Thor: Goddess of Thunder (Volume 1)

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Thor:  Goddess of Thunder (Volume 1)
Jason Aaron
Russell Dauterman
Jorge Molina
2014

The Summary
"Who is the Goddess of Thunder?

"The secrets of Original Sin have laid low one of Marvel's greatest heroes.  The God of Thunder is unworthy, and Mjolnir lies on the moon, unable to be lifted!  But when Frost Giants invade Earth, a new hand will grasp the hammer--and a mysterious woman will take up the mantle of the mighty Thor!  Her identity is secret to even Odin, but she may be Earth's only hope against the Frost Giants.  Get ready for a Thor like you've never seen before as this all-new heroine takes Midgard by storm!  Plus:  The Odinson clearly doesn't like that someone else is holding his hammer--it's Thor vs. Thor!  And Odin desperate to see Mjolnir returned, will call on some very dangerous, very unexpected allies.  It's a bold new chapter in the storied history of Thor!"

The Good
As my introduction to Thor and his Marvel mythology, Thor:  Goddess of Thunder makes a nice stepping stone into the world of Asgard.  It picks up where Original Sin left off and, while it doesn't go into a lot of detail about previous events, it manages to give readers enough detail that they can continue with the story unimpeded.  Yes, some of the Norse mythology woven into the story can get a bit complex, but, otherwise, I think it's a decent place to start in the series.

I initially picked it up because I was curious to see how a female would be portrayed under a primarily male title, and I can't say I'm disappointed.  It was nice to see how this new goddess stacks up against the other heroes of Asgard and Midgard; more importantly, it was nice to see a positive portrayal of a woman in comic books.

The new Thor is getting used to her new role.  She's much the same as her predecessor:  serious, snappish, and slightly egotistical.  (It's the language, I think.  There's something about the way the gods speak that makes them sound almost...snobbish, like they're somehow greater than all the other realms.  It's weird.)  However, she certainly has more of a sense of humor than the original Thor, which, I found, I could appreciate.

Moreover, I liked that the new Thor had two different voices:  one, her internal voice; two, her speaking voice.  I know that seems a weird thing to mention, but I really liked that Thor had her own unique internal voice that was completely under her control versus her speaking voice which was modified by the magic of Mjolnir.  Her internal narration is more relatable and, more importantly, easier to access.

She speaks as we would speak.  She has that unique quality that marks her apart as a hero and a god, but also a mortal.  (She obviously comes from Earth, since her thoughts don't reflect the inflection or language quirks of the Norse gods.)  She's something special, something vastly different from the other gods and goddesses of Asgard.

And I'm intrigued to see where it will go.

Oh, and did I mention that I love the art?  Yes, I love the art.  It's incredibly detailed and filled with a wide, beautiful array of colors.  I love the tones and hues, the subtle differences that denotes the changes in scenery and changes in characters and, sometimes, changes in mood.  I love all the different panels and I love how beautifully depicted the scenery and characters are.

And although I dislike Malekith on a personal level, I love how he's drawn and I love the striking colors of the magic he invokes.  There's such a supernatural brightness to him that I think appropriately reflects his strange and twisted nature.

The Bad
Although I really enjoyed reading Thor, I'm still not a fan of Thor.  I'm just not quite "sold" on the series yet.  I like the way it plays with Norse mythology and I love the art, but I'm not sure if it will keep me committed.  I'll see it through the second volume, but I can't really make anymore promises after that.

The Ugly
Frost giant violence and gore.

I mean, they're not good guys, so I don't exactly feel sorry for them.  But it's a little gruesome and a bit graphic, so I don't think I'd recommend it to younger readers.  Otherwise, it's not so bad.

Well, there is the macabre incident with Odinson and an axe...but, like I said, not so very bad.