Thor (2020), Vol. 1 - The Devourer King
Thor and Galactus team-up for a buddy cop movie directed by Shane Black
Thor strikes the balance well between being overpowered, while remaining relatable. He is akin to Superman in terms of raw power and strength, and with the right lens is also an alien on Earth/Midgard trying to do right. There are quite a few parallels that can be drawn between the two heroes–one alien, viewed as a god; the other a god, viewed as a mortal.
Superman is a reflection of humanity's potential, while Thor is a reflection of humanity’s growing pains into something–hopefully–better.
Writer Donny Cates and artist Nic Klein of Thor, Volume 6 (2020) both do a fantastic job within the opening arc of the series, “The Devourer King,” showcasing Thor’s might juxtaposed with his flaws–his very human wants and desires. Cates crafts a story here that places Thor upon the throne and as Silver Surfer Black comments in “The Devourer King” finale (Thor #6), “Heavy is the head then.”
Donny’s Thor is torn between his duty (which he is more than willing to do), but his heart is still filled with wanderlust and like any good Norse God-King he yearns for battle and adventure. It is made clear that he isn’t quite prepared to hang-up Mjolnir and merely lead, but he also knows that he is rightfully Asgard’s King.
He is a God trapped between expectation and want.
Nic Klein pencils Thor in an almost visceral and animalistic manner. He is Conan the Barbarian upon the Throne. The line work is rough and not pejoratively so but purposefully; Thor is oftentimes cast in shadow showcasing Thor’s internal struggle, which is true narratively and matched by Klein’s lighting and colorists.
Thor’s wholly realized vision of Asgard is that of wood, stone, and steel. Even his Throne is built into the foundation of Yggdrasil.
It isn’t his father’s seat of power and he makes that abundantly clear during a scene in which Loki comes to pay his brother a visit. Donny Cates and Nic Klein build and present a compelling world that grabbed my attention and before long I was gobbling-up issue-after-issue wanting to know how Thor’s newest story unfolded.
After Asgard and Thor are introduced to newcomers and longtime fans, Thor #1 closes out with Galactus falling to Asgard. Mayhem ensues, but is quickly corralled in by the Asgardians, but it begs the questions: Who could injure Galactus and why did he crash-land on Asgard? Eventually, Thor and Galactus have a conversation and a new threat to the universe is described, which Galactus calls the “Black Winter.”
From here the story kicks into high gear and the reader is pulled along across the cosmos with Thor and Galactus, new and old friends cameo such as Silver Surfer Black, Beta Ray Bill, Guardian of the Bifrost Sif, and Cosmic Ghost Rider, and a stunning conclusion–with a great twist–and some of the best splash pages and panel work that I have personally seen since Ivan Reis’ Blackest Night back in 2009/10.
All-in-all, I found the beginning of Thor’s sixth volume to be an enjoyable read. The story was fun when it needed to be, serious when it mattered, and set up future arcs without sacrificing the story at hand. Nic Klein’s pencils match Donny Cates' storytelling and a type of symbiosis occurred, which is rare amongst creative teams.
If you have already read “The Devourer King” leave me a comment with your thoughts about the arc below and if you haven’t had a chance to tackle this one in your backlog or scoop it up, I would definitely recommend it. If there is just an iota of interest there, I’d say give it a go. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
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One final note, I will be keeping to a Monday/Friday 9a.m. post schedule after this week, so I will see everyone back here next Monday (01/16/23) with a Flashpoint Beyond review. It is time to flip the proverbial coin and see what DC has been up to while I have been away.