May
13
2015
1

Thor #8 Review

Written by: Jason Aaron

Art by: Russell Dauterman

Publisher: Marvel

The current run of Thor has been nothing short of sensational—a chef-d’oeuvre. Jason Aaron has written this sprawling epic that covers a lot of ground and includes many of Thor’s enemies—at least the ‘old’ Thor’s enemies—giving us countless fights and twists that have failed to leave us anything but happy. When a comic has run for some time though, there is always a chance to reinvent the characters or inject vigour into a dried up story and that is exactly what has happened. Thor: God of Thunder was excellent and there was no real need to shake things up too much but, I have to respect him for doing it in the most radical way. When Thor #1 was released, there was a global outcry and geeks the world over lost their cool at the ‘ridiculous’ decision to change the sex of the most powerful superhero in the entire Marvel universe. Eight issues later and it is clear to see that that one change has given Thor a new lease of life and without a shadow of a doubt, one of the coolest stories ever.

In Thor #8, the heroic Thor is left battling the Destroyer—Odin and Asgard’s revered weapon. Luckily for Thor, Odinson—the former Thor and Lady Freyja bring a menagerie of other female superheroes (including Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel) to fight off the metal goliath at her side. Will they defeat the Destroyer and help aid Thor in her ongoing battle against the all-father and his brother or will they finally bring Thor and the Mjolnir back to Asgard? Well, I won’t tell you here. You’ll find the answers inside the pages of Thor #8 and without fail, you must go and buy this. Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman have once again created a thing of splendour which never fails to deliver.

The battle between the Destroyer and Thor is explosive and massive in scale—brimming with intensity and exuding a real sense of trepidation. I was concerned for Thor. One thing that we can never be sure of in the Marvel universe is that nobody is safe. Just because we have been given a fresh-faced Goddess of Thunder doesn’t mean we will be allowed to hold on to her. Russell brings the battle to life with excellent artwork that breeds real detail to the point where you feel like you’re stood beside Thor and the other heroes. I can’t continue without mentioning the talent of Matt Wilson, who has coloured Thor with such a combination of bold colours, bringing clarity to Russell Dauterman’s art. The two work like Lennon and McCartney and I can’t stress how great their finished product is.

Jason Aaron is a God in his own right; truly an Avenger and veteran when it comes wielding a pen (or keyboard). I was always behind Aaron’s vision but I was curious as to how he would go about developing the mysterious female Thor. It was clear from the start that she was human—or at least had been living on earth for some time as she was easy to relate to; The way she spoke and the way she acted gave off the naivety and disbelief us humans can have in ourselves but as the story moved forward, she turned into a warrior and a person worthy of holding the hammer of the Asgardians. I love how Jason Aaron has given girls the world over a wholesome, empowering role model—someone that we all can respect and admire. In this issue, she is on a role and the character has well and truly been established. What could have taken other writers years to achieve has taken Aaron a lot less time—Thor is a woman and she is here to stay. Another great element to Thor #8 is seeing how much of a ‘villian’ Odin has become. He’s no Loki or Malekith but he is intent on getting Mjolnir back to him at any cost, even if that means killing Thor in the process. We have seen his heart darken as the series has progressed but now, he is angry and implacable with his mind clouded. I have always viewed Odin as the ultimate father and hero—a figure of hope and honour but the way in which Aaron has developed Odin in the new Thor doesn’t make me feel the way I used to—and I love that. I never want to be settled when I read comics because it means I never want to be surprised or shocked—the evolution of Odin is one of the best elements in the series so far.

Thor #8 is another excellent issue and the story of Thor is only just beginning. After the big reveal at the end, we are left wondering how much longer ********* will be able to keep her identity a secret whilst continuing her battle against the evil of the ten realms.