Thor Vol 1: Goddess of Thunder by Jason Aaron

Thor Vol 1: Goddess of Thunder written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Russell Dauterman is the first collected volume of comics about the new female Thor. I bought the only paperback version currently available which is the UK edition. Tragically, that means the spine doesn't match all my other Marvel comics, which makes me sad (but not sad enough to fork out for the hardcover which would not match in a different way).

Mjolnir lies on the moon, unable to be lifted! Something dark has befallen the God of Thunder, leaving him unworthy for the first time ever! But when Frost Giants invade Earth, the hammer will be lifted - and a mysterious woman will be transformed into an all-new version of the mighty Thor! Who is this new Goddess of Thunder? Not even Odin knows...but she may be Earth's only hope against the Frost Giants! Get ready for a Thor like you've never seen before, as this all-new heroine takes Midgard by storm! Plus: the Odinson clearly doesn't like that someone else is holding his hammer...it's Thor vs. Thor! And Odin, desperate to see Mjolnir returned, will call on some very dangerous, very unexpected allies. It's a bold new chapter in the storied history of Thor!

The premise here is that Thor Odinson, the Thor we had gotten used to (and the Thor in the movies) becomes unworthy of his hammer and no longer able to lift it. Since mjolnir is a magic hammer, no one else can lift it either until another worthy person comes along. It just so happens that this worthy person, who becomes Thor as soon as she picks up the hammer, is a woman.

We do not find out the identity of the new Thor in this volume. Instead the story deals with her getting used to her powers and coming to terms with her new role. We also see Odinson moping about and feeling sorry for himself, Odin being angry and a bit of a tool, and of course there are frost giants and other bad guys for Thor to fight. Speaking of other bad guys, this comic convinced me that Titania is 100% the best Marvel villain. You'll have to read it to see why. (Titania was also in She-Hulk, if you want to cross-reference.)

I rather enjoyed this comic. One of my favourite parts was, especially in the first few issues, when Thor speaks in the Asgardian font and formal language but has thought bubbles in more standard English and plain font. It made for a nice interplay. And — ignoring the fact that I was spoiled as to her secreted identity before I started reading — that did give me the hint that she's human rather than Asgardian. Not a prevailing theory once Odinson starts trying to work out her secret identity.

Thor: Goddess of Thunder is a pretty good read. I found her to be a compelling character and there were some nice anti-sexist bits. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys superhero comics (and female characters). I will definitely be picking up the next volume (even if it's a bit stunted thanks to accursed events Secret Wars).

4 / 5 stars

First published: April 2015, Marvel Comics (I have the UK trade paperback because there's weird stuff with the US editions only being hardcover)
Series: Yes. The 2014 Marvel NOW! run of Thor. Contains issues #1–5 in a series that's ongoing but that will be re-numbered after Secret Wars
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Physical book shop