For a long time, writer Jason Aaron (Star Wars and Southern Bastards to name but two) has had one of the most impressive beard in comics. But last night, as shown in Instagram, all that ended.


The great exclusive wars of the Aughts were ferocious and ultimately, flawed. So it’s relatively rare these days to see a new exclusive. In this case it’s not new, but rather Jason Aaron resigning with Marvel for at least two years — although not mentioned in the release, one can assume this is really an […]

Marvel has just announced more details on the post-Secret Wars ongoing series for Weirdworld taking place in the All-New, All-Different Universe launching immediately after the publishing event. The series is switching creative teams from writer Jason Aaron to Sam Humphries of Legendary Star-Lord fame — previous Weirdworld artist Mike Del Mundo is returning to the […]

As per IGN, artist Russell Dauterman revealed a brand new image for The Mighty Thor #1. The picture reveals multiple facets of the world of Asgard going forward and even features some characters that haven’t been seen in the core book for sometime. Hercules, Angela and Beta Ray Bill are lying beneath the surface of this image. Here’s […]

The roll-out of Marvel’s fall “relaunch” following Secret Wars continues with news of a new Doctor Strange title top be written by Jason Aaron (Ther, Weirdworld) and drawn by Chris Bachalo (Uncanny X-Men, Incredible Hulk). The master of the mystical arts is getting a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch nest year, so a comic seems timely. Aaron and editor Nick Lowe chatted about the new approach at EW:

EW: Let’s talk a little bit about what makes thisDoctor Strange series different.

JASON AARON: We wanted a Doctor Strange who was always having to work for what he gets, and to show that when he shows up and uses his powers, it’s not like Captain America throwing his shield or Thor throwing his hammer. Strange has to worry about repercussions that those other heroes don’t have to worry about, because he’s a Sorcerer Supreme. We’re talking about the forces of magic. So whatever he does has repressions. Any of this stuff with magic, there’s always a cost to it. I think that’s kind of the only rule of magic we ever really talk about—everything he does, there’s a price to it. So he always has to kind of balance those skills and worry, “if I save the day here, what repercussions will that have for me, or elsewhere in the world? We liked him having to deal with that, and liked him being able to get his hands a little dirty, rather than just having him stand around, waving his hands and saving the day.

Writer: Jason Aaron

Penciler: Chris Sprouse

Inker: Karl Story

Color Artist: Marte Gracia

Letters & Production: Joe Sabino

The Thors of every domain, together in one book! As cosmic cops! Whenever there’s trouble on Battleworld, the Thors answer the call. But a string of mysterious murders leaves some of them asking questions that may unravel all of reality!A hard-hitting Marvel Comics police drama. With hammers. Lots and lots of hammers.

By now it seems like the novelty of having Thors serve as cops of the Marvel Universe would have worn off, but exploring the idea in greater depth through the lens of Battleworld will still entice fans in Marvel’s Thors #1. Author Jason Aaron has always felt right at home with the Thor franchise at Marvel. Under his deft (Watcher) eye, the publisher has executed a lot of changes, including switching out the lead character. After revealing the identity of the female Thor, some may think that there’s no where else for Thor (the main title) to go — yet Aaron is clearly invested in the mythos, picking up stray plot threads that were seeded for years and tying them back into this story. While this tale is another book focused on fleshing out Battleworld further, the story’s contents show a focused narrative that’s full of intrigue and irreverent novelty.

This issue has a premise that isn’t impossible to understand or appreciate — basically team Thor tracks down a serial killer  running loose on Battleworld mercilessly killing people between various domains. It’s great to see one of my favorite domains: Weirdworld actually make a cameo in this issue. Yet, the Thors have yet to dive deeper into other parts of Battleworld. This tale skirts a really fine line in being silly and serious since the idea of having a force of Norse Gods functioning as policeman and woman is at least a little bit absurd. All of these different Thor characters fire off puns at each other that also moves dangerously close to the realm of self-parody (Frog Thor is in the issue after all,) yet a serial killer is still on the loose. The stakes are high in this initial installment — this is not a silly comedic farce of a bunch of Thor’s telling jokes to each other (see Valhalla Mad for that.)

