Thor God of Thunder #12 Review
‘Once Upon a Time in Midgard’
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Nic Klein
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Cover Art: Esad Ribic
A review by Jake Morris.
You would think that writing an epic storyline spanning a millennia, featuring three different Thor’s from varying ages and touching upon the duties of a God would be tough for any comic book writer; but then you realise that following said storyline with an issue equally as good would be another monumental task altogether.
Jason Aaron has carried out his run on Thor so far with a story that has pushed Thor to his limits. Heck, it took Thor to his limit three times all at once. Yet Aaron is hellbent on proving that Thor: God of Thunder has yet to reach its peak and here in issue twelve, that drive in his writing shines through.
We pick up right around where #11 left off… Young Thor is back with the Vikings, drinking his fair share of mead and fornicating with whichever female he so pleases. It is only a snippet of time spent with Young Thor but Jason Aaron lays the foundations for the story in outlining why Thor loves us Midgardians so very much.
This issue also set out to carry over themes from the previous issues where Gorr the God Butcher had damned all Gods, proclaiming them ignorant to the pleas of the weak. Well, you’d be a fool to think the Odinson is going to let that slide, as he sets out to head the prayers of the human race on a one man mission to bless those less fortunate. Oh and drink mead, lots of mead.
Intended as a one-shot, this story executes the combination of a standalone story mixed with the continuity of the current run. New readers can jump in and have a great time while current readers will find much fulfillment in the continuation of Thor’s story.
Riddled with lines of dialogue and panels that have become a custom in Aaron’s writing, the humour is to a tee and absolutely nails the also heartfelt moments. Make no mistake, there is laughter sprayed throughout the issue but the emotional depth is it’s foundation. A balance between both joy and sadness is perfectly placed as we skip from lighthearted joking to a close personal moment where the once brash Thor displays a more vulnerable side. These are the rewarding moments. You feel a real sense of growth in his character that I personally, was not expecting.
The main comparison I feel readers will find here is that of the issues similarities to Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman. The story traverses through golden-age storytelling to modern age and back again in a controlled manner that is performed gracefully through Nic Klein’s art, who stands in for the absent Esad Ribic. It is much different from Ribic’s art but it suits the story and considering Klein also carries out the colouring, the diversity within the lighting and various settings is astonishing.
The shining moments in the issue, in my opinion, occur as Thor converses with the two central female characters. These moments disregard the usual mannerisms and actions that Thor displays around certain women in this current run and that was an incredibly welcome sight. He more often than not wielded the charm of a Christopher Reeve’s Superman when meeting Lois Lane on her balcony. There is warmth in the dialogue that I found to be reminiscent but all the while featuring enough cocksure attitude to give Thor his own characterisation.
I would refer to Jason Aaron’s run up to now, as masterful, but this latest issue felt like something rather special. I only hope we continue to see further issues like this in the future as it is not only a welcome shift in direction but it cements why Thor is perhaps overlooked in what he brings to Marvel’s line of books.
An emotionally striking book that hammers the laughs home, and one that I feel all Thor fans will appreciate more and more as time goes on.
5/5
Jake is a contributing writer for Drunk On Comics. You can follow him on Twitter at @JakeUtd.