(Spoiler-free Review)
The Black Winter is coming.
For the past seven years, writer Jason Aaron led a team of writers and artists to create what is perhaps the biggest Thor run of the past twenty years, and there are many who claim Aaron’s run to be the definitive take on the character. Director Taika Waititi announced at this year’s San Diego Comic Con that the fourth Thor film, “Thor: Love and Thunder,” would take inspiration from his run.
Much like with his current run on “The Avengers” and his book from Image comics, “The Goddamned,” Aaron’s run on “Thor” dealt heavily in misotheism and challenged the God of Thunder’s ideologies in ways no other run had before. Thor fought a villain literally named Gorr the God Butcher, who called out the hypocrisy and apathy of the gods, exposing how petty and useless they truly were.
Gorr’s main message was that “no God is worthy.” It’s pushed even further in the events of “Original Sin” when Nick Fury whispers something in Thor’s ear that causes him to drop his hammer, Mjölnir, the very symbol of his worthiness. Fury said, “Gorr was right.”
Aaron continues his misotheistic ideas in the pages of “The Unworthy Thor” and “Mighty Thor,” wherein Jane Foster takes up the mantle, while Thor wanders the nine realms as Odinson. One of Jane Foster’s adversaries during her tenure at the Mighty Thor are Sharra and K’ythri, Gods of the Shi’ar, who mirror the Bible’s Book of Job. They are portrayed as deities who are indifferent to the suffering they cause their subjects but are worshipped all the same.
Another frequent adversary for Foster was the All-Father himself, Odin. While Odin, the God of Wisdom, is normally portrayed as benevolent, level-headed and a voice of reason, Aaron’s interpretation is the opposite. Odin is stubborn and narrow-minded, constantly acting more like a warlord than a leader. Through this, Aaron makes the point that if no God is truly worthy, then that is perhaps why only a mortal like Foster can wield the power of Mjölnir.
It all comes to a close at the end of the “War of the Realms” event when Thor forges a new hammer himself in the heart of a dying star and is capable of wielding it again by declaring himself to be the God of the Unworthy. Thor’s arc ends with him defeating the dark elf Malekith and replacing his father, Odin, as Asgard’s new king, All-Father Thor. Aaron’s run managed to fully destroy Thor, and then rebuild him from scratch, all the while changing all the ideas and philosophies that used to define the character.
Olivier Coipel
Now, after seven years, the torch is passed to a new visionary, Donny Cates. Cates, a writer with a penchant for horror and sci-fi epics has become one of Marvel’s biggest creators in recent years. After starting out in the industry with independent comics such as “Babyteeth” and “God Country” (the latter of which is being turned into a movie by Legendary), Cates has helmed titles like “Venom,” “Thanos Wins,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Silver Surfer: Black,” “Death of the Inhumans” and last year’s big event, “Absolute Carnage.”
What seems to make Cates’s writing so engaging isn’t just that he gives characters new adventures, no, his writing expands the lore. He has created new and interesting characters in recent years that have become fan-favorite figures within the Marvel Universe.
During his now-infamous run on “Venom,” readers are introduced to the character of Knull, an ancient being who was cast out by the Celestials and later became the God of the Symbiotes. Knull has become a major looming presence in the comics ever since, and now even seems to be creeping his way onto the seen in the current “Venom Island” storyline. The same thing goes for Cosmic Ghost Rider. First introduced in “Thanos Wins,” the character became so popular that he later featured in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and even got his own solo series.
Cates has the Midas touch for comic books and he is one of the few writers working today that can sell just by his name alone. Given all these credits on his track record, he seems like the obvious choice to become Aaron’s successor, and he seems to have wanted this title for a long time. “Thor” characters have shown up in his other work. Hela appeared in “Guardians,” Loki in “Doctor Strange,” and Thor himself in the pages of “Venom Volume 4 #4.”This has been a long time coming.