One of the best parts of the new Secret Wars is how the different relationships with the individual characters are sometimes different — but also similar. Secret Wars obfuscates the story, but in most stories the narratives discrepancies usually add a wonderful sense of discovery to the different tales within the comic. The biggest contribution that Aaron really offers up to this comic is all the little moments about the Thors talking about their own duty. Later on, the book a really engaging piece of the Marvel Universe is lined back up with the superhero shared Universe in a fascinating manner. Every moment in this comic has some sort of rich discovery. We finally get a chance to meet the boss of all Thors and get a special look at a certain forensic scientist. There’s even a place for the unworthy. True Thor fans are not going to want to miss the last page of this issue when the world comes crashing down on Ultimate Thor.

Sprouse’ artwork is lovely. The penciller delivers a slight twist on the Marvel house style with a more cartoonish approach to pencilling than someone like a Dave Marquez or even Russell Dauterman. With this being a different incarnation for the life of Thor, it’s nice to see an artist who is different from the usual suspects really able to dazzle fans with extremely roster of characters present in this comic. The inking and colors are vibrant as well, taking advantage of the full potential present within the art of Sprouse. More importantly, this comic book has a really complicated tone, and this story is able to nail both the humor aspects along with the horrible serial murdering turning within every corner. In moments of humor, Sprouse renders just enough of a smile on Ultimate Thor’s face to show that he’s having fun — until the end of the issue.

With Thors not debuting until Secret Wars proper was nearly half over is definitely a bummer, it’s commendable that this series is truly able to captivate fans in the way that it does. So many surprises about Battleworld are left open in this project to discover — kudos to the editors and coordinators at Marvel who are tirelessly moving and shaking the event. Sprouse and Aaron have established one of the strongest narratives hammered into the umbrella of Secret Wars thus far — this issue is a can’t miss for people invested in the Thor mythos or even huge Secret Wars fans.

Writer:

Jason Aaron

Artist:

Mike Del Mundo

Colors:

Mike Del Mundo

Marco D’Alfonso

Letters:

VC’s Cory Petit

Welcome to the wildest, most dangerous new corner of the Marvel Universe. Welcome to Weirdworld. A world of swords and sorcery and strange, perverted science. A world where one barbarian walks alone, on a dark and savage quest though all things weird and fantastic from throughout Marvel history. His name is Arkon. A lost man in a lost world. Follow him if you dare.

“Each region is a domain unto itself!“

So says the keepers of Marvel Comics that write the credits page of each title crossing into Secret Wars. When encountering these so called ‘domains,’ the unexpected may happen. Old Marvel events and concepts are resurrected in new formats and concepts that allow for dragons, monkeys, and lava monsters to exist within the span of just one mere installment. When we first heard about Marvel’s plan to return to Weirdworld, we jumped for joy! Aaron and artist Mike Del Mundo have a lot to live up to — even in seeking the original tone of the source material.

This comic doesn’t open with Arkon, the Conan the Barbarian analogue, and King of Polemachus accidentally falling into Weirdworld, instead Arkon has already been living within the dangerous domain, attempting to piece together what or who is behind the danger. What is known about Weirdworld is sparse, yet a sprawling map hand drawn by Arkon himself starts to paint in the connections to the Marvel Universe weaved in the story. While this region is in fact a domain unto itself, it is also home to more than one familiar character from the Marvel Comics stable of heroes and villains.

Aaron has shown a certain mastery of language from his various Marvel projects, and with speech patterns and dialogue broken up into Arkon’s scatterbrained internal narration, most writers would pen something akin to a modern day cliche. Thankfully, Aaron isn’t most writers and instead takes the time to flesh out the mind and thought pattern of Arkon in a way that loops readers deeper into the narrative itself — as we enter this location through his mind.

The visuals of Mike Del Mundo are a great showcase for what the veteran Marvel artist can do. Given the free reign to dive into an abstract Marvel concept such as this really allows the artist to dig deep into his own visual language and develop a brand new way for readers to interpret the different pieces of scenery lying within. Mundo’s penchant for the weird is really allowed to flourish under these circumstances. The artist delivers beautiful painted splash pages while showing off several incredibly complex character designs. The dazzling reds, greens, and yellows depicted by Mundo and Marco D’Alfonso will burn bright in the imaginations of readers long after they close the last cover of the issue. VC’s Cory Petit delivers interesting lettering techniques that make action sequences seem even more hectic than they would have been just depicted in the stories themselves.

