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Thor: God of Thunder #12: Review

Aug 2013
Jason Aaron, Nic Klein

Story Name:

Once Upon a Time in Midgard

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Thor: God of Thunder #12 Review by (September 1, 2013)
Added Note: If a comics writer makes racist or sexist comments, the readers tend to call him on it—but not so much if he bashes religion. So I’m gong to take up the slack. The God Butcher/Godbomb sequence was pretty anti-religious, strange considering that the main character of the series is a god. Otherwise, Gorr seemed to be channeling some of the New Atheists in his arguments, which were never refuted, indeed the plot often tried to confirm them. And there were many subtle and sarcastic digs at Christian belief especially. Now in this issue, we see Thor traveling the world doing nice things for people of all races, cultures and creeds; the only negative action he takes is against a group holding signs reading “God Hates You.” These people are clearly intended to portray conservative/Evangelical Christians—the common hostile (and inaccurate) stereotype is pretty hard to miss. What I’d like to point out to the creators is something they have overlooked in their disdain for orthodox (small o) Christianity: what do you think turned Young Thor, with his admiration for the brutal and lusty Vikings into the kindly and compassionate Avenger Thor? Scandinavia turning from paganism to Christianity is the only explanation for his total shift in values. So the question is, is Jason Aaron aware of the irony that his Thor is acting more like Jesus than a Norse God should? I’m not expecting an endorsement of my faith, just some consideration for my sensibilities. I mean, how would you like reading a Marvel comic book and being reminded that the writer hates you and everything you stand for?

Review: Well, this was unexpected. After eleven dark and dreary issues, Thor stands revealed as a sweet and friendly guy making the rounds of the people he protects on a goodwill mission. It almost reaches the fun years of the Straczynski/Fraction/Gillen years (which, to be fair had their own problems, but heavy-handedness wasn’t one of them). Nic (Winter Soldier) Klein’s art is fine but needs a lighter touch for this sort of thing— Olivier Coipel was my fave—unless this series is about to turn dark again.

Comments: First appearance of Jane Foster in this series. First appearance of Roz Solomon whose arrival in Antarctica suggests she may be a regular//recurring character.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor: God of Thunder #12 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

After the events of the past issues, the three Thors return, each to his own time. Young Thor visits the Vikings whose rough and lusty lifestyle he so enjoys….

Avenger Thor arrives in modern day Midgard, heading for a tavern for his favorite mead. He then stops by a prison to accompany a condemned prisoner in his last hours, presenting him with a near-extinct alien fruit for his last meal. He travels the world , giving treats to children, presenting nuns with rare seeds, regaling a Buddhist monk with tales of the wonders he’s seen, dining with veterans, bringing rain to the desert, harassing conservative Christians, sailing on a fishing vessel. Finally he stops by the SHIELD Helicarrier for the graduation party, where he is to be the date of cadet Roz Solomon, an environmental scientist. (Her on-line invitation was brought to his attention by Tony Stark). Thor then visits Broxton, Oklahoma, where Jane Foster is battling breast cancer. She rebuffs his offers to find magical healing, preferring instead to fight the disease in human fashion. As a treat, he takes her to the Blue Area on the Moon where they enjoy each other’s company as they watch the sun rise over the Earth.

In Antarctica, Roz Solomon is with a party that discovers a whale graveyard in the ice; she suspects the deaths of the animals are connected to Roxxon Corporation’s underwater mining operations. Thor arrives to offer his help, so she asks him to move an iceberg….

In the distant future, King Thor oversees the repair of the long-disused Rainbow Bridge and departs to walk the desolate land of Midgard for the first time in centuries….


Preview Pages
Click sample interior pages to enlarge them:




Nic Klein
Nic Klein
Nic Klein
Esad Ribic (Cover Penciler)
Esad Ribic (Cover Inker)
Esad Ribic (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Iron Man
Iron Man

(Tony Stark)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Roz Solomon.

> Thor: God of Thunder: Book info and issue index

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