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Thor by Jason Aaron #5
Thor, Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics (2015)Who is the Goddess of Thunder?
The secrets of Original Sin have laid low one of Marvel's greatest heroes. The God of Thunder is unworthy, and Mjolnir lies on the moon, unable to be lifted! But when Frost Giants invade Earth, a new hand will grasp the hammer--and a mysterious woman will take up the mantle of the mighty Thor! Her identity is secret to even Odin, but she may be Earth's only hope against the Frost Giants. Get ready for a Thor like you've never seen before as this all-new heroine takes Midgard by storm! Plus: The Odinson clearly doesn't like that someone else is holding his hammer--it's Thor vs. Thor! And Odin, desperate to see Mjolnir returned, will call on some very dangerous, very unexpected allies. It's a bold new chapter in the storied history of Thor!
Collecting: Thor 1-5
The secrets of Original Sin have laid low one of Marvel's greatest heroes. The God of Thunder is unworthy, and Mjolnir lies on the moon, unable to be lifted! But when Frost Giants invade Earth, a new hand will grasp the hammer--and a mysterious woman will take up the mantle of the mighty Thor! Her identity is secret to even Odin, but she may be Earth's only hope against the Frost Giants. Get ready for a Thor like you've never seen before as this all-new heroine takes Midgard by storm! Plus: The Odinson clearly doesn't like that someone else is holding his hammer--it's Thor vs. Thor! And Odin, desperate to see Mjolnir returned, will call on some very dangerous, very unexpected allies. It's a bold new chapter in the storied history of Thor!
Collecting: Thor 1-5
136 pages, Library Binding
First published April 15, 2015
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,371 books1,712 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,167 reviews
August 31, 2015
I've been waiting quite a while to get my hands on all 5 of these issues, and Marvel Unlimited finally came through for me!
Most of this story was worth the wait! Loved the new chick, loved the politics on Asgard, loved Maaal...Maleket...the badass dark elf's part in everything, and loved how Thor reactedfor the most part.
So, Thor lost his worthiness to wield Mjolnir at the end of Original Sins. And nobody knows what the hell Fury whispered in his ear that caused him to drop it, but Thor has been sobbing and cuddling with the hammer ever since, trying to win back its love.
Mystery Thor shows up on the moon after everyone has left to go fight Frost Giants, and snatches it right up...no problem.
So who is this new Thor?!
Well, don't expect to get any answers out of this volume!
Yeah, yeah. Most of you already knew that. But I'd been purposely avoiding everything spoilery since this title started. Do you know how hard that's been? Ugh. Anyway, I wanted to wait till I could read this volume for myself. So, when I got to the end of that last issue and I still didn't know who Lady-Thor was?Fuck you, I'll call her that if I want to! I felt a mighty disappointment. Because god knows when MU will release enough issues for me to read the next volume...
So. I did it. I went ahead and read the spoilers.
sigh
Hmmm. Ok.
There were some great scenes in this one, and there were some not so great scenes in this one. But, overall, I thought Goddess of Thunder was a winner.
I was almost annoyed that old Thor insisted on fighting new Thor, but then it turned into a parody of the usual When-Two-Heroes-Meet-They-Gotta-Fight trope, so it won me over. Plus, since Thor thought his mother might be the one behind the mask, it had a funny ending...
Not everything was quite as funny to me.
The idea that a female villain is going to just say: Oh! I'm so impressed with the strides you're making in feminism! I'm going to just give up, let you whack me in the head, and then haul me off to jail...simply because we both have a vag!
Re-donkulous.
First, she's not the first or only female hero out there.
Second, this chick wouldn't care even if she was!
Hello? Hardened criminal? She just wants to steal shit and move on, not make a statement about women in the workplace. But thanks for shoehorning that in there for all of us lady-readers...I guess?
As long as I'm on a bitchy roll, I may as well get it all out.
So why does Thor give this new chick his name? Why can't she just be the Jane Doe, Goddess of Thunder? I mean, it makes no sense!
What? All of the Avengers are going to have to stop calling him Thor and start calling him Odinson, now? That's stupid!
If I lost the ability to drive my minivan (my equivalent to Mjolnir), and somebody else had to drive it, I wouldn't start calling them Anne.
I'm still Anne. Just a minivanless Anne!
I'm all for more female superheros. We need them, we want them, and it's long past time that comics started representing a huge part of their readership with a bit more respect.
But.
I think they can do that without renaming characters.
{end rant}
However, this was so much fun to read that I overlooked most of the stuff that bugged me. It's fun, and this new Goddess of Thunder kicked ass!
Oh! I also enjoyed Sif's cameo. I would love to see more of her in something.
Anything! Maybe even a title of her own?
*big pleading eyes*
Anyway, even if I didn't agree with everything, I thought it was a great concept, and a blast to read!
Definitely Recommended.
Get this review and more at:
Most of this story was worth the wait! Loved the new chick, loved the politics on Asgard, loved Maaal...Maleket...the badass dark elf's part in everything, and loved how Thor reacted
So, Thor lost his worthiness to wield Mjolnir at the end of Original Sins. And nobody knows what the hell Fury whispered in his ear that caused him to drop it, but Thor has been sobbing and cuddling with the hammer ever since, trying to win back its love.
Mystery Thor shows up on the moon after everyone has left to go fight Frost Giants, and snatches it right up...no problem.
So who is this new Thor?!
Well, don't expect to get any answers out of this volume!
Yeah, yeah. Most of you already knew that. But I'd been purposely avoiding everything spoilery since this title started. Do you know how hard that's been? Ugh. Anyway, I wanted to wait till I could read this volume for myself. So, when I got to the end of that last issue and I still didn't know who Lady-Thor was?
So. I did it. I went ahead and read the spoilers.
sigh
Hmmm. Ok.
There were some great scenes in this one, and there were some not so great scenes in this one. But, overall, I thought Goddess of Thunder was a winner.
I was almost annoyed that old Thor insisted on fighting new Thor, but then it turned into a parody of the usual When-Two-Heroes-Meet-They-Gotta-Fight trope, so it won me over. Plus, since Thor thought his mother might be the one behind the mask, it had a funny ending...
Not everything was quite as funny to me.
The idea that a female villain is going to just say: Oh! I'm so impressed with the strides you're making in feminism! I'm going to just give up, let you whack me in the head, and then haul me off to jail...simply because we both have a vag!
Re-donkulous.
First, she's not the first or only female hero out there.
Second, this chick wouldn't care even if she was!
Hello? Hardened criminal? She just wants to steal shit and move on, not make a statement about women in the workplace. But thanks for shoehorning that in there for all of us lady-readers...I guess?
As long as I'm on a bitchy roll, I may as well get it all out.
So why does Thor give this new chick his name? Why can't she just be the Jane Doe, Goddess of Thunder? I mean, it makes no sense!
What? All of the Avengers are going to have to stop calling him Thor and start calling him Odinson, now? That's stupid!
If I lost the ability to drive my minivan (my equivalent to Mjolnir), and somebody else had to drive it, I wouldn't start calling them Anne.
I'm still Anne. Just a minivanless Anne!
I'm all for more female superheros. We need them, we want them, and it's long past time that comics started representing a huge part of their readership with a bit more respect.
But.
I think they can do that without renaming characters.
{end rant}
However, this was so much fun to read that I overlooked most of the stuff that bugged me. It's fun, and this new Goddess of Thunder kicked ass!
Oh! I also enjoyed Sif's cameo. I would love to see more of her in something.
Anything! Maybe even a title of her own?
*big pleading eyes*
Anyway, even if I didn't agree with everything, I thought it was a great concept, and a blast to read!
Definitely Recommended.
Get this review and more at:
February 6, 2016
Do I have issues with "Thor" being a title instead of name? Yes. (Like, if someone nicks my magic colostomy bag, they're not going to run around calling themselves "Sean" just because they have something that once belonged to me...and, frankly, if someone's weird enough to steal a colostomy bag, magic or not, I think we can come up with far better nicknames for them.)
I mean, the inscription says "Whosoever holds this hammer, if (s)he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." The POWER of Thor--not the NAME of Thor. So, calling this new lady hero "Thor" just seems needlessly confusing. (I've got no problems with a lady holding the hammer, mind you--she's awesomely fierce--the name thing is just sticking in my craw, because I'm a comic geek, and I smell like one too.)
That said, Jason Aaron continues to produce a highly entertaining Thor book--this is reliably good stuff month-over-month. Signs seem to be pointing toward an obvious identify for lady Thor, so I'm hoping there's a twist to come (not that the obvious choice would be a bad Thor--I'd just like a twistier mystery).
Looking forward to more of this--3.5 Stars for this volume.