As for the larger aspects of Secret Wars, the narrative doesn’t intrude on anything already established in other titles. Characters used here are not present in other series, and the Weirldworld domain was always set to be a part of Battleworld long before the event began. This basically gives the creative team the license to utilize those Moench concepts to their fullest within the narrative. The few principles concepts of the Domain including things like Barons add to some of the intrigue of the issue.

This debut issue from the red hot creative team perfectly encapsulates an odd 70’s landscape reinterpreted for the modern day through Secret Wars. More importantly, if this brand new event allows Marvel old-fashioned weirdness, I say bring on the Marvel events. If it weren’t for the impeccably delightful oddities of Mundo’s art this comic would have been mere fun, but stacked next to the devilish delight of Aaron’s prose, Weirdworld #1 is a domain worth venturing into.

SPOILERS!!!!!!

Perhaps the shocked, butthurt and offended legions who felt that turning Thor into a woman would destroy their view of masculinity as they sounded The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women can rest a bit easier now. Her identity has been revealed and that is a sure sign that Original Man With Penis Thor is coming back soon. In case you are wondering, the story was spoiled many places, as FemmeThor #8 with the above reveal cover is coming out tomorrow, but the official Marvel version of the leak seems to be here at Vulture, where writer Jason Aaron chats and divulges that

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…Ther is Jane Foster. Which a someone who wasn’t even reading the book, I had to go…well…yeah. Isn’t Lady Thor ALWAYS Jane Foster?

In this case however the reasons within the story are…sad. Jane Foster has breast cancer and transforming into Thor reeves her illness (just as the original thor Don Blakelost his lameness when transforming)…but when turning back to Jane she becomes weakers, and the power is making it worse. 


Thematically, what do you think is the significance of having Jane Foster be Thor? 
Jane’s been a part of Thor’s universe going back almost to the very beginning. She was the initial love interest for Donald Blake, who was Thor’s alter-ego [in early Thor stories]. She was the nurse to his doctor. She’s grown and changed and evolved a lot over the years, become a doctor in her own right. So this to me is not just the next step for her character, but really the next evolution of the core promise that has always been at the heart of Thor’s mythology.

You go back to those very first issues [from the 1960s], and they’re about this disabled doctor, Donald Blake, finding a strange hammer, and when he picks it up, it transforms him into the mighty Thor. That promise of transformation has always been a part of that hammer. Even though we’ve changed the person who’s holding the hammer, it’s very much a Thor story, a story that begins the next step for that promise of transformation.

Thor Annual #1

Story: Jason Aaron, Noelle Stevenson, CM Punk

Art: Timothy Truman, Marguerite Sauvage, Rob Guillory

Letters: Joe Sabino

Publisher: Marvel

Annual edition comics typically have two distinct paths. The books either punctuate a current event in comics or tell a campy story with little to no continuity ramifications. Thor Annual definitely takes the comedy road, but along the way manages to swerve in a poignant moment or two.

The book is a collection of three offbeat stories written by Jason Aaron, Noelle Stevenson, and Marvel newcomer/future cage fighter, CM Punk. No doubt the book is led both linearly and structurally by Aaron’s tale of future all-father Thor in a story that displays a sentimental side of the Asgardian. As he mourns for his long dead Midgard, Thor’s granddaughters create a grand gesture in which the thunderer himself will shape the fabric of the universe. Combined with the solid artwork of Timothy Truman, the story has a ton of emotional impact.

In the book’s second tale, writer Noelle Stevenson and artist Marguerite Sauvage craft a cartoony tale of the new goddess of thunder’s trial to prove her worthiness to the warriors three. Stevenson’s story shows how this new Thor is more than just “Lady Thor”. Her character relies on cunning and female charm to overcome the trials the boys put her through. While I don’t have a lot of exposure to this new Thor, if she’s always this clever and confident then she’s worthy of a place in the new Marvel U. Of course we still have to find out who this Thor really is under the helmet. Sauvage’s art is like something out of a fairy tale storybook. It’s dreamy in how soft it is, but the delivery of her painting is spot on for the action comedy. If I had to point out one minor annoyance, it’s that I would have enjoyed seeing more background in her panels.

