| Title | : | Thor, Vol. 2: Who Holds the Hammer? |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0785197842 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780785197843 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 136 |
| Publication | : | First published July 21, 2015 |
That's the question on everyone's lips. Most especially Prince Odinson of Asgard. This volume, he starts to narrow down the list of suspects. Meanwhile, tensions continue to flare between the All-Mother and All-Father, Malekith forges his most dangerous pact yet, and Thor prepares to face her greatest challenge!
Collecting: Thor 6-8, Annual
Thor, Vol. 2: Who Holds the Hammer? Reviews
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3.5 stars
There's not much to this volume, is there?
Still, the 3 issues of Thor were good, and the big reveal was quite dramatic.
In the background, Malekith is plotting to take over every world connected to Yggdrasil, and Mr. Minotaur is plotting to strip them of their resources.
TEAMWORK!
But the majority of the story is Thor (the dude) trying to figure out the identity of Thor (the chick). I thought he was pretty decent about the whole thing. Last time around, he was a bit ragey and over-the-top, but now he seems to simply need to know to get some closure.
By the last issue, he's checked everyone off his list except one person, and he's pretty sure he knows who is wielding Mjolnir. So, when the new Thor finds herself outnumbered and under attack from Odin's super-weapon, he and his mother use his Maybe She's Thor list to put together an army of warriors.
Not-Lady-Thors to the rescue!
{insert generic battle here}
The battle and the scheming villains felt like a backdrop, and I believe the reason was because the only thing most of us cared about was finding out the answer to the Question. And I'm pretty sure Aaron knew that, too.
So who's the new Thor?!
More importantly, was it cool?
Hmmm. Yes, I thought so. I wish it had been a bit longer, and maybe hadn't ended quite so abruptly, but you can't have everything.
The Annual issue had 3 throwaway stories in it, and while they were't awful, they really weren't anything t write home about, either.
According to
Sesana's review there was also a classic Thor story included in this, but since I read this as single issues on Marvel Unlimited, I didn't see that one. Can't say I'm sorry I missed it, though, because she didn't seem all that impressed.
Overall, I thought this was a great title, and waaaay better than I ever dreamed it would turn out. Hopefully, we'll continue to see more of this character in the future, but for now it looks like her story will continue in
Thors: Battleworld. -
So here it is at last: Jason Aaron is finally done teasing readers with the identity of the new Thor as she removes her helm and reveals herself to be…
.... Deadpool! Just kidding - as if I’d spoil that here! It is a surprise though and I loved the choice of who the new God of Thunder really is.
The story in this volume is a bit thin as Aaron basically puts everything on the big reveal at the end to keep readers going. Thor Classic (or Prince Odinson of Asgard, as he’s calling himself now) has a list of potential suspects and he’s slowly crossing them off. His conclusions prove he is no detective.
Meanwhile it’s Thor and a small army of (almost entirely) female warriors against a new Destroyer (that giant armoured blasty thing from the first Thor movie). The Dario Agger/Malekith storyline is still bubbling away in the background but doesn’t go anywhere though we do find out Agger’s origins.
If Aaron’s script is only so-so, artist Russell Dauterman brings the thunder once more, producing some utterly gorgeous pages strewn with magic and lightning. It’s very colourful, dynamic art, that’s not just pretty to look at but exciting to see too. I’ve enjoyed this series all the more for Dauterman’s outstanding efforts, along with colourist Matthew Wilson’s high quality, vivid work.
Thor Annual #1 is also included which features three short stories. Artist Timothy Truman joins Jason Aaron as he writes about future old Thor who’s miserable on his who-knows-th birthday because all his friends are long dead, so his three granddaughters decide to cheer him up. It’s sort of interesting with Aaron once again hitting the “god” angle of Thor pretty hard.
Lumberjanes/Nimona creator Noelle Stevenson makes her Marvel debut (good hire, Marvel!) writing about current Thor proving her worthiness to the Warriors Three in a series of challenges. It’s a cute tale and I liked Marguerite Sauvage’s wispy art style.
