@winter_kills: to be fair they're introducing a new character I'm sure Aaron will return to his epic scope and style once he's finished establishing Thor
Now, before I start, this is all IMO; like everyone I am entitled to one as is everyone else, but as a long-time Thor reader, this is my POV, & I truly don't intend to upset anyone or sway them my way, people have the right to feel the way they want, & like what they like.
That being said:
Unfortunately, I don't think he can achieve that epic scope with this character. He needs to do it with the REAL Thor. I know I sound like a broken record, but Thor is a character with unlimited potential. He not only has the Marvel lore behind him, but all the lore that can be drawn from the Norse mythology that inspired him, & the cosmology of the Nine Worlds that has been barely touched upon. There are many ideas that can be taken from the Norse eddas of old & adapted, not to mention all the cosmic stories tat can be told with Thor, & the exploration of other pantheons. That's what made Simonson's run on Thor fantastic, & what was good about Aaron's "God-Butcher" arc. With all that, writers should never run out of good ideas for Thor. He should never have to be replaced. If a writer feels that they can't tell creative, epic stories with the REAL Thor, & have to replace him, then they need to move along & let other writers take over. I hope that after Secret Wars, this is all undone & nothing but a footnote in Thor's storied history. Regardless, it will be.
I would have dealt with all this better if Aaron & Marvel editorial had been respectful not only with the character, but also to his longtime fans. I can understand them not respecting someone ranting & raving about the changes, but they have been brushing off people with genuine concerns that have portrayed their feelings in a polite manner, as I am; & they are basically told to deal with it, move on & are disrespected, much like the character of Thor himself. I've seen this happen before, with Nova Richard Rider; editor Stephen Wacker was extremely disrespectful of people writing in with polite concerns, the same with Superior Spider-Man, & Thor editorial is taking the same approach. I can accept change. Bucky Barnes as Captain America, for example, was fantastic. Dick Grayson as Batman was interesting. But they were logical, organic changes. And characters that, while having their own personalities, still were able to maintain the iconic core of the mantles they had taken on. This just feels so forced, a PR/forced diversity move. I could accept a female Thor- if the character had a warrior's heart, & understood Thor's role. For example, I would accept Sif or Valkyrie whole-heartedly, & I think they would have Thor's approval as well, & a great story could be made from that, with an inspiring woman carrying on the role & tradition of the thunder god, while the true Thor goes on an epic journey to rediscover what made him worthy in the first place...& that maybe, he was worthy all along. That would be an epic story, & one I would accept & read in its entirety. But that's not what is happening here. What I'm seeing here, from my Thor fan's perspective, is flash & substance with the mysterious new lead, "meh" storylines & the noble character of Thor being totally deconstructed. Actually, it looks worse than that, in my eyes it looks like Marvel has turned Thor into their whipping boy, when, along with Cap & IM, he should be one of their golden boys.
Right now, comic companies & their disregard for history, continuity, the characters themselves, & most of all the feelings of the long-time, loyal readership(which is comics' true life's blood) is what is really bugging me about the industry. I've been a Thor fan my entire life, through thick & thin, never dropped the book once, even during the turbulent late 90's- & this is the first time I have totally dropped the book. That alone speaks volumes.
Log in to comment