Thor #1

As a New Year dawns a New Thor stands ready to take on a galactic threat that threatens the entire Marvel universe. Luckily the team of Donny Cates, Nic Klein and Matthew Wilson are more than up to the job of telling this story. This isn’t just for fans of Thor, or Marvel, this is a comic all comic fans NEED TO BE READING. Yes, it’s that good. Read Full Review

Off to a tremendous start, the series offers temptations not only of exploring planets previously unknown but also examinations of the most relatable and compelling parts of Thor. Read Full Review

Jason Aaron left some huge shoes to fill when he concluded his 7+ years on the title, but Cates and Klein aptly continue that tale in this issue while still managing to flip the story on its head and give the reader a wholly new take on the God of Thunder by its end. Klein proves to be an expert conveying mood with his pencils, while Cates clear affinity for Thor shines through wonderfully. Read Full Review

Overall, if you were worried Marvel wouldnt have anything up their sleeve after Aaron left his Mjolnir-sized mark on this book, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Cates is bringing it big-time, and hes not the least bit boxed in by Aarons ending. If youve been enjoying his work on Venom, this is a little bit different flavor, but its just as ambitious. Big ideas and unexpected directions are what Cates does best, and hes off to a great start with issue number one of Thor. Read Full Review

This is yet another example of how Donny Cates can balance payoff, introduce new ideas, and set in motion a story you can't put down. We're in for an intense and remarkable adventure Thor, and the likes of the Marvel universe has never seen. This is Thor on a whole new scope and scale that you can't resist. Read Full Review

Nic Klein brings the excitement of the story to life beautifully with the art. From the first panel to the final page, the art perfectly complements the story and the final reveal at the end is amazing. Read Full Review

The story as a whole will be one that's familiar as Cates explores the theme of "heavy is the head that wears the crown," and yet, he manages to end this first issue with an altogether unexpected twist. Plan on a wild ride with this new series as Galactus enters the fray for what appears to be a final ride to Armageddon. Read Full Review

A big new story takes some bold steps to set itself up, with writing and art on point. Definitely a good way to start Thor anew. Read Full Review

Thor #1 was a brilliant and surprising first issue in a new series. It's clear that the new creative team at the helm has great plans for this beloved hero. What's better is that they've already proven that they're not afraid to take risks. I for one am very much looking forward to seeing where this plot leads. Read Full Review

New readers to Cates will immediately see his outstanding imagination, his well-written dialogue, his easy to follow storytelling and his overly complex stories that he breaks down into easily digestible and vivid chunks that draw comic fans deeper into the narrative. THOR #1 showcases everything that has made Donny Cates one of the best writers at Marvel for many years now. Read Full Review

Should be fun to see where it goes from here. Read Full Review

Thor fans and fans of Marvel's cosmic series would do well to check this one out. I won't say why but you'll want to read this one for certain. Read Full Review

Overall: Thor #1 is a fantastic start to a new era for Thor. Donny Cates demonstrated that he is more than capable of following Jason Aaron on Thor. In fact, Cates made me believe that he is capable of delivering a Thor that is just as good if not better than Aaron's run. I would definitely recommend Thor #1. Any reader who likes cosmic tales, epic quests, and superhero action will certainly enjoy Cates' Thor. Things are looking very bright for the future of the Thor franchise. Read Full Review

Befitting a Thor book, Nic Kleins art here is absolutely gorgeous and easily some of the best Ive seen from a Marvel title in recent memory. Aaron is a tough writer to follow, but so are the myriad great artists (most notably Russell Dauterman, Mike del Mundo, and Esad Ribi) who collaborated with him across his run. Colorist Matthew Wilson himself a veteran of Aarons run really clinches the visuals of the book with his trademark palette, full of vibrant colors that come together (at one point, literally) into a brilliant rainbow. Read Full Review

Thor #1 is a great start for a series that will likely be epic. Read Full Review

GammaBurst

Jan 01, 2020

Absolutely blinding #1 issue! Cates loves and respects the character, and, in a couple of pages, almost makes all the bad taste from the crap of the last run go away. Now that's a God of Thunder. The sky is the limit here.