Finally, CM Punk and Chew artist Rob Guillory step up to craft a short story about the dangers of drinking Asgardian booze. A young, pre-hammer, Thor is challenged by Mephisto in an attempt to alter history and prevent him from ever gaining possession of Mjolnir. At first it seems odd that a writer who made a career out of living a straight edge drug/alcohol free life would tell a story about heroes getting blackout drunk. However, once you get to that last memorable page the moral makes complete sense. I found myself impressed. The jokes were well timed and the pace flowed smoothly; definitely not his first time telling stories. Rob Guillory’s art style is stellar for animating this short. He extends so much exaggerated nuance to the characters and basically does in ten pages what most artist can’t do in thirty; draw a complete tale. What I’m most impressed by is how the pair got away with a skinheads and punx reference in a mainstream Marvel book.

$4.99 is expensive for a comic book. For some of us, collecting comics can amount to the monthly price of a family phone plan. So I don’t say this lightly, Thor Annual is worth the price of admission. While it might not change the character forever, it gives old-and-new fans a meaningful levity that balances out the monthly epic battles, and sometimes you just need feel good stories.

If words like Wolverine, H2O, and large pizza are in your vocabulary then follow me on twitter @bouncingsoul217. Here’s a free digital Thor Annual for making it this far (1st come 1st served).

“This is basically me doing a cop story, but with hammers instead of guns,” exclaims Thors author Jason Aaron to Marvel.com. “This is me getting to do ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ with lots of cosmic cops. It’s every version of Thor you can imagine, all walking beats, solving murders, getting yelled at by their commissioner and blowing off steam at their local Thor-cop bar.”

Marvel is looking to expand Secret Wars even further (10+ series have already been announced) with a new comic entitled Thors. The tale features the incredible creative team of Jason Aaron and artist Chris Sprouse. Thors follows up on some crucial plot points that have yet to be revealed in Secret Wars #2, but the cover features various characters (the new Thor, Ultimate Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Frog Thor, and more) equipped with hammers. Little regarding the plot is known except that all these different characters are investigating a murder case for the ages.

The comic ships in June, and is cited to be one of the more important titles for Secret Wars.

“I’ll just say that this book is probably more of a direct tie-in to the main SECRET WARS series than a lot of the other tie-ins you’ll see, in that the role of the Thors is something that is set-up quite extensively in SECRET WARS #2,” says Aaron.

Cover by John Cassaday & Laura Martin

 Written by: Jason Aaron

Art by: John Cassaday

Colors by: Laura Martin

Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos

Cover Art by: John Cassaday & Laura Martin

Published by: Marvel Comics

By Matthew Jent

“I have a very good feeling about this.”

Star Wars returns to Marvel, and nearly every other ancillary, non-movie-adventure of Luke Skywalker & Co. has been wiped out of continuity. Back in December we knew that Star Wars #1 would be, almost certainly, the biggest-selling issue of the year with 1 million copies ordered by comics retailers and other outlets. The first issue hits stores this week, with launch parties, dozens of variant covers, and a major media push. But what about what’s actually on the page?

To put it simply: this feels like Star Wars.

The issue opens with a sequential art version of the familiar logo and opening crawl, picking up after the events of A New Hope. The art from John Cassaday and Laura Martin captures the gritty look and feel of the original trilogy, and perfectly replicates that Solo smirk, Luke’s boyishly optimistic determination, and Leia’s exasperation with a certain smuggler. From the setting to the faces to the clothing, this book looks like Star Wars. It also looks like a really good comic book — there’s a certain Wookiee sniper scene that uses panel layout and zoom-in transitions for a nice effect. This is a visual tale, well told by sequential artists.

The narrative is satisfying, too. This first issue is oversized, with 36 pages of story. Jason Aaron’s dialogue hits the exposition a little too hard in a few scenes, mostly in explaining (and then, a few pages later, explaining again) the rebel plan, but Han talks like Han and Leia talks like Leia. Luke doesn’t talk very much at all, but that feels right too — Cassaday & Martin’s artwork evokes those Mark-Hamill-eyes in a way that tells you this is a Luke Skywalker who’s blown up the Death Star, but has yet to get lost on Hoth. He’s still young, hopeful, and has taken his first steps into a larger world — but he’s largely untested. He’s struggling to live up to the few lessons imparted by Ben Kenobi, still trying to figure out what it means to hear the voice of his old mentor on the wind, and that yearning plays out in his actions more than in his words — just like it should.

