“Thor” #1

The Odinson has returned! After Jason Aaron’s amazing arc with Jane Foster as Thor, it’s time to return to the status quo. But the War of the Realms is still ongoing, Mjolnir is no more, and Loki is more morally ambiguous than ever. So how does the story continue? Let’s take a look and see.

Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Mike Del Mundo
Colored by Marco D’Alfonso
Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino

Thor Odinson has regained his mantle – and with it, a wild new world of trouble on his mighty hands! The artifacts of Asgard have been scattered across the earth, and to reclaim them, Thor will have to face some ugly truths. Like the production cost of hundreds of new hammers! And the Thunder God is going to need every last one of them if he’s going to stop the unstoppable Juggernaut. Jason Aaron takes the Prince of Asgard in a whole new direction with YOUNG GUN artist Mike Del Mundo joining him at the helm! And don’t miss the latest chapter of the King Thor saga with acclaimed BLACK BOLT artist Christian Ward, as the Thor of the far future encounters an old friend who’s undergone some startling changes.

So Thor is Thor again, for better or worse. As much as I loved Jane’s Thor, we all knew it was a temporary thing. Still, she left quite a legacy, so the Odinson needed to make quite an impact upon his return.

Fortunately, he does just that, kicking things off with an ancient artifact, a death cult, a battle against the Juggernaut, and a whole lot of hammers. Yes, Thor is back and in more or less full form.

However, the wounds from previous issues are still fresh and still felt, as much of “Thor” #1 is dedicated to dealing with the state of the world and the state of the characters.

What is Thor without Mjolnir? Still a god, yes, but its loss is felt throughout the pages, as Thor struggles with hammers that just don’t have its durability. Similarly, the loss of Asgardia and the Bifrost leaves Thor in a new state, and the loss is felt in his actions without needing to be spelled out in the text.

Likewise, we see how other characters are faring, such as Jane Foster, now hammer-free but still fighting cancer. Rosalind is helping with the refugees from the War of the Realms, Frigga is concerned for Loki, Volstagg is recovering from his many wounds, and Odin… well, Odin is still his cranky old self.

In just the few pages we get with each of the supporting characters, we get a good idea of how they’re faring. It helps catch the readers up to speed while simultaneously providing a level of emotion to the state we find them in, accompanied by more than a little great dialogue.

Jason Aaron is a master of dialogue and character work. Plus, we get more of Thori, one of the best dogs in all of comics.

Of course, there is much more to “Thor” #1 than just characters appearing and letting us know how they feel. What kind of comic would it be without plenty of action as well?

From the very first page, the comic kicks things off with a new adventure for Thor. Asgardian weapons have scattered around the world, so naturally it’s up to Thor to find them and retrieve them, typically by beating up whoever has them.

This leads into a fantastic fight against the Juggernaut, where we see Thor pull out all the stops, or rather, all the hammers. It blends heavy hits, Thor’s divine lightning, and just a bit of comic relief to create a wonderfully entertaining fight.

Artistically, there is something very unique about Mike Del Mundo’s designs. The characters are all just slightly exaggerated in their features; Thor and Juggernaut are huge, muscle-bound beings, and Thor’s jaw occasionally juts out more than one would think humanly possible, while Jane looks more emaciated than ever.

However, each panel and scene is composed very well. There’s a great moment early on where the “THOOM” sound effects of an approaching Juggernaut gets positioned right in front of Thor’s face, so that we see his eyes through the O’s, adding to the immensity of the approaching foe. When the combat begins, the flashes of color and the way the characters fly back from each impact adds to the power of the combat. The use of angles, positioning, and composition add a great effect to each scene, whether it’s the Juggernaut towering over Thor or seeing the god of thunder in a field of hammers.

However, there is still a certain lack of detail in the lineart that the colors compensate for, creating an odd effect. Marco D’Alfonso’s color work uses a lot of different shades, but they all seem to blend in and around each other, adding an almost painting-like effect to the pages. Often times the foreground and background will share matching colors, creating a color theme for each scene or event, like the yellow walls of the hospital matching Thor’s new golden hammer.

It has something of a dream-like, wavering quality to it, the way colors blend or bend, using different shades to create the lines and details on the characters. The way Marco D’Alfonso uses his colors often makes it look like light is falling on everything in an almost reflective manner, not just on metals but on skin and all other surfaces.

While it certainly has its merits, it can also be a little jarring at times.

Overall, though, “Thor” #1 gives us plenty of great character moments, some good action, and sets up the story well. It continues on from where the last run left off without missing a beat, and Jason Aaron’s writing is on point as always. It’s safe to say that the “Thor” story is still going strong.

Final Verdict: 8.1 – The story, characters, and action are all top-notch. The artwork looks great for individual panels, though the overall quality may be a bit detracting or distracting for those who prefer more solid imagery. Still, it’s a great way for Thor to make his return.