Pardon my cynicism, but this smells less like an attempt to diversify and more like an attempt to ward off other publishers from doing a female version of Thor, along the lines of what Marvel's done in past decades with Spider-Woman and She-Hulk. That's not to say that it couldn't turn out to be a good book, given how well those properties turned out, but I have far more doubts about this one than I ever had with the others. I'd rather see a Sif book... or the Valkyrie! ...rather than a cookie-cutter distaff version of an established male hero.
Great writer, awesome design... the cynic in me (which I keep trying to drown with bourbon but he just won't go away!) says she'll be gone by the time Hemsworth is back on screen for Avengers 2, but in the meantime bring it on!
Interesting. Aaron has played a lot with time in the series so the Thor we are seeing could be one of Thor's granddaughters from the future. Given Asgard is now being run by the All Mothers this could be an unique punishment for an unworthy Thor.
Interesting. Aaron has played a lot with time in the series so the Thor we are seeing could be one of Thor's granddaughters from the future. Given Asgard is now being run by the All Mothers this could be an unique punishment for an unworthy Thor.
The bottom line is that it comes down to the art and the story. Just like Superior Spider-man it will go back to the status quo just like Superior Spider-man went back to Amazing Spider-man.
Pardon my cynicism, but this smells less like an attempt to diversify and more like an attempt to ward off other publishers from doing a female version of Thor, along the lines of what Marvel's done in past decades with Spider-Woman and She-Hulk. That's not to say that it couldn't turn out to be a good book, given how well those properties turned out, but I have far more doubts about this one than I ever had with the others. I'd rather see a Sif book... or the Valkyrie! ...rather than a cookie-cutter distaff version of an established male hero.
I think it is too soon to know whether this character will be out of the cookie cutter. For all we know, the actual character- which is to say, the personality, the motivation, the feel of the story- might end up being more different from a Thor story than even a Valkyrie or Sif story would be. Sure, the name is the same. It is the passing of a mantle. But that is because we the readership have trained them to do that instead of trying to sell a character with a new name on the cover (or, in most cases, a book with the name of a C-lister on the cover). So if they make a new character called her Thor rather than a new character called (blank) it is because we have shown that is a brand name we will give a try to. But what the actual character holding the hammer is like is something we actually don't know yet.
"But what the actual character holding the hammer is like is something we actually don't know yet."
Oh, I'm pretty sure we know the character already. And Neil Gaiman knows the character VERY well.
^_^
That may be. And, if the character does turn out to be Angela, then that is a good example of what I am talking about-- I don't think I have ever heard Angela described as just a cookie cutter female version of Thor.
"But what the actual character holding the hammer is like is something we actually don't know yet."
Oh, I'm pretty sure we know the character already. And Neil Gaiman knows the character VERY well.
^_^
"Series writer Jason Aaron emphasizes, 'This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it’s unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before.'"
Of course, Mr. Aaron, Thor's real name is Angela. Durrrrr!
I don't really care either way. If it's a fun read it'll be a fun read. I'm not going to be negative about it. I enjoyed Slott's ride on ASM and SSM and then ASM again, while many wouldn't even give it a chance (their loss!). I won't be getting it until trade (if it gets good buzz) because my wallet can't afford to take a $3.99 chance either way.
Does Gaiman still have some kind of ownership of the Angela IP? If yes, I would be surprised if it went that way, as I would assume that Marvel would be more interested in a Thor that they own as much as any other Thor. Or did Angela's move to the MU basically mean that Gaiman gave/sold/traded her to them completely?
(Also doesn't Angela have red hair? Or does holding Mjolinir turn your hair blond so that you have More Fun?)
Wasn't Thor transformed into a woman by Odin to teach him humility (again) after Loki convinced Odin (again) that Thor needed a lesson? I remember that was the story from the Earth X series.
Well after reading this article on Time.com it appears the new "Thor" will be a woman in the god of thunder's life that is worthy of the Mjölnir when he becomes "no longer worthy"... Interesting concept, but I wonder if the return of Donald Blake is imminent?
Click image to read "When Thor was a girl...
Is Marvel about to make another What If story come true?
Am I the only person that suspects this new direction is going to be seen as the perfect "jumping off point" for many of the current Thor fans who happen to be on limited budgets?
I might be imagining this, but I seem to recall a female character recently remarking something about picking up Thor's hammer. Trying to remember whether it was his book or Loki's? Captain Marvel?
Or, like I said, I may be inventing the thing out of whole cloth.
Does Gaiman still have some kind of ownership of the Angela IP? If yes, I would be surprised if it went that way, as I would assume that Marvel would be more interested in a Thor that they own as much as any other Thor. Or did Angela's move to the MU basically mean that Gaiman gave/sold/traded her to them completely?
(Also doesn't Angela have red hair? Or does holding Mjolinir turn your hair blond so that you have More Fun?)
Angela belongs to Marvel, Gaiman sold or gave her to them and she has been trademarked/copyrighted as a Marvel character since Age of Ultron.
I'm betting it's not Angela, makes more sense for it almost anybody else but Angela. Not with the push she's getting right now in Tenth Realm and the rumors of her own ongoing to be announced just before or at SDCC.
