Jason Aaron’s run on Thor

[Username taken]

I have some issues with Aaron’s work but all in all, it’s been one of the best written Thor runs I’ve ever read.

I just wish some things were handled slightly differently (and I’m not talking about the persistent complaints about “wahmen heroes” which for some incomprehensible reason threatens some young men) particularly the depiction of Odin and the overall context of Thor’s worthiness which became somewhat....unclear to me.

[regg215]

Thor God of Thunder #13, that one-shot which shows Thor meeting people, including that prisoner on death-row is a pretty great issue. As is the rest of God of Thunder. So it's a pretty weird choice to select as the location of a nosedive. I mean Thor still had his hammer in that issue, and the rest of God of Thunder for that matter.

We did get that, a lot, like right throughout Thor 2014 and The Mighty Thor storyline after that.

Even if that was the case, how is a jobbing fight has anything to do with the character beats you said should have been there.

Actually, that would be a pretty good title...and I think Aaron would take it as a compliment.

Do you know Norse poetry and mythology, the original Norse gods and the Viking folk were for their standards, time and place, quite cuss-heavy. Read up about Flyting. I

It's way more accurate to show the Norse gods as earthy, swear-happy, and so on then have them speak Faux-Shakespearean drapes. For one thing Shakespeare in all his plays never once made a single reference to Norse myths, he lived in an era and place where the Vikings and the Norse religion were completely forgotten and were it known would be seen as primitive trash next to the sublime heights of classical Greece and Rome. Norse Myth has always been bigger with pop culture than high culture. Marvel Comics was the best thing to happen to them.
.

You are correct that there were more than 12 good issues of God of Thunder, I really remember the first 12 well but it's probably closer to 20 issues. As far as the dynamic that I mentioned not really sure how this run did any of that at all, as I saw it this run basically became Odinson is a drunk loser with no self esteem and Jane is amazing at everything. Not really sure how that is a good examination of the reversal in their roles but to each their own. You are one of the better posters in these forums so while I don't agree with you on this one, I am certainly willing to say that I could be completely missing the boat on how that was handled in this run.

I am sure Aaron would take it as a compliment, not sure that is exactly what Thor fans wanted to see in any way but I could be completely wrong because it was clearly what he was going for in this run of comics and while I absolutely detest the run, overall the sales figures have been above average during his run so clearly this did work for more than a few people.

While the actual Norse Mythology is probably closer to how thor is shown now, the history of Thor in the Marvel Universe has never emphasized that part of his character. Thor is my favorite marvel character and having him go from being a Shakespearean sounding person to " I'm the F*&^%$#G God of Thunder" is just way off in my opinion. For me this will always rank as one of the worst runs on the character but I could absolutely be in the minority in thinking that and much as I don't like to admit it, it's kinda undeniable that the sales figures do seem to back that this is a rather well received run

[JackDaw]

I read about 40 or so issues of run before losing interest.

It was okay, it was clearly a well thought out large scale action story.

But..ultimately it “didn’t do it for me”. One factor was that the characterisation of all the main characters...Jane, Odin, Thor..didn’t really convince me. None of the characterisation felt consistent with the way I felt those characters would act.

I can’t point to other specific factors..it’s just factual to say that I wasn’t getting enough enjoyment out of the read to make me want to read on.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

...and the overall context of Thor’s worthiness which became somewhat....unclear to me.

I do agree with this. I think a major problem with the entire run is the fact that Thor's big dramatic moment -- losing his worthiness -- happens at the tail end of a mediocre event story (Original Sin). People talk about "important things not happening in the main title"and usually that's bunk, but I can't think of an example more fitting than this.

A moment like this should have happened in Thor's own titles and in a story entirely about Odinson and so on. It's a huge dramatic moment and to me it was weakly executed. Aaron had to backport the pathos into that and he did it well in The Unworthy Thor, and I sense that might be too late for readers who followed the ongoing given that "What did Fury tell Thor?" was pointlessly built as this mystery. I read Aaron's run in the trade last year so to me it didn't feel that much but I can imagine how it felt at the time.

I don't know the behind-the-scenes stuff but to me it feels like Original Sin's conclusion with Thor was some battle lost with editorial and The Unworthy Thor was Aaron's attempt to salvage stuff.

I think if Aaron had done a better job with that moment, then I think some of the complaints people had about that might have lessened.

