Comic Review: King Thor #1

King Thor #1

Marvel Comics

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Esad Ribić

Jason Aaron is here to tell one last Thor story and he’s brought back an old pal – my fellow countryman, Esad Ribić! Aaron started his seven-year tenure on Thor with Ribić, so it’s only fitting that he would end it this way. And I mean, it’s hard to think of a better artist to tackle this story. Especially when you consider the fact that it follows future Thor.

The issue picks up right where Thor #16 ended. Old King Thor arrives back to his own time and Loki, the All-Butcher, instantly attacks him. While the two All-Gods are skirmishing, Thor’s grandchildren – the thunder sisters Frigg, Ellisiv and Atli – are exploring the halls of Omnipotence City. It’s the home of one final God, and they hope to get his help.

There’s not much to say about Aaron’s writing, really. He has been writing Thor for almost 7 years now and he’s been consistently great. He has a real knack for the grandiosity needed to write stories about Gods. Stories about Gods at the end of time especially benefit from that boon. His most helpful tools are the narration boxes. The art is epic and beautiful on its own, sure, but Aaron’s wording in the narration boxes does some additional heavy lifting and adds a new level of sublimity. We saw him using this method to great effect in the War of the Realms, and it looks like it might work even better here.

Hah, so there is something  left to say about his writing after all.

Now, I do have a grievance with one aspect of Aaron’s writing – treatment of a certain character. More specifically, I do not like his handling of Loki. Aaron always portrayed as someone playing both sides but ultimately falling in the ‘good’ camp. His story arc concluded with him aiding the heroes in the War of the Realms and sitting on Jotunheim’s throne. Loki isn’t a hero per se, and it’s hard to even characterise him as an antihero. But he isn’t a malicious villain, either. So seeing him reduced to this archetype seems rather cheap. Granted, eons have passed since the War of the Realms so a lot can change. Still, it does somewhat cheapen his character development since… well, since Gillen’s run, honestly.

Not that we’ve covered the meat of the comic, let’s talk about the bones. Or is this the bones and the writing’s the meat? No matter! Let’s talk about the artwork! Which is fantastic! I mean, it Esad Ribić, the guy can do no wrong! The book looks phenomenal, from cover to cover. Ribić always brings a certain gravitas to his work and it’s much appreciated, especially in these type of larger then life stories. His art is nicely detailed and has a certain depth to it that easily sucks the reader in. The fight between the two all-brothers makes up the majority of the book, but the backgrounds are so beautifully detailed that it doesn’t feel overdone or boring because the reader is treated to some beautiful vistas.

Ive Svorčina, Esad’s (and mine!) fellow countryman, adds another level of detail to the whole affair. The subdued, cold overtones nicely amplify the bleakness of this proposed future.

Aaron’s run on Thor has been a long and lucrative one, full of various twists and turns. The War of the Realms might have been his Thor Magnus Opus, but it’s nice to see that he isn’t pulling any punches with his closing chapter. He is bringing the story full circle, finishing it the way he started it. Looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds in the coming months, especially after that splash page cliffhanger.

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