Thor: God of Thunder #1

By Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic and Dean White

Thor, the god of thunder, a deity in a modern world fighting foes from the future, monsters from the center of the Earth and menaces from the stars with his mighty hammer Mjölnir. In a reality where mutants, super soldiers and radioactive creations rub shoulders, what can make a guy with a hammer interesting? Thor has long been the whipping boy of Marvel Comics, slapped around by Red Hulk, Sentry and the Phoenix, it seems that he exists merely to operate as a bench mark for threats. Back in the day, Thor served as a science fantasy hero, a bizarre mixture of mythology and superheroics through that unique Lee/Kirby vision. However, in the modern world Thor's identity has been more difficult to define.

In recent years, Thor has been reinvented by several creators. The new series has been stunning, re-establishing the power level and grandeur of the Norse deity. However, the Marvel NOW! approach has been to mix up the status quot, offering readers a new vision of these celebrated characters.

Jason Aaron has earned acclaim for his work on Wolverine and the X-Men, but his run on the Incredible Hulk was anything but impressive. As such I was not sure what to expect for his take on Thor. As it happens, this could be the most interesting version of Thor that has been seen in some time.

The first issue is split into three distinct eras, Young Thor, Modern Thor and Old Thor. Modern Thor answers the prayers of an alien world only to find that their gods have been killed. Seeking out the answer to this mystery brings back an old thread from his past when Young Thor encountered Gorr the God Butcher. Modern Thor battles a deadly guard dog monstrosity in what has become a graveyard of alien gods. In the distant future, Old Thor faces a horde of these creatures alone.

The book is gorgeous, combining the fine line work of Esad Ribic with the wondrous colors of Dean White. The new Marvel books seem farm more polished visually than ever before and with added digital content accessible via the AR app, they give readers an incredibly sophisticated interactive experience.

I have been happy to see how far Thor has been brought over the past fiver years, and this latest version looks like a welcome extension of that high level of success. This is definitely a book that you should check out.