Filed under: Comic Reviews, Marvel Comics | Tags: Asgard, Esad Ribic, Jason Aaron, Marvel Now, Mjolnir, Thor
After one of the strongest Marvel Now openings covering the three ages of Thor – this second issue eases us into the young Thor trying to gain his worth as a god.
Following the gruesome discovery of the remains of a God in issue #1, the entire second issue covers his pursuit of the god-killer. In his pre-hammer wielding days he’s very much a limited Asgardian trying to find his place in his realm – his attempts to wield Mjolnir in the opening scene marks his ambition to join the greatest of the god’s but not yet.
His voyage kicks off and with a boat of fellow Asgardians we’re drawn into the chase as Jason Aaron really brings the focus onto the young Thor. Building him as a character and hinting at that Viking God persona which is sure to develop over the next few issues. The hunt brings him face to face with the god-killer as he leaves the rest of his crew to pursuit him alone. In what feels like the first real trial of Thor the battle plays out and we see Thor taken to the brink of defeat before he calls the thunder & lightning that he can so easily control.
We get further glimpses of the present and future Thor in the height of battle with his hammer cutting through his enemies as he wields its power with ease. I love the direction Aaron is taking with this and it seems to steep the title in that Viking feel somehow. Then there’s the dark & moody art from Esad Ribic and colourist Ive Svorcina which adds another layer to the story itself. The clear difference between those three versions of Thor are key to this release maintaining its strength and pairing this style with Aaron’s story seems to give it that cool, heavy metal type vibe.
A must-read for me which I’ll be sticking with beyond this 5-issue first arc as it’s got the complete package of writing & art. Both working together and both standing out as a triumph for the Marvel Now releases. If you’ve read Thor before I’m sure you’ll be enjoying this and if you haven’t then this is THE jumping on spot for you…..involving, beautiful storytelling at its best.
9/10
G-Man
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