Thor Odinson, God of Thunder Appreciation 2019

[Frontier]

So was this Thor on the Incoming cover a fake out?

incoming-1.jpg

Well, the design for King Thor on that cover doesn't even match the interior pages for Cates' run, so my guess is that it's either referencing Aaron's Old King Thor or just what Thor's planned design was.

I don't think so. I'm not sure what's going on. Either the change in look is further away than we had imagined, or there's some twist involved, such as the young Thor being from the future, or alternate timeline, or something.

Even if Cates is that big a fan of Aaron, I doubt he is going to repeat Aaron to the extent of multiple Thor's or timelines of Thors.

Which is a rare quality here but I would have thought would be a prerequisite for appreciating a story. I would love to think having a new writer would finally bring to an end all the negativity once and for all, but sadly we all know that can’t happen. Cates will inevitably do something that will trigger a portion of fans all over again.

Fans seem more positive toward the possibility of Cates now then they seemed before. Others are just cautious regarding whether they would actually move Thor away from the Aaron portrayal after so long, especially with Cates' love of that run.

Myself, I am definitely more optimistic for Thor now then I have been in a while. That redesign looks more like Thor then what I've been seeing in the comics as of late.

I very much doubt this cover Thor is anyone other than the Thor we know. He probably reflects a new slightly darker and more serious Thor, who carries responsibility with determination. That’s what I see in that image anyway, but Coipel always brings that serious edge. There is a slight 90s sensibility to him, reminding me of Morpheus or The Crow, but these more intense characterisations are coming back to comics so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we see that kind of feel inside the covers with a modern twist.

I would be all for that. Maybe not darker per se, but I am read for a serious and committed Thor who doesn't ask where the bathroom is, bluster ineffectually, or yell about mead.