Thor: God of Thunder vol. 2 — Godbomb

The first volume of Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s “Thor:  God of Thunder” was a very welcome surprise.  It kicked off an epic story taking place over three different eras as the Thors of those times fought Gorr, the God Butcher.  Not only did Aaron make Young Thor and Old Thor as interesting to read about as the Present Thor we’re all familiar with, the high stakes and grand scope of the narrative were well-established too.  That’s also due to Ribic’s excellent artwork which sold the drama as it was being presented on the page.  After a start like that, are these creators up to the challenge of following it up?  Most certainly.  “Godbomb” is a very worthy conclusion to this arc that effectively builds on the strengths of the previous volume.

Now, one of the problems I had with vol. 1 was that Gorr himself wasn’t all that fleshed out as a character.  All we got to know about him was that he was immensely powerful and had a deep-seated grudge against all gods.  The first story here gives us his background as we learn that he was an alien living on a dry and rocky planet and that while his people had faith in the gods, the life Gorr lived showed that they cared nothing for their worshippers.  Then, two “gods” crashed onto his planet, with one carrying a symbiotic weapon of immense power that Gorr was able to claim for himself.  As origins go, it’s fairly standard issue but it gets the job done in terms of providing a suitable motivation for the character.  Even better is Gorr’s conversation with the (much thinner) Future Volstagg that sets up the idea that the God Butcher may have ultimately become what he has most hated.

Then we’re into “Godbomb” proper as the story picks up with Gorr bringing the fight back to Young Thor, while Present Thor and Old Thor discuss their plan of attack in the future.  We get some fun dialogue between the two as they bicker about time travel and prepare for war with all the ale they can muster.  Meanwhile, Young Thor is kidnapped and taken to the planet where Gorr is constructing the Godbomb which will destroy all gods throughout all time when it is detonated.  He’s not alone as the young god is forced to work with his fellow captured deities (and his own time-displaced grandchildren) and they’ve plans of their own to stop the God Butcher’s scheme.

For a story that revolves around the potential death of every god in the Marvel Universe, the scope of the story and its execution are suitably epic.  The first issue alone has Old and Present Thor sailing out into the cosmos on Skithblanthnir with their Mjolnirs at their sides ready to face certain death, while Young Thor beholds the awesome majesty of the Godbomb itself.  It continues on with the young one summoning a rain of fire and riding a celestial starshark right into Gorr, while the present one has to seal a planet that has ruptured in the battle.  Even when all seems lost, that’s just a cue for Aaron and Ribic to break out the really awe-inspiring stuff to show us how a god faces death on his own terms.  This is a story that shoots for the fences and largely connects with the shot.  I wouldn’t say that this is on the level of Walt Simonson’s legendary run, but this is easily the best “Thor” story I’ve read in recent memory.

Maybe there could’ve been more character development presented between the Thors here, but it’s entertaining enough to watch the three of them bounce off of each other through their interaction.  Young Thor is the most headstrong and reckless of the bunch, and the only one unworthy of his own Mjolnir, yet it’s the former two attributes that lead him to try some of the craziest stunts in the volume.  I also like how he and Present Thor appear appropriately thrilled to see that they eventually turn into their father, who is a stubborn old cuss in his own right and ultimately endearing in the way he lords it over his younger selves.  Then there’s the Thor from our era who ultimately shows that he has the strength and grit to take down the God Butcher.

There are also a couple of worthy supporting characters who, regardless of their development, add to the quality of these proceedings.  Atli, Ellisiv and Frigg are introduced as three strong-willed and hardened captives working on the Godbomb, and then revealed to be Thor’s own grandchildren.  It’s easy to see this in their spirited actions, and Atli’s foul mouth.  Gorr is also revealed to have a wife and son, with the latter looking up to and taking after his father for much of the story.  The wife isn’t much of a character, though she has a key role in her husband’s undoing which at least makes her role worthwhile.  There’s also a revelation about Gorr’s son towards the end of the story, which is actually explained fairly well and underscores the tragedy of the character.

Of course, I probably wouldn’t be so generous in my praise if it wasn’t for the quality of Ribic’s artwork.  Drawing epic confrontations and scenes is something this artist was clearly born to do and Aaron obliges him plenty in this volume.  From the majestic full-page shot of the Godbomb, to the dual-page spreads of all three Thors plunging into the fray above a planet, to Present Thor “blackened” by Gorr’s weapon (and all the more imposing for it) at the end, there can be no question that Ribic has a give when it comes to creating striking and memorable scenes.  He also knows how to showcase things like Present Thor getting hit in a face with a starshark and climbing out of a fiery gorge in a way that makes them memorable in the space of a standard comic panel.  Yes, the “O”-faces are still present whenever a character expresses surprise, but everything else from the artist in this volume is of such high quality that it ultimately doesn’t bother me as much here.

Ribic isn’t alone, though.  Butch Guice illustrates the story of Gorr’s origin and while his style isn’t about “epicness” it suits the tale just fine.  That’s because Guice works in a grittier, rough milieu that’s appropriate for the harshness of Gorr’s homeworld and the circumstances he faces as well.  The man also manages to convey the frustration and rage of the God Butcher quite well and makes the appearance of the gods who fall to his planet a striking image in its own right.  There weren’t any times when I thought, “I want a poster of this scene,” but Guice’s work is still a credit to this volume.

So there you have it.  “Godbomb,” is a thoroughly entertaining “Thor” story and a real showcase for the talents of Aaron and Ribic.  While there haven’t been a whole lot of must-read stories from the character’s solo series since the days of Simonson, this is certainly one of them.  It also tells a complete story with the first volume and while the saga of the God Butcher may be over, there are still plenty of things from this arc that Aaron can revist in the future if he were so inclined.  Not next time, though, as we’re getting “The Accursed:”  A story of Malekith the Dark Elf that was timed to coincide with “Thor:  The Dark World’s” debut in theaters.  While it won’t be hard for the comic to do a better Malekith story than the one we got in the movie, the fact that it has Aaron teaming up with one of his frequent artistic collaborators, Ron Garney, gives me the impression that it’ll be worth reading.  I’m not expecting it to be on the level of “Godbomb,” but that’s a standard most superhero stories are going to struggle to reach for me this year.