With the initial shock worn off of a female Thor, as well as an adequate explanation of how another person can take on the name and not just the title of another, the question therefore comes down to who this new Thor is.  The writing team has been careful thus far to leave enough clues to keep the fans guessing, while equally also not releasing too many details too soon.  As a simplistic carrot-and-stick motivator, this might fall short, but the issue is careful to also balance in a fair share of action from Thor and some maneuvering by her villains so as to keep more than a prolonged guessing game be the sole source of fun in this series.

It is still perhaps this idea of who Thor is that is the draw here, and the question is explored through Odinson, accepting of the new female version, but also presumably interested in getting back his hammer.  In so doing he explores various possibilities, notably here seeking out both Jane Foster and Roz Solomon, two likely suspects from the readers, with a discounting of Jane (or was it?) and a likely implication of Roz (or was it?).  As the cover suggests though, there are still a lot of other possibilities that haven’t been explored, and with all the effort put into establishing the new Thor, such a discovery will be by a bang not by a whimper.  As this passes, the new Thor is thrust into the background, so much so that by the time that she actually shows up she seems a bit out of place.  All the same this is evidently her series and though she is present for only a few panels at the end, she still manages to steal the limelight.

The creative team will of course have to be careful in its drawing out of the search for the identity of this new Thor.  In a sense it is not fair as some heroes have maintained their own identities for several decades, often hiding in plain sight without anyone the wiser.  In this case, readers will demand an explanation, and while it is going to draw out, it is still important to keep the momentum moving forward, as without it the series would stumble.  It is successful in that regard with this issue, framing the story around this investigation but prescient enough of itself to know where its focus has to rest.

Story:  Jason Aaron Art:  Russell Dauterman  
Story: 8.6 Art:  8.6 Overall: 8.6  Recommendation:  Buy