I mean, the inscription says "Whosoever holds this hammer, if (s)he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." The POWER of Thor--not the NAME of Thor. So, calling this new lady hero "Thor" just seems needlessly confusing. (I've got no problems with a lady holding the hammer, mind you--she's awesomely fierce--the name thing is just sticking in my craw, because I'm a comic geek, and I smell like one too.)
That said, Jason Aaron continues to produce a highly entertaining Thor book--this is reliably good stuff month-over-month. Signs seem to be pointing toward an obvious identify for lady Thor, so I'm hoping there's a twist to come (not that the obvious choice would be a bad Thor--I'd just like a twistier mystery).
Looking forward to more of this--3.5 Stars for this volume.
November 23, 2015
"Whosoever holds the hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of... Thor" – inscription on the side of Mjolnir.
In the Marvel event comic Original Sin, a secret was whispered to Thor in the midst of a battle – a secret that made him unworthy of his enchanted hammer, Mjolnir! The hammer now rests on the surface of the moon, unmoved by Thor and even its creator, Odin.
Freyja, the All Mother, has been running Asgard while Odin has been watching over his imprisoned brother – but now he’s returned and wants his throne back. With Asgard’s rule disrupted and Thor’s power severely weakened, the dark elf sorcerer Malekith aligns himself with the Frost Giants to launch an attack on Midgard, freezing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and leaving the planet vulnerable – who will step up to save the world?
“There must always be a Thor…”
A mysterious woman appears on the moon – and lifts Mjolnir! Who is she? She’s Thor!
Jason Aaron’s written maybe my favourite Thor book ever with Goddess of Thunder. I love it when Marvel does something risky with the status quo - remember Superior Spider-Man: what if Doc Ock was Spidey? It sounded completely nuts but it turned out to be the best Spider-Man storyline in years! Same with Thor – what if he was a she? Brilliant results!
It’s great that Aaron dreamt up that change and kept the name Thor – not something embarrassing like Thorina or Thorette: Thor! She’s also as tough as the dude and brings the thunder just as hard so the comic is as action-packed as any other Thor story, it’s simply that the new Thor is female. She even wears the same outfit, though she keeps the helm on at all times which obscures the top half of her face and therefore her identity, like an old school superhero mask (unfortunately we don’t discover who she is in this first volume).
I like how Aaron addresses the critics of the female Thor in the comic, manifesting their complaints (“feminists are ruining everything!”) in supervillain Crusher Creel and having Thor punch him – “that’s for saying ‘feminist’ like it’s a four-letter word! … and for the robbery…!” Even Titania, Creel’s supervillain wife, thinks her hubby’s a dumbass for complaining the new Thor’s a woman!
Male Thor (Thor classic?) has some fine moments too. Even without Mjolnir he goes to face Malekith and the Frost Giants head on because that’s what heroes do whether they’ll lose or not – the mark of a true warrior! Also, if you’ve been following Aaron’s other Thor series, particularly the issues featuring old Thor from the future, we see part of how present Thor becomes that old man in this book. Even tropes that get overused in superhero comics where superheroes fight superheroes feel fresh here as we see Thor vs Thor, a unique conflict.
What I enjoyed seeing best was that in this Thor book, Thor classic isn’t the guy charging about smashing stuff with his hammer – new Thor is. Instead Jason Aaron’s made him the world’s clumsiest sleuth as he begins to ham-fistedly investigate the secret identity of new Thor. The scene where he interviews his ex, the Lady Sif, was funny and I’m looking forward to seeing Thor work his way down his list!
The only critiques I’d make for this one are that the Frost Giant plot wasn’t as strong mostly because the draw here is female Thor, so it got overshadowed, and that Russell Dauterman doesn’t draw all of the issues (Jorge Molina fills in on the final issue).
Dauterman draws some sweeping epic battle scenes between new Thor and the Frost Giants, displaying the full range of her new powers as the Goddess of Thunder (powers that, admittedly, she comes to master very quickly – I guess Mjolnir’s guiding her or something?). Matthew Wilson’s wonderfully bright colouring gives the book a glowing appearance as if to mark the rise of a new hero; terrific work from the art team.
New Thor is a great character and this first book is an awesome introduction to her. It makes me want to see her taking over the Thor movies after Chris Hemsworth’s third (legions of Hemsworth fans drown out the suggestion “Boo! We need more Hemsworth – and more Tom Hiddleston too! And make Hemsworth shirtless on screen the whole time!”).
Jason Aaron’s thing seems to be creating one new Thor after another. He started his run with young Thor, present Thor and future, old Thor. To the ranks is added female Thor, and still it doesn’t feel like too many Thors – I don’t know how he’s doing it but it’s a helluva juggling act!
The Goddess of Thunder is here - and she is very worthy!
In the Marvel event comic Original Sin, a secret was whispered to Thor in the midst of a battle – a secret that made him unworthy of his enchanted hammer, Mjolnir! The hammer now rests on the surface of the moon, unmoved by Thor and even its creator, Odin.
Freyja, the All Mother, has been running Asgard while Odin has been watching over his imprisoned brother – but now he’s returned and wants his throne back. With Asgard’s rule disrupted and Thor’s power severely weakened, the dark elf sorcerer Malekith aligns himself with the Frost Giants to launch an attack on Midgard, freezing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and leaving the planet vulnerable – who will step up to save the world?
“There must always be a Thor…”
A mysterious woman appears on the moon – and lifts Mjolnir! Who is she? She’s Thor!
Jason Aaron’s written maybe my favourite Thor book ever with Goddess of Thunder. I love it when Marvel does something risky with the status quo - remember Superior Spider-Man: what if Doc Ock was Spidey? It sounded completely nuts but it turned out to be the best Spider-Man storyline in years! Same with Thor – what if he was a she? Brilliant results!
It’s great that Aaron dreamt up that change and kept the name Thor – not something embarrassing like Thorina or Thorette: Thor! She’s also as tough as the dude and brings the thunder just as hard so the comic is as action-packed as any other Thor story, it’s simply that the new Thor is female. She even wears the same outfit, though she keeps the helm on at all times which obscures the top half of her face and therefore her identity, like an old school superhero mask (unfortunately we don’t discover who she is in this first volume).
I like how Aaron addresses the critics of the female Thor in the comic, manifesting their complaints (“feminists are ruining everything!”) in supervillain Crusher Creel and having Thor punch him – “that’s for saying ‘feminist’ like it’s a four-letter word! … and for the robbery…!” Even Titania, Creel’s supervillain wife, thinks her hubby’s a dumbass for complaining the new Thor’s a woman!
Male Thor (Thor classic?) has some fine moments too. Even without Mjolnir he goes to face Malekith and the Frost Giants head on because that’s what heroes do whether they’ll lose or not – the mark of a true warrior! Also, if you’ve been following Aaron’s other Thor series, particularly the issues featuring old Thor from the future, we see part of how present Thor becomes that old man in this book. Even tropes that get overused in superhero comics where superheroes fight superheroes feel fresh here as we see Thor vs Thor, a unique conflict.
What I enjoyed seeing best was that in this Thor book, Thor classic isn’t the guy charging about smashing stuff with his hammer – new Thor is. Instead Jason Aaron’s made him the world’s clumsiest sleuth as he begins to ham-fistedly investigate the secret identity of new Thor. The scene where he interviews his ex, the Lady Sif, was funny and I’m looking forward to seeing Thor work his way down his list!
The only critiques I’d make for this one are that the Frost Giant plot wasn’t as strong mostly because the draw here is female Thor, so it got overshadowed, and that Russell Dauterman doesn’t draw all of the issues (Jorge Molina fills in on the final issue).
Dauterman draws some sweeping epic battle scenes between new Thor and the Frost Giants, displaying the full range of her new powers as the Goddess of Thunder (powers that, admittedly, she comes to master very quickly – I guess Mjolnir’s guiding her or something?). Matthew Wilson’s wonderfully bright colouring gives the book a glowing appearance as if to mark the rise of a new hero; terrific work from the art team.
New Thor is a great character and this first book is an awesome introduction to her. It makes me want to see her taking over the Thor movies after Chris Hemsworth’s third (legions of Hemsworth fans drown out the suggestion “Boo! We need more Hemsworth – and more Tom Hiddleston too! And make Hemsworth shirtless on screen the whole time!”).
Jason Aaron’s thing seems to be creating one new Thor after another. He started his run with young Thor, present Thor and future, old Thor. To the ranks is added female Thor, and still it doesn’t feel like too many Thors – I don’t know how he’s doing it but it’s a helluva juggling act!
The Goddess of Thunder is here - and she is very worthy!
January 15, 2016
Let's be honest, the plot itself plays second fiddle to the fact that this is Female. Thor.
