Thor Overview

By: Merin
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Thor Overview
Issues 1-5
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Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciler: Olver Coipel
Inker: Mark Morales
Colorist: Laura Martin (and #5 also Paul Mounts)
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Assitant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Warren Simons
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
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note: overviews will be largely spoiler free

The Pitch: Thor was dead. As was all Asgard. Now Thor is back, and he's brought Asgard with him.

The Scoop: Ok, let me start off by saying I'm a fan of the concept of Thor. At times I've even been a fan of certain Thor stories or comics, but overall Thor is about in the same ballpark as Superman is in comics for me. He's there, and I'm glad he's there, but I largely don't buy his stuff. This has now changed.

Ragnarok had happened. All the Norse gods had died. Not so long ago Thor's hammer had reappeared on Earth but even Doom couldn't move it so, like the Sword in the Stone, it sat with lines of people waiting their turn to try and pick it up.

Long story short – Donald Blake arrives and reclaims his destiny.

Now Thor is back, but all the rest of Asgard is gone. The series, at least so far, is Thor searching Midgard (Earth) in an attempt to find the lost souls of the gods and bring them home.

Home being Asgard, which Thor has summoned and set down in Oklahoma. Well, you know, no one else was using that state. Seriously, Thor legally buys the land from the rightful owner and everything.

That was the first two issues, more or less. You could say it is decompressed story-telling, but I'd disagree. Each issue resolves a plot point. While it is a continuous story, you finish and issue and feel like something has been settled.

Issues 3-5 then sees Blake / Thor traveling, searching for the Asgardian gods in the “hearts and souls and minds of mortals.” From New Orleans to Africa to the deserts between Nevada and New Mexico, he finds the gods inside forms of men and women who's lives / character / actions are much like the gods whom Thor discovers inside them.

Issue 3 has the long awaited for some, dismissively panned by others, first meeting of Thor and Iron Man, post Thor's death and the Civil War. Thor doesn't want anything to do with Tony, but Stark first pushes on the friendship angle then the responsibility angle then the law angle and finally the “I'll kick your ass” angle, all of which fail. I will say no more, but any fan of Thor's needs to see what happens next.

Oh, and did I mention Thor battles the Destroyer in issue 5?

The writing is compelling, the over-arcing storyline very involving, and yet another book largely taking place outside of the whole “Initiative” scene is welcome, at least in my books. I am personally so sick of government super-teams right now I could puke. Ending the digression, these issues also have amazing art – from the line work to the colors. In fact, the series as a whole I find so well-done that I wanted to give credit to the whole crew involved – yes, all the way up to Quesada. Even he lets a good thing see print now and then (and, hey, the man had been hyping Runaways from day one it was released and I wish I had listened to him back then.)
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Give it a shot if:
you are a fan of Thor you are a fan of JMS's writing you like epic searching quests you want to avoid the SHIELD dominated post Civil War MU, and yet the X-Men aren't doing it for you ----
Series Grade: A+
Issue One: A+
Issue Two: A
Issue Three: A+
Issue Four: A+
Issue Five: A+