There's zero chance this lasts longer than two years. Character may stick around if Marvel wants. But the historic Thor will be back.
Of course. But this way they get to launch the new character to the God of Thunder audience, and then also get a bump on the return, as with Batman, or Cap/Winter Soldier, or the recent success of Superior/Amazing.
And it lets this character switch in GOT be a back door pilot if they want to try to do a separate book with this character in a year or two once the original Thor is back.
I have generally quite liked what Aaron's done on Thor, but still I can't help but be a little cynical about this.
The "It's not She-Thor, it's THOR" stuff makes me roll my eyes hard. Like we haven't already had female versions of Thor. Yeah, I get it that a female character's actually holding the hammer now. Big whoop. All that means is that we DON'T get the "real Thor" for a year while this stunt goes on. Not exactly a positive thing, especially with everything that Aaron has been building with the same Thor character we've known. No other character, male or female, has been explored nearly so much in the run as Thor himself has. We've had multiple versions of the character throughout history, with tons of ties between these three male Thors being drawn. So what good story sense does it make to throw all that build-up away and pull out some random character and say "Here's your new Thor". For no reason. I expected Aaron to have a 40-ish issue run with all the 3-Thors-from-3-time-periods stuff tying it all together. Instead that stuff has to end WAY before it could have because Marvel wants to do another "diversity"-themed project.
That's not to say it won't be good, though! I'll reserve judgment on the actual comics until they come out. But I'm not really pleased to see this on the schedule.
Best case scenario, imo, would be if this turns out to be Angela. I can't see a Jane Foster Thor holding my interest for that long, and Aaron hasn't demonstrated to me that he can make the character interesting. Nor do I want to see that random female SHIELD agent, with no interesting qualities, become Thor either. (What is it with Jason Aaron giving his male protagonists obviously boring love interests who you can tell from the beginning won't work? And then he tries to force them down the audience's throat for like a year, before finally giving up and admitting that the characters are wrong and BORING for each other. He did it with Wolverine and that investigator and now he's doing it with Thor and the SHIELD agent. To make matters worse, he makes the female characters strident partisans, so it alienates half the audience up front...)
At least Angela has some potential. I liked the first issue of that Original Sin tie-in mini involving Thor, Loki, and Angela. That was well-done. At least there's a lot of Asgardian (hidden) history that could be pulled out for an Angela Thor run. I wouldn't be happy to lose my Jason Aaron Thor: God of Thunder title, but all things being equal I would have been interested in a Jason Aaron Angela-as-Thor title in its own right. So, that's what I'm hoping for.
I have a couple of additional thoughts. One, when did having something "stick" become the benchmark for telling a good story? Age of Apocalpyse did not technically "stick", but it was considered the best X-Event for more than a decade after it ended. If Aaron tells a good story that last for about a year then that sounds cool to me.
My second thought is Aaron has already introduced us to a Thor that is unworthy of the hammer, Thor from the past. He wouldn't be the first character to swap bodies with his younger/older self for a story arc or two.
I have generally quite liked what Aaron's done on Thor, but still I can't help but be a little cynical about this.
The "It's not She-Thor, it's THOR" stuff makes me roll my eyes hard. Like we haven't already had female versions of Thor. Yeah, I get it that a female character's actually holding the hammer now. Big whoop. All that means is that we DON'T get the "real Thor" for a year while this stunt goes on. Not exactly a positive thing, especially with everything that Aaron has been building with the same Thor character we've known. No other character, male or female, has been explored nearly so much in the run as Thor himself has. We've had multiple versions of the character throughout history, with tons of ties between these three male Thors being drawn. So what good story sense does it make to throw all that build-up away and pull out some random character and say "Here's your new Thor". For no reason. I expected Aaron to have a 40-ish issue run with all the 3-Thors-from-3-time-periods stuff tying it all together. Instead that stuff has to end WAY before it could have because Marvel wants to do another "diversity"-themed project.
But what if this is actually is all Aaron's idea, and a part of the overall story he is telling?
Would it not have been as easy to get cynical and assume that the "death" of Captain America was an editorial mandate forced on Brubaker, interrupting his big story? To boost sales or seize upon the fallout from Civil War. The cynical money would have bet on that.
But, of course, the fact was it was actually a part of the big story he was telling with Steve and Bucky, that started at the beginning of his era and tracked to the end. It was his idea. And, in that case, I think that paid off.
Given that Aaron himself will be continuing to write Thor GOT with this other Thor, isn't it at least possible that he does have story reasons, and this is not just something being forced on him for a larger agenda?
Thor becoming a woman? "Been there, done that," Loki replied.
With Thor becoming a woman, little girls everywhere finally have the buxom, scantily-clad hero of impossible dimensions they've been waiting for. So, I'm OK with making Thor a woman, as long as Mjölnir becomes a rolling pin or iron skillet :)
All of the above? = j/k
I'm sure it will be a fun ride, especially with Aaron at the helm.