The big draw of this series is so far (after just one volume granted) its biggest flaw for me. It plays so much on the fact that she's female - and that the males around her are sexist, pig headed oafs - that that BECOMES the story. Everyone thinks her puny, there's comments on her being 'Thor' and not 'Thorina' or something equally as rubbish, there's talk of Feminism and a female villain even surrenders with a 'pass' this time out of some kind of female solidarity.
I am ALL for strong female role models, especially those seen as equal within the comic book universes, and I am SO in for Thor being female. I just think it could have been a tad less heavy handed. Us ladies (feminists included) enjoy comic books because we enjoy comic books, please let the feminism be a constant that doesn't need neon lights.
The big draw of this series is so far (after just one volume granted) its biggest flaw for me. It plays so much on the fact that she's female - and that the males around her are sexist, pig headed oafs - that that BECOMES the story. Everyone thinks her puny, there's comments on her being 'Thor' and not 'Thorina' or something equally as rubbish, there's talk of Feminism and a female villain even surrenders with a 'pass' this time out of some kind of female solidarity.
I am ALL for strong female role models, especially those seen as equal within the comic book universes, and I am SO in for Thor being female. I just think it could have been a tad less heavy handed. Us ladies (feminists included) enjoy comic books because we enjoy comic books, please let the feminism be a constant that doesn't need neon lights.
August 20, 2019
I am a big fan of girl power. I like the thought of a woman Asgardian, but Thor is a name and this title really shifted that to a title. I get doing something new, but the whole taking over the hammer thing and calling her Thor was weird. Why not call her Jane or whatever. Anyway.
Despite the weirdness with how this was done, it was a fun little book and Lady Thor can really kick butt. I'm saying Lady Thor as Thor is a guy and it's too confusing to call them the same thing. The guy Thor has been around for decades, so respect. She has to fight against a lot of how people see her, but she proves herself worthy of the task. It's also weird she starts talking like Thor as well.
I guess I feel like woman don't need to take the identity of a man. Their own identity is enough and I don't like idea of the wielder of the hammer takes the name of Thor. In some ways it's like a wife taking her husbands name and being Mrs. husbands name. Lady Thor was an excellent character. I just wish Jane Foster had more of her own identity in this thing.
It was interesting and I think I want to finish the next volume too.
Despite the weirdness with how this was done, it was a fun little book and Lady Thor can really kick butt. I'm saying Lady Thor as Thor is a guy and it's too confusing to call them the same thing. The guy Thor has been around for decades, so respect. She has to fight against a lot of how people see her, but she proves herself worthy of the task. It's also weird she starts talking like Thor as well.
I guess I feel like woman don't need to take the identity of a man. Their own identity is enough and I don't like idea of the wielder of the hammer takes the name of Thor. In some ways it's like a wife taking her husbands name and being Mrs. husbands name. Lady Thor was an excellent character. I just wish Jane Foster had more of her own identity in this thing.
It was interesting and I think I want to finish the next volume too.
July 26, 2015
I was really looking forward to this. Aaron's done a great job writing Thor for a long time now, and I was interested in seeing female Thor. I was not at all disappointed. If anything, this is even better than Aaron's previous Thor work.
The new Thor (whose identity is still a mystery at the end of the volume) is absolutely the star, and I loved her. There's no question that she's worthy of Mjolnir. She's determined, wield the hammer well (it's implied that Mjolnir is actively aiding her), and she's no more foolishly impetuous than the average Thor. I'm very interested in seeing exactly who she really is, especially because my personal theory got shot down pretty quickly. I also like that she doesn't spend the entire volume proving herself. Even the previous wielder of the hammer doesn't take an inordinate (given how hard-headed he can be in general) amount of time to accept that she's truly worthy.
The original Thor (now calling himself Odinson) shows up pretty frequently. At first, he's just sitting on the moon, begging Mjolnir to take him back, and it's kind of heart-breaking. Later, he accepts that Mjolnir has chosen a new wielder and becomes the world's most ineffective detective. He literally makes a list of potential candidates and basically asks the people on the list if they're the new Thor. Loki is on the list. I will personally pay Aaron real American dollars if he writes the scene with the Odinson asking Loki if he's the new Thor. Money straight out of my hand, I mean it.
It isn't a perfect book, but it's admirably close. The big Frost Giant thing sort of takes a back seat to Thor becoming, well, Thor. Which is fine and probably necessary, except that it makes the actual Frost Giants kind of beside the point. Maybe it would have been better to start with a smaller background plot, but Thor did need to prove herself.
Now and then, Marvel takes a big risk with a marquee character, and it leads to fantastic storytelling. Superior Spider-Man was one such risk that paid off. And this, I think, is another.
The new Thor (whose identity is still a mystery at the end of the volume) is absolutely the star, and I loved her. There's no question that she's worthy of Mjolnir. She's determined, wield the hammer well (it's implied that Mjolnir is actively aiding her), and she's no more foolishly impetuous than the average Thor. I'm very interested in seeing exactly who she really is, especially because my personal theory got shot down pretty quickly. I also like that she doesn't spend the entire volume proving herself. Even the previous wielder of the hammer doesn't take an inordinate (given how hard-headed he can be in general) amount of time to accept that she's truly worthy.
The original Thor (now calling himself Odinson) shows up pretty frequently. At first, he's just sitting on the moon, begging Mjolnir to take him back, and it's kind of heart-breaking. Later, he accepts that Mjolnir has chosen a new wielder and becomes the world's most ineffective detective. He literally makes a list of potential candidates and basically asks the people on the list if they're the new Thor. Loki is on the list. I will personally pay Aaron real American dollars if he writes the scene with the Odinson asking Loki if he's the new Thor. Money straight out of my hand, I mean it.
It isn't a perfect book, but it's admirably close. The big Frost Giant thing sort of takes a back seat to Thor becoming, well, Thor. Which is fine and probably necessary, except that it makes the actual Frost Giants kind of beside the point. Maybe it would have been better to start with a smaller background plot, but Thor did need to prove herself.
Now and then, Marvel takes a big risk with a marquee character, and it leads to fantastic storytelling. Superior Spider-Man was one such risk that paid off. And this, I think, is another.
November 4, 2015
Ever since the events of Original Sin, Thor has been on the moon trying to lift his hammer.
It seems someone else had done what Thor and Odin could not.
So there is a new Thor. A woman who just happened to show up on the moon when all of Asgardia went home. I have to say I've never been a fan of Thor and giving his hammer to a woman makes no difference to me. Thor and Asgard and all that stuff just aren't very interesting. Anyway I wish they didn't make a new super hero by giving them another hero's power. It would be fine if not for the fact that Thor will almost certainly get his hammer back at some point not too long from now.
Thor Goddess of Thunder is about 2.5 stars for me
It seems someone else had done what Thor and Odin could not.
So there is a new Thor. A woman who just happened to show up on the moon when all of Asgardia went home. I have to say I've never been a fan of Thor and giving his hammer to a woman makes no difference to me. Thor and Asgard and all that stuff just aren't very interesting. Anyway I wish they didn't make a new super hero by giving them another hero's power. It would be fine if not for the fact that Thor will almost certainly get his hammer back at some point not too long from now.
Thor Goddess of Thunder is about 2.5 stars for me
September 23, 2019
“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of THOR.”
Or she.
The events of the latest crossover have left the mighty Thor unworthy in Mjolnir’s judgement so the hammer is just sitting on the surface of the moon. Then when frost giants rise out of the ocean’s depth and Thor tries to stop them he gets his arm chopped off by the dark elf Malekith.
Talk about a bad day
Fortunately, there’s a mysterious lady who can wield the hammer as the new Thor.
Thor is a character that I never really gave a damn about in the comic books. After reading this, I do. Not just because there’s a new Goddess of Thunder, but because the old Thor is going through a lot of crap in this one, and that’s a lot more interesting than just the big blonde dude who talks funny and has a stupid helmet like the Thor of my youth.
There’s just a lot of intriguing stuff going in with the mystery of the new Thor, the turmoil of old Thor, and Odin being a real overbearing jerkface ruler on Asgard. There’s also a lot of fun action with new Thor battling frost giants as well as then having to take on old Thor when he shows up thinking that the hammer is still is. Best of all is the new Thor, and I particularly like how her thoughts tell us that she is not an Asgardian even if her speech comes out just as flowery and bombastic as old Thor’s at times.
Or she.
The events of the latest crossover have left the mighty Thor unworthy in Mjolnir’s judgement so the hammer is just sitting on the surface of the moon. Then when frost giants rise out of the ocean’s depth and Thor tries to stop them he gets his arm chopped off by the dark elf Malekith.
Talk about a bad day
Fortunately, there’s a mysterious lady who can wield the hammer as the new Thor.
Thor is a character that I never really gave a damn about in the comic books. After reading this, I do. Not just because there’s a new Goddess of Thunder, but because the old Thor is going through a lot of crap in this one, and that’s a lot more interesting than just the big blonde dude who talks funny and has a stupid helmet like the Thor of my youth.