[Frontier]

I think Aaron in God of Thunder wanted to do the traditional Thor as right as he could for as long as he could before he could deconstruct it. That way when you read it, it does feel tragic to see Thor brought low and it feels satisfying when he rises again, while also showing that Thor's true legacy is his relationships and bonds and the example he inspires. Stuff like the League of Realms, Roz Solomon, Jane Foster and others, whose lives Odison touched and who carry his legacy even when he is unworty. It's showing that Thor is special as a person.

I feel like that all got muddled when we saw Jane take on the mantle and basically become him in every respect, to where everyone acknowledged her as Thor and the actual Thor himself became a minor and irrelevant character in the book with his name. On-top of the characterization issues that just seemed inconsistent with how Aaron had previously written Thor up until he started writing Jane as Thor that way.

It really didn't feel like they were carrying his legacy, more just doing what he should've been doing instead.

I think it was supposed to be a tragic fall but it read more as a tragedy in characterization then anything else. Especially contrasted with the Jane stuff.

Besides after Chris Hemsworth's Aaronesque turn as "Fat Thor" in Endgame which was a big hit with audiences, it feels right on the money, vis-a-vis Thor and mead.

Considering I'm not a fan of Fat Thor, which felt more like a parody of Thor, I can't say I care for it any more reflected in the comics. It just doesn't feel like Thor to me, or at least a good Thor.

JMS was the first to modernize the Asgardians way of speech which he did in his run, moving it away from the faux-Shakespearean thing. Aaron has colloquialized it. Another writer might do things a little different following Aaron.

JMS felt more Shakespearean then Aaron has, and more consistent.

I don't think Stracynzki would've written that terrible "break up" scene with Hela and Thanos.

I do agree with this. I think a major problem with the entire run is the fact that Thor's big dramatic moment -- losing his worthiness -- happens at the tail end of a mediocre event story (Original Sin). People talk about "important things not happening in the main title"and usually that's bunk, but I can't think of an example more fitting than this.

A moment like this should have happened in Thor's own titles and in a story entirely about Odinson and so on. It's a huge dramatic moment and to me it was weakly executed. Aaron had to backport the pathos into that and he did it well in The Unworthy Thor, and I sense that might be too late for readers who followed the ongoing given that "What did Fury tell Thor?" was pointlessly built as this mystery. I read Aaron's run in the trade last year so to me it didn't feel that much but I can imagine how it felt at the time.

I don't know the behind-the-scenes stuff but to me it feels like Original Sin's conclusion with Thor was some battle lost with editorial and The Unworthy Thor was Aaron's attempt to salvage stuff.

I think if Aaron had done a better job with that moment, then I think some of the complaints people had about that might have lessened.

I think the biggest problem was that the Fury whisper just didn't feel like a believable way of making Thor Unworthy.

[HaveAtThee]

I can't comment on the entire run but Thor and Asgard, since Fraction's run and on, feel way too humanized for my tastes. From speech pattern to behavior and so on.

[Frontier]

I can't comment on the entire run but Thor and Asgard, since Fraction's run and on, feel way too humanized for my tastes. From speech pattern to behavior and so on.

I can agree with this.

[Chainsaw Vigilante]

Started off interesting at least, but quickly devolved. Once the whole future King Thor stuff started being brought in with the Necrosword storyline it started to go off the rails. The initial Gorr storyline was neat if derivative of Desak from Jurgens' run, did not care for anything else and flat out disliked most of the run.

[Cronus]

Dude your are so wrong. Jurgens run is probably one of the top 5 Thor runs of all time.

Seconded. I wish he would write once Aaron is gone.

[Cronus]

I can agree with this.

^^^^
This.

[your_name_here]

Best moment of his run? I’m really sat on the fence about collecting the run and not sure if someone could tip me either side.

And also: does anyone have a reading order?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Best moment of his run? I’m really sat on the fence about collecting the run and not sure if someone could tip me either side.

Consensually, everyone agrees with the God Butcher/Gob Bomb and more or less Thor, God of Thunder.

And also: does anyone have a reading order?

This one is legit till 2018
http://www.howtoread.me/thor-jason-aaron-reading-order/

Now you have to add in War of the Realms and the tie-ins.

[Adset]

I'm not a Thor diehard (the only other time I've seriously followed his book was the Jurgens run), but I've enjoyed it. I thought he burst out of the gate with God of Thunder, and I really enjoyed the two Jane series. I didn't hate War of the Realms (I only bought the mini and the Thor issues), but I also thought it was probably the weakest point of Aaron's run, which is a little unfortunate considering it was the event so much of his run had been leading up to. It wasn't awful, it just... happened? Kinda dull, I guess.

But all in all, I've enjoyed it. Hoping it ends on a strong note with King Thor.