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (3)

• TheImageIsStrong
• Odin06
• Superheroes for Hire

Odin06 - Jan 4, 2020

Completely agree with you.

huz

Jan 01, 2020

Perfect start to the Donny Cates era of Thor, so excited for this creative team.

Ryan

Jan 02, 2020

Absolutely fabulous first issue from Cates and Klein. Klein excels at drawing Thor and his world. Cates delivers an opening issue that has reeled me in for the rest of the run. My only complaint can be is that Galactus shows up way too often

Afre

Jan 02, 2020

It is, simply put, amazing. No problems here, like he did with Venom, Cates made me excited for Thor too.

Synthozoid

Jan 03, 2020

Perfect!

Humble Hero

Jan 06, 2020

Such a fun read, I haven't read the Thor run by Aaron and I was still able to understand where this story picks up and loved every page of it. Highly recommend especially if you have followed Donny Cates since his Thanos run.

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (2)

• TheImageIsStrong
• Superheroes for Hire

Superheroes for Hire - Jan 12, 2020

Read Aaron's "God of Thunder" for the basic premise and best story of the run, and you basically know most of what happened to Thor in the last 7 years. It took a lot of detours after that, but basically he lost an eye and an arm and became King Thor as foretold in the early part of Aaron's run.

Shaffer2323

Jan 23, 2020

Black bolt, Silver Surfer, Venom, and now Thor. Goth boy Donny can't write a character unless they're clad in black. And of coarse, We'll soon be seeing Thor battle against a powerful foe also sporting black but with a bit of Red thrown in the mix as we've seen with Vox, Knull, and Carnage. Jokes aside, Cates had big shoes to fill following Jason Aaron's magnum opus on Thor, and this issue shows that he can wear those shoes pretty well. Throw in Nic Klein's stoic art and we have another legendary Thor run in the making.

Venom

Feb 08, 2020

Say What!!!!!This is dope!

cincyfan

Feb 16, 2020

wow I had very high expectations for this with this all-star creative team and they were met and then some! Donny cates once again proves he is the best writer in the industry and nic klein and Matthew Wilson do a tremendous job on the art

HulkSmash69

Jul 26, 2020

The artwork in the first couple panels is really cool. Also think what is essentially super saiyan Thor here will set up some exciting panels. Hate how expensive it is to jump in on this series, but it does have me super pumped for this series.

Señor Smokey

Sep 14, 2020

Love what cates is doing. His style is changing the foundation and expectations for each character he does, Thor get this treatment with fantastic scale. The comic feels a mix of personal and cosmic with thor showing signs of internal conflict, still upholding his king-like fortitude, in the opening age of his taking of the throne with the later pages abruptly opening the world up with a new ominous threat. Art is killer top

OldManComics

May 18, 2021

Great work by Donny Cates, this is the first comic I read by him and my god the man is for sure on the way to become one of the greats. He truly understands Thor. He knows how to grab you, he knows how to pay homage to the past, respect the legacy of not only the character but his felow writers. Nic Klein goes for the ride and paints us the picture in Donny's mind. It's a great look for Thor. It's truly an asgardian team! This team absolutely trows it out of the park, and the readers simply stay in awe. It's a clear 10, as is the totallity of this first arc. Lets hope we may see a long and wonderfull Thor run.

Avanvolk

Apr 22, 2022

Awesome art, superb writing. Donny Cates loves writing big, epic stories, and it seems he's found another character to work his magic on.

Wolf Warner

Jan 01, 2020

Cates came up to bat looking to drive in a run but ended up hitting a got dayum Grand Slam!!!!!!

