The previous run on Thor was unfortunately cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. While it was a shame Donny Cates could not complete the Black Winter story as intended but there is still a strong foundation to build on for Thor. That is where Al Ewing, arguably the best writer working for Marvel right now, is stepping in along with Martin Coccolo to take over Thor. Relaunched as The Immortal Thor. Find out how it goes with our review of The Immortal Thor #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Al Ewing (The Immortal Thor); Jonathan Hickman (G.O.D.S backup)
Artist: Martín Cóccolo (The Immortal Thor); Michelle Marchese (G.O.D.S backup)
Colorist: Matthew Wilson (The Immortal Thor)
Letterer: Joe Sabino
SOLICITATION
“AL EWING, MARTÍN CÓCCOLO & ALEX ROSS GIVE THE GOD OF THUNDER THE “IMMORTAL” TREATMENT! In Norse myths, they called him Thunderer. Vuer has he been called, and Hloriddi. The Gods know him as Asgard’s King, keeper of Mjolnir, hero of the tales. When injustice grips the Earth and ancient powers bring down the sky, he fights for those who cannot—and when the tale is done, we will know what that cost him. This is the story of THE IMMORTAL THOR. PLUS: A bonus page written by Jonathan Hickman—WHO ARE THE G.O.D.S.?” – Marvel Comics
REVIEW
As he has done with his runs on Hulk and X-Men, Al Ewing once again shows his complete understanding of the Thor franchise. The first two-thirds of The Immortal Thor #1 establishes how this is not going to be a restart as the God of Thunder is still the All-Father of Asgard. Keeping that status quo intact shows that this is a continuing narrative with Ewing and Martin Coccolo looking to take Thor to the next natural time in his life.
The opening of The Immortal Thor #1 showcased how while Thor is the All-Father of Asgard he is more than willing to go on the field with the Warriors Three and Hildegarde. The way Thor uses his authority and willingness to get his hands dirty by getting into the action is what sets him apart from previous All-Fathers. Even with his current status, Thor can’t let go of the warrior spirit he has even if his title says he should spend more time in a governmental role like his father before him.
This transitions well into how we see Ewing tackle Thor and Loki’s relationship as siblings. While Thor continues to be the All-Father of Asgard the same doesn’t go for Loki as the ruler of Jotunheim. Being ever the free spirit, the way Loki breaks the news that he isn’t the leader of the Jotunn is the perfect way to get him and Thor back into bickering siblings. But unlike before Thor and Loki have clearly moved on from their adversarial relationship to one of a strong familial bond, even if they don’t say it out loud. That comes through with how Thor ends up happily accepting how Loki was planning on returning to Asgard as his home.
Reestablishing Thor and Loki’s relationship opened the door for a natural reset as Loki repaired the Bifrost Rainbow Bridge. Loki doing this had much more meaning because the debris of the Bifrost symbolized the biggest failure in Thor’s time as All-Father of Asgard. By repairing the Bifrost Loki was able to help give Thor the peace of mind he didn’t know he was looking for.
That peace of mind is instantly seen in how Thor reacts to seeing the Bifrost again. This is extended into how Thor speaks with Lady Sif in a much more friendly way than he has in the recent past. Ewing naturally reestablishing Thor’s friendship with Sif, Warriors Three, and Loki is a great way to build the foundation of the series once again.
It also opened the door for Thor to return to Earth as the happy superhero he was before taking on all the responsibilities he had. Thor is most comfortable being a hero and Ewing, along with Coccolo’s fabulous artwork, shows this with all the things he does.
All of this is a fantastic set-up for the big twist of the epic appearance of Toranos The Utgard-Thor. Coccolo nails the larger-than-life presentation of Toranos The Utgard-Thor. The way Toranos arrives on the scene absolutely convinces you this is a threat Thor can’t overcome on his own. This is saying a lot given the threats Thor has faced in the past that this was accomplished in Toranos debut.
Because of the incredible impact of this debut, Ewing and Coccolo make the presentation for Utgard being the big bads of The Immortal Thor get off to a strong start. You are left fully believing that Thor and Asgard will have to overcome a lot to just survive what Utgard-Loki, Utgard-Thor, Gaea, and the other Utgard residents will be doing. Having Utgard versions of Asgardians adds to how we could see a lot of cool dark designs of characters we know. They are sure to be epic if Coccolo’s design for Toranos, Utgard-Loki, and Gaea are any indication.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Al Ewing and Martín Cóccolo get off to a phenomenal start to their run on The Immortal Thor. They build off what has been done before by their predecessors to move Thor and his friends into the next stage of their lives. It is all bookended with the epic debut of a big event-level threat that is sure to lead us towards a lot of incredible stories. This all makes The Immortal Thor #1 a must-read for superhero fans.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10