There’s just a lot of intriguing stuff going in with the mystery of the new Thor, the turmoil of old Thor, and Odin being a real overbearing jerkface ruler on Asgard. There’s also a lot of fun action with new Thor battling frost giants as well as then having to take on old Thor when he shows up thinking that the hammer is still is. Best of all is the new Thor, and I particularly like how her thoughts tell us that she is not an Asgardian even if her speech comes out just as flowery and bombastic as old Thor’s at times.
July 10, 2026
Jason Aaron continues his Thor run by beginning a new chapter in the mythos with a new god of thunder, and she's a goddess.
The first four chapters of this new trade collection are instant classics. While the fifth issue is illustrated competently and moves the overarching story forward, the storytelling does not sing of thunder and lightning, nor does it reverberate with the pounding of a hammer on the giants' ice flesh.
Another observation this reader had was of Odin's sudden change in attitude toward Midgard. The once and future All-Father may have been humbled and replaced by the trinity of the All-Mother while he was away from Asgard, now Asgardia, it doesn't feel like the All-Father of old. Aaron's Odin is petty and lacks the wisdom he traded his eye for. It's a change that unsettled this reader. Still, this is Thor's book and if Odin's change in demeanor serves a purpose, then so be it.
#1 - First issue is set in the aftermath of Original Sin and we have a new status quo: Odinson out, new Thor (goddess) in!
#2 - The first time new Thor faces frost giants, and the artist just went all out in creating a new memorable lightning graphic effect. This new Thor has the power, but with her wielding Mjolnir, it's not all blunt force trauma, the god and the hammer are one and they seem to sing with every swing of the hammer. Thor versus frost giants! This is what a Thor comic should be!
#3 - More Thor versus frost giant goodness.
#4 - Thor versus Thor! This was inevitable, but still heartbreaking as Thor has begun to accept his unworthiness, so much so, he even gave up his name. Thor no more! From this moment on, the unworthy Thor shall be called Odinson.
#5 - Odin deals with the reality of a new Thor, while Thor proves she's an equal opportunity hero.
The first four chapters of this new trade collection are instant classics. While the fifth issue is illustrated competently and moves the overarching story forward, the storytelling does not sing of thunder and lightning, nor does it reverberate with the pounding of a hammer on the giants' ice flesh.
Another observation this reader had was of Odin's sudden change in attitude toward Midgard. The once and future All-Father may have been humbled and replaced by the trinity of the All-Mother while he was away from Asgard, now Asgardia, it doesn't feel like the All-Father of old. Aaron's Odin is petty and lacks the wisdom he traded his eye for. It's a change that unsettled this reader. Still, this is Thor's book and if Odin's change in demeanor serves a purpose, then so be it.
July 12, 2015
I!!!! LOVED!!!!! THIS!!!!!!! SO!!!!!!!!!!! MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!
The transition from the Thor everyone knows to the new female Thor was done so seamlessly and fits the universe so well, oh man. Also female Thor is so great, I love her little though bubbles as she's trying to figure out exactly how to navigate being the new Thor. Everything about this was just so awesome and I cannot express how excited I am to see where Thor's story is going to go!!!!!!!!!!!!
The transition from the Thor everyone knows to the new female Thor was done so seamlessly and fits the universe so well, oh man. Also female Thor is so great, I love her little though bubbles as she's trying to figure out exactly how to navigate being the new Thor. Everything about this was just so awesome and I cannot express how excited I am to see where Thor's story is going to go!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this as a follow on from the God of thunder run.
They handled the handover to the female Thor really well and the whole story is packed with great action.
In this volume we see the return of Malekeith the accursed trying to retrieve a powerful artefact from Midgard (of course where else?!) along with the ice Giants. Female Thor turns up and everyone is a bit confused as male Thor is still sitting on the moon because he couldn't lift Mjolnir because of the secrets Fury learned from original sin. Malekeith seems to be the most switched on bad guy I've seen so far. He knows straight away what's happening and takes full advantage in a gruesome way. A bad guy not to be taken lightly. This ties up nicely with the previous run on Thor.
All in all I'm loving Aaron's run on this. I just can't wait until male Thor eventually becomes worthy again!
They handled the handover to the female Thor really well and the whole story is packed with great action.
In this volume we see the return of Malekeith the accursed trying to retrieve a powerful artefact from Midgard (of course where else?!) along with the ice Giants. Female Thor turns up and everyone is a bit confused as male Thor is still sitting on the moon because he couldn't lift Mjolnir because of the secrets Fury learned from original sin. Malekeith seems to be the most switched on bad guy I've seen so far. He knows straight away what's happening and takes full advantage in a gruesome way. A bad guy not to be taken lightly. This ties up nicely with the previous run on Thor.
All in all I'm loving Aaron's run on this. I just can't wait until male Thor eventually becomes worthy again!
November 18, 2015
I read the first two issues of this comic in a class I was teaching. The focus was on the shift to more representations of women in comics of all kinds, so we read She-Hulk, women's memoirs, Ms. Marvel, a few other things online, and this. Early on, in those issues, we were just getting into this shift, but we most of us liked it a lot.
The thing I most admire about this is that he is a Thor scholar, this Aaron. he's done young Thor and other traditionally male Thors, and knows the lore as well as anyone. I read some of the responses to this from the traditionalists who saw it as bowing down to the feminists, being PC, whatever, but I thought his responses to them were a great both in letters he wrote to the criticism and in the comic itself. He makes it clear that he respects the tradition and extends it in this way to help us understand in a new way what Thor represents. Not a gendered thing, the qualities of Thor-ness, Aaron says.
The story itself here is solid. She's as Thor as any of her predecessors, and I liked the interaction between the dethroned male Thor who supports this female Thor as, Aaron suggest, we all should. I guess I think of it as about a 3.5 for my personal comics interests. Consider the source in that I am not this huge Marvel guy. But I appreciate what he is doing here.
The thing I most admire about this is that he is a Thor scholar, this Aaron. he's done young Thor and other traditionally male Thors, and knows the lore as well as anyone. I read some of the responses to this from the traditionalists who saw it as bowing down to the feminists, being PC, whatever, but I thought his responses to them were a great both in letters he wrote to the criticism and in the comic itself. He makes it clear that he respects the tradition and extends it in this way to help us understand in a new way what Thor represents. Not a gendered thing, the qualities of Thor-ness, Aaron says.
The story itself here is solid. She's as Thor as any of her predecessors, and I liked the interaction between the dethroned male Thor who supports this female Thor as, Aaron suggest, we all should. I guess I think of it as about a 3.5 for my personal comics interests. Consider the source in that I am not this huge Marvel guy. But I appreciate what he is doing here.
October 24, 2015
There is a new THOR in town! To tell you the truth i wasn't very sure of what to expect from this new comic series. I love THOR, the real one, with the bulging muscles and the red cape but this new Goddess was an absolute delight too.
Thor lost his Mjölnir after Nick Fury whispered something(?!) in his ear -yeah, i know weird and tacky way to make Thor unworthy- and even though he spends all his time trying to make it cooperate again that's just not happening.
So after a while someone is bound to lift the damn thing and move on... and this time it will be a woman. At first THOR is devastated and furious and of course he tries to get it back from her but later on always the valiant gentleman, he recognises her aptitude and even offers her his name. Therefore we have two Thors now and thank God the one decides to go by Odinson (guess who).
Although this contains volumes 1-5 by the end of the fifth one you still won't be able to tell who is the the Goddess -it is hinted in many points. I found out who she is an i love her so i'm ecstatic by the author's choice.
Anyway, this is very good, i like Malekith and Dario Agger and the equality message the series conveys. Of course i will go ahead and read the rest.
Thor lost his Mjölnir after Nick Fury whispered something(?!) in his ear -yeah, i know weird and tacky way to make Thor unworthy- and even though he spends all his time trying to make it cooperate again that's just not happening.
So after a while someone is bound to lift the damn thing and move on... and this time it will be a woman. At first THOR is devastated and furious and of course he tries to get it back from her but later on always the valiant gentleman, he recognises her aptitude and even offers her his name. Therefore we have two Thors now and thank God the one decides to go by Odinson (guess who).
Although this contains volumes 1-5 by the end of the fifth one you still won't be able to tell who is the the Goddess -it is hinted in many points. I found out who she is an i love her so i'm ecstatic by the author's choice.
Anyway, this is very good, i like Malekith and Dario Agger and the equality message the series conveys. Of course i will go ahead and read the rest.
May 25, 2018
"What the hell kind of Thor are you?" - Crusher 'Absorbing Man' Creel, bad guy
"The kind who just broke your jaw!" KRRRUNG! (a punch to the face) - Thor, Goddess of Thunder
Another successful bid by Marvel Comics to update their legendary name characters (see also Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Amadeus Cho as Hulk, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, etc.) for a 21st century audience, this introductory volume shows our new Thor "worthy" of wielding Mjolnir during an undersea adventure. I particularly liked her proper speech - sounding like an important citizen of Asgard, of course - was contrasted with plain Americanized English thought bubbles.
"The kind who just broke your jaw!" KRRRUNG! (a punch to the face) - Thor, Goddess of Thunder
Another successful bid by Marvel Comics to update their legendary name characters (see also Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Amadeus Cho as Hulk, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, etc.) for a 21st century audience, this introductory volume shows our new Thor "worthy" of wielding Mjolnir during an undersea adventure. I particularly liked her proper speech - sounding like an important citizen of Asgard, of course - was contrasted with plain Americanized English thought bubbles.
June 19, 2022
Estoy empezando con esta saga por supuesto por la película que viene de "Thor: Love and Thunder", que desde su anuncio en 2019 se sabe que adaptará parte de este cómic. No es la primera vez que oí este volumen, lo recuerdo casi desde que salió allá por el 2014 cuando empezó la avalancha de personajes femeninos reemplazando a los icónicos vengadores. Nunca lo leí pero sabía de qué iba la historia y también su final.
Debo decir que éste es el primer cómic de Thor que leo además. Los primeros números nos hablan de la invasión de la Tierra (Midgard) por los gigantes de hielo liderados por el rey de los elfos oscuros Malekith el maldito. Este elfo azul ha llegado a un trato con los gigantes de hielo que empiezan a invadir las profundidades de los mares para tener un cráneo divino para ellos y poderoso. Thor, quien luego del susurro de Nick Fury ha quedado indigno, pasa sus días lamentándose de que ya no puede usar a Mjolnir. Pero la invasión de la tiera lo obligará a actuar solo para encontrarse con al nueva Thor quien muy sencilla pero haciendo su mejor esfuerzo se gana sin lugar a dudas las simpatías de todos.
Debo decir que éste es el primer cómic de Thor que leo además. Los primeros números nos hablan de la invasión de la Tierra (Midgard) por los gigantes de hielo liderados por el rey de los elfos oscuros Malekith el maldito. Este elfo azul ha llegado a un trato con los gigantes de hielo que empiezan a invadir las profundidades de los mares para tener un cráneo divino para ellos y poderoso. Thor, quien luego del susurro de Nick Fury ha quedado indigno, pasa sus días lamentándose de que ya no puede usar a Mjolnir. Pero la invasión de la tiera lo obligará a actuar solo para encontrarse con al nueva Thor quien muy sencilla pero haciendo su mejor esfuerzo se gana sin lugar a dudas las simpatías de todos.
March 26, 2017
3.5? I guess? This book was not made for me and that's just fine. It's still a good book. Just not one I got super invested in.
Jorge Molina's art is freaking gorgeous! I am in love with the way he draws the Thors. I mean, who wouldn't want to find themselves in a Thor sandwich? This guy should draw everything, in my opinion.
So, I went into this wanting to love it because dudebros threw bitchfits over a female Thor and it was sad. If you can't take another version of your favorite hero existing, you must be new around here because here are several heroes that have been recreated, retconned or share their monikers with other people. I think Marvel's attempts to feature more diverse characters is a great step in the right direction. Granted, they need to embrace letting more diverse writers write them but that's a rant for another day.
Anyway, I wanted to love this but I'm starting at a low place because I have yet to find a Thor Odinson story interesting. Usually, if I'm reading Thor it's because it's a tie in to another arc I was reading. I usually find him to be quite boring. His films don't interest me outside of his relationship with Loki because Loki brings out more complexities to Thor's character. For example, I loved Thor's parts in Loki: Agent of Asgard. Yeah, I know he was inverted or whatever but the dynamics between a Loki who was trying to be good and a Thor that was unwittingly bad were so interesting!
So, I started at a low point so there was really nowhere to go but up with this one. I love Thor in this. I think she's adorable, fearless and I like that she doesn't shy away from the violence of beating down Frost Giants. She's a great character on her own. I appreciate the bits of Freyja in this book and Odinson (the gorgeous Odinson) was great. That's all I commend here.
I appreciate that Malekith is a more formidable villain here that he was in Thor: The Dark World by the aspects of him I felt intrigued by just reminded me of Loki. Odin's a dick but when is he not? The plot in the first arc was quite boring to me. I adore the art but I couldn't always tell what was happening in some of the action sequences.
The highlight of this book, aside from Thor, was her scene with Odinson. His resistance to accept that someone else could be worthy when he is not was a good plot. Also, one I'd be interested in reading more about in his solo issue which is crazy to me because I'm never interested in Thor comics. I like their chemistry.
So, while I will definitely read the next volume, I'm not in a hurry. There wasn't enough of a draw for me here and, as I said earlier, that's more about the fact that this was not quite my cup of tea.
Jorge Molina's art is freaking gorgeous! I am in love with the way he draws the Thors. I mean, who wouldn't want to find themselves in a Thor sandwich? This guy should draw everything, in my opinion.
So, I went into this wanting to love it because dudebros threw bitchfits over a female Thor and it was sad. If you can't take another version of your favorite hero existing, you must be new around here because here are several heroes that have been recreated, retconned or share their monikers with other people. I think Marvel's attempts to feature more diverse characters is a great step in the right direction. Granted, they need to embrace letting more diverse writers write them but that's a rant for another day.
Anyway, I wanted to love this but I'm starting at a low place because I have yet to find a Thor Odinson story interesting. Usually, if I'm reading Thor it's because it's a tie in to another arc I was reading. I usually find him to be quite boring. His films don't interest me outside of his relationship with Loki because Loki brings out more complexities to Thor's character. For example, I loved Thor's parts in Loki: Agent of Asgard. Yeah, I know he was inverted or whatever but the dynamics between a Loki who was trying to be good and a Thor that was unwittingly bad were so interesting!
So, I started at a low point so there was really nowhere to go but up with this one. I love Thor in this. I think she's adorable, fearless and I like that she doesn't shy away from the violence of beating down Frost Giants. She's a great character on her own. I appreciate the bits of Freyja in this book and Odinson (the gorgeous Odinson) was great. That's all I commend here.
I appreciate that Malekith is a more formidable villain here that he was in Thor: The Dark World by the aspects of him I felt intrigued by just reminded me of Loki. Odin's a dick but when is he not? The plot in the first arc was quite boring to me. I adore the art but I couldn't always tell what was happening in some of the action sequences.
The highlight of this book, aside from Thor, was her scene with Odinson. His resistance to accept that someone else could be worthy when he is not was a good plot. Also, one I'd be interested in reading more about in his solo issue which is crazy to me because I'm never interested in Thor comics. I like their chemistry.
So, while I will definitely read the next volume, I'm not in a hurry. There wasn't enough of a draw for me here and, as I said earlier, that's more about the fact that this was not quite my cup of tea.
August 8, 2019
Oops, never wrote a review back when I read this in the Summer of '18.
Short version: highly entertaining, great potential to explore with the character of Jane Foster and this new incarnation of "Thor".
#Worthy
Short version: highly entertaining, great potential to explore with the character of Jane Foster and this new incarnation of "Thor".
#Worthy
January 13, 2016
Thor has become unworthy of lifting his own hammer because somebody whispered something to him. What was whispered to him? Who knows.
Some woman lifted the hammer and gets to be Thor (2) now. WHO IS THE GODDESS OF THUNDER? Who knows.
I can't understand why crucial plot information is being withheld from both the characters and the reader, but the first volume in this series aggravatingly ends with nary a hint to either of the above questions. Thor (2) is kept fairly bland and personality-free, while the plot crawls along in an attempt to milk the two central mysteries for all they're worth. Most of the character interactions seem to have been written purely to validate Thor (2) and invalidate Thor, which comes off as forced and defensive on the author's part. There's also a ridiculous amount of misogyny pointlessly dropped by the villains and bland feminist rejoinders thrown back by Thor (2), because apparently nobody is allowed to write a story about a female superhero anymore without turning it into some kind of trite political document.
Some woman lifted the hammer and gets to be Thor (2) now. WHO IS THE GODDESS OF THUNDER? Who knows.
I can't understand why crucial plot information is being withheld from both the characters and the reader, but the first volume in this series aggravatingly ends with nary a hint to either of the above questions. Thor (2) is kept fairly bland and personality-free, while the plot crawls along in an attempt to milk the two central mysteries for all they're worth. Most of the character interactions seem to have been written purely to validate Thor (2) and invalidate Thor, which comes off as forced and defensive on the author's part. There's also a ridiculous amount of misogyny pointlessly dropped by the villains and bland feminist rejoinders thrown back by Thor (2), because apparently nobody is allowed to write a story about a female superhero anymore without turning it into some kind of trite political document.
