Thor: God of Thunder #1 Review: Marvel NOW!
*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Esad Ribic
Color Artist: Dean White
This is my first time reading an ongoing Thor title. I never paid attention to Thor before The Avengers started dominating all things Marvel. I give Thor: God of Thunder credit for taking the biggest leap as far as ongoing titles relaunching in Marvel NOW!. We get not one, not two, but three Thor’s in the opening arc. Young Viking Thor, present-day Thor, and King Thor. Tying all three Thor’s together is a brand new villain called The God Butcher.
What I Liked
This was a great introductory issue. Jason Aaron is very creative coming up with the idea for The God Butcher. This could have been a simple tale of Thor taking on this new foe, but to weave it throughout Thor’s history is a nice twist. I was trying to choose which version of Thor was my favorite, but I can’t choose between the three. From the brash overconfidence of Viking Thor, to the more subtle humor of present-day Thor, and the crankiness of King Thor, each one brought something to the table. One simple line from present-day Thor regarding ale brought a smile to my face.
Thor: God of Thunder also made me take a closer look at God’s in the Marvel universe. Present-day Thor does a good deed, which frankly takes me by surprise. I am not surprised by Thor doing it, but how he came to find out about it. It makes sense, but I can’t believe I never thought of that ability myself.
The art from Esad Ribic and Dean White impressed me as well. When I saw the cover art released for Thor: God of Thunder, I didn’t believe I’d like Ribic and White. But the panels inside changed my mind. Dean White does a nice job of making the colors look like they’re almost painted on. The art and colors look like they were made specifically for a warrior like Thor.
Lastly, issue one made me think what other God’s are out there waiting to be introduced. If each planet has their own set of God’s, and Marvel being on a big cosmic-kick with Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy debuting in Marvel NOW!, there should be a countless number of God’s waiting to be created.
What I Didn’t Like
Honestly there was nothing I disliked from issue one. Aaron and Ribic have done what Marvel NOW! has set out to do; capture new readers, which I will be going forward. If there is one small gripe, it’s that Marvel has the credits page at the end of the book instead of the beginning. I know with Marvel NOW! they want to mix up the look of the titles by changing the cover and credit pages, but it will take some getting used to.
Thor: God of Thunder #1 does not take any prior knowledge of the Thunder God to leap right into. Thor is minus his supporting cast and Asgard, so the reader is left to follow him along as he faces this new threat. What are your thoughts on Thor: God of Thunder #1? If you were a previous reader of Thor books, make sure to leave feedback in the comments section stating how it compares to other versions.
This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/
Timdogg
#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE
