Thor was one of the first comics I ever read, so when Avengers Disassembled came around, and the title got cancelled, I was pretty mad. Especially since the WAY TOO LONG storyline, The Reigning, had finally finished. I was hoping things could start to get good again. So, I waited a few years. When Donald Blake popped up in Fantastic Four, I was excited. Then, J. Michael Straczynski started writing Thor. And everything got awesome again.
Thor needed some major changes from his older versions. The new outfit is simultaneously cooler and more realistic than his old one. As much as I am a fan of Shakespeare and ye olde English, Thor sounds a lot better without the “art’s,” the “thou’s,” etc. In addition, JMS has a firm hold on the character and his supporting cast, which is interesting again for the first time in a while. Volstagg is more big and lovable than ever, Heimdall is large and powerful, and Balder maintains his gentle nobility. And to improve things even more, the story throws us twist after twist of awesome info, including the return of Jane Foster, the revelation of Sif’s location, Odin’s final declaration, and Balder’s parentage. Admittedly, the real Balder was a son of Odin, but that was something that wasn’t explored in the comics before. Plus, the art is amazing. Olivier Coipel may not be the most original of artists, but he’s consistently good, and he can portray faces and expressions in a whimsical way that almost no one else can. He’s another of my top personal favorites.
I have only two complaints about this amazing series. For one, Loki as a girl is just weird. Okay? It just is. The Enchantress is an awesome enough villain, and Loki as a girl is creepy on so many levels. And in all the wrong ways, not the “oh my god, how evil” way. I have no idea why JMS did that, but it’s just weird. Really. My other issue is that the story is too slow. Sure, there were delays. But the third arc, #9-12, 600, is crawling along at a snail’s pace. A really cool snail’s pace, but a snail’s pace. Still, the fact that these are the only complaints means that this is a superb series. I only hope JMS’s replacement can keep the quality up. There are plenty of stories to explore, but they need to be explored well.
Further fleshing out Thor’s history, Matt Fraction, Clay Mann, and Patrick Zircher have drawn the three Thor one-shots, culminating in Thor: Man of War, which show Thor in the olden days and his interaction with Loki, the Enchantress, who is apparently also Idunn of the Golden Apples, the Warriors Three, frost giants, curses, and of course, his dear old daddy. The art may not be the best ever, but it’s pretty solid. And Matt Fraction compliments JMS’s portrayal of Thor in a perfect way. The final reveal at the end of Man of War is welcome and interesting as well. Matt Fraction would actually make a great successor to the title, if he wasn’t busy with Invincible Iron Man and Uncanny X-Men. Oh well.
Thor
Plot: 9.4 Art: 9.5 Dialogue: 9.3 Overall: 9.4
Thor One-Shots (Matt Fraction)
Plot: 9.3 Art: 8.9 Dialogue: 9.0 Overall: 9.0