May 23, 2016
Really loved this! It was everything I'd hoped for in a Thor comic. And now I need the next volume.
"BRING ME ANOTHER!" *crash*
"BRING ME ANOTHER!" *crash*
Read
July 13, 2024two stars ∗
October 23, 2015
Well, then. There be a new face in the world of comics and she will trash- I mean the thrash whoever standeth in her way!
This was a joy to read. At long last, Thor's mighty hammer, Mjolnir, just gives up on him and decides to move on to better pastures. And who better to wield the hammer of the gods than...
Wait a second. WHO IS IT? Like really, who is this lady?
That is the main mystery of Goddess of Thunder and readers will be delighted to know that we never find out in this volume. In fact, they torture us in several panels with the possibility. But no, now I have to find the second volume.
That's not all though. There's some Frost Giant business brewing on Earth and Maleficent- sorry, Malekith is there to help stir the pot.
Let me just mention how much I like his character design. Look at that colour scheme, it's so darn epic. He's got Loki's looks with Joker's sensibilities and that goes about as well as you'd expect.
Somewhere along the way we pick up a billionaire Minotaur, Thor's badass mother/queen goddess, some attack sharks and this dude whom everyone but Odin hates:
Tell me you didn't imagine him with the voice of this guy:
Yeah, we get some major butt-kicking by Thor to Thor, some major villany by lots of people, some major stupidity by all-seeing Odin and some major feminism from the writers.
Maybe too much feminism. Female empowerment does not equate to girl villain giving up out of sisterhood at the sight of lady Thor.
The book is otherwise really clever, because it includes these things:
-Female Thor has an internal monologue that is very different from she actually says (i.e she speaks normal English), suggesting that the power of Mjolnir is contagious?
-Freyja, Thor's mom, doing a way better of job of ruling than Odin ever did, but not getting acknowledged for it
-A tiny cameo by the Avengers
-An antagonist that's actually scary
-Everybody trying to pick up the hammer
-Truly fabulous art that is both grand and simple
-Sly humor
-ATTACK SHARKS
Go forth and read this one, my friends.
This was a joy to read. At long last, Thor's mighty hammer, Mjolnir, just gives up on him and decides to move on to better pastures. And who better to wield the hammer of the gods than...
Wait a second. WHO IS IT? Like really, who is this lady?
That is the main mystery of Goddess of Thunder and readers will be delighted to know that we never find out in this volume. In fact, they torture us in several panels with the possibility. But no, now I have to find the second volume.
That's not all though. There's some Frost Giant business brewing on Earth and Maleficent- sorry, Malekith is there to help stir the pot.
Let me just mention how much I like his character design. Look at that colour scheme, it's so darn epic. He's got Loki's looks with Joker's sensibilities and that goes about as well as you'd expect.
Somewhere along the way we pick up a billionaire Minotaur, Thor's badass mother/queen goddess, some attack sharks and this dude whom everyone but Odin hates:
Tell me you didn't imagine him with the voice of this guy:
Yeah, we get some major butt-kicking by Thor to Thor, some major villany by lots of people, some major stupidity by all-seeing Odin and some major feminism from the writers.
Maybe too much feminism. Female empowerment does not equate to girl villain giving up out of sisterhood at the sight of lady Thor.
The book is otherwise really clever, because it includes these things:
-Female Thor has an internal monologue that is very different from she actually says (i.e she speaks normal English), suggesting that the power of Mjolnir is contagious?
-Freyja, Thor's mom, doing a way better of job of ruling than Odin ever did, but not getting acknowledged for it
-A tiny cameo by the Avengers
-An antagonist that's actually scary
-Everybody trying to pick up the hammer
-Truly fabulous art that is both grand and simple
-Sly humor
-ATTACK SHARKS
Go forth and read this one, my friends.
July 25, 2016
I have to admit, I haven't read a whole lot of Thor comics. I also didn't think I was going to care for this one since I'm not really a supporter of the whole "title handoff" that Marvel has been doing with Captain America and Thor (more recently Wolverine). BUT, I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised by both this and All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters. I really, truly liked this. This and Thor: God of Thunder, Vol. 1: The God Butcher are my favorite Thor stories to date. I look forward to reading the next volume of both. Hat tip to you Mr. Aaron.
July 31, 2016
Thor has been rejected by his miraculous hammer and a new Thor, who happens to be female, is selected.
Meanwhile, Frost Giants invade Earth with the help of more nefarious types and Father Odin is most displeased with this pretender to the Thor title.
Very good to excellent artwork.
OVERALL GRADE: B plus.
Meanwhile, Frost Giants invade Earth with the help of more nefarious types and Father Odin is most displeased with this pretender to the Thor title.
Very good to excellent artwork.
OVERALL GRADE: B plus.
February 22, 2018
Loved this re-invention of Thor in a way. Great artwork and colourwork. Aaron creates a great story which is both intriguing and fun. Looks like the storyline ends after Vol 2, so a conclusion must be written. Definitely a great Thor novel, my 1st introduction into the character but my 2nd Aaron novel. Great stuff!!
May 18, 2017
Packaged as serious business. In truth it's surprisingly funny - with feminist subtext both subtle and in your face. This doesn't hinder 'Thor, Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder' from being a fun, action-packed comic book. It is one of Marvel's most groundbreaking and important titles coming out, along with the new 'Ms. Marvel' series.
Before going any further, I'll say that before this I had not read any 'Thor' comics. My knowledge of the character comes from the Marvel movies, plus the variations of Norse mythology. Still, more women getting recognition as their own superheroes in comics was something I had to check out, and I knew this change to such a renowned and iconic character was a huge risk for Marvel to take. Unsurprisingly, it did get some backlash from (mostly) male fans who still want everything to revolve around them and reflect their lives and experiences, and who pretend that none of the half of the human race reads comics or wants to see more female heroes. I wanted to support the idea of a female Thor, however, so I bought this book with my own money. This one small change may be a stepping stone towards people finally growing up and accepting that change may be scary, but it has to happen for both fiction and reality to evolve - for the better, for everyone. If Marvel can achieve outstanding success with a Muslim Ms. Marvel and an African American Spider-Man, then a woman Thor in retrospect shouldn't be considered such a stormy risk to begin with.
And as it turns out, you don't need to read the previous 'Thor' stories to get what's going on in 'The Goddess of Thunder'. You can still enjoy it, which is a relief.
Basic rundown of 'The Goddess of Thunder' is: Thor - Odinson - has been disgraced. He is no longer worthy to wield the hammer Mjolnir due to some undisclosed whispered words from Nick Fury. No one - not even King Odin, the hammer's creator - can lift it while it's stuck on the moon like Excalibur. It seems that a mighty hero and Avenger is lost, along with Asgard.
Then, out of the blue, a mysterious woman appears on the moon and lifts Mjolnir - new rules are ingrained in the stone, and she is deemed worthy. This new warrior storms forth to save the earth (Midgard), Asgard and other realms from Frost Giants and the Dark Elf Malekith. There is also an evil businessman who turns into a minotaur; Avengers making a cameo appearance being iced by the Giants; Odin plotting against the female Thor for "stealing" Mjolnir; witty banter; and male Thor riding a goat at the bottom of the sea.
Thor also hates that someone else has what was his for so long, and he does fight female Thor for it. However, unlike his father, he changes his viewpoint when he sees how Mjolnir works with and responds to the newest chosen one. He even gives her - in front of all of the good guys - the official name of Thor. Not Lady Thor, nor Thora, and definitely not Thorina or Thorita. She is Thor - the one and only, for she has proven worthy of the name.
Afterwards Odinson makes for a rubbish detective and tries to find out the identity of the new Thor (one of his suspects is Loki - this comic has a great sense of humour). Odin does not accept this change. He represents a male who stubbornly refuses such a change as gender in a hero, no matter how good the woman is, and even when she's not being seditious but simply trying her best with a heavy title now placed on her shoulders. Odin will go so far as to make idiotic decisions, and ends up as much of a villain as Malekith.
Change is good. As is shown with female Thor.
In the first volume the reader does not find out her true identity (she wears a mask), nor why she was chosen to wield Mjolnir. But her personality shines through the colourful pages. Not only is her design fantastic, but even without her awesome weapon she is capable, witty, warm-hearted, humourous, and she kicks arse. Her modern-language thought balloons in contrast to her more archaic speeches implies that she is from earth. She can take down monsters and sexists in one go.
This Thor is rather like Xena, Warrior Princess. I love that she isn't merely a distaff counterpart to Thor - she is her own person, and fights using the hammer quite differently from male Thor. No borrowed identity here; she is here to stay.
