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Secret Wars: Battleworld #14
Battleworld: Thors
The Thors of every domain, together in one book! As cosmic cops! Whenever there's trouble on Battleworld, the Thors answer the call. But a string of mysterious murders leaves some of them asking questions that may unravel all of reality! A hard-hitting Marvel Comics police drama. With hammers. Lots and lots of hammers.
Collecting: Thors (2015) #1-4, Thor #364-365
Collecting: Thors (2015) #1-4, Thor #364-365
136 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2016
23 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,359 books1,679 followersJason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
May 16, 2016
This is possibly the best thing to come out of Secret Wars. Not only has Jason Aaron come up with a really interesting and entertaining premise (police procedural when all the cops are alternate universe versions of Thor) but he's also managed to make it relevant and important to the main Thor title, rather than just a pointless, frustrating deviation from it. I also found it moving and more than a little inspirational. For those of you who aren't scared of a little spoilerage, I'll leave you with the following piece of dialogue from the final issue:
Amen to that, brother... Amen to that...
Amen to that, brother... Amen to that...
May 20, 2016
The Thors are Doom’s Battleworld police-force made up of every incarnation of Thor from Ultimate Thor to Beta Ray Bill, to Old Thor, Frog Thor, Destroyer Thor and even Groot Thor (“I Am Thor!”). But on a world where multiple versions of the same person can exist, there are many Jane Fosters out there too - and someone is killing them all. The Thors must stop a serial killer who is murdering the same person over and over.
Jason Aaron sets up a pretty good Marvelized police procedural with this Secret Wars tie-in. I liked seeing Mark Millar/Bryan Hitch’s Ultimate Thor again and the varieties of Thor are fun to see interacting with one another, Aaron mixing in his own Thor the Unworthy and the new female Thor as well. The murder mystery is eerie too with Jane Fosters and Donald Blake being knocked off but the various Thors not knowing their relevance (Doom has wiped everyone’s minds) though they feel something for the Janes.
The story falls apart in the final act. The killer is revealed and it’s underwhelming, why Ultimate Thor wasn’t killed himself is baffling, and the motive behind the murders is completely nonsensical. Then Aaron awkwardly inserts the Secret Wars finale and the book ends. It’s such a rushed and totally unsatisfying ending, not to mention baffling for those who haven’t read the main event.
Chris Sprouse’s artwork is superb and beautifully polished, and the idea of Thor as a detective worked really well - it could definitely work as a longer-form series - but this miniseries was let down by a really poor finale. Thors is one of the less sucky Secret Wars tie-ins though it only has half a good story. It is sort-of-worthy!
Jason Aaron sets up a pretty good Marvelized police procedural with this Secret Wars tie-in. I liked seeing Mark Millar/Bryan Hitch’s Ultimate Thor again and the varieties of Thor are fun to see interacting with one another, Aaron mixing in his own Thor the Unworthy and the new female Thor as well. The murder mystery is eerie too with Jane Fosters and Donald Blake being knocked off but the various Thors not knowing their relevance (Doom has wiped everyone’s minds) though they feel something for the Janes.
The story falls apart in the final act. The killer is revealed and it’s underwhelming, why Ultimate Thor wasn’t killed himself is baffling, and the motive behind the murders is completely nonsensical. Then Aaron awkwardly inserts the Secret Wars finale and the book ends. It’s such a rushed and totally unsatisfying ending, not to mention baffling for those who haven’t read the main event.
Chris Sprouse’s artwork is superb and beautifully polished, and the idea of Thor as a detective worked really well - it could definitely work as a longer-form series - but this miniseries was let down by a really poor finale. Thors is one of the less sucky Secret Wars tie-ins though it only has half a good story. It is sort-of-worthy!
July 24, 2021
The last thing I expected when I picked up a Secret Wars crossover was a police procedural, but that's what I got. And a pretty good one at that. It starts out as one of the better tie-ins with an intriguing stand alone murder mystery. Unfortunately it falls apart at the end. You never find out why the murderer killed all these people. The last issue takes this turn into the main Secret Wars title and has nothing to do with the rest of the story. It's rushed, confusing and has nothing to do with the story that was set up over the first 3 issues. My final complaint is the collection is really only 4 issues of new material, with 2 issues of filler from Walt Simonson's great Thor run from the 80's.