I have a couple of additional thoughts. One, when did having something "stick" become the benchmark for telling a good story? Age of Apocalpyse did not technically "stick", but it was considered the best X-Event for more than a decade after it ended.
Has there been a better Xevent since it came out? There have been some I've read and enjoyed, but not as much as Age of Apocalpyse.
@bralinator That is the scariest skillet ever. The last thing I want is for my to have a skillet she fling across the house and it returns to her undamaged. Some days I think the only reason I'm walking around is that she valued her non-stick more than my noggin.
Mr_Cosmic
Posts: 3,200
Comments
Oh, I'm pretty sure we know the character already. And Neil Gaiman knows the character VERY well.
^_^
Of course, Mr. Aaron, Thor's real name is Angela. Durrrrr!
I don't really care either way. If it's a fun read it'll be a fun read. I'm not going to be negative about it. I enjoyed Slott's ride on ASM and SSM and then ASM again, while many wouldn't even give it a chance (their loss!). I won't be getting it until trade (if it gets good buzz) because my wallet can't afford to take a $3.99 chance either way.
(Also doesn't Angela have red hair? Or does holding Mjolinir turn your hair blond so that you have More Fun?)
But this doesn't appear to be Angela...
Click image to read "When Thor was a girl...
Is Marvel about to make another What If story come true?
Am I the only person that suspects this new direction is going to be seen as the perfect "jumping off point" for many of the current Thor fans who happen to be on limited budgets?
Or, like I said, I may be inventing the thing out of whole cloth.
I'm betting it's not Angela, makes more sense for it almost anybody else but Angela. Not with the push she's getting right now in Tenth Realm and the rumors of her own ongoing to be announced just before or at SDCC.
But I'm sticking with my first hypothesis.
And it lets this character switch in GOT be a back door pilot if they want to try to do a separate book with this character in a year or two once the original Thor is back.
The "It's not She-Thor, it's THOR" stuff makes me roll my eyes hard. Like we haven't already had female versions of Thor. Yeah, I get it that a female character's actually holding the hammer now. Big whoop. All that means is that we DON'T get the "real Thor" for a year while this stunt goes on. Not exactly a positive thing, especially with everything that Aaron has been building with the same Thor character we've known. No other character, male or female, has been explored nearly so much in the run as Thor himself has. We've had multiple versions of the character throughout history, with tons of ties between these three male Thors being drawn. So what good story sense does it make to throw all that build-up away and pull out some random character and say "Here's your new Thor". For no reason. I expected Aaron to have a 40-ish issue run with all the 3-Thors-from-3-time-periods stuff tying it all together. Instead that stuff has to end WAY before it could have because Marvel wants to do another "diversity"-themed project.
That's not to say it won't be good, though! I'll reserve judgment on the actual comics until they come out. But I'm not really pleased to see this on the schedule.
Best case scenario, imo, would be if this turns out to be Angela. I can't see a Jane Foster Thor holding my interest for that long, and Aaron hasn't demonstrated to me that he can make the character interesting. Nor do I want to see that random female SHIELD agent, with no interesting qualities, become Thor either. (What is it with Jason Aaron giving his male protagonists obviously boring love interests who you can tell from the beginning won't work? And then he tries to force them down the audience's throat for like a year, before finally giving up and admitting that the characters are wrong and BORING for each other. He did it with Wolverine and that investigator and now he's doing it with Thor and the SHIELD agent. To make matters worse, he makes the female characters strident partisans, so it alienates half the audience up front...)
At least Angela has some potential. I liked the first issue of that Original Sin tie-in mini involving Thor, Loki, and Angela. That was well-done. At least there's a lot of Asgardian (hidden) history that could be pulled out for an Angela Thor run. I wouldn't be happy to lose my Jason Aaron Thor: God of Thunder title, but all things being equal I would have been interested in a Jason Aaron Angela-as-Thor title in its own right. So, that's what I'm hoping for.
My second thought is Aaron has already introduced us to a Thor that is unworthy of the hammer, Thor from the past. He wouldn't be the first character to swap bodies with his younger/older self for a story arc or two.
Would it not have been as easy to get cynical and assume that the "death" of Captain America was an editorial mandate forced on Brubaker, interrupting his big story? To boost sales or seize upon the fallout from Civil War. The cynical money would have bet on that.
But, of course, the fact was it was actually a part of the big story he was telling with Steve and Bucky, that started at the beginning of his era and tracked to the end. It was his idea. And, in that case, I think that paid off.
Given that Aaron himself will be continuing to write Thor GOT with this other Thor, isn't it at least possible that he does have story reasons, and this is not just something being forced on him for a larger agenda?
With Thor becoming a woman, little girls everywhere finally have the buxom, scantily-clad hero of impossible dimensions they've been waiting for. So, I'm OK with making Thor a woman, as long as Mjölnir becomes a rolling pin or iron skillet :)
All of the above? = j/k
I'm sure it will be a fun ride, especially with Aaron at the helm.
@bralinator That is the scariest skillet ever. The last thing I want is for my to have a skillet she fling across the house and it returns to her undamaged. Some days I think the only reason I'm walking around is that she valued her non-stick more than my noggin.