Thor #5: Review

Sep 2018

Jason Aaron, Christian Ward

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Story Name:

Old Gods

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #5 Review by Peter Silvestro (September 20, 2018)

Review: An amazing issue with a duel between a pair of incredibly ancient and incredibly powerful heroes which is also a clash of philosophies as Thor wants the universe reborn while Logan wants to see it die forever. And that last page reveal is one of the most shocking ever (though Doctor Doom is the epitome of the last-page reveal, I still wasn’t expecting him). The award for the goofiest part of the tale is the worm challenging Ego to a battle; I really can’t wait for that to continue. And something must be said about the guest artist Christian Ward: while previous issues were marked by Matthew Wilson’s delicate colors or Mike DeCarlo’s solid colors that look like they are constructing the action as we watch, Ward’s are in another class entirely. His colors fly around the pages in a sort of controlled chaos, creating a mad canvas the action plays out upon, almost alive and thriving; they are a knockout. What is it about Thor that has been bringing out the most creative work of the colorists, usually unappreciated in the comics world (though not as much as the letterers who have also been let loose by Thor titles to do their most impressive and overlooked craft).

Comments: Fin Fang Foom and his three monstrous sidekicks were originally seen in Marvel's monster comics of the pre-superhero days. Doctor Doom is shown to have the powers of Iron Fist, the Starbrand, Doctor Strange, and Ghost Rider.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #5 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Many years ago, Thor and Wolverine sat drinking together, talking about the best bar they’d even been to (Logan’s was in Sampan in 1944, Thor’s in Iceland in the days of the Vikings). Logan’s melancholy mood is broken by the arrival of some extremely unlucky armed robbers. As they whomp the bad guys, Logan expresses the hope of not living forever….

Untold eons from now, All-Father Thor faces Wolverine who is the avatar of the Phoenix Force. Logan has been walking the spaceways as a futuristic ronin. Thor is overjoyed that Logan can now help him save the universe, bringing planets back to life just as he had done with Midgard—and Logan slashes at Thor’s throat with his claws. It seems that Logan wants to help the universe finally die and the two ancient heroes battle in space, each wanting to kill the other….

Interlude: Ego the Living Planet, now the Necroworld, corrupted by the All-Sword, has eaten Galactus and prepares to eat everything else; suddenly he is challenged by a tiny worm on his surface. Ego scoffs but the worm promises not to hurt him if he hands over the power of the Necrosword. Ego’s attacks are increasingly violent but they do not disturb the worm….

Thor and Logan continue to battle inside a cyclone full of lightning conjured by Thor yet Logan still overcomes his foe and has him at his (non-existent) mercy. Thor’s hammer Mjolnir suddenly comes to his hand, tearing a giant hole through Logan’s body as it arrives. Yet to Thor’s surprise, Logan is very hard to kill. The former Wolverine beats Thor into a heap and reveals that by recreating Midgard he has doomed it; there is someone out there much scarier than Old Man Phoenix and Thor has attracted his attention and he’s on his way. Logan prepares for the death blow….

On New Midgard, Thor’s granddaughters, the Goddesses of Thunder see the approach of a spaceship and prepare for anything to happen. The ship beams down Fin Fang Foom, followed by Goom, Gorgilla, and Monstrum; the dragon commands them to kill. The three Goddesses easily take down FFF’s trio of henchman but Fin Fang Foom has a surprise for them: the real master is coming—Doctor Doom, more powerful than ever….

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