The War Thor's rage knows no limits.
For all the credit Dark Nights: Metal is receiving for injecting a dose of heavy metal-flavored bombast into the DCU, it should be said that Jason Aaron has quietly been doing the same at Marvel for the past five years. The latest chapter of The Mighty Thor is one of Aaron's most metal comics yet, offering a symphony of carnage and destruction fueled by the compelling new anti-hero that is the War Thor.
Having established the War Thor's tragic origin story and his general status as a one-man Red Lantern Corps, Aaron is now free to unleash him upon the Ten Realms. This issue opens with some fun banter between the Queen of Cinders and Malekith, but for the most part the focus is on Volstagg's bloody revenge quest. The scale of the ensuing battle is terrific, reflecting the full fury of a thunder god and a fire demon unleashed.
Artist Valerio Schiti is more than up to the challenge of capturing that carnage and spectacle. Schiti's work is a bit looser than that of regular artist Russell Dautermann (who only tackles the first page in this issue), but he's no less skilled when it comes to rendering evocative imagery and epic battle sequences. This issue is marked by dynamic camera angles that further enhance the scope of the conflict. Schiti also shows a real knack for conveying the tragedy of Volstagg as well as the power of the war Thor. In those rare moments where Volstagg regains some semblance of control, Schiti's body language and depiction of Volstagg's literal inner demons are crucial in marking the transition.
In general, those transitions between epic, heavy metal carnage and raw emotional drama are where this issue really finds its hook. War Thor is a cool character in many ways, but Aaron and Schiti take great pains to make it clear he's no hero. Just because he's avenging the deaths of innocent children at the hands of monsters doesn't mean he isn't on the road to becoming a monster himself. It quickly becomes clear how well War Thor fits into Aaron's larger examinations of worthiness and heroism. That only makes the inevitable showdown between Thors that much more enticing.
The Verdict
Month in and month out, The Mighty Thor is a clear contender for Marvel's best ongoing series. This issue crams in all the carnage and spectacle one could ask for from a clash between a god and a fire demon, but also plenty of emotional drama to boot. This story arc continues to make a strong case for the existence of three Thors in the Marvel Universe.
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