Writer: Jason Aaron

Art: Esad Ribić, Ive Svorcina, and VC’s Joe Sabino

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 23rd, 2019

The universe is dying, and All-Father Thor is its only hope in this week’s all-new KING THOR #2 by Jason Aaron. But to save all life, the greatest god in history must defeat the one person who has always managed to escape his wrath – and that was before he got his hands on the weapon that almost killed three generations of Thor and stripped the God of Thunder of his legendary hammer. Let’s dive into this issue to see how Loki, God of Lies, wielder of All-Black the Necrosword, finally faces his brother at the end of all time!

Jason Aaron’s six-plus year tale proceeds to wrap up in this week’s emotionally driven, heart-wrenching issue that almost had this reviewer in tears by its conclusion. Aaron doesn’t hold back and establishes the big three players of his narrative immediate and places them at one another like he’s done since the very beginning. Readers discover that Gorr the God Butcher never died but somehow remained trapped for eons inside the darkness that was the Necrosword. Once he escaped his peaceful, blissful slumber, Gorr emerged with one agenda; make all God’s pay! However, there aren’t any Gods left other than Loki, Thor, and the Girls of Thunder. So, as the universe is on the verge of destruction, how will Thor save the universe and defeat the one person who has found a way to survive all this time just to end the All-Father? Additionally, how much hate is truly inside Gorr and Loki that it lasts millions of years?

Readers, Aaron has carried his tale from a prayer in 2012 and shown precisely how a long story can be crafted together perfectly. From THOR GOD OF THUNDER to now, Aaron has gradually sprinkled in little nuggets of story that have extended from one narrative to the next. To be this steadfast and this true to your story takes time, dedication, thought, and ingenuity. If you jump back to 2012 and look at the pictures of Thor then, he hasn’t changed, wavered, or altered in any way shape or form. Unlike some 100 issue runs, or even 85 issue runs (wink), that current readers know of, Aaron has stuck to his plan and slowly revealed his story in an organized, methodical, and authentic manner that proves this has been his plan since day one. Readers new to KING THOR, or just THOR, in general, need to jump back to THOR GOD OF THUNDER and see Aaron’s true genius and how this story all began. You’ll be instantly hooked.

Bouncing back into this issue, the first thing that any reader would notice about the story is how well Jason Aaron gets the characters of Thor, Loki, and their relationship. Aaron intensifies the family dynamic between the two siblings and places an emphasis on this bond that has literally stood the test of time… eons for that matter. The emotional bond these two Gods share is the same bond almost every child has with their sibling at some point and time can’t Aaron portrays that beautifully with the active voice of the main characters. As a brother and father, the hate, disgust, admiration, and love between Loki and Thor simply hurt to watch. Furthermore, Aaron makes sure to extenuate each concussive blow, every spirited thought, and each vigorous word these two brother-Gods spewed out at one another. The feelings and attitudes that Aaron drives through each page are so remarkably realistic and magnify the pride and jealous nature of these last two All-Fathers.

Lastly, if the emotionally driven dialogue and scene development aren’t enough for readers, then how about some amazingly outstanding art by Esad Ribić and Ive Svorcina. The detail within each panel is incredible. There is no doubt that this art team of Ribić and Svorcina will grab your attention from page one and perfectly illustration every punch, every blow, and each gut-wrenching attack from Gorr, Loki, and Thor. Ribić and Svorcina literally bring this comic to life in a way that this critic didn’t realize he was missing. As this action-heavy narrative explodes off the page, readers will notice the brilliantly violent and intense tone of the issue while also feeling a sense of harmony within the discord. This is truly stunning work by this art team.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This reviewer can’t say enough about the art and this story that has encompassed years of strategy, dedication, commitment, imagination, ingenuity, and masterful storytelling. Jason Aaron, Esad Ribić, and Ive Svorcina are at their best throughout this entire issue, as well as this series to date. This issue checks all the boxes and leaves fans excited for the next issue. It truly is a shame that this run will have to end. However, fans should enjoy these last couple of issues while they can. Pick this issue up if you are a Thor aficionado, Jason Aaron enthusiast, or even a fan of Esad Ribić. If you’ve been following along since THOR GOD OF THUNDER, you would be foolish to not buy this comic or series. Lastly, if you’re just diving into Thor now, it’s not the best jumping on point BUT it’s still worth seeing what a remarkable story Aaron has created in these six-plus years. Head to your shop and pick this one up immediately. Also, be prepared to pull out and that off some old Jason Aaron Thor trades like THOR GOD OF THUNDER!

9.2/10