The epic showdown years in the making finally explodes across the heavens. Thor battles the unstoppable Mangog, with the fate of all Asgardia hanging in the balance. Is Thor willing to pay the ultimate price in order to save the gods? The tragic and heroic story of Jane Foster finally reaches its heart-rending zenith. You knew it was coming. The Death of Thor is here at last.

“The Death of Mighty Thor” comes to this with its sixth part featuring something we all knew was coming but the “how” was still up in the air. Writer Jason Aaron continues his epic story of Thor(s) as the showdown between Mangog and Thor continues to its firey conclusion.

As a piece of the greater story, The Mighty Thor #705 is satisfying in some ways but on its own there’s a lack of emotional punch or takeaway. Without a deep connection to the characters it all feels a little anticlimactic and muted. Whether that’s on purpose or not, it’s an interesting choice and instead of delivering a battle that feels like it could be one for the ages just in this issue alone, instead we get some smarts thrown in to wrap it all up.

The comic though feels like we’ve seen it before with moments and lines that feel repeated. Like Wonder Woman charging across the “No Mans Land,” here we get a similar line and moment of “I am no God.” While it works, much like the comic itself, it’s familiar and in some ways feels a little safe. The entire issue has that in some way.

The art by Russell Dauterman looks beautiful at times but at others it’s difficult to tell exactly what’s going on. I was left staring at pages trying to decipher all of the action though each little bit looks great. That’s partially due to Matthew Wilson‘s coloring which makes the heat feel like it’s coming off of the page.

I can’t say exactly what was expected of the issue but it definitely wasn’t this. While it’s a satisfying conclusion in some ways it also feels like it’s one that’s playing it safe so that Odinson can return to hold the mantle of Thor. Aaron has weaved an epic Thor run and will continue to do so, so in some ways there was an expectation that despite the build up, some different ending might have surprised us. While not a bad issue overall, The Mighty Thor #705 lacks an expected punch.

Story: Jason Aaron Art: Russell Dauterman
Color: Matthew Wilson Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover: Russell Dauterman, Matthew Wilson
Variant Cover: Artgerm, Jee Hyung
Editor: Wil Moss Associate Editor: Sarah Brunstad
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review