September 24, 2023
A great tie-in to Secret Wars that continues Aaron's already superb run on Thor.
The Thors are the cops of Battleworld and it's their job to keep everything order. There's lots of cool appearances from various Thor's, some people will know and others are new.
And because it's pretty much a cop procedural with Thor's, there's a murder mystery that they need to uncover.
It's one of the best Secret Wars tie-ins I've read. I'd probably even go as far to say it's my favourite.
*2019 review update* still love it. The concept of Thors being a police force is brilliant. Shame we didn’t get to see more of it.
The Thors are the cops of Battleworld and it's their job to keep everything order. There's lots of cool appearances from various Thor's, some people will know and others are new.
And because it's pretty much a cop procedural with Thor's, there's a murder mystery that they need to uncover.
It's one of the best Secret Wars tie-ins I've read. I'd probably even go as far to say it's my favourite.
*2019 review update* still love it. The concept of Thors being a police force is brilliant. Shame we didn’t get to see more of it.
June 6, 2022
Reread 6/5/2022
I originally gave this 3.25 stars. Upon revisiting this, I’m going to raise it up to 3.5 stars. This was pretty cool. My only gripe keeping this from 4 stars is that we never learn the motive of the killer. Why they were doing what they were doing.
3.25 stars. Back to the world of Secret Wars. This book deals with the Thor police force. There has been 5 murders recently and the the Thors are on the case. Not only are they trying to find out who the deceased is but also who is doing the killing. This was a pretty decent murder mystery with great art that also ties into Jason Aaron’s main Thor run. Pretty cool stuff.
I originally gave this 3.25 stars. Upon revisiting this, I’m going to raise it up to 3.5 stars. This was pretty cool. My only gripe keeping this from 4 stars is that we never learn the motive of the killer. Why they were doing what they were doing.
3.25 stars. Back to the world of Secret Wars. This book deals with the Thor police force. There has been 5 murders recently and the the Thors are on the case. Not only are they trying to find out who the deceased is but also who is doing the killing. This was a pretty decent murder mystery with great art that also ties into Jason Aaron’s main Thor run. Pretty cool stuff.
March 7, 2025
In the midst of the big 2015 Secret Wars: Battleworld crossover event, we're meant to believe that a whole bunch of Thor doppelgangers work together as a police force. The Ultimate Thor -- Thorlief -- is a police detective trying to catch a serial killer with his partner Beta Ray Thor and fellow Thor officers Storm Thor (Ororo Munroe), Tree Thor (Groot), Thor the Green (Thorus of New Tokyo), the Rune Thor, Destroyer Thor, Thrr (a wolf), and Throg (a frog forensic examiner). A certain god of mischief of course turns up as a prime suspect.
The story blandly winds its way through a passel of police procedural cliches before slopping into an non-ending that feeds back into the crossover.
Two old Thor comics by Walter Simonson are tucked in at the end to fill out the book. I haven't read these since I bought them as single issues in the 1980s, and it was fun to revisit the goofy tale of Thor transforming into a frog and having to fight evil rats in Central Park. The tone shift from the dark and broody main story is super jarring.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contains material originally published in magazine form as Thors (2015) #1-4 and Thor (original series) #364-365.
Contents:
• Thors No. 1: The Code of the Hammer / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse, penciler; Karl Story, inker
• Thors No. 2: The Jane Foster Murders / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse and Goran Sudžuka, pencilers; Karl Story and Dexter Vines, inkers
• Thors No. 3: The Thunder Room / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse and Goran Sudžuka, pencilers; Karl Story and Dexter Vines, inkers
• Thors No. 4: Excessive Thunder / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse, penciler; Karl Story, inker
• Thor No. 364: Thor Croaks / Walter Simonson, writer and artist
• Thor No. 365: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, or, It's Not Easy Being Green! / Walter Simonson, writer and artist
The story blandly winds its way through a passel of police procedural cliches before slopping into an non-ending that feeds back into the crossover.