And pro-wrestler CM Punk writes, with Rob Guillory drawing, of a drinking contest between young Thor and Mephisto! This was surprisingly the best story in the book for me. Punk’s silly and funny tale tonally fits Guillory’s zany art style Chew fans will be very familiar with. Good stuff - the wrestler can write and Rob Guillory is still the best!
As it’s a relatively short book (Thor Annual #1, Thor #6-8), Marvel beefs up the page count by including What If? #10 from 1978, a story of What If… Jane Foster had found the Hammer of Thor? In terms of quality, it’s a Silver Age comic, so, you know (sorry if you’re a Silver Age comics fan but books from that era suuuuuck!). Why only collect the current issues up to #8? Unfortunately the series is now over however Aaron/Dauterman are returning with a new Thor series under the All-New, All-Different Marvel lineup, Marvel's latest relaunch - and yes, Thor is still a girl.
This short Thor series has been about introducing the re-imagined character to the new Marvel Universe more than anything and in that regard Jason Aaron’s done a great job. I think that’s why the story surrounding her was a bit weak, because it was always second banana. But there are a number of potentially electrifying storylines now set up that can be fully explored in the forthcoming new series.
Along with the new Thor, the other notable aspect of this run was Russell Dauterman who showed readers that he’s one of Marvel’s notable artists - I wouldn’t be surprised if he now gets scads more high level work from them, and well-deserved too!
Thor is a series that continues to be worthy of picking up - long may she be with us! -
The identity of the new Thor is finally revealed, and it’s….*gasp* WHO?!?
Just kidding. This came out almost 5 years ago so that info has already fallen so far into the realm of common nerd knowledge even the reveal of the cast of the next Thor movie gave it away.
Since this a modern comic we can’t go more than 15 minutes without changing the title slightly and releasing a new #1, and with Secret Wars looming this version of Thor had a limited shelf life. Still, I very much enjoyed this particular run with a mysterious woman wielding the hammer as original Thor struggles to deal with his new unworthy status. It’s short but we get a pretty great battle between new Thor and the Destroyer that was sent by Odin just because he’s being an incredible asshat about a woman having the name and power of Thor. (Imagine that.) The annual included here has 3 lightweight but fun stories too.
Now I guess I’m onto the next title which is called Thors. We’ll see how long that lasts. -
The female Thor saga continues with a cast of developing villains. The Asgardian extended family gets involved in the conflict and we find out the identity of the female Thor.
One problem.
The latter third of the tale changes dramatically in artwork and some of the tales go to goofy, breaking up the flow IMO.
That said, still a fun read but not as well plotted as the first one.
OVERALL GRADE: B. -
I didn't get the Annual because I read individual issues on MU. That being said, there's great stuff here, and I honestly got a bit emotional at a few parts, which surprises me, but not in a bad way. Good for Aaron.
If Aaron's Titania surrendering to Thor last volume was heavy handed and stupid, the female armies of the Odinson who come to support Thor was the perfect way to make up for it it and have a more genuine "girl power" moment that felt far more authentic and believable to me at least.
Is it just me, or is one arm Odinson turning into a more enlightened man/God? I'm not sure if it's the fact that we already know old Thor, or if Aaron is just giving him a lot more humanity/range of emotions.
It's almost like Odin is the evil one, and Odinson is the wise one...I like turning things on their heads for a change. The Destroyer was a nice return to form, and Malakeith is pretty funny in his bits with the Roxxon CEO/Minotaur.
Issue 6, where Odinson and Jane meet in Asgard was the one that got me all watery. When a God is powerless and begging a mortal woman to take the treatment for cancer that the healers can offer, and he says "The arm is he least of what I have lost, I will not lose you as well" and he's holding her hand?oh fuck, call me a softie but it was Kleenex time in aisle 2. Yup.
Then there's the art...wow. Aaron has had some strong contributors since he took over Thor, and I love it.
This whole run Aaron had done? Thorriffic. -
Este volumen empieza con el Thor Annual. Es uno de esos números extraños en el que tenemos una combinación de historia futurista con un Thor tuerto y viejo, de una en la cual la nueva Thor es "probada" por algunos amigos de Thor y una historieta de bromas que nunca llegan a gustarme del todo.