The plot moves forward at an assured clip, and it feels fulfilling without being rushed. This story also feels — well, essential. Like this really is the next adventure of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia, and not just a filled-in series of events between movies.

Criticisms can be made, but they’re small. While most of the characters sound like themselves, C-3P0 sounds … off. His dialogue sounds almost more like Data than Threepio, like he’s using too many words to communicate. And while it’s wonderful to see Leia on a mission with the Han and Luke, it’s unclear why she is on this particular mission for the rebel alliance, as the only role she plays in-story is to criticize and banter with Han.

But with lots of things Star Wars, I’ll happily take a few inconsistencies if it means having fun in this particular far-away galaxy. “Skywalker Strikes” by Aaron, Cassaday and Martin isn’t just a fun Star Wars story, it’s a well-done comic, and one of the most fulfilling first issue/reboots I’ve read from Marvel in a long time. It’s a promising start to a new era of space fantasy.

by Alexander Jones

If Men of Wrath‘s ‘Mail of Wrath’ letters column is true, author Jason Aaron has one bleak family tree. His latest creator-owned title comes from the same deep, dark pit that birthed his previous collaboration in the space, Southern Bastards; and even if he is bringing in a different team for this title, it has that same tone of the other series. Protagonist Ira Rath is one seriously messed up guy, and this issue goes out of its way to paint the shades of an anti-hero who still somehow manages to be interesting enough to follow. Tales with lead characters that are this deadly can sometimes be difficult to relate to in the necessary manner, but Aaron crafts point-of-view narration towards the beginning of the book that immediately dispels all other reservations that fans may possibly have regarding the way that the audience reacts to these characters.

There are so many things that could have gone completely wrong with this story that Aaron seemingly avoids. The author could have softened up Ira too much, and he could have reversed one of the terrible scenes that happen towards the middle of the book. He could have put too much explanation as to why Ira is the way that he is, but there is one simple scene and narrative hook that ties this entire issue together with ease. There are many positive aspects about Men of Wrath #1 worth writing home about, but there is one that is especially genius which actually came as a surprise to me–the pencils of Ron Garney.

Garney isn’t someone who has created comics in the independent space before. Here, the artist reigns in his craft and tells a story that is much more focused and down to earth. For someone who drew Thor recently, this is quite impressive. The pencils in the tale are not incredibly detailed here, as they only show the necessary additions to the story, but everything presented is solid here. Matt Milla assists the art greatly with his bold color choices. The sections toward each half of the comic are very clearly defined from each other. Flashbacks have a different tone that is easy to differentiate from the main comic. It also helps that Garney approaches the flashbacks differently in how he draws the stories. The attention to detail on clothing choices and other flourishes are subtle additions that serve to enhance the story.

Possibly the best part about this comic is the note at the end written by Aaron. The author paints a vivid picture through words about how everything in the story meshes into his own personal life. It’s something that is hopefully included in the trade, because it does help put the very heavy story into the appropriate context and celebrate the fact that the audience is reading a story about someone who is truly horrible. The text is unconventional, and something that needs to be included if there is ever a trade of the series. It also may be slightly disheartening that this does exist in the midst of something like Southern Bastards. This story is missing some of the scenery and the personality of that titles’ more deep-fried sensibilities. Also, at a certain point, it is almost like Aaron is competing with himself in the amount of books he is writing.

Even in the context of Southern Bastards, Men of Wrath is something that will churn your stomach in the best way. Aaron is almost doing his equivalent of Garth Ennis in this story. Either way, this is one messed up comic book that I took sheer delight in reading. If you give Men of Wrath your time this week, it will allow suck readers to stare into the bleak pit of aforementioned despair. This comic is really messed up, but in the most painfully, delightful manner.

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Ron Garney

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher

Production: Idette Winecoor 

Editor: Sebastian Girner 

By Matthew Jent

Thor #1

Credits:

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Russell Dauterman

Color Artist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer & Production: VC’s Joe Sabino

Cover Artist: Russell Dauterman & Frank Martin

Variant Cover Artists: Sara Pichelli & Laura Martin; Esad Ribic; Andrew Robinson; Alex Ross; Fiona Staples; Skottie Young

Publisher: Marvel Comics

“There must always be a Thor.”