Two old Thor comics by Walter Simonson are tucked in at the end to fill out the book. I haven't read these since I bought them as single issues in the 1980s, and it was fun to revisit the goofy tale of Thor transforming into a frog and having to fight evil rats in Central Park. The tone shift from the dark and broody main story is super jarring.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contains material originally published in magazine form as Thors (2015) #1-4 and Thor (original series) #364-365.
Contents:
• Thors No. 1: The Code of the Hammer / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse, penciler; Karl Story, inker
• Thors No. 2: The Jane Foster Murders / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse and Goran Sudžuka, pencilers; Karl Story and Dexter Vines, inkers
• Thors No. 3: The Thunder Room / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse and Goran Sudžuka, pencilers; Karl Story and Dexter Vines, inkers
• Thors No. 4: Excessive Thunder / Jason Aaron, writer; Chris Sprouse, penciler; Karl Story, inker
• Thor No. 364: Thor Croaks / Walter Simonson, writer and artist
• Thor No. 365: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, or, It's Not Easy Being Green! / Walter Simonson, writer and artist
November 22, 2021
This was all right. Its a police procedural and is set in secret wars event like when Thors are a police force and what happens when one of their own aka BRB is murdered and how the Thor corps finds the killer and surprisingly it gets good and there is this layer of tension and suspense and whatnot and I like the way Aaron writes ultimate Thor and the end of it leads to the war thor saga really well. So yeah a good read.
August 8, 2016
This was just marvel candy for me. Got to see all my favourite thors and some new ones.
I thought it was going somewhere decent, but then it just ended with "yarrrrgggghhhhhhhhh lets go get doom!"
"More mead!"
I thought it was going somewhere decent, but then it just ended with "yarrrrgggghhhhhhhhh lets go get doom!"
"More mead!"
October 8, 2016
Just kind of silly.
February 2, 2016
This was one of the good ones.
Really liked it.
If you like Thor you'll like it too.
It's a police drama noir detective story where every Thor possible exists and they're all cops. Doom's cops that is.
Someone's partner gets murdered and then the Thor left with no partner starts investigation.
Very good story, great artwork and all around fun to read.
Also we get a Thor Groot. I mean come on. You can't NOT like that. He. Says. "I AM THOR". C'monnnn!
PS. If you don't like that, you're doing something wrong. Go read Betty & Veronica.
Really liked it.
If you like Thor you'll like it too.
It's a police drama noir detective story where every Thor possible exists and they're all cops. Doom's cops that is.
Someone's partner gets murdered and then the Thor left with no partner starts investigation.
Very good story, great artwork and all around fun to read.
Also we get a Thor Groot. I mean come on. You can't NOT like that. He. Says. "I AM THOR". C'monnnn!
PS. If you don't like that, you're doing something wrong. Go read Betty & Veronica.
July 7, 2018
A murder mystery where everybody is a Thor? Yep, Jason Aaron makes it work.
September 25, 2018
After Unworthy Thor, I've been plunging backwards through Jason Aaron's run on Thor and man, even this title is amazing.
Where else you gonna encounter a detective/cop!Thor and a killer sho targets one person, but in several 'verses?
Where else you gonna encounter a detective/cop!Thor and a killer sho targets one person, but in several 'verses?
July 6, 2020
4* a jen proto, že jsem četl Secret Wars a Aaronového Thora. Všechno do sebe pěkně zapadá...
March 19, 2016
Like everything else during Secret Wars, Jason Aaron's ongoing Thor series went on hiatus for the duration of the event. However, he wrote this interim mini-series that focuses on the Thors of Battleworld; basically the super-powered, hammer wielding police force that enforce Doom's will.
Unlike some of the other Secret Wars mini-series which, whilst a good read, didn't have much of an impact on the Marvel Universe moving forward, this series looks as though its fallout will be very important to Jason Aaron's story moving forward.
