with the Godbutcher.
And oh how beautiful Esad Ribic’s art truly is. It is even more majestic and evocative in its second issue. The Godbutcher is an imposing physical figure, whose swift fighting abilities and evasive maneuvers make he seem more lithe than he appears. All of this comes across beautifully in Ribic’s sprawling fight scene. Every blow and cut has weight behind it, using no more blood or gore than necessary to evoke an unsettling feeling in the reader. A majestic, winged white horse comes into the picture and when weighed against the bright red blood and the pitch black power of the Godbutcher, the results are visually stunning. There’s one panel that has an unexpected occurrence literally fall out of the sky. When it happens, you feel the weight of the threat that Aaron is building up. This is comic art as its best, as it does not merely tell the story sequentially, but gives subtext to the ideas being put forth. Every beat that Aaron needs from Ribic in punching up the story he’s telling on a visual level is delivered on ten-fold. It’s really that good.
After a near perfect opening issue, Aaron and Ribic have topped themselves. It’s the best of what Marvel NOW! has to offer, because it delivers on Marvel’s current mission statement better than any of their other books, so far. “Pairing great characters with great creative teams.” Obviously that’s something that every comic company strives for with their characters, but rarely does anyone nail it as well as Marvel did with Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic, and Thor. That makes it not only the shining star of the NOW! initiative, but one of the very best books on the stands right now from any publisher.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – Buy, verily.
