*contains spoilers from the last issue*
The Good
If I could only use one word to describe this series so far, it would easily be "epic." I mean, we're talking about a title which had three Thors taking on Gorr, the God Butcher, in a battle to save any and every deity that has ever existed and would exist. Plus, we saw Thor wield two hammers. It's pretty tough to get more epic than that, right? Now that the events with Gorr have come to an end, the series dials down the intensity and spends most of its time showing why Thor (modern Thor, that is) is simply a great guy and a caring God.
Writer Jason Aaron gives us a brief update on past and future Thor as well. The former offers a nice yet quick insight into his personality and the latter seemingly offers a look into the book's next big plot -- one which is sure to get your attention. But before getting a look at the dire events on the road ahead of us, Aaron fills the pages with a more humbling version of Thor. He's not battling Ice Giants or Trolls, he's not fighting to save Earth... he's merely traveling the planet and being a good and respectable fellow. It's a charming and even heartwarming course of events which also offers a big laugh or two along the way. Some may label it as "filler," but I view it as a much appreciated insight into the God of Thunder.
Additionally, we chime back in on Jane Foster and it's a particularly touching exchange. I'm sure some will say a moment is blatantly taken from a famous Superman story, but the scene works well, especially after everything that transpires right before it. It may not bring you to tears, but it's certainly moving stuff.
The Bad
It would be reasonable to say more than a fair portion of the Gorr story has an epic scope thanks to Esad Ribic's amazingly unique artwork. Ribic provides the cover for this issue, but the talented artist doesn't create the pages within the issue. Instead, Nic Klein has the difficult task of following Ribic. Klein's work is definitely not bad, but you can't help but feel the difference and it's a bit jarring if you've been following since the first issue. There's two solid splash pages and the weather and environments are all nicely detailed, but I do have some minor gripes with a few facial features (though he does deliver big on the more emotional ones) and there's a distracting lack of detail when characters a reduced to the distance (for example, Young Thor and the woman he's with are just outlines and filled in with a light blue in one panel).
The Verdict
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #12 proves this book can thrive without Gods battling and diabolical villains creating all kinds of chaos in the universe. Aaron offers a tight script, bringing a pleasant insight into modern Thor's character as he visits everyone from an inmate to an ex-lover. Based on the conclusion, it definitely seems this is Aaron's way of giving us an endearing course of events before we're hit by another wave of madness and villainy. I strongly recommend checking this one out. If you're not already a fan of the character, this holds the potential to turn you into one and it's a perfect jumping on point (although I do recommend reading THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #1-11 because it's thoroughly awesome).
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