Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
The Mighty Thor #1
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Dauterman & Wilson
"The Mighty Thor" kicks off with a thirty page, five-dollar comic book that provides a good study of Thor, kicks off a good plot and provides some action. The comic is good at making new readers feel as though they haven't missed anything as the plot is hatched slowly in the comic with relevant exposition to move it along. The comic does leave the location of the other Thor (you know the one from the movies) unknown but he's not missed and the mystery helps to entertain. This is a good start at what looks to be a strong series.
Jane Foster is Thor. She also has breast cancer that's spread to her lymph nodes and potentially beyond. This is a tricky subject because when dealing with the change from mortal form to immortal form the question arises - why change back if the cancer will kill the mortal form? If Jane Foster is dying and Thor is healthy as a horse then why ever become Jane again? The answer provided helps to build the character a little bit in a direction that was unexpected. Aaron throws in the hook that switching to Thor destroys the drugs getting pumped into her body to battle the cancer. This catch-22 situation is a great subplot and it is also a good way to separate Thor from Jane.
Thor is kind of an outcast among the Gods. However, Jane is a respected Senator among the Realms. Thor is needed to help cull the war that's brewing, but Jane is needed to help raise awareness among the other senators of the death that has already started. Aaron is definitely at the top of his game with the dual purposes tugging the lead character in different directions. This couldn't have been achieved with the other Thor.
The comic moves at fast pace. There is a nice slow introduction that lets the reader into Jane's head. Then there is some unexpected action. Then there is some politics and the plot is set in motion. Finally, there is a meeting among the villains to frame up what comes next. It's a nicely constructed comic book.
The artwork is very solid. There are some very powerful images in the book and the artwork handles them well. The scenes with Jane in the hospital are excellent because they visually show the reader how depleted the character has become. The battle scenes are violent and gruesome to balance out the visual weakness from the hospital scenes. The comic has strong visuals to accompany the story, but they also tell their own story.
"The Mighty Thor" is off to a strong start. Jane Foster is battling cancer, while fighting off politicians and anti-Thor resentment throughout the Realms. The comic moves through the character introduction, character building, plot creation and villain plotting while still handing over some action to provide a complete read. The artwork rounds out the reading experience nicely. Overall, this is good value for your $5 and is worth a look.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