En el número 6 empieza cuando Odín rabioso porque otra persona ha quitado el Mjolnir a su hijo Thor decide enviar a El Destructor para combatir a la nueva Thor. Ella está en busca de los malvados de la historia: el multimillonario Darío Agger y el Malekith el maldito. También lo está la agente de SHIELD Roz Solomon a quien no conocía. Me gustó la ayuda que recibió al final y cómo cierra esto de la pena de Thor por saber quién es la que lo está supliendo, ella no se lo llega a decir hasta este volumen pero en el último se descubre quién ha sido la nueva Thor y por qué su vida corre riesgo. -
This is where we find out who Thor is. And the reveal is, thankfully, very nicely handled. It wasn't obvious, to me, who she was until very shortly before her identity was revealed, but the pieces all fit into place. And I very much like her as Thor. The Odinson still plays a big part, and I still like him as a terrible detective.
Because of Secret Wars, this is another short collection. There's only three regular issues, plus an annual and a "classic" issue to make it look like less of a ripoff. Not much choice there, because that's all there was. The annual is, overall, pretty good. There are three stories, and the worst of the three (CM Punk's) is good, but not great, and kind of funny. Which is a pretty good average, in my opinion.
And then there's the "classic" story. It's an issue of What If? from the 70s, the one where Jane Foster picks up the hammer first and becomes Thordis. I strongly suspect that Aaron may have been partially inspired by this issue, which doesn't make it good. It's... It's really 70s. The writing is not fantastic, and the ending honestly kind of sucks. But it's the only stinker in an otherwise really good book. I've seen that this version of Thor will still be around after Secret Wars, and I'm really pleased about that. -
I like Jason Aaron's run on Thor. He managed to make a very uninteresting character interesting. He does reveal who the new Thor is. This book felt like a cash grab though. There are only 3 regular issues in the book, plus some filler. The stories from the annual are boring and pointless. And then there's a What If? reprint issue in the back.
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This was an alright volume and is mostly Thor facing off against the Minotaur but then comes the Destroyer armor controlled by Bor on Odin's behalf and thus begins the All-fathers wrath and its a fun issue as she has to fight that thing and team up with Odinson and Avengers to take this monstrosity down while the Odinson searches for her identity and we get the reveal to be and its a fun change and it will be interesting to see where they go from here and also I like the annual particularly what happens with Elder Thor and how he restores the world! And Young Thor out-drinking the devil, its a volume with one good story and other short stories and they make for a good read and heralds in the new age of the Thunder God!
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Totally called it!
Still cried at the ending, though... -
3.5 stars.
I had high hopes for this one and if this was just the Thor story, it would've definitely been 4 stars. Unfortunately, 70% of the annual and the "What If?" Story dragged this down for me so much.
I really, really liked the story of Thor taking on the Destroyer. I loved the dialogue, how powerful she looked and I adored Freyja's influence. She is such a powerful character in this book and in Angela: Asgard's Assassin and (while I know it'll never happen) I am 100% down for a Freyja solo series. There's a story there that I'm incredibly interested in. The scene where the women team up should have been more moving but it wasn't for me because I couldn't help but notice one glaring similarity between all of them. Nonetheless, it was a great story and I was entertained while reading t.
I loved the chemistry between Thor and Odinson, as well. I don't know anything about Roz but I would be interested in knowing more about her. Even the origin of Agger was interesting. I also loved the plot with Malekith (although again, he just reminds me of Loki). The Thor portion was great!
Then we get a Thor annual. While I liked the Thor story where she's going on Odinson's legendary quests (bless Marguerite Sauvage's art!), I didn't care for the rest of it. Grandpa Thor and Young Thor bored me. I don't think I laughed once.
Then the "What If" issue. Usually I love these kind of things but old Marvel comics have historically bored me. Even some of the Iron Man comics bore me and he's my favorite character! DC's older catalogue has just been stronger to me and I was forcing myself to read this. The culmination of this story is Thordis (which, why?) calls on Odin to save the day. Odin gives Thor his hammer back for reasons and then proposes to Jane??? Gross. That is so freaking gross and Odin has always been a dick. In this, he's also a misogynistic dick so character development? I hate him. What was the purpose? Sometimes What If stories show us what could've been if something awesome happened. In this case, the consequence of Jane being Thor was losing the hammer in the end anyway and getting hitched to Odin after he'd vanished and belittled her for being female. That is so dissatisfying.
So, as a whole, this was meh. If this was just the Thor portions, this would've been a slam dunk for me. -
Now that's more like it.
It's still very much 'all girls together' but in a much less heavy handed way that worked this time around. I love the development between Odin and Freyja, and there were some nice cameos that didn't distract from the main characters and plot.
The big reveal was done really well; I'd managed to avoid spoilers so it was still a bit of a guess until the last minute, mainly because of all the red herrings they kept throwing about.
My only criticism is there wasn't quite enough of it, and it ended very abruptly after the reveal. I would have liked some more action afterwards, but I know that'll come in the next volume. There's also some extra issues in there, some at the beginning that are fairly irrelevant and uninteresting, and some older issues at the end that are more interesting from my own curiosity.
I'm feeling a lot better about this series now, and will definitely be continuing with it. -
If I was to rate Thor series since the start on just art, this shit is stunning. LIKE FUCK MAN the art is truly amazing shit.
This is a really short volume. Focusing on just the major issues of the plot we finally know who Thor is (though it's super easy to see coming) but it's nice to know it now. I also really enjoyed the battle, it was fantastic, the art truly makes each battle epic as fuck. I couldn't get over the one scene where Thor is standing there, blood soaked, and is still standing ready to fight. Just amazing.
Dialog is still good, just not great. And the overall plot and pacing don't engage me like I'd hope. I respect Jason, but I don't know if his writing is my style completely. However, going to check out Mighty Thor volume 1 next. -
3.5 stars
"Perhaps trouble is what she is after - in which case . . . raise Hel, Goddess of Thunder, and let the rest be damned!" - Valkyrie
Faster-paced and funnier than Volume 1, Who Holds the Hammer? features a slew of speical guest stars (to quote Freyja - "Am I right, ladies?") arriving in the nick of time for an ass-kicking finale. Also of note were two of the three short stories, both co-starring the Warriors Three, that conclude the book -- an initiation / 'rite of passage' challenge involving our new Thor, and then the completely offbeat but priceless drinking contest (?!) pitting the former Thor against Mephisto. -
We know who Thor is now and I LOVE IT!!! Okay so I knew ahead of time because I looked it up since I'm really impatient and just wanted to know, but the reveal was done really nicely in the comics. I am loving new Thor so much. This volume was bumped down to 4 stars instead of 5 because there were only 3 issues in this I think, plus a few extra stories by different writers and artists in the back. Which was cool I guess, but I wanted more from the actual storyline than extra material (especially for the price of the hardcover, jesus). I still love this new Thor though and I'm so excited to see where she's going to go (she is being added to the Avengers in November along with my fave Ms. Marvel and yeah I'm going to cry).
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Fabulous, of course. This is the big reveal of who has lifted Thor's hammer (spoiled by Entertainment Weekly like a year ago. Thanks, EW!), and even though I knew who it was, it was still great. And I loved Thor running around with his list of lady heroes that it could be. I can't wait for the next one!
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This a short collection, only three issue, an annual, and an old but relevant story for padding up the page count.
#6 - The Minotaur CEO had a key role in the last story arc, and he gets a timely origin story in this chapter. In an effort to solve the mystery of the identity of the new Thor, the Odinson shows a new side to him, as a detective.
#7 - Thor versus the Destroyer! This battle is a slobber knocker. It does stylistically sing like the one with the frost giants in the previous arc. This one is just pure power.
#8 - All out battle with the Destroyer! The Odinson brought friends and his mother, to aid Thor. The last page reveal gives us an unlikely new secret identity for Thor and this reader approves of it.
Annual - The annual had three stories, and my favorite would have to be the one about Thor's granddaughters. This is a nice coda to the last Old King Thor story arc that ended Aaron previous Thor title and it's a nice callback to the old Ragnarok stories from the Tales of Asgard backup stories on the original Thor title.
The bonus chapter is a "What If" story that makes sense considering the person behind the hammer.
