Comic Vine Review

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Thors #1

4

What's it like for the Thors in the SECRET WARS Battleworld? Kind of like a really cool police drama but with lots of hammers.

THORS #1 is on sale June 17.

The Good

I'll admit, when I first saw the idea of the different Thors being a sort of police force on the Secret Wars Battleworld, I was a little indifferent to the idea. I'm sometimes a little picky in how Thor, any version, is portrayed. He can often come across as a little stuffy. The glimpses we've been getting have been touching on some strange and bigger idea with them patrolling the different regions.

What Jason Aaron gives us in THORS #1 is a pretty bizarre and intriguing crime drama/police procedural story. Like they usually do, this one begins with a body. The Thors are sent to investigate the latest in a string of strange homicides. We get to see the different personalities of the Thors clash. We see how they partner up and go about seeking answers in questioning suspects in the different regions. It's fascinating to see their interaction and getting a sort of behind the scenes look at how they operate together. With the nature of the timeline, or perception of a timeline, on Battleworld, we even hear bits about past cases and their history together. Aaron establishes a lot in a short amount of time and makes this peculiar concept really work.

Chris Sprouse's pencils are top notch. He captures the feel and look for each Thor. Even though some of the Thors are very similar, you can tell who is who by the way they carry themselves along with tiny details in their outfit or hammers. Even without reading the dialogue, you can immediately garner what each character is feeling by the subtle detail in their expressions.

The Bad

The story has a slightly slow build up as the investigation begins. The relationships and personalities have to be established as well. As the investigation continues, you start to get a feeling where it's going. That being said, the pace and story does pick up as the issue goes on building into a really cool concept.

Police procedurals can be cool. It does feel like we've been getting bombarded by them in other media. Even recent comic book TV shows like Constantine, iZombie, and the upcoming Lucifer are all going this route. While it is handled well here, the mixing of the genre with comic characters is feeling a little overused.

The Verdict

If you're looking for a crime drama story mixed with different versions of Thor, this is the book for you. Jason Aaron takes the idea of the Thors as a police force and fleshes it out to a different level. This police procedural gives us a different look at the Secret Wars Battleworld as we discover crime and murder exists even on this world. Chris Sprouse is tasked with depicting the different Thors each with a unique feeling and succeeds brilliantly. The story is a little slow in the build up but soon becomes a fascinating look at a mixture of concepts that will grab your attention. The Thors have been almost overlooked in the background of the other Secret Wars books. You'll want to take advantage of this glimpse at how they operate. You may have the right to remain silent but you also have the right to enjoy the heck out of this book.