So to set the scene, this series is kind of a whodunnit. When the same person turns up murdered in every domain on Battleworld, the Ultimate Thor investigates. Along the way, he'll discover some very familiar faces from the 616 Universe, as well as some interesting re-imagined Thors from across Battleworld (Groot Thor and Thrr, the werewolf Thor, being my favourites). The resolution isn't exactly what I expected and comes across a little clichéd when filtered through the usual cop story lenses, but it's a fun read that has just enough story to fill the issues and nothing more, dovetailing into the main Secret Wars story right near the end to come full circle.
The artwork is divided between Chris Sprouse (#1-4) and Goran Sudzuka (#2-3), but like a lot of series with multiple artists nowadays, the pair play to each others strengths to the point where you can't tell who drew which parts of which issue. It seems mainstream comics are finally learning about visual consistency being key, and if you can't keep the same artist on 4 issues, at least get a similar person to help out.
Thors isn't essential Secret Wars reading. Nor is it entirely essential to Jason Aaron's run on the title. However, if like me you're interested to know where the end of The Mighty Thor #5 came from, then it's worth checking out, in retrospect.
Unlike some of the other Secret Wars mini-series which, whilst a good read, didn't have much of an impact on the Marvel Universe moving forward, this series looks as though its fallout will be very important to Jason Aaron's story moving forward.
So to set the scene, this series is kind of a whodunnit. When the same person turns up murdered in every domain on Battleworld, the Ultimate Thor investigates. Along the way, he'll discover some very familiar faces from the 616 Universe, as well as some interesting re-imagined Thors from across Battleworld (Groot Thor and Thrr, the werewolf Thor, being my favourites). The resolution isn't exactly what I expected and comes across a little clichéd when filtered through the usual cop story lenses, but it's a fun read that has just enough story to fill the issues and nothing more, dovetailing into the main Secret Wars story right near the end to come full circle.
The artwork is divided between Chris Sprouse (#1-4) and Goran Sudzuka (#2-3), but like a lot of series with multiple artists nowadays, the pair play to each others strengths to the point where you can't tell who drew which parts of which issue. It seems mainstream comics are finally learning about visual consistency being key, and if you can't keep the same artist on 4 issues, at least get a similar person to help out.
Thors isn't essential Secret Wars reading. Nor is it entirely essential to Jason Aaron's run on the title. However, if like me you're interested to know where the end of The Mighty Thor #5 came from, then it's worth checking out, in retrospect.
September 18, 2016
Alright Mr. Aaron, you better make good on the "You should have brought more Thors" line. Here's where you brought *all* the Thors.
And wham - the cold open grabs me:
Fucking brilliant "police procedural" with every Thor you could ever imagine? And Thors ripping on other Thors? Yeah baby, I'm in!
They even have a Groot!
And a lot of funny. Oh my god is this funny.
Or cool, seeing 616 and 1610 Thors toe to toe:
Or how rich the world of Thors is - from the Valhalla bar hung thick with hammers, to the interrogation room whose window is ringed with runes, to the trash talk between Thors. It's all I wanted in a gang of Thors story.
I'm not saying much here because it's a good story that doesn't drag but doesn't go overboard either. Just a solid story I'll read again in the future. And a stirring coda. I'm holding back on five stars because there's a little ting of familiar in this story - which I'm OK with, but it doesn't tread fresh ground as much as a five-star book would have.
And wham - the cold open grabs me:
Fucking brilliant "police procedural" with every Thor you could ever imagine? And Thors ripping on other Thors? Yeah baby, I'm in!
They even have a Groot!
And a lot of funny. Oh my god is this funny.
Or cool, seeing 616 and 1610 Thors toe to toe:
Or how rich the world of Thors is - from the Valhalla bar hung thick with hammers, to the interrogation room whose window is ringed with runes, to the trash talk between Thors. It's all I wanted in a gang of Thors story.
I'm not saying much here because it's a good story that doesn't drag but doesn't go overboard either. Just a solid story I'll read again in the future. And a stirring coda. I'm holding back on five stars because there's a little ting of familiar in this story - which I'm OK with, but it doesn't tread fresh ground as much as a five-star book would have.