This collection is too short. This second volume wraps up this title. Granted, the Secret Wars event gave us more Aaron Thor(s) stories, and that this book relaunched as Mighty Thor, this was too few pages for too many dollars. -
This is a bit of a bitty comic, which annoyed me. There’s a couple of issues dealing with the ongoing story, but there’s also a lot of extra stuff — a short one about Thor sometime way in the future, a side story with Thor’s friends, one about Thor having a drinking contest, and then a “what if” about Jane Foster finding Mjolnir originally. That last one is especially difficult if you’re not familiar with Thor’s canon, because it really requires comparison with the original/referenced issues of Thor. (And it ends kind of weirdly, with Odin marrying Jane after Thor goes off with Sif.)
There are some awesome bits, like when the All-Mother gathers a whole army of women (plus the original Thor) to back the new Thor up in a fight. The fight between the All-Father and the All-Mother continues, and Frigga continues to hold her own and demand respect. And of course, there’s Thor going up against the Destroyer.
But, with all the extras, it didn’t feel like a satisfying progression. The main question it answers is a simple one: “Who is Thor?” Which… wasn’t a surprise to me, at all. And then it just leads into Secret Wars, which I’m not all that interested in, although most of the comics I follow are having tie-in issues. Ah, well.
Also, will someone please give the male Thor a shirt?
Originally posted here. -
The big reveal of who the new Thor is was spoiled for me long ago by some online news source or another, and so this issue-which concerns itself with finding out that mystery-lost a lot of its impact for me now that I have gotten around to reading it. I will say that I am still loving the fantastic artwork. I did, however, have a couple of problems:
I was waiting for some big reveal showing how Odin was possessed/controlled/Loki in disguise, but none ever came. So, unless I missed something somewhere, Odin is suddenly just some skeevy old psychopath that befriends evil people that he just recently had locked away and has pity parties so severe that he sends the freaking Destroyer to Earth. Odin has never been the most agreeable dude, but he always had reasons for acting like a jerk. I have a sneaking suspicion that he is suddenly awful so that Freya can be the best leader around because girl power and all (so, once again, Marvel throws characters under the bus to boost other characters, instead of letting everyone shine equally).
The annual didn't really do it for me. The "King Thor" story was ok, but the other two were a little too pointless and cartoony for me. -
Really good follow up with a conclusion i yo who Thor is. Kinda didnt see it coming, had my own assumptions which didnt come true. Great story telling, artwork was great and Thor was exciting. My only complaint was.how short the novel was. Alot of filler torwards the back.
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Put it back in the oven; it's not done yet.
It takes a lot to squander the good will I have when a minotaur reveals the simplest and greatest supervillain plan I've ever read in comics. Unfortunately, Thor #2 does that.
Let's be clear, in case you missed
my review of
Thor, Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder. Summing up, I'm fine with the new direction of the book. Also, I do love the reveal at the end of Thor's identity. That's not my issue.
The book is just too damned light on content.
I understand that Marvel wants to get Thor books out while people are interested in the buzz, and they're printing quality issues. Still, there's only three issues of the main series in here. They're good, and I like the direction. It was just incredibly frustrating to realize that the rest of this hardcover was a good far future tale completely unrelated to the new Thor, an "eh" side story, a comedy piece so silly it might've been Fred Hembeck, and a What If reprint. My wife didn't even bother trying any of them.
It's all so much filler. I would've rather Marvel waited to print 2-3 more issues and just bundled them.
The two stars in no way reflected the main comic story, just the incredibly frustrating way it's packaged. -
This volume carries the torch from the last one quite nicely.
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Seriously, am I to believe that Marvel is employing a WWE star as a comics writer? Not just on Drax, but now also a short story writer on a Thor Annual? Alright Axel, make a believer out of me...
But first, Jason Aaron kills me with a heart-tugger of a story. Damn those granddaughters.
Then Noelle Stevenson (of the acclaimed Lumberjanes) tells a tale of the recently-gender-swapped Thor that is perfectly in line with her oeuvre (translation: it's good, I like it).
Finally we get to the goods: wrestler writing for the Young, pre-worthy Thor. It's super-fun with Rob Guillory's (of Chew fame) bizarro art skills:
Those were fun. More of them soon, please.
Onwards with the Questing...