Female Thor is also one of the few heroines I've seen who steals a kiss from a male lead. One of the funniest moments in the comic is when this is followed up with her saying, "Still think I am your mother?" The response: "I certainly hope not."
New Thor may be a bit of a mystery for the moment, but this is undeniably her book, with panel trips to see how the old Thor is doing - possibly done to please the old-school fanboys.
Some responses to the terrible criticisms of a female Thor do make it into the volume, and her fight with Crusher Creel in issue 5 is the most on-the-nose of all. But addressing the issue of sexism via a Take-That against it may have been needed when the controversy was so big. I laughed at Crusher Creel complaining that there're less "manly" superheroes nowadays, thanks to feminists. Female Thor's competence as a warrior and her saying that feminist is not a four letter word are much needed step-ups as well.
Other feminist ideas come from Freyja, male Thor's mother and a prominent female figure in Asgard and the whole comic. When she ruled as the All-Mother in Odin's absence, everything went well. Only when her husband returns as the All-Father do things go awry again. Freyja is compassionate but tough, smart, level-headed, and not afraid to speak her mind - to hell with her "place" in society. She has a sarcastic streak to her as well. The All-Mother has a meaningful conversation with female Thor at the end of the volume, which isn't just a warning about Odin and his new goal to make Thor's life extremely difficult from now on. So 'The Goddess of Thunder' passes the Bechdel test.
Traditional gender roles being challenged is also shown with Odinson at his most vulnerable, and him admitting not only a thunderous change in his life, but his own limitations. A woman bests him at his classic skills and he accepts this, like a real man. He is no less a man without his hammer, but he will be by his own self-pity. Odinson is left crippled in more ways than one, and he has to keep moving forward without fighting like he used to in the old days.
I love the artwork, too. Great colour schemes, action and character expressions. It changes in the last issue, but it isn't jarring and still looks very nice.
Flaws include wanting to see a bit more of Thor herself as a focus in her own book, rather than on the controversy and mystery of her from the point of view of the other characters. More action and power from her please! Though I'm sure there will be in the next volume. There's also the amount of times the words "worthy" and "unworthy" are said. I know they mean a big deal in context, but it gets comical after a while, and I'm not sure if that's the intent. It's like how the words "honour" and "hope" are overused in other works of media.
'Thor, Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder' is entertaining stuff. Colourful, grand, funny, mythological, high-octane action - it is the beginning of something mighty, I'm sure.
Final Score: 4/5
Before going any further, I'll say that before this I had not read any 'Thor' comics. My knowledge of the character comes from the Marvel movies, plus the variations of Norse mythology. Still, more women getting recognition as their own superheroes in comics was something I had to check out, and I knew this change to such a renowned and iconic character was a huge risk for Marvel to take. Unsurprisingly, it did get some backlash from (mostly) male fans who still want everything to revolve around them and reflect their lives and experiences, and who pretend that none of the half of the human race reads comics or wants to see more female heroes. I wanted to support the idea of a female Thor, however, so I bought this book with my own money. This one small change may be a stepping stone towards people finally growing up and accepting that change may be scary, but it has to happen for both fiction and reality to evolve - for the better, for everyone. If Marvel can achieve outstanding success with a Muslim Ms. Marvel and an African American Spider-Man, then a woman Thor in retrospect shouldn't be considered such a stormy risk to begin with.
And as it turns out, you don't need to read the previous 'Thor' stories to get what's going on in 'The Goddess of Thunder'. You can still enjoy it, which is a relief.
Basic rundown of 'The Goddess of Thunder' is: Thor - Odinson - has been disgraced. He is no longer worthy to wield the hammer Mjolnir due to some undisclosed whispered words from Nick Fury. No one - not even King Odin, the hammer's creator - can lift it while it's stuck on the moon like Excalibur. It seems that a mighty hero and Avenger is lost, along with Asgard.
Then, out of the blue, a mysterious woman appears on the moon and lifts Mjolnir - new rules are ingrained in the stone, and she is deemed worthy. This new warrior storms forth to save the earth (Midgard), Asgard and other realms from Frost Giants and the Dark Elf Malekith. There is also an evil businessman who turns into a minotaur; Avengers making a cameo appearance being iced by the Giants; Odin plotting against the female Thor for "stealing" Mjolnir; witty banter; and male Thor riding a goat at the bottom of the sea.
Thor also hates that someone else has what was his for so long, and he does fight female Thor for it. However, unlike his father, he changes his viewpoint when he sees how Mjolnir works with and responds to the newest chosen one. He even gives her - in front of all of the good guys - the official name of Thor. Not Lady Thor, nor Thora, and definitely not Thorina or Thorita. She is Thor - the one and only, for she has proven worthy of the name.
Afterwards Odinson makes for a rubbish detective and tries to find out the identity of the new Thor (one of his suspects is Loki - this comic has a great sense of humour). Odin does not accept this change. He represents a male who stubbornly refuses such a change as gender in a hero, no matter how good the woman is, and even when she's not being seditious but simply trying her best with a heavy title now placed on her shoulders. Odin will go so far as to make idiotic decisions, and ends up as much of a villain as Malekith.
Change is good. As is shown with female Thor.
In the first volume the reader does not find out her true identity (she wears a mask), nor why she was chosen to wield Mjolnir. But her personality shines through the colourful pages. Not only is her design fantastic, but even without her awesome weapon she is capable, witty, warm-hearted, humourous, and she kicks arse. Her modern-language thought balloons in contrast to her more archaic speeches implies that she is from earth. She can take down monsters and sexists in one go.
This Thor is rather like Xena, Warrior Princess. I love that she isn't merely a distaff counterpart to Thor - she is her own person, and fights using the hammer quite differently from male Thor. No borrowed identity here; she is here to stay.
Female Thor is also one of the few heroines I've seen who steals a kiss from a male lead. One of the funniest moments in the comic is when this is followed up with her saying, "Still think I am your mother?" The response: "I certainly hope not."
New Thor may be a bit of a mystery for the moment, but this is undeniably her book, with panel trips to see how the old Thor is doing - possibly done to please the old-school fanboys.
Some responses to the terrible criticisms of a female Thor do make it into the volume, and her fight with Crusher Creel in issue 5 is the most on-the-nose of all. But addressing the issue of sexism via a Take-That against it may have been needed when the controversy was so big. I laughed at Crusher Creel complaining that there're less "manly" superheroes nowadays, thanks to feminists. Female Thor's competence as a warrior and her saying that feminist is not a four letter word are much needed step-ups as well.
Other feminist ideas come from Freyja, male Thor's mother and a prominent female figure in Asgard and the whole comic. When she ruled as the All-Mother in Odin's absence, everything went well. Only when her husband returns as the All-Father do things go awry again. Freyja is compassionate but tough, smart, level-headed, and not afraid to speak her mind - to hell with her "place" in society. She has a sarcastic streak to her as well. The All-Mother has a meaningful conversation with female Thor at the end of the volume, which isn't just a warning about Odin and his new goal to make Thor's life extremely difficult from now on. So 'The Goddess of Thunder' passes the Bechdel test.
Traditional gender roles being challenged is also shown with Odinson at his most vulnerable, and him admitting not only a thunderous change in his life, but his own limitations. A woman bests him at his classic skills and he accepts this, like a real man. He is no less a man without his hammer, but he will be by his own self-pity. Odinson is left crippled in more ways than one, and he has to keep moving forward without fighting like he used to in the old days.
I love the artwork, too. Great colour schemes, action and character expressions. It changes in the last issue, but it isn't jarring and still looks very nice.
Flaws include wanting to see a bit more of Thor herself as a focus in her own book, rather than on the controversy and mystery of her from the point of view of the other characters. More action and power from her please! Though I'm sure there will be in the next volume. There's also the amount of times the words "worthy" and "unworthy" are said. I know they mean a big deal in context, but it gets comical after a while, and I'm not sure if that's the intent. It's like how the words "honour" and "hope" are overused in other works of media.
'Thor, Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder' is entertaining stuff. Colourful, grand, funny, mythological, high-octane action - it is the beginning of something mighty, I'm sure.
Final Score: 4/5
June 28, 2020
I like big dumb Thor the way he is, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about a GODDESS OF THUNDER stepping in and taking over, but the story was told extraordinarily well, that I became a fan! This was DIFFERENT and while it kept the classic qualities I liked, it completely flipped the script on how things are USUALLY done, I dig BOLDNESS like that.
This is a comic to get more ladies interested in comics (female empowerment), but my fiancee really enjoyed it too, in fact, he was the one who recommended this comic to me. We appreciate FEMINISM in this house. Nick already said this run of comics is one, that if we see in stores at a decent price, will be happily supporting and purchasing.