May 1, 2016
This is a little hard to explain without giving away spoilers, but it takes place between the end of Avengers: Time Runs Out and Secret Wars and is actually a mystery /detective story about, well Thors. All of them.
While it isn't bad, the art is fine, it just feels like a fill-in story, and because that's really all it is, just a few issues longer. There's not a lot of depth to it and gives you a little insight into some of the Thors if you aren't familiar with them, but not much. It does lead right into Secret Wars but I wouldn't say that it is absolutely necessary.
While it isn't bad, the art is fine, it just feels like a fill-in story, and because that's really all it is, just a few issues longer. There's not a lot of depth to it and gives you a little insight into some of the Thors if you aren't familiar with them, but not much. It does lead right into Secret Wars but I wouldn't say that it is absolutely necessary.
April 11, 2016
I had no idea what this was going to be like going in. I didn't actually do that much research, I only saw that Jason Aaron was writing something Thor related and that was all I needed. Which ended up being a surprisingly good decision on my part. From other Secret Wars series, I'd picked up that the Thors from across dimensions are essentially Battleworld's police force. Or FBI, rather, the ones authorized to patrol at a Battleworld level. So Aaron just totally runs with it and makes this a police procedural murder mystery, but with Thors. And it's pretty awesome, actually. The murder mystery is the sort of thing that could probably only happen during the Secret Wars stuff, and it holds together nicely. And good use of Loki, as well, something that I wasn't quite expecting.
November 15, 2016
Aaron continues his fine Thor run with this essential Secret Wars entry. 4 issues of main story. Essential to the Secret Wars event. 2 reprints from the Walt Simonson era.
I wish Marvel had collected more of these little series into larger books. There's 42 of the damn things! Way, way too many! That's flipping nutty, Marvel. I'd have much rather shelled out $65 for a Battleworld Companion than missing out on 90% of the mini's. Which I have. Grumble. Rant.
I wish Marvel had collected more of these little series into larger books. There's 42 of the damn things! Way, way too many! That's flipping nutty, Marvel. I'd have much rather shelled out $65 for a Battleworld Companion than missing out on 90% of the mini's. Which I have. Grumble. Rant.
April 14, 2017
In the wake of Avengers: Time Runs Out and the big Marvel event, Secret Wars, Doom has become a god and has assembled a patchwork planet composed of the remains of various alternate Earths. Dubbed Battleworld, there exists regions like Deadland, inhabited by the Marvel Zombies, Greenland, a nation of Hulks, and places where Marvel events like Civil War and Age of Apocalypse never ended. Policing this planet of oddities and troubles are the Thors, Doom's hammer-wielding authorities.
I dug the heck out of this particular Secret Wars tie-in series. There's just something about taking a collection of Thors and dumping them into an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street that hits some big, old sweet spots for me.
Jason Aaron's writing is wonderfully noir-like and procedural, and he finds plenty of comedic beats to keep the mood light. Unlike the previous Secret Wars tie-in title I read, Ultimate End, there's an actual story being well told here, and one that even manages to tie into Aaron's on-going, overarching story across various Thor titles.
I dug the heck out of this particular Secret Wars tie-in series. There's just something about taking a collection of Thors and dumping them into an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street that hits some big, old sweet spots for me.
Jason Aaron's writing is wonderfully noir-like and procedural, and he finds plenty of comedic beats to keep the mood light. Unlike the previous Secret Wars tie-in title I read, Ultimate End, there's an actual story being well told here, and one that even manages to tie into Aaron's on-going, overarching story across various Thor titles.
August 9, 2017
Why is Groot dressed up like Thor saying, "I am Thor"? I don't know. I don't really care either.
The first issue was a bland crime-scene investigation with a dozen or so Thors standing around chatting.
This is the second year in a row my Thor reading has been hijacked by an event. I haven't read Secret Wars yet - I got bored of Hickman's Avengers series leading up to it, so its not guaranteed I will even bother reading it.
