Tag Archives: Roz Solomon

Review: Thor #8

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thor008The big reveal is finally here and fans from far and wide are likely to be picking up this issue, even when they likely haven’t read another issue of this series other than the first.  Ever since the initial announcement of the gender swap for the titular character, this series has been controversial.  Some have not accepted the drastic change for a well established character while others have focused on the quality of writing and the deep characterization.  Regardless this is the big issue which focuses on the unanswered question, with both the character and the company, since the end of Original Sin.

With the high quality of writing, there would be likely to be some curveballs thrown to the readers, and this is definitely the case here.  All sings have pointed towards Roz as the new holder of the hammer, from her disappearance for a short time, as well as to her suspiciously being in the right place at the right time nearly every time that Thor has shown up.  This has kept the readers guessing, but the creative team is also adept enough to figure out how to play with the readers a bit through the use of a bit of misdirection (and those that are suspicious and prone to over-examination likely figured out the identity of the character already.)  The one misfire in this issue is the inclusion of all the major female heroes.  While it is kind of akin to a welcoming party, it also comes off a bit as them showing up to give the new Thor support, which the character really doesn’t need.

The overall effect of this issue is a bit dulled by the ongoing question, that is until the last few panels when the questions are finally answered.  The revelation gives fans a lot to ponder, while also providing what is perhaps one of the last unexplored plot lines in comics.  Equally the setup will allow others to fill in the characters for this new series, and perhaps even give some unheralded characters a chance to shine.  Heading into Secret Wars there is perhaps no better sendoff than this one.  The fans that have been picking this up for the quality of the story will have their curiosity piqued by this story.  This is just the end of the beginning, but there are still other great stories to be told.

Story:  Jason Aaron Art:  Russell Dauterman  
Story: 8.8 Art:  8.8 Overall: 8.8  Recommendation:  Buy

Review: Thor #7

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thor007Gender has probably never played such a role in the public discourse about comics as it does in the present day.  As the medium (and especially the mainstream portion of it) moves to become more inclusive of the entire spectrum of society, it requires a different approach in order to appeal to those fans.  There are many developments elsewhere recently at the big two which have shown that this is the case.  The alternate cover for Spider-Woman #1 was a pretty big deal for a while, and so too was the new creative team behind Wonder Woman proclaiming her to not be a feminist.  These controversies have come and gone, but the one major gender controversy has remained, and that is of the gender swap for Thor.  In true comic book style, it is not a real gender swap, as one character has not awakened to find themselves in the body of the opposite gender, but rather the mantle of Thor has been passed from its originator to a female replacement, who seems equally adept at handling the power of the magical hammer.  For some loyal to the original character, they can’t let go of the fact that their favorite character had to give up his name.  Others still have welcomed it as a great story in the making, and probably the most important of all, a bunch of new readers that never read Thor before have found a superhero to relate to.

After having established that the new Thor is indeed worthy, the remainder of the plot has focused on discovering just who this new Thor is.  The story has featured the original Thor as the meta-version of the readers’ curiosity, trying to discover the identity of the new goddess.  He has mostly been unable to figure this out, but at least touched on a few points of who it was likely not.  After six issue of guessing this issue kind of lays out a pretty clear message of who it could be.  Or does it?  After all how does one person be in two places at the same time?  Outside of the external forces at play in this story, this particular issue is rather ordinary, featuring Thor against the Destroyer, with others pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The story does use some of what is familiar to the character, perhaps even too familiar in the case of the previous Thor, but the presence of the familiar is necessary at the same time.  After all, this series seems as though it has many great stories left to tell, but first it must deal with the story of who is the new Thor (the conclusion of which is promised for the following issue.)  That some familiar ground has been covered does not make this stale, rather it acts as a convenience for a character that needs to have some of what came before in order to establish herself for the future.  As it stands, this issue continues the standout work on this series to date, and promises more to come.

Story:  Jason Aaron Art:  Russell Dauterman  
Story: 8.8 Art:  8.8 Overall: 8.8  Recommendation:  Buy

Review: Thor #6

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thor006With 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