Thor’s gotten a lot of media attention lately, ever since Marvel Comics took to the View to announce that the new Thor would be a woman. It was a bold move to announce this franchise-shifting move on a show whose audience is not necessarily the core audience for what has become one of Marvel’s tentpole characters. But it spoke to a renewed effort to expand Marvel’s audience, and passing the hammer of Thor to a new character is part of the character’s tradition, from Beta Ray Bill to Eric Masterson to, err, Dargo Ktor of the 26^th Century.

So here it is. The new series. The new Thor, right there on every single variant cover. The media event!

But, alas — new readers, lapsed readers, fervent Thor fans — if you’re here to see what all of the well-advertised hubbub is about, you’ll have to come back in November. The new Thor? She’s not really in this comic*.

She does show up, eventually. But she doesn’t interact with any other character, her single line of dialogue is spoken in solitude, and she does little more than pose for a glorified cameo. The next issue teaser promises “The Goddess of Thunder in Action!”, as does a USAToday article published this week (“The new female Thor gets into the action in the second issue of her new comic book series”). If you pick up this issue asking yourself, I wonder what the new Thor will be like?, you’re still going to be wondering when the book is over.

So. Now that we’ve established what the issue is not, let’s talk about what it is. After a teaser introducing a familiar threat, the scene shifts to the Moon where the Asgardians are reeling from the events of Original Sin, Marvel’s summertime crossover (written, like this issue, by Jason Aaron). The old Thor (hereafter referred to as He-Thor, since going by this issue alone I can’t tell if he has a secret or alternate identity) remains shaken by a mysterious secret imparted by Nick Fury. He-Thor can’t lift his hammer — nobody can lift the hammer — and Odin (the All-Father) and Freyja (the All-Mother) don’t seem too clear on which one of them is running the show.

He-Thor still answers the call to battle, because despite being unworthy of holding the hammer of Thor, he is still a really strong, really blonde dude. He might have super-strength? He is definitely capable of breathing on the Moon (and under water), but it’s not clear why. Maybe this is Marvel’s Blue Area of the Moon? Introduced way back in Lee & Kirby’s Fantastic Four #13, this is an area of the Moon with a breathable atmosphere, and it was home to the Watcher, a major character in Original Sin. I can extrapolate or assume that kind of information, because I’ve been reading Marvel comics for decades. But if this is a #1 issue (which it is), and if this is a jumping-on point for not only new Thor readers but new comic book readers (which, given the media push this issue receives, it will be), it seems like a major omission from the plot and the setting.

The art by Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson is, for the most part, crisp, clear, and fun. The Asgardians look like the fantasy-science heroes they should be, and there’s a Frank Quitely-esqe feel to their facial expressions. But while Quitely is accomplished at illustrating sequential action, Dauterman’s fight scenes can be confusing. It feels like either too much, or not enough, information is conveyed between the panels. On the other hand, the scenes of long dialogue and exposition are never boring, and — seriously — I love Dauterman’s faces. That’s a valuable gift! Wilson’s colors go from poppy and bright to crisply dark, without getting muddy.

It will be fun to see Dauterman and Wilson illustrate the new Thor. Jason Aaron has been writing Thor’s adventures since 2012, and despite a new art team, this is the old Thor’s final issue more than it is the new Thor’s first one. I can’t say if that’s a scripting issue or an editorial one, but Thor #1 has been marketed and advertised as the beginning of a new character and a new era. But so far, it’s the story of the same ol’ Thunder God.

It’s not a bad comic in its own right. The dialogue, even the Asgardian doth-speak, is clear and fun. Godly rivalries are introduced and villainous plots are hatched. The illustration and the colors pop. But despite countless PR assurances that this is no She-Thor, this is Thor — new readers will be forced to ask the question, Why wasn’t she in the book?

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Yep, she’s got a hammer. Heres Marvel’s preview of the new Thos, who is NOT LadyThor, but Thor, as the pr reminds us:

It’s the story that has been seen the world over, and today Marvel is proud to present your very first look inside THOR #1, the new series from New York Times-bestselling writer Jason Aaron (Original Sin, Thor: God of Thunder) and rising star artist Russell Dauterman (Cyclops)! Prepare for an all-new era of the God of Thunder as a brand new female hero explodes into the Marvel Universe!

