It’s not every day that a Thor #1 launches a new era, with new creative leads, and an unprecedented status quo for the God of Thunder. But after finally proving himself worthy of the throne of Asgard, and winning the peace across all Ten Realms, Thor will next have to defend it. Not from a foe, but from the fabric of the universe itself.

Considering the pressure of following Jason Aaron’s years-long run on the main Thor books, it seems strangely fitting that writer Donny Cates and artist Nic Klein should choose a force of nature as Thor’s next challenge. Starting a new story just as Thor completes a years-long, re-defining quest, many fans have been left to wonder: what could come next? Fortunately Cates and Klein have revealed their answer, taking the ball and running with it. Actually, make that hurling it straight into the unknown, limitless fogs of the Marvel cosmos.

The “now what?” attitude is what sets the mood for Thor #1, encapsulating the satisfaction of Thor’s victory… followed soon by the realization that sitting on a throne is a poor destiny for so great a hero. And as Thor ponders the duty of a king in a realm of gods, and his need to stop breaking and start building, to stop smiting and start smelting, he and the reader are faced with the possibility Thor’s glory days are behind him.

The new Thor series was making headlines long before details were released, thanks in large part to Thor’s new, darker makeover. Looking more like a cosmic prince than a viking god, Cates assured readers that the star of his book was still the Thor fans have come to know over the past decade. Indeed, Thor is still his bearded self in Issue #1, picking up not long after the conclusion of the War of the Realms, having established a new Asgard from the ruins of the old. But no further context was offered, since Thor’s transformation would come as a direct result of Thor #1… and the twist does not disappoint.

Thor’s rebirth obviously set expectations of something unexpected occurring in the first issue – more than the usual events required to launch a series, on top of it. That’s exactly what unfolds, as a cosmic conflict and secret far greater than any Thor (or any other Marvel hero) has ever faced before. Without spoiling, since Thor’s transformation into a new type of champion should be enjoyed with as much surprise as possible, the threat does manage to avoid being just ‘another mission.’ Even if it does so narrowly, the transformation alone marks this event, and the adventure to come, as one sure to make history in Thor’s comic book mythology.

The biggest action of the series is certainly still to come, but artists Nic Klein and Matt Wilson show why they’re what’s needed. The Asgard of wood and stone, and lit by magical fire marks a new beginning all by itself. But with glimpses of cosmic mysteries, action, devastation, and spectacle already planted in Thor #1, anticipation over what’s to come will be impossible to keep at bay. Even if the story is still one of an uncertain future, and not a glorious, exciting one for Thor himself (at least for now).

Having saved the Ten Realms from ruin and proven himself the undisputed champion of Marvel’s cosmic characters, only Thor is capable of facing what comes next. But to do that he will still need help; not just from his Asgardian and Midgardian allies, but from a new power source. More powerful than ever before, the final pages will still leave readers wondering what could possibly come next. But where that question was motivated by doubt before, it’s a sign of just how much is possible from here on out.

  • THOR #1 Written by: Donny Cates Art by: Nic Klein, Matt Wilson Cover Art by: Olivier Coipel A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSTAR CREATIVE TEAM TAKES THE KING OF ASGARD TO NEW REALMS OF GLORY! The prince is now a king. All Asgard lies before Thor, the God of Thunder. And after many months of war, the Ten Realms are finally at peace. But the skies above the Realm Eternal are never clear for long. The Black Winter is coming. And the God of the Storm will be powerless before it.

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