Odinson asks Heimdall to look for Thor's identity, but instead we get:
[gorgeous art and portentous words]
And all we really see of Thor is the immense determination and ass-kicking patience that comes from being a Worthy God:
And the next panel made me pee my pants a little:
Let's rock! -
"Remember my lady, that you stand for more than yourself now. And you need never stand alone again."
Great Odin's raven, I'm enjoying this far more than expected. I should never doubt Jason Aaron.
This volume is pretty light on pages but dense with quality action, dialogue and character development. I actually feel for these characters.
The mystery surrounding the identity of the new Thor--and her journey of self-discovery--is a satisfying one that is impressively deep and connects us with her even though we don't learn who she is until the final page of the second volume. That's impressive work from Mr. Aaron.
Also, I'm a HUGE fan of Aaron's Thor run that leads up to this, and I am pleasantly surprised that the Odinson is still a significant part of the story. It's been nice to see the growth of Odinson how he's had to humble himself to accept that he is no longer worthy of Mjolnir. His interactions with the new Thor were also very well done.
I know people crapped all over this before it ever came out because "gender swapping blah blah blah" but this is a legitimately good story that does not take away from the true Thor, it only deepens his story and gives us a wonderful "new" character as a bonus. -
This volume only has a few issues in it. Basically, the original Thor confronts the new one to find out who she is. The reader does find out and that's really about it. There's a little more scheming from Malekith but there's so little that you can't figure out what he's doing. The Goddess Thor continues to show her determination in battle but you really don't know much more about her character.
The rest of the volume is the Thor annual with more stories about the different versions of Thor that Aaron has done in the previous volumes. I found them less than average, partially because most of the art was very cartoony, completely bringing you out of the fantasy realm that's been created, and in the end were fairly worthless.
There's also a reprint of an old What If? story.
I'm starting to lose interest, but I'm still curious about the long game that Aaron has cooking. -
The new Thor is finally revealed in the volume. Aaron is a great writer for Thor, he give the series more of a serious tone and drops the whole "barbaric dumb Thor" character. This volume only contains a few issues of the new Thor series and the rest of the book is single stories and retro stories. The main story with Thor coming to terms with losing the hammer and accepting his role is well done ( 4 stars) the other stories did not interest me except the grand dad Thor story.
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Aaronovi pořád žeru co mi chce s Thorem vyprávět, byť tohle volume je krátký a doba než se dozvíme kde je novým nositelem kladiva je taky malá. Ale pořád si užívám ten balanc mezi zjišťováním kde je teď bohem hromu a akcí. Akorát Agger je trošku přehnané cheesy šedesátkový záporák, tomu naštěstí dobře sekunduje Malekith který se z podobné role vymanil a začíná na mě dost působit jako Loki.
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I LOVE female Thor. These two volumes are the only Thor solo books I ever enjoyed (although I want to give previous Jason Aaron's run another chance). Highly, highly recommended. -
So this series is over and now I have to wade through Secret Wars for my Thor fix? Damn it Marvel.
The story really wasn't the best, but it was well done. The art is what really kept me going. -
This volume wraps up the first big arc of the Goddess of Thunder series in a neat, tight little knot. Our Roxxon story continues with mining rights being won in Svartelfheim from Malekith, SHIELD getting their dirty hands involved, and the identity of our Goddess of Thunder being revealed. It's a touch anti-climactic after the first volume, but it is a solid wrap-up all the same.
This volume suffers, though, from the publication of the Goddess of Thunder Annual. Rather than one over-stuffed story, the annual is split into three stories. One shifts Norse Mythology into Christianity, one is silly and one is sillier. None of the stories are great, but they are okay to varying degrees. Hardly worth more comment, though.
What saves volume 2 is the reprint of the classic "What If?" story of Thordis. Uatu tells us all about what happened in an alternate universe when Jane Foster found Mjolnir instead of Donald Blake. The idea of Jane as Thor isn't new, you see, and it was nice to be reminded of the original spin on the idea many moons ago. Written by Don Glut and pencilled by Rock Hoberg (a perfectly adequate bit of illustration), "What if Jane Foster had found the hammer of Thor" doesn't have anything like the polish of Jason Aaron's amazing work, but it is a nice little time capsule of sexual attitudes, attempts at progressiveness, and the spark of imagination.