The great hammer Mjölnir lies on the surface of the moon, unable to be lifted by anyone in all the heavens – even the Mighty Thor! Something dark has befallen the Thunder God, leaving him unworthy and unable to lift his magic hammer. With an army of Frost Giants invading Earth, the Odinson may not have the strength to stop them – and the hammer will be lifted by an all-new Thor! A mysterious woman unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before!

“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,” says writer Jason Aaron.

Launching as part of the Avengers NOW! initiative, Thor is the first of an exciting wave of titles that push the Marvel Universe forward in exciting new directions! Prepare for a Marvel Universe like you’ve never seen it before as the biggest creators in the industry bring you bold new stories featuring the most popular characters!

Who is this mysterious new God of Thunder? Not even Odin knows! No fan can afford to miss the comic that has everyone talking. Prepare for a senses-shattering new beginning as the all-new Thor thunders her way through the Marvel Universe this October in THOR #1!

Retailers: As Thor continues to garner unprecedented media attention from all corners of the mainstream press, retailers are strongly encouraged to check their orders on this highly anticipated first issue.

THOR #1 (AUG140777)
Written by JASON AARON


Art & Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN


75th Anniversary Variant by ALEX ROSS (AUG140778)


75th Anniversary Sketch Variant by ALEX ROSS (AUG140779)


Variant Covers by SKOTTIE YOUNG (AUG140780), SARA PICHELLI (AUG140782),
ANDREW ROBINSON (AUG140781), FIONA STAPLES (AUG140783) & ESAD RIBIC (AUG140784)


FOC – 09/08/14, On-Sale 10/01/14

Marvel are kicking off a weekend of announcements today with news about some Original Sin tie-ins. The main Original Sin series will see The Watcher get shot up something rotten, his eyeballs getting ripped out, and everybody finding out deep and dark secrets which previously only Uatu knew about. It’s like superhuman wikileaks, basically. And amongst the tie-ins has just been announced a five-issue miniseries from Jason Aaron, Simone Bianchi, Al Ewing, and Lee Garbett: Loki and Thor: The Tenth Realm.

Those would be the creative teams for Loki: Agent of Asgard and The Mighty Thor, of course. The storyline also concerns another character, however – the noted Angela, fresh from her stint in the Guardians of the Galaxy. After a lot of wondering about why she was important to the Marvel Universe, and why it was such a big deal that she arrived, courtesy of Neil Gaiman, into Marvel Comics… it appears the answer has finally come.

She’s Odin’s daughter. Making her the sister of both Thor and Loki. Uh-oh! In this five-issue miniseries, Angela will be heading across for a family reunion, causing problems for Thor, Loki – and also for Odin. You have to imagine that Frigga won’t be particularly thrilled, either.

Marvel note that the series will be numbered as Original Sin #5.1 across to #5.5. It’ll start this July.

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This is all just breaking!

Marvel are at South By Southwest right now, announcing some new digital projects. The first is ‘Marvel Infinite’ comics, Marvel’s own digital service for comic books. It appears that Marvel will be making 700 of their #1 issues available for free, so new readers can try the first issue before seeing if they want to continue on and buy the rest. Also announced is a new weekly digital Wolverine series called ‘Japan’s Most Wanted’, which will be headed up by Jason Aaron but overseen by a number of different writers. And finally, they’ve revealed that ‘Project Gamma’ will be an adaptive audio addition to their digital comics, putting sound to their digital stories.

So! Let’s break that down as best as possible. The first news involves Marvel Infinite, which was previously revealed to be the new name for Marvel’s digital comics program. As part of their rebrand, which Todd spoke about a few days ago, Marvel are going to make a series of issues available for free to readers. These will be the first issues of every respective series – Guardians of the Galaxy, for example – offering readers a chance to try the books before they decide to pick up the following issues and start following the books proper.

However! This will be a limited offer from Marvel, and it looks like the books will go back to regular pricing – ranging from $1.99 to $3.99 – so you have until Tuesday.

Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted is a digital series, which will be released weekly. The first issue will be out in July, with Jason Aaron overseeing the storyline. Jason Latour will also be writing, with Paco Diaz on art. CBR have an interview with the creative team, and Marvel have offered a solicitation for the series:

Marvel Comics’ latest innovative Infinite Comic is here! Wolverine stars in a weekly adventure from the mind of super star writer Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, THOR) that pits Wolverine against classic villains and a threat unlike any he has ever faced!