M1sf1r3

Jan 01, 2020

Prelude: For the first time in eight years, Thor has a new writer. Cates has shown that he loves Thor in his other books, but can he follow so closely to Aaron's Saga? The Good: I love this King Thor. Feels exactly what Thor would act like when he becomes King. Still liking how Cates ties his stories together, this one being from Silver Surfer: Black. Klein's art is great. Really fits Thor and his world. That cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An absolute wonderful start for Cates' Thor. The characters are great, it ties extremely well with his other work, has great art and the cliffhanger is amazing. Pretty much everything I could want from a new Thor book.

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (7)

• TheImageIsStrong
• Toonstrack
• Humble Hero
• Ti-Père BBQ
• Superheroes for Hire
• leoleol_m
• huz

Ti-Père BBQ - Jan 11, 2020

The dialogue between Thor and Loki was perfect.

Psycamorean

Jan 04, 2020

Donny Cates is a good comic book writer, what else is new?

Odin06

Jan 04, 2020

I read comics for more than thirty years, and in my youth, Thor was by far my favorite hero; he was a true warrior, honorable, brave; as the Norse God in the mythology, he was the stern protector of mankind. But in the last decade, because of internet agendas and incompetent writers and editors, the character got completely lost. For more than seven years, the God of Thunder was humiliated and disrespected; he lost his pride, honor, worthiness and even his own name. We lost the honorable and ancient warrior who lived epic adventures in the talented hands of Stan Lee, Walt Simonson and Tom DeFalco to get a generic Viking drunken barbarian written by a writer with almost no true knowledge of Norse Mythology. But fortunately, the dark days seem to be over. In a single issue, Gates has given me hope to see the true Thor back, something I have honestly gave up five years ago. In a discussion, I remember a female reader saying that the only way to fix Thor was through a reboot. Gates is working in a true miracle, bringing back the character to his roots even after all the bad plots and wrong decisions that cursed Thor in the last decade. Great story and gorgeous art. A very promising start. more

maelstron

Mar 04, 2020

This is a great #1. Really like the direction of this series

Nickweiser

Jan 01, 2020

I am buckled up and ready for this ride!

egonnn244

Jan 04, 2020

"What is a king... to a god?" I don't really know how we got here story-wise but honestly, after reading this issue, I don't care. It is exceptionally well written with an art that is immaculate. The new status quo for Thor can serve as a perfect jumping-on point (I'm living proof of that) and the unfolding story pretty much hooks you in form the start. Wow, I did not expect this to be that good.

EDiakota

Jan 04, 2020

" No. Not unkown. The star plague. The blight storm. The rot blizzard. Many name... But one truth... It's the one true end. The black winter. " - SILVER SURFER

mrDovydas

Jan 07, 2020

Yup, this is definitely written by Donny Cates. This really reminds me the beginning of his Venom run in terms of how big this actually feels. Without any doubt, this book is off to a very, very good start.

Bill Blaze

Jan 08, 2020

Donny Cates continues to weave his epic tale throughout the pages of the Marvel Universe.

Superheroes for Hire

Jan 11, 2020

I rolled my eyes a little at the "winter is coming" premise, but Donny Cates has laid out a solid foundation for his run on Thor with this issue. I am personally looking for a sense of wonder, mystery, and gravitas that can only come with mythic tales when I read a Thor comic. And Cates knows just how to deliver with complex backstories, interpersonal drama, and larger than life concepts. I'm thoroughly excited by the story. Nic Klein is almost perfect on art - in that just rough enough way where I know I'm reading a comic book. It's polished house style cartooning at a high level, and colored so comfortably by Matt Wilson. My only gripe was the extra dollar (though earned) and the dumb look for Thor with a diadem that looks like glasse s/goggles on his face. It ruins an otherwise awesome cover, and loses a little of the shine I had gotten from the rest of the issue when that last page reveal happens. That said, I'm still on board this series until Venom or Knull appears! If Cates falls too far into relying on his own creations from previous works (Cosmic Ghost Rider, Venom, etc.), I'm out. The later half of Jason Aaron's run got stale with the shift from big concepts to gimmicks, and the art was awful and stylized for what should have been a book with solid art when Mike Del Mundo came on board. Let's hope this run has purpose and momentum. more

