Odinson’s desperate search to regain his worthiness has taken him out into the cosmos, where he’s learned of the existence of a mysterious other Mjolnir. This weapon of unimaginable power, a relic from a dead universe, is the key to Odinson’s redemption – but some of the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe are now anxious to get their hands on it as well. Can The Odinson reclaim his honor, or will the power of thunder be wielded for evil? The quest for the hammer begins here.

Marvel really shook things up in what feels like ages ago when they changed the iconic wording of Thor’s hammer introducing a new champion and proclaiming Thor Odinson unworthy of Mjolnir. Flash forward years later and a second Mjolnir now exists in the Marvel Universe thanks to Secret Wars providing Thor a chance to reclaim his mantle. But is he worthy? Has he found redemption? Will he find redemption?

That’s the heart of this new series which will send Thor on a quest claim this hammer before others can do so themselves. And it’s a solid start as we see Thor as broken and dejected as you’d expect. He lacks direction and is pretty down on himself.

The comic has is an interesting one in that it feels more like a sci-fi series than fantasy and that’s with the issue kicking off with Thor fighting Trolls… on the moon! And that awesome tone is thanks to writer Jason Aaron who has shied away from the stereotypical fantasy take on Thor we’ve seen in the past instead giving us a blend and a sci-fi fantasy feel. And “feel” is a keyword here as Aaron gets us to really feel for Thor and the position he’s in. He’s at his lowest point and you can absolutely tell that by every word spoken.

But, what I like most is Aaron really pulling in a lot of the Marvel Universe in some cool ways. A mysterious being is put forth to send Thor on his quest and the issue ends with another being from Thor’s past as well. It’s a fun take that is forging something new while giving nods to the past.

Olivier Coipel‘s art is absolutely fantastic. Coipel is one of my favorite artists currently and my only gripe is that the art is a bit dark at times. Still, it’s beautiful to look at and as much fun to linger on the pages as it is to read Aaron’s words. Just great action and a vibe and mood that oozes off the page.

I had no idea what to expect going into this and I want more immediately after reading it. This feels like the start of an epic Thor story and I can’t wait to see what Aaron has up his sleeve.

Story: Jason Aaron Art: Olivier Coipel
Story: 8.65 Art: 9.15 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review