The Wolverine series will last 13 weeks, and then be followed by three other stories, which will all also last for 13 weeks each.

And finally, Project Gamma. This will be another addition to Marvel’s digital comics, where readers can add audio to their comics as they read them. The sound will be fully adaptive, with no loops. It’ll move with you, in essence, following you as you follow the story. There’ll be music played which changes depending on location and character. There’s no official date for this yet, but Marvel plan to roll this out later in the year. Rolling Stone seem to know a lot about this, actually. You can also find a video from Marvel here.

Kieron Gillen is already furiously writing an email to Kenickie’s manager as we speak, asking for clearance rights.

By Steve Morris

Neverendingly working Newsarama blogger Graeme McMillan has spotted a change in Marvel’s solicitations. Now, this may have come about as a result of a delay in art, or it may have come about because we exist in a cosmic tapestry, stitched and unstitched by the tapestrier, as may be their will or wont. But basically, issue #17 of Wolverine & The X-Men is going to kick aside the worthless cud like this ‘Wolverine’ feller out the way, in favour of an ALL-DOOP issue. Yes!

Doop, if you’ll recall, was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred during their run on X-Force/X-Statix, and is an all-knowing doopish green blob of infinity. He’s most recently been seen as part of Jason Aaron’s Wolverine-as-a-teacher series, in his new role as religious studies tutor:

All very well and good, I suppose. But what makes this news a bolt of blob-based brilliance is the surprise reveal that this issue will be drawn by co-creator Mike Allred. Grab your pom-poms, people. MIKE! ALLRED! Returns to Doop!

The issue will be released towards the end of September. Let’s celebrate by remembering the time Doop destroyed that jerk Thor.

By Steve Morris

Some of you are going to try and burst my bubble on this with some crazy nonsense babbletalk about how this is ‘clearly a Thor relaunch’ but DAMMIT, you’re not going to change my mind. The second Marvel teaser of the week reveals that Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic will ABSOLUTELY be the creative team for a new WARREN WORTHINGTON III solo series. I do not accept anybody who says this is a Thor title.

Sometimes the sinister mutant known as Archangel but more typically the golden boy of Charles Xavier’s army called Angel, Warren Worthington has really been through the wringer recently. First he gave in to the Archangel persona, then he had sex with Psylocke, and then he got murdered and a new soul grew inside his dead body. Ai ai ai.

No no, stop saying that Thor is considered to be one of the only people ‘worthy’ of wielding his hammer, Mjolnir and therefore this title refers to him. You’re really harshing my buzz. The rest of the World may have decided that Jason Aaron is going to write a new Thor series for Esad Ribic to draw, but I will never accept this as anything other than a new series for Angel. The X-Men franchise could always use another series!

If it is a Thor series, it would be interesting to see if it’s a solo title, or if a group of characters are being tied together into a new team. There are a number of characters tangentially connected to Thor, after all, and they’ve got fans too, don’t they? You could potentially fit in Valkrie, Sif (remember she’s prominent in the film), Beta Ray Bill and Dani Moonstar, among others.

Of course this is all irrelevant, because it’s a Warren Worthington book. DEFINITELY.

By Steve Morris

It’s not all about San Diego, you know. Deep in the sodden trenches of Southern England comes a quiet-quiet announcement from Uncanny X-Men/Phonogram/Batroc The Leaper writer Kieron Gillen, regarding a new comic-book podcast. Called Decompressed, the podcast will see Gillen interview a series of writers about specific stories they’ve written, going into extreme detail on things like panel layout, storytelling, and the roles played by artist/writer when creating a comic.

The first episode is about Wolverine & The X-Men #13, by Jason Aaron. And wouldn’t you know? Jason Aaron is his first guest on the thing. Apparently it’s pronounced “Air-ron” instead of “Arr-ron”, which sadly takes away a little bit from the ‘is-he-isn’t-he secretly a pirate’ thing he had going on.

Several other writers like Rob Williams and Andy Diggle have volunteered to appear on subsequent episodes, and it’s likely that you may see appearances from people such as Matt Fraction and David Hine at some point, too. Maybe even Jamie McKelvie? No, that’d be crazy. You’d never get those two in a room together.