Thor 1 review

Thor’s hammer has been wielded by a number of “safe keepers” in the past while Thor was, for one reason or another, not wielding it. In Fear Itself, Thor had a temporary upgrade and Captain America wielded Thor’s hammer instead in one of the event’s few awesome moments. Years ago, the hammer was wielded by a frog in yet another awesome moment. But never before has the hammer been wielded by a woman. Thanks to Jason Aaron, that changed today.

Despite Thor 1 showing the new female Thor on the cover, this comic is still about the original Thor. He’s in despair over being unworthy of wielding his hammer, yet when trouble strikes on Earth, he still dedicates himself to protecting his favourite realm. The story continues several threads from Jason Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder with both Roxxon’s recklessness with the Earth’s environment and Malekith’s brutal conquests. Even with the new plot threads, this comic is easy to follow for new readers as any number 1 should be.

The action is appropriately brutal for such a dark story. The opening pages take place on the ocean floor, complete with the awesomeness of cyborg attack sharks and classic Thor villains. The drama is equally tense with Odin and Freyja’s power struggle since Odin’s recent return and how it seems that nobody can pick up the hammer. The new Female Thor doesn’t show up until the very last page, but it’s a brilliant finisher and a great splash image. Overall, the writing is excellent and is a worthy successor to Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder series.

The art by Russell Dauterman is fantastic from start to finish. The opening pages in the ocean have great water and lighting effects with a submarine illuminating the path before them. The undersea Roxxon base has a bit of a science fiction feel to it yet still feels modern, and the splash page with them under attack is simply impressive. Thor’s unworthy look resembles a man who appears depressed with his scruffy, unshaven appearance and his expression of despair. The action flows well, and the final splash page of the new Thor is stunning.

Don’t let the fact that Thor is female discourage you from trying this series out. The original Thor will still be a major part of this series, it’s just that he’s not wielding the hammer at the moment. It’s a great comic that showcases how good a writer Jason Aaron can be. Thor fans in general should check it out.

As for who this mysterious female Thor may be, I’d rather not guess. There are hints that Freyja may be the wielder, but Aaron has stated in interviews that there will be a number of red herrings and mysteries before her true identity is revealed. It has been stated that she’s a pre-existing character though.