The Mighty Thor faces a mighty challenge.
Note: this is a spoiler-free advance review of The Mighty Thor #1, which will be released on Wednesday, November 18.
Jason Aaron’s long Thor run has taken a number of forms over the past few year. What began as Thor: God of Thunder morphed into Thor with the debut of the Odinson’s new replacement. Then that was replaced for Secret Wars with the ensemble series Thors. Now the series is being relaunched yet again for All-New, All-Different Marvel. The name keeps changing, but the core appeal of this epic fantasy saga remains.
The Mighty Thor #1 deftly balances the need to offer an accessible gateway for new readers while continuing the momentum of previous stories. Despite the Secret Wars hiatus, this issue picks up pretty much where Thor #8 left off this past spring. Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman are quickly building towards a “War of the Realms.” The alliance between Roxxon CEO Dario Agger and Malekith threatens to polarize every realm of the World Tree. The disappearance of the Odinson, the squabbling among the Council of realms and the obstinance of Odin himself only make the situation that much more precarious. And even as she fights to prevent all-out war, the new Thor must wrestle with the fact that he new godly powers are slowly killing her.
It’s a great status quo to launch a new series with. Thor has always been a franchise that thrives on the balance between the larger-than-life fantasy elements and the mundane, ordinary ones. It’s a balance that was embodied by the original Thor/Dr. Donald Blake relationship, and it’s something Aaron has emphasized all the more with this new Thor/Jane Foster setup. This issue opens with an intimate look at Jane’s condition and her thoughts at being one of the most powerful heroes in the universe while simultaneously drifting closer toward death’s embrace every day. That gives the book all the impetus it needs as the focus shifts towards matters of more cosmic import. The script provides just enough back-story to make this issue welcoming to newcomers without getting bogged down by exposition.
As with much of Aaron’s work, there’s a fair amount of humor to balance out the more dramatic elements. In this case the humor is of the darker variety, mostly centering around how terrible Roxxon and its master are. Roxxon is basically an indictment of greedy energy corporations, crooked politicians and vapid, fear-mongering newscasters all rolled into one. It adds a fun element of satire to the book that, again, helps keep things grounded ever so slightly amid all the spectacle and grandeur.
Not that the book doesn’t deliver plenty when it comes to spectacle and grandeur. Russell Dauterman proves once again why he’s one of Marvel’s best acquisitions in recent years. With his graceful line-work and sweeping, epic shots, it’s easy to fool yourself into thinking that Olivier Coipel has started drawing Thor again. Dauterman brings his own brand of charm to the book, though. His style is perfectly suited to the dual nature of the book. He captures all the scope and majesty of Asgardia and its inhabitants, but his work is equally great at subtle emotion. The reader can’t help but feel the intense pain and suffering Jane experiences as she undergoes her chemotherapy – it’s written on every line and crease of her face. Dauterman has already grown significantly since his early Thor issues, so it’ll be fun to see just how much his style continues to evolve as this new series gets underway.
Thor is the last character that need sprucing up for the All-New, All-Different Marvel relaunch, so it’s nice to see that Marvel didn’t attempt to fix what wasn’t broken. This issue offers an easy gateway into Aaron’s ongoing saga, but it also dives right into the myriad conflicts that were left dangling prior to Secret Wars. Even in this first issue, this is a series that captures both the epic scope and intimate drama that make a good Thor comic.