The problem with Hickman (and thus this event) is that he throws you into some crazy universe but nothing really happens. It took thousands of pages for Hickman to tell his Avengers/Infinity storyline, and for what? I don't know! It was a fun read I suppose, but I would rather get my PhD in something other than Superhero comics.
The first issue was a bland crime-scene investigation with a dozen or so Thors standing around chatting.
This is the second year in a row my Thor reading has been hijacked by an event. I haven't read Secret Wars yet - I got bored of Hickman's Avengers series leading up to it, so its not guaranteed I will even bother reading it.
The problem with Hickman (and thus this event) is that he throws you into some crazy universe but nothing really happens. It took thousands of pages for Hickman to tell his Avengers/Infinity storyline, and for what? I don't know! It was a fun read I suppose, but I would rather get my PhD in something other than Superhero comics.
January 23, 2016
ORIGINALLY POSTED: http://bibliomantics.com/2015/11/30/m...
The Thors are tasked with policing Battleworld, the planet made up of pieces of the Marvel multiverse now ruled by former Doctor turned Emperor Doom. While the Thor Corps is a fun mix of Thors throughout the universe (you go Groot Thor!), it wasn’t the strongest Secret Wars story line I read.
The Thors are tasked with policing Battleworld, the planet made up of pieces of the Marvel multiverse now ruled by former Doctor turned Emperor Doom. While the Thor Corps is a fun mix of Thors throughout the universe (you go Groot Thor!), it wasn’t the strongest Secret Wars story line I read.
Read
January 14, 2016Essentially a James Ellroy noir procedural, except instead of the hollowness of the American dream it's about the hollowness of the Battleworld dream, and all of the cops are different versions of Thor. This is the sort of thing you can only get when a long-running shared universe is well into its decadent phase; often they're insufferable, but this is one of the loopy successes which justify the whole teetering edifice.
March 21, 2016
Lots of fun seeing all the different incarnations of Thor working together in a very police procedural setting.
November 11, 2015
A great Secret Wars tie-in. Basically, if you read and like Aaron's Thor, you should read this.
November 12, 2021
Thors is a Battleworld tie in to the Secret Wars crossover event. Thors is still written by Jason Aaron who at the time had been handling duties of the main Thor series.
This book doesn’t really develop any of the storylines from the Thor series, but it is a very fun and enjoyable tie in.
In the main Secret Wars event it was a established they Doctor Doom had created a police force to keep the peace between the smorgasbord of realms. Enter the Thor Corps, a police force made up entirely of Thor variants. Ultimate Thor in particular plays a major role. But there are various other Thors.
What follows is a buddy cop style story revolving around a murder mystery. Considering it’s part of a crossover the story itself is fairly self contained. You could probably dive into this without having read the actual crossover event or much of Thor.
Overall this is probably the best crossover event tie in I have ever read. Still part of said event, but it uses that as a backdrop to do its own thing. Most tie ins feel like they are only part of the story, so I am impressed with this.
Bonus content: we get 2 classic issues of Thor from 1966 series issues #364-365. Also a very fun story wherein Thor is turned into a frog. It’s silly, but again a very enjoyable story.
This book doesn’t really develop any of the storylines from the Thor series, but it is a very fun and enjoyable tie in.
In the main Secret Wars event it was a established they Doctor Doom had created a police force to keep the peace between the smorgasbord of realms. Enter the Thor Corps, a police force made up entirely of Thor variants. Ultimate Thor in particular plays a major role. But there are various other Thors.
What follows is a buddy cop style story revolving around a murder mystery. Considering it’s part of a crossover the story itself is fairly self contained. You could probably dive into this without having read the actual crossover event or much of Thor.
Overall this is probably the best crossover event tie in I have ever read. Still part of said event, but it uses that as a backdrop to do its own thing. Most tie ins feel like they are only part of the story, so I am impressed with this.
Bonus content: we get 2 classic issues of Thor from 1966 series issues #364-365. Also a very fun story wherein Thor is turned into a frog. It’s silly, but again a very enjoyable story.