But does he deliver? Yes, he does.
“Thor #1” begins many months after the events of “War of the Realms.” Thor now sits on the Throne of Asgard as the new All-Father. As king, Thor sends a message to the ten realms telling them that he will not be the king his father was. He will have no more war and needless bloodshed. “Let there be peace, or let there be thunder,” he states. Despite this message, Thor is lost and unsure if he can live the entirely new and entirely different life that being a king requires. Thor is expected to enjoy “retirement” from The Avengers, and the Bifrost is now under the watch of Lady Sif. The war has ended and the great battles that used to shape Thor’s life have come to their end. Asgard, after all of the conflict, is entering an era of reconstruction. The kingdom is rebuilt in wood and stone. All that is left for Thor to do is attend to the duties of a leader, such as planning feats and preparing speeches. This is all too new for him.
What Cates writes in the first few pages serves two purposes. First, it establishes Thor’s first arc in the story, wherein he must become a leader and not just a hero. What it also does is serve as a meta-commentary for the series itself. After everything that has happened during Aaron’s run, where is there left to go? How does this story keep going forward after literally every challenge has been overcome?
The second half of this issue answers that question in a very brutal way.
Cates’s talent for writing Lovecraftian horror makes itself known when a new threat, coming quite literally out of nowhere, crashes down on the kingdom of Asgard. Something called “the Black Winter”, something posing a threat to all existence is coming, leaving the new king angry and seeking answers.
From what this book shows, this looks to be the culmination of all of Donny Cates’ work at Marvel so far. This comic features an appearance from the aforementioned Cosmic Ghost Rider, who is summoned by Thor, as well as the Silver Surfer (now sporting his all-black look). They look to be prominent supporting characters throughout this run, giving Thor either new allies or potential adversaries. The issue ends with a major change that will likely be a prominent focus of this run, or at least this first arc.
In this issue, Donny Cates manages to honor Aaron’s previous run while at the same time properly set up his own vision. It’s unlike most new runs, where the new writer just starts fresh without mention of what came before. (An example being Tom King taking over “Batman” from Scott Snyder at the beginning of “DC Rebirth.”) Aaron deeply explored the mythology side of the character, whilst Cates seems to be looking at the cosmic side. This is implied based of the stars and neon trim of his new look, somewhat reminiscent of “Tron: Legacy.”
There is a chance, however, of Cates exploring both sides. Evidence of this is visible in the use of Nordic runes, specifically the symbol “Thurisaz,” seen both on Thor’s wooden throne and his new costume. This, of course, wouldn’t bet the first time Cates has balanced science fiction with myth. Just look at “God Country,” as an example.
Another strong aspect of this comic is the artwork done by Nic Klein (along with colorist Matt Wilson). Absolutely everything on drawn on the page is intentional. As mentioned earlier, Asgard is in a rebuilding phase. Gone are the towering palaces of gold, in their place stands bland wood and stone of traditional Viking stories. Klein uses this new scenery and color palette to his full advantage. The bleak greys and browns of this new kingdom reflect the dreary, somber atmosphere of the comic. This is a realm recovering from war, and the color reflects that mood appropriately.
Then there are the interior illustrations. Like the rest of Asgard, the dimly lit castle interior (where Thor meets with CGR and Surfer) is mostly wood with red fire as a light source. Colorist Matt Wilson uses the red to create a simple yet ominous mood for the scene. Klein’s black outlines are also used to narrative effect. In wider shots with basic, less important dialogue the outlines are fewer and led define, unlike the close-up shot of the characters, where each and every crease in clothing or wrinkle in the face is drawn and defined with careful precision. Such shots show the seriousness and importance of characters’ dialogue much more impactful.
All considered, Donny Cates’ first entry into this new chapter for Thor is a success. Without giving too much away, it’s an engaging issue that promises much more in the entries to come.
“Thor #2” is set to hit shelves on Jan. 29, 2020.