Review: THE UNWORTHY THOR #1

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THE UNWORTHY THOR #1
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Olivier Coipel, Matt Wilson
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: November 2, 2016

Back in the Jason Aaron written, Mike Deodato drawn event Original Sin, the Odinson fell from grace. Words that are still unknown to readers were whispered into the Odinson’s ear and he was no longer worthy to lift the mighty Mjolnir. This event led to the amazing current run of Thor featuring Jane Foster, but what has happened to the Odinson is mostly mystery. Since Secret Wars, we’ve seen very little of the character, but Jason Aaron, Olivier Coipel and Matt Wilson start to shed some light on what has occurred with Odin’s son in this first issue of the Unworthy Thor miniseries.

Jason Aaron is at the top of his game in this corner of the Marvel Universe. The Unworthy Thor #1 is a brilliantly paced issue, tying in aspects of Original Sin in clever ways that simultaneously gives readers a refresher and a primer for new readers as to why the Odinson is in the state he’s in. He channels the rage of the God masterfully, showing the pride after the fall, and how broken he is. Even the worthy Thor Odinson was an arrogant man and that arrogance has been channeled into fury and a quest for retribution. What impressed me most is how Aaron shifts this character into his unworthiness while still maintaining his voice. There is no doubt that this is the Odinson people have been reading for decades, but there is an indelible mark on this character that has changed him. He feels he has a light at the end of his tunnel and he will fight his way through hell to get there, but he is a changed character.

Olivier Coipel is a legendary Thor artist. The run he worked on with J. Michael Straczynski is part of why I started reading comics again and he has not missed a beat with this return to drawing the Odinson. This is a grittier Thor than he brought back to the Marvel Universe all those years ago (and has worked on since, of course) and Coipel does a great job of balancing the power the Odinson still has and how broken his spirit is. The fury within the character is on display in every panel and when Coipel is unleashed into the battle sequences, magic happens. The fury flying off the page in those panels is absolutely amazing and Matt Wilson’s colour work takes the great pencil work and elevates it to a whole higher level. He is one of the best colourists in the industry and I loved how he shifted his palette to reflect this broken Odinson compared to the lightness in tone found in The Mighty Thor where Jane is wielding Mjolnir. He provides exceptional colour work and The Unworthy Thor #1 is a visual delight.

While we don’t have all the answers about what has occurred with the Odinson, The Unworthy Thor #1 is an excellent read for Thor fans that are looking to dig deeper into what has happened with the classic character. While I personally hope the character never wields Mjolnir again, this issue is executed perfectly by gifted storytellers and this miniseries certainly kicks off with a bang. I’m totally in for issue #2 and I can’t wait to see what this team has in store for the Odinson going forward.

The Verdict: 10/10

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