March 5, 2021
The cover of this book promised it was a must-read for any Thor fan, and after reading it... I'm inclined to agree.
I've read bits of the "Battleworld" story before and enjoyed it, and was really interested in reading this collection. It did not disappoint! Love the idea of Thors being the police force of Battleworld, and I thought the relationships between Ultimate Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Unworthy Thor, and Loki were really fun and well written. The story follows police detective, Ultimate Thor (Leif), as he searches for the mass killer of Battleworld's Jane Fosters; when his partner's body turns up next, bearing the same injuries of the killer's victims, Leif realizes that this case may go deeper than he originally thought.
This volume also contained the Silver Age origins of Frog Thor, which is a much sillier and very enjoyable tale.
I've read bits of the "Battleworld" story before and enjoyed it, and was really interested in reading this collection. It did not disappoint! Love the idea of Thors being the police force of Battleworld, and I thought the relationships between Ultimate Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Unworthy Thor, and Loki were really fun and well written. The story follows police detective, Ultimate Thor (Leif), as he searches for the mass killer of Battleworld's Jane Fosters; when his partner's body turns up next, bearing the same injuries of the killer's victims, Leif realizes that this case may go deeper than he originally thought.
This volume also contained the Silver Age origins of Frog Thor, which is a much sillier and very enjoyable tale.
August 5, 2022
On Battleworld, a planet made of patchwork pieces from throughout the multiverse, it is up to the Thor Corps to keep order and enforce the laws of God Emperor Doom.
Thorlief, the Ultimate Thor, is a homicide detective alongside his partner Beta Ray Thor, investigating a series of murders. Every victim is a different version of the same woman.
This story is absolutely delightful. Utterly weird yes but there's something about a police procedural where nearly every character is an alternate version of Thor that is just crazy enough to work. This is also Jason Aaron's second attempt at a cosmic murder mystery. But, unlike Original Sin, this one works.
Thorlief, the Ultimate Thor, is a homicide detective alongside his partner Beta Ray Thor, investigating a series of murders. Every victim is a different version of the same woman.
This story is absolutely delightful. Utterly weird yes but there's something about a police procedural where nearly every character is an alternate version of Thor that is just crazy enough to work. This is also Jason Aaron's second attempt at a cosmic murder mystery. But, unlike Original Sin, this one works.
September 4, 2019
القصة كانت ممتعة+ كالعادة لوكي انقذ اليوم 🥰💗💗💓💓+اعتقد the unworthy thor هو ثور اللي نحن نعرفه ؟؟؟؟ اهمشي حبيته وعندي الكومك مالته وبقراها اليوم سمسمشم
September 16, 2025
This story is so dumb, and I kind of love it. The Simonson Throg origin story is a nice bonus.
April 20, 2016
Thors may be the best of the tie-in series to Secret Wars.
In Thors, the various iterations of the Thunder God serve as the police force of Battleworld. A serial killer case draws detective partners Ultimate Thor and Beta Ray Bill onto the trail of a murderer stalking the same two victims across Doom’s patchwork planet. Loki, a crazed street person, points Ultimate Thor toward the culprit. Teaming up with the disgraced Odinson, Ultimate Thor realizes that the truth behind the killings relates to the critical lie at the heart of the world Doom has constructed.
Writer Jason Aaron, who’s got a strong track record with the Thunder God, did some really crafty work with Thors. More than any other Secret Wars series, it made good use of multiple versions of the title character in one story. It not only drove a compelling narrative, but tied the climax directly into the heart of the issues driving the parent saga.
Casting Thors as a noir-drenched cop procedural was an inspired stroke on Aaron’s part. The contrast of that very earthbound genre sensibility with the mythological trappings of Thor provided for a compelling and unique take on the characters. Aaron injected all kinds of fun bits into the story and put some interesting spins on familiar tropes. King Thor as the grizzled commanding officer, Frog Thor as the medical examiner and Odinson as the fallen cop were all creative uses of familiar characters inhabiting procedural archetypes in highly entertaining ways.
