Mighty Thor #20 – War Thor Reveal - Spoilers

[JKtheMac]

#20 Baptism by Fire – Aaron, Dauterman, Schiti, Wilson, Gandini

Synopsis (slightly rearranged for clarity):

‘Lady Solomon,’ Milkmane and Volstagg are on a fact finding mission for Congress to Nidavellir. Stonefoot, their Dwarven guide, takes them to a huge refugee camp for the dispossessed Ljósálfar (Light Elves). A lack of food is noted by Volstagg, who questions why the dwarves are prioritising work in their forges. Stonefoot explains that in ‘war-times’ dwarves are needed to provide the weapons that every realm will need to survive.

While the other delagates discuss the political situation some elven children are attracted to the huge sack that serves as Volstagg’s lunch bag. He distributes the food and makes promises of more but is interrupted by an explosion and an attack from Muspelheim. The group is separated, Volstagg left isolated with the children, the food burned, and comes face to face with a firefly riding fire goblin wielding explosive maggot bombs. It throws a bomb at the group despite Volstagg’ imploring it to have mercy on the children. Volstagg becomes enraged as the children are consumed in flames.

Solomon and company come running to discover Volstagg covered in Fire Goblin blood, which protected him from the otherwise all-consuming fires of Muspelheim (apparently as a result of ripping the gobiln apart with his bare hands).

Meanwhile Thor has chased Odinson to Old Asgard, where he fled in anger after learning that Jane was Thor. He is angry she didn’t tell him earlier, and muses that maybe he deserves such treatment after his ‘dalliances’ back when they were ‘romantically involved’. He feels like he has been played like a fool. Jane is keen to smooth things over because she is worried she may not have much time, either succumbing to her very progressed cancer or possibly becoming subsumed into the Thor personality forever. Odinson offers to take her hammer off of her hands if she fears it.

Their discussion is interrupted by the arrival of Mjölnir to herald trouble in Nidavellir. Odinson wonders how she knows and asks if it speaks to her. Jane collapses before she can answer him.

Later on Old Asgard a grieving Volstagg arrives to take possession of the Ultimate Mjölnir and become the War Thor. Enraged he now believes that only Blood can put out the flames of war enveloping the World Tree.

[JKtheMac]

A very tight issue. Lots of fire imagery, good use of Volstagg. A little bit of a trick is employed in the way the timing of that final scene in Unworthy Thor is now revealed to have happened later in our tale.

I have always thought of Volstagg as boastful but underneath it all probably honest in his accomplishments, just not necessarily honest in exactly how his accomplishments were achieved. Aaron plays to his love of children and this hidden strength to great effect here.

Another issue divided by different artists. The four pages of Odinson and Thor, plus the map at the beginning are the Dauterman/Wilson pages, and they positively shine alongside the much more heavy lines of Valerio Schiti and the darker, more saturated colouring of Veronica Gandini. This is a shame because the whole book does look great, and Shiti's rendering is very accomplished. I may have preferred the whole book to be in that style.

It is still not entirely clear why Dauterman is sharing so much of the art at the moment. I would like to think he is working on something else for Marvel. I am not fully convinced it is entirely down to pacing out his work in the normal way. Dauterman has such a light and effortless style one imagines the images flow easily and quickly, but maybe not.

[Prof. Warren]

It is still not entirely clear why Dauterman is sharing so much of the art at the moment. I would like to think he is working on something else for Marvel. I am not fully convinced it is entirely down to pacing out his work in the normal way. Dauterman has such a light and effortless style one imagines the images flow easily and quickly, but maybe not.

I wondered if in this particular issue it was thought that Dauterman's style might not be the best way to go for depicting the events that lead to Volstagg becoming The War Thor. There's something so delicate about his style that it might've been thought that an artist who could convey more grit and darkness was the way to go for those scenes. I don't know. Just a guess on my part. But with Legacy on the way, the idea that he's working on something upcoming for Marvel certainly isn't out of the question.

Whatever the reason, I do long to see a full Dauterman issue again, though.

[genji]

I hope Odinson the One get Ultimate Mjölnir Nope Never Happen

I Hope Odinson get his Original Mjölnir some Day.

[Tofali]

I was completely distracted by the cost of bariatric procedure through the whole damn issue. I need to reread it. The only thing i remember and liked is getting a glimpse of the Queen of Cinders

[ViewtifulJC]

listen do whatever you have to, delay, filler, whatever. Just get Dauterman to draw the entire issue again.

[marvelprince]

Thought the reveal was great. Was just saying how I thought we were in for a long drawn out mystery so i'm glad the War Thor was revealed right away and in a way I genuinely didn't see coming.

[JKtheMac]

Thought the reveal was great. Was just saying how I thought we were in for a long drawn out mystery so i'm glad the War Thor was revealed right away and in a way I genuinely didn't see coming.

It was promised as a reveal in the letters pages. And of course the sneaky solicitation, with the deliberate change to a grey beard and placing the shadowed eyes in such a way that it evoked Odin.

That reminds me of a pet peeve I have with Dauterman and or Wilson, either one or both have a habit of using camera effects in the art. (Wilson certainly uses this elsewhere so it may be him.) I find it really distracting. I mention it because of the way they suggest War-Thor is thinner by using over exposure at the end of Unworthy Thor. For me, that particular effect works fine. (Of course that isn't the same art team on that book.)

What didn't work for me were the panels were Mjölnir lands on Old Asgard. I was so distracted by the focus change that I totally failed to notice Jane had collapsed in that scene, until I reviewed it for my synopsis. I was wondering what was going on and assumed Jane had run forward and out of shot, and then started to get obsessed with the horrible, out of focus background effect, which makes what is probably a hand drawn leafy background look like some cheap photo reference.

[Hulkout42]

of all the people who it could i did not see him becoming a Thor, kudos.

[beetee]

It's a rare thing in comics these days to be genuinely surprised.

[Cmbmool]

Okay there's a first time for everything and I have to admit this was a reveal I didn't see coming.

Also FINALLY Jane reveals the truth to Thor and I have to say that it's about time.

[Alpha to Omega]

Okay there's a first time for everything and I have to admit this was a reveal I didn't see coming.

Also FINALLY Jane reveals the truth to Thor and I have to say that it's about time.

And yet still doesn't explain why she kept it secret in the first place.

[JKtheMac]

And yet still doesn't explain why she kept it secret in the first place.

The secret identity thing was a part of the original premise that Aaron has been referencing. This has always been a reversal of the status quo as seen in Kirby and Lee (before the 'sent to earth' stuff). The in-story justification seems to be that Jane was not confident that he would approve. At least initially this proved correct, with him getting angry and storming off.

[Digifiend]

From the description of how Jane's cancer has spread, I'm guessing it's now terminal. Chemo is no longer an option. Jane is right to be worried. She can survive forever as long as she stays in her Thor form (though this is still pre-Secret Empire isn't it - which means she's currently in serious trouble because Steve has the hammer), but her mortal form definitely doesn't have long left. The War Thor arc ends in September. I think the arc after may be her last. When she dies, that's when Odinson will take back the hammer.

[kilderkin]

When the war Thor was first I dictated in unworthy thor 5 a much different physicality was indicate than volstag

any ideas ?

Like it being volstag a lot