Next month, Marvel’s first crossover event of the year, War of the Realms, will act as the capstone to Jason Aaron’s six-year run with the character. Over the course of Aaron’s tenure, Thor has fought foes new and old, travelled across the galaxy and through time, and been found unworthy of wielding his magical hammer Mjolnir, forcing someone new to step into the role.
The run has been instrumental in defining the character in Marvel Comics at a time when global audiences has just been introduced to his cinematic version, and alongside artists like Esad Ribic, Ron Garney and Russel Dauterman, Aaron has managed to create an epic story where the seeds of this climax were planted in the very earliest issues.
…At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve never been a huge reader of Marvel’s Asgardian Avenger, and despite the critical acclaim that Aaron has received during his run, I’ve not read more than half a dozen issues over the years. As with every aspect of my life, it took an imminent deadline to spur me to action, and the idea of trying to read all of Aaron’s run ahead of War of the Realms kicking off seemed just doable enough to try, and just ambitious enough to be stupid. So here we go.
Covered, and thoroughly spoiled, in this instalment:
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #1-18