Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Mighty Thor #1

   In a way, the new female version of The Mighty Thor is a throwback to the original Marvel style - the hero with a flaw.

   And a serious flaw it is! Jane Foster has been revealed to be the secret identity of the "new" Thor, and in her mortal form she's fighting for her life against cancer.

   When she holds the hammer Mjolnir, she's powerful and invincible - but as a mortal, she must suffer through chemotherapy while finding the time to represent the Earth at the political gathering known as the Congress of Worlds (which is about as exciting as any political gathering can be).

   To complicate things even more, Odin has apparently lost his mind, and has declared the new Thor an outlaw in Asgard. Oh, and a cross-worlds war is brewing.

   So there's a lot going on here - but does it work?

   Actually, yes, it does. The art by Russell Dauterman is very good - vivid and dynamic, with strong character designs and an unearthly feel to events.

   Jason Aaron's story holds up, managing to balance the different elements into a strong and compelling story. It's difficult to see how the story can hold up over the long run (since the clock is ticking on her real-world illness), but so far it's a good one.

Grade: A-

------------------------

No comments: