.jpg) By Dante Maddox | We’re nine issues in to JMS’s run on Thor and so far it’s been one of Marvel's best books. For those of you who haven’t been reading here is what you’ve missed. |
Thor and the rest of the gods finally kicked the bucket when Ragnarok finally came and killed them all. Thor learned that the event wasn’t a onetime deal, but that it was a part of a cycle of life and death. The gods had actually gone through several Ragnaroks and periods of rebirth. The most troubling aspect of this was that Odin, Thor’s father and king of the gods, was well aware of this cycle.
Thor learned of the cyclical nature of he and his fellow god’s existence and finally put an end to it, allowing the gods to die one final time. It looked like there would be no more Thor comics at that point but who were they kidding. The gods got a new lease on life when one man decided that he wanted to live. That man was named Donald Blake (who many will remember as Thor’s original alter ego). Blake convinced Thor that the gods could live once again if he desired it. Thor desired it.
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The first few issue of the new book explained all this while making a few key changes to the makeup of the gods and Asgard. The gods were all trapped in human hosts and then spread across the globe. Before Thor sought out his fallen kindred he created a home for them. Using the massive amount of power at his disposal Thor recreated Asgard on just a few hundred feet above US soil, literally a heaven on earth.
This didn’t sit well with Tony Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. who confronted Thor about his new real estate choices. Thor was not happy with Tony and the rest of his former friends who had cloned a murderous copy of Thor weeks earlier. Thor roughed up Iron Man pretty bad and then sent him on his way. At this point it looks like Thor’s heroic days are behind him and he’s consumed with locating the rest of his people.
Thor is troubled greatly with the task of recreating his home and his people, especially considering that there is one individual that Thor is hesitant to relocate. Oddly enough Loki isn’t Thor’s primary concern, but rather Odin himself. JMS makes a great point about the status of the returned gods. They are no longer bound by the cycle of life and death and therefore free to make new choices and live their lives the way they see fit.
By issue 9 we find that Loki is still playing the part of the trickster despite having a new lease on life and the options to do whatever pleases him/her (long story). She/he lets Baldur in on a big secret that is sure to shake the halls of Asgard. It turns out that Balder is…
There are a lot of details I’m going to leave out purposely so that you’ll have something to read once you get caught up on the series. JMS is telling one hell of a story with plenty of action and intrigue and it would be a shame to spill it all. Olivier Coipel really has a handle on Thor and the rest of the gods, it really has to be seen to be believed. If Thor isn’t on your list every month my friends, then you’re really missing out.
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