Thor #7 Review

Angry that someone has raised the hammer he gave to his son, All-Father Odin has done the unthinkable: Enlisted his brother to reanimate the nigh-unstoppable monster known as The Destroyer to take out the new Thor once and for all.  Can she stand against such a powerful foe?  Your Major Spoilers review of Thor #7 awaits!

THOR #7
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Russell Dauterman
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Editor: Wil Moss
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in Thor: In the wake of ‘Original Sin’, Thor Odinson finds himself unable to lift his mystical hammer, having been told a secret truth that deems him unworthy of his heritage.  His hammer was left on the moon, with no one able to lift it, until a mysterious woman arrived, picked that sucker up and possessed the power of Thor!  Odison himself has been busy since losing most of his powers, having lost an arm in battle with giants and trying to discover who it is that has taken his role.  His father, Odin, has taken the new Thor a bit more personally, and has enlisted his evil brother Cul (also known as The Serpent, for good reason) to send the legendary Destroyer to Earth to take that hammer back by force, with no regard for whether the new Thor wants to give it up, or even whether she will survive the Destroyer’s onslaught…

ANOTHER PLAYER ENTERS THE FIELD

This issue opens with what I believe is a very important flashback, featuring Roz Solomon, renegade agent of SHIELD, as she received the news of Thor’s loss on the moon.  It’s a really impressive sequence, featuring her calmly discussion Thor and her relationship with him over the comm with Agent Coulson, all the while getting shot at by agents of Roxxon.  Roz uses her flying car to get to the moon (!!!), where she marvels at the beauty of the Earth, wondering what sort of power might be enough to turn the tide against the monsters at Roxxon.  We see her regarding the abandoned hammer before cutting forward several weeks to find Thor herself in battle against The Destroyer, with the very strong implication that we may have seen the origins of the new Thor.  Still, there’s been a lot of foreshadowing and red herringry in the last six months, so it could all be a ruse, and given how badly the battle goes, it may all be academic anyway.  After taking a full-strength shot from The Destroyer, Thor is blasted halfway across the city and left bleeding in the wreckage of a building, watching as The Destroyer emerges from the flames…

…wielding Mjolnir.

ALL-OUT COMBAT

Cul quickly finds that lifting the hammer and using it are two entirely different matters, though, as Thor still CONTROLS the hammer, even if the Destroyer is holding it.  The issue features some lovely interactions between Malekith of the dark elves and evil CEO Dario Agger (which also features a helpful diagram and explanation of the new state of the ten worlds, now that Angela’s Heven has joined the original nine) while the battle rages, and Freyja contacting the Odinson to assist her in her plan.  Once again, Russell Dauterman’s art is excellent, and I really like the facial expressions given to Roz in the first half of the issue.  The battle sequences are likewise spectacular, and the final page reveal where Freyja arrives with Odinson and her army (consisting of most of the women suspected of being under the helm of Thor) to stop her headstrong husband’s latest foolish plan.  We end with a sneak peek of next issue’s cover, where Thor removes her helmet and reveals her identity for the first time.  After this issue, the smart money seems to be on Roz Solomon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Aaron gives us a swerve on the road to the mystery’s end…

THE BOTTOM LINE: ALL WILL BE REVEALED

I’ve been enjoying this series since the beginning, and even with so many different point of focus, Aaron has given us a really entertaining run of comics with a main character who is approachable and even seems to enjoy her new role.  Thor #7 does a good job of showing that the new Thor has what it takes to battle even the worst of Odinson’s cosmic rogue’s gallery, teasing us with clues to next issue’s reveal, and providing some excellent action art in the doing, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall.  I’m truly hoping that her run with the hammer goes a while longer and gets a good dramatic ending, rather than getting cut short with an anti-climactic reset button just to return us to the old status quo…