All good things come to an end, but when it comes to gods like Thor do they really? Jason Aaron and a treasure trove of artists attempt to give Thor a proper ending to Aaron’s seven-plus year run that has gone over 100 issues. How do you put an emphatic period on a character that has lived for decades and will likely live on for many more? Take a peek at this issue to find out!
Running at about 42 pages this is an excellent way to finish the quick four-issue King Thor story but more importantly giving Aaron the chance to wrap up what he’s been saying about the character for so many years. It first gives us a conclusion to the fight between Thor and Gorr that has been raging the last few issues of this miniseries. It is, of course, a conclusion of sorts since Gorr and Thor have been fighting for some time here and there in Aaron’s Thor books and it’s nice to see that thread carried to its end. There are some rather poetic plot twists in this story that not only lend Aaron’s depiction of Thor and Loki as true gods of myth but serve as examples of how well Aaron knows these characters. Loki makes one last-ditch effort to defeat Gorr and how he does so makes so much sense. The captions here may just bring a tear to your eye due to their finality but also their beauty. It’s fabulous stuff.
Much of this book breaks away from this finish to sprout many more stories. This issue is actually a love letter to stories and their ability to carry on for all time. We see it in a cop version of Thor that is filled with great touches–so much so you might be wishing Aaron writes a full series of this–and the art matches the grandeur of it too. We get a look at a few other versions of Thor all of which occur in time, but also don’t, or maybe not yet. It’s a fun way to reflect on the fact that Thor can never die as long as his story continues to be told.
Thor…SPACE COP!
Credit: Marvel Comics
The beauty of this book resides in how it ends, begins again with a few new beginnings, carries on and ends a few more threads, and then begins again anew. I’ve read my fair share of comic book endings and it’s safe to say this may be the smartest approach yet. If you’re going to make us sad that things end or die, why not also offer up multiple new beginnings? It’s an ending that is reflective of its own finish, but also hopeful at the same time. The very last few pages make a final statement about Thor that’s inspiring and in its finality, we are given a great deal of positivity in knowing we read these stories because their purpose of going on for all time is inspiring in itself.
The artists on this book need no introductions and they all bring their A-game. Esad Ribic is the main artist and closes out King Thor’s story, but Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Andrea Sorrentino, Chris Burnham, Nick Pitarra, Aaron Kuder, Olivier Coipel, Russell Dauterman, and Mike Del Mundo all offer their beautiful lines to the book. Color artists Chris O’Halloran, Dave Stewart, Nathan Fairbairn, Michael Garland, Laura Martin, and Matthew Wilson help to make this book feel like a final farewell as every ounce of color and art in this book is reflective of a different period or story arc in Aaron’s 7-year run. Bravo.
I am a sucker for stories about myth and storytelling and this is a fantastic love letter to story while also closing out one of the greatest Thor runs ever. If you’re a lover of storytelling and believe in them like Jason Aaron does I highly recommend reading this to get the warm and fuzzies.
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