Mighty Thor #700, Stephanie Hans cover
The Mighty Thor #700
Marvel Comics
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Russell Dauterman and various
64 pages, $5.99
Solicit: DEATH OF THE MIGHTY THOR Part 1
The final judgement comes as the Mangog arrives! The War Thor will meet the beast head on. But even the bloodthirst of this Ultimate Thor may pale in comparison to the might of the Mangog! The battle rages as Jane’s cancer takes a turn for the worse, and she might not have to wait for the final judgment at all. The clock is ticking, and no hammer can save her this time. It’s the beginning of the end that will lead to the most dramatic return in the Marvel Universe!
This double sized issue is a celebration of all things Thor and opens wonderfully with a splash page by legendary Thor artist Walt Simonson that grabbed be by the heart and squeezed! As with all these giant sized anniversary issues, we’re given several different peeks into all the corners of Thor’s universe but, unlike most of these anniversary issues, writer Jason Aaron is clever enough to connect all the stories into one cohesive book.
Russel Dauterman might be the most talented superhero artist working in comics today and he’s perfectly amazing here. In the middle of the issue, he uses one splash page to tease all of the Thor’s futures, including Thor Odinson with a gold hammer which left me wondering, what the F—- is this about?
Speaking of Jason Aaron: It’s time to count him among Marvel’s creative giants. We’re 55 issues into Aaron’s run with no sign of slowing down. Thor is easily and has easily been Marvel’s best book for years now. It’s almost as if Aaron can’t stop telling these Thor stories and honestly, I hope he never does.
Now, let’s address the female Thor haters, just for a moment… We all know that the Odinson will once again wield Mjolnir, or at least “a” Mjolnir, and probably soon. This story is called “The Death of the Mighty Thor” and not “The Death of the Odinson” for a reason. But I’m not trying to give you, the Jane Foster haters, a reason to celebrate. In fact, I’d argue that this chapter of the Odinson’s character arc has been more interesting, character building, and downright badass than any Thor comic I’ve read in years. Not to mention, Jane Foster has been a compelling, intelligent, and humble version of Thor that the Odinson is going to have to live up to. So stop it. Seriously, stop it. Whether it’s Odin or the All-Mothers, or Thor himself, someone has been putting Thor Odinson in his place for years. Now back to the review…
Dauterman and a gaggle of talented artists do a wonderful job making every story thread in this issue compelling, must read material. Personally, I loved the heroic return of Throg, the frog Thor. The Mighty Thor #700 was a well written and beautifully illustrated round up of all the story threads Jason Aaron has been weaving and it was an absolute joy to read.
Rating: Quit being a jerk and BUY IT!
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Matt Baum is the producer, co-founder, and co-host of the Two-Headed Nerd Comic Book Podcast. He is short and loves to talk.