I was happy that Lady Thor didn't overshadow (OG) Thor. Another unique and interesting aspect was that both of their stories were being told at the same time. It was nice that Lady Thor, GODDESS OF THUNDER, wasn't arrogant or dominating in her role, but carries a more mysterious quality that we will have to read about in book #2 if we want to find out exactly what that entails.
The classic 'Thor dialogue' and humor are always my favorite. "You certainly do sound like a Thor."
Stellar artwork! I loved the Dark Elves and Frost Giant panels, they were packed full of color and action. Sometimes the action scenes were so detailed, I must admit at times it was difficult to see what was going on. The artwork shifts styles around the 40% mark and again 76% of the way through.
Besides a cheesy feminism scene and one other one that I thought this could've done without (no spoilers), I'm definitely interested in reading the rest of the series. I loved this!
I borrowed this e-comic from the Kindle Prime Reading program. I like reading comics digitally because the colors are extremely bright and vivid, and you can zoom in without the crazy ink smell! I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
This is a comic to get more ladies interested in comics (female empowerment), but my fiancee really enjoyed it too, in fact, he was the one who recommended this comic to me. We appreciate FEMINISM in this house. Nick already said this run of comics is one, that if we see in stores at a decent price, will be happily supporting and purchasing.
I was happy that Lady Thor didn't overshadow (OG) Thor. Another unique and interesting aspect was that both of their stories were being told at the same time. It was nice that Lady Thor, GODDESS OF THUNDER, wasn't arrogant or dominating in her role, but carries a more mysterious quality that we will have to read about in book #2 if we want to find out exactly what that entails.
The classic 'Thor dialogue' and humor are always my favorite. "You certainly do sound like a Thor."
Stellar artwork! I loved the Dark Elves and Frost Giant panels, they were packed full of color and action. Sometimes the action scenes were so detailed, I must admit at times it was difficult to see what was going on. The artwork shifts styles around the 40% mark and again 76% of the way through.
Besides a cheesy feminism scene and one other one that I thought this could've done without (no spoilers), I'm definitely interested in reading the rest of the series. I loved this!
I borrowed this e-comic from the Kindle Prime Reading program. I like reading comics digitally because the colors are extremely bright and vivid, and you can zoom in without the crazy ink smell! I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
January 5, 2016
Jason Aaron has kept moving the Odinson through the last 3yrs now? I have to say it's been superb. The three Thors more than made up for Gor being not everyone's cuppa, and now, here's a new volume and yet another new Thor!
Female, face mask, but still the same kickass take no prisoners Asgardian powerhouse. She's even got an internal monologue, which sounds very accurate...and Midgardian? When we left Thor, things weren't looking good, he was left at the bottom of the ocean, armless, Mjolnirless and dead.
Well thankfully, that gets resolved, though Malakeith does destroy the arm after wearing it like a fur wrap for half the book...we also see the new Uru arm, so Thor and Bucky now have something in common with awesome arms...
Thor also fights the usurper, until he discovers she is more worthy than he, and also bequeaths her the name Thor...I guess he's Thor Classic or the Odinson now...
I also enjoyed the jokes made about Lady Thor, Thorita, Lady Thunderstrike, and so on. There's plenty good stuff going on with Asgard, including Odin's evil brother, Sif being pissy, and Freya finally getting to be a major player in the affairs of the Realms. We also see that Thor is not Freya, in a funny scene where Odinson asks Thor straight up if she's his mother...she then kisses him, asks him if he still thinks that, and he says I certainly hope not.
Also, Freya meets Thor on the Moon, where all this began, and gives her blessing, and warning to be careful.
A fantastic start to a new era in Thor, and I can't wait for more.
My only confusion is when this takes place, since Falcon is in his Cap uniform...?
Female, face mask, but still the same kickass take no prisoners Asgardian powerhouse. She's even got an internal monologue, which sounds very accurate...and Midgardian? When we left Thor, things weren't looking good, he was left at the bottom of the ocean, armless, Mjolnirless and dead.
Well thankfully, that gets resolved, though Malakeith does destroy the arm after wearing it like a fur wrap for half the book...we also see the new Uru arm, so Thor and Bucky now have something in common with awesome arms...
Thor also fights the usurper, until he discovers she is more worthy than he, and also bequeaths her the name Thor...I guess he's Thor Classic or the Odinson now...
I also enjoyed the jokes made about Lady Thor, Thorita, Lady Thunderstrike, and so on. There's plenty good stuff going on with Asgard, including Odin's evil brother, Sif being pissy, and Freya finally getting to be a major player in the affairs of the Realms. We also see that Thor is not Freya, in a funny scene where Odinson asks Thor straight up if she's his mother...she then kisses him, asks him if he still thinks that, and he says I certainly hope not.
Also, Freya meets Thor on the Moon, where all this began, and gives her blessing, and warning to be careful.
A fantastic start to a new era in Thor, and I can't wait for more.
My only confusion is when this takes place, since Falcon is in his Cap uniform...?
July 9, 2015
This version of Thor is really fun. I’m not really Thor’s biggest fan, either in the MCU or in the comics; give me half a chance and I can give you a whole list of examples why Steve Rogers should wield the hammer instead of Thor, or at least be able to. (I would also be happy with Sif or Freyja, two possibilities that Thor considers in this volume.) But this version got my attention because of the decision to give another character the powers of Thor. Now, I’ve read the spoilers, so the hints here at the reveal aren’t for me to judge, but there are some hints.
I think if there was a female author at the helm of this comic, the angry reactions would have been even more prevalent. It explicitly takes on “damn feminists are ruining everything” and makes a joke of it; it challenges the assumption that Asgard needs the All-Father by having Freyja stand up to him, declaring herself the All-Mother; Thor absolutely wallows in self-pity; Hel, Mjolnir takes on whole new life in the Goddess of Thunder’s hands. How much must male rights activists hate this?
I think it’s pretty well done, though. The art is gorgeous, and it captures a lightness of heart and goofiness that always improves Thor’s reception with me. I love that the new Thor revels in her powers, that she enjoys learning to wield them. For all that it’s taking a bunch of traditionally masculine things and putting them in the hands of women, and it hangs a lampshade on that every so often, the fun is certainly not lost.
Originally reviewed here.
I think if there was a female author at the helm of this comic, the angry reactions would have been even more prevalent. It explicitly takes on “damn feminists are ruining everything” and makes a joke of it; it challenges the assumption that Asgard needs the All-Father by having Freyja stand up to him, declaring herself the All-Mother; Thor absolutely wallows in self-pity; Hel, Mjolnir takes on whole new life in the Goddess of Thunder’s hands. How much must male rights activists hate this?
I think it’s pretty well done, though. The art is gorgeous, and it captures a lightness of heart and goofiness that always improves Thor’s reception with me. I love that the new Thor revels in her powers, that she enjoys learning to wield them. For all that it’s taking a bunch of traditionally masculine things and putting them in the hands of women, and it hangs a lampshade on that every so often, the fun is certainly not lost.
Originally reviewed here.
October 17, 2015
More like 3.5 stars. Not quite up to some of the great moments of Aaron's Thor, God of Thunder but still good. Headed in an interesting direction for sure.
November 21, 2021
This was quite epic!
I quite liked this one. The Odinson is unworthy and someone else has lifted the hammer and we follow her as she battles against Dario Agger and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim who have trapped the Avengers and Asgardians and thus it falls on her to battle their leader Skyrmir and even Malekith and we see why they are here: to get the skull of Laufey and thus begins the reign of Goddess of Thunder and if that was not enough, enter Odinson to get back his hammer and soon Titania and others!
Its a thrilling book and I like the way it unfolds and it harkens back to the mystery of "who is under the mask" like with red hulk and I like the build up but also Odinson's blessing for the new thor and its cool and a change of character and that could be unsettling for some but I like the change and this can lead to some cool stories so yeah! Plus the art is so good and a treat to read through! Plus I like the build up with Minotaur, Malekith and maybe the coming of Laufey, Aaron continues to build towards the big event!
I quite liked this one. The Odinson is unworthy and someone else has lifted the hammer and we follow her as she battles against Dario Agger and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim who have trapped the Avengers and Asgardians and thus it falls on her to battle their leader Skyrmir and even Malekith and we see why they are here: to get the skull of Laufey and thus begins the reign of Goddess of Thunder and if that was not enough, enter Odinson to get back his hammer and soon Titania and others!
Its a thrilling book and I like the way it unfolds and it harkens back to the mystery of "who is under the mask" like with red hulk and I like the build up but also Odinson's blessing for the new thor and its cool and a change of character and that could be unsettling for some but I like the change and this can lead to some cool stories so yeah! Plus the art is so good and a treat to read through! Plus I like the build up with Minotaur, Malekith and maybe the coming of Laufey, Aaron continues to build towards the big event!
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