Long-time fans will enjoy seeing the various Thor iterations involved in the story. The current female Thor figured heavily in the climax, and other versions, like Thunderstrike and Storm as Thunder Goddess, were welcome callbacks. The story even had room for a couple of amusing surprises, like a Groot Thor (“I am Thor!”). Aaron also deployed Loki rather cannily. The story was just a blast to read.
The popular veteran team of Chris Sprouse and Karl Story handled most of the art, with an assist from Gordon Sudzuka and Dexter Vines on a couple issues. Thors boasted a shadowy, gritty feel that was a nice approximation of its genre inspiration. That contrasted well with the more fantastic images of a police force comprised of variations on the title character. The action is clean and uncluttered, with the images flowing easily. The two art teams are very simpatico and the Sudzuka/Vines parts are pretty much seamless with the Sprouse/Story sections. Colorists Marte Gracia and Israel Silva do strong work, bathing the proceedings in dark, subdued hues to evoke the noir atmosphere, punctuated with bright bursts of color when one of the Thors lets loose with a lightning bolt. It’s lively, involving art that serves the story ideally.
As a bonus, the collected edition includes Walt Simonson’s ‘80s vintage two-parter that introduced Frog Thor. It’s a nice throwback to round out the experience.
You don’t need to be an existing fan to enjoy Thors, though the more familiarity a reader has with the character’s past, the more impact some of the fun choices will have. Either way, this is among the best realized of the Secret Wars tie-ins and is worth reading.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
In Thors, the various iterations of the Thunder God serve as the police force of Battleworld. A serial killer case draws detective partners Ultimate Thor and Beta Ray Bill onto the trail of a murderer stalking the same two victims across Doom’s patchwork planet. Loki, a crazed street person, points Ultimate Thor toward the culprit. Teaming up with the disgraced Odinson, Ultimate Thor realizes that the truth behind the killings relates to the critical lie at the heart of the world Doom has constructed.
Writer Jason Aaron, who’s got a strong track record with the Thunder God, did some really crafty work with Thors. More than any other Secret Wars series, it made good use of multiple versions of the title character in one story. It not only drove a compelling narrative, but tied the climax directly into the heart of the issues driving the parent saga.
Casting Thors as a noir-drenched cop procedural was an inspired stroke on Aaron’s part. The contrast of that very earthbound genre sensibility with the mythological trappings of Thor provided for a compelling and unique take on the characters. Aaron injected all kinds of fun bits into the story and put some interesting spins on familiar tropes. King Thor as the grizzled commanding officer, Frog Thor as the medical examiner and Odinson as the fallen cop were all creative uses of familiar characters inhabiting procedural archetypes in highly entertaining ways.
Long-time fans will enjoy seeing the various Thor iterations involved in the story. The current female Thor figured heavily in the climax, and other versions, like Thunderstrike and Storm as Thunder Goddess, were welcome callbacks. The story even had room for a couple of amusing surprises, like a Groot Thor (“I am Thor!”). Aaron also deployed Loki rather cannily. The story was just a blast to read.
The popular veteran team of Chris Sprouse and Karl Story handled most of the art, with an assist from Gordon Sudzuka and Dexter Vines on a couple issues. Thors boasted a shadowy, gritty feel that was a nice approximation of its genre inspiration. That contrasted well with the more fantastic images of a police force comprised of variations on the title character. The action is clean and uncluttered, with the images flowing easily. The two art teams are very simpatico and the Sudzuka/Vines parts are pretty much seamless with the Sprouse/Story sections. Colorists Marte Gracia and Israel Silva do strong work, bathing the proceedings in dark, subdued hues to evoke the noir atmosphere, punctuated with bright bursts of color when one of the Thors lets loose with a lightning bolt. It’s lively, involving art that serves the story ideally.
As a bonus, the collected edition includes Walt Simonson’s ‘80s vintage two-parter that introduced Frog Thor. It’s a nice throwback to round out the experience.
You don’t need to be an existing fan to enjoy Thors, though the more familiarity a reader has with the character’s past, the more impact some of the fun choices will have. Either way, this is among the best realized of the Secret Wars tie-ins and is worth reading.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
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