Hislight

Jan 17, 2020

While Im not sure its as groundbreaking as some have made it out to be Donny Cates take on Thor is off to an excellent start. Fantastic art coupled with a lively story that keeps you feeling energized and interested the entire time. Its fun seeing Cates bring all his toys together. Kleins art is great throughout the entire issue and I especially liked the way Galactus was drawn as well as that epic transformation for Thor on that last page, Hell even that Avengers Moment was great... Writing has a good balance between entertaining and poetic, something thats difficult for most writers to do with Thor comics. Its a great start and easy to follow, I just hope that this story goes places deeper than simply Thor In Space.

Spacey Medicine

Feb 06, 2020

Well that’s hella cool.

Liem Duong

Jul 17, 2020

Yo, Donny Cates hits 2020 with a bang. Donny Cates with Nic Klein jumps on Thor after the aftermath of War of the Realms that concluded Jason Aaron's decade long run with Thor. And Cates and Klein slams with a cosmic level lighting bolt. My lord. Everything, from the writing, to the art, to the colors, its grand, its epic, its cosmic, its everything a Thor fan wants. Probably going to be a top 5 Marvel series for 2020.

CrazyforRAMU

Jul 18, 2020

It's an adroit pivot from what's come before toward the new author's destination. It shows respect for the last run while starting to introduce its own ideas, and it's gorgeously illustrated throughout. I'll be damned if I'll give it a passive-aggressive "Thank God it's not Aaron hurr hurr hurr" bonus point, though.

Screaming Enigma

May 05, 2023

This was a strong first issue for this run. Klein's fantastic art fits right in with Thor and the realm of Asgard. As for the story itself, it was done extremely well. Thor's current state as All-Father is established well, along with the weight of his hammer and his relationship with Loki. As far as the stuff with Galactus and the Black Winter goes, I'm very interested by it. Thor killing Galactus is something that could prove to be entertaining, and the introduction of the Black Winter already establishes a mega-powerful threat. Thor becoming a herald is certainly intriguing as well, especially considering that he's just become the All-Father on Asgard. Overall, this was a very enjoyable beginning to Cates and Klein's run on Thor and the two of them already prove to be an awesome duo. more

allenquanobi

Jan 02, 2020

not in love with this as others are, but it is a good start. It's almost impossible to not compare this issue with how Aaron's thor started, and it's weird to see that Cates went with Galactus as part of the story again, as we saw that in part of the Old King Thor arc in Aaron's original God of Thunder arc. I do like the herald angle that occurs, and also how that restores his arm. I guess Thor is just extremely OP now? I don't know how you can upgrade from already being so powerful, that makes me excited to keep reading. Keep it going Donny! Also, the art is really good, love the expressions that Klein details really well

BirdmanG07

Jan 03, 2020

Thank you for being an author who is carrying the weight of everything from the prior writer into your series. At times it almost felt like an epilogue of Aaron’s run, which definitely worked for the transition to the new direction it appears we’re heading. I got all of Aaron’s run and was going to take a break from Thor for a bit but after reading this I may have to keep it on my pull.

DDJamesB

Jan 04, 2020

I thought it was a really good book. I was very entertained and although there were some issues that I had it wasnt enough to not like this book. It has a big feel threat, it continues on Aarons run and it leaves you wanting more. Can't ask for much more in a first issue.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Jan 04, 2020

I didn't love it. Anyone notice how Donny kind of adds a gimmick to every character he works on? Venom is now more dragon, Frank Castle is goofy and in space, The Inhumans had Vox, Silver Surfer is black, Rocket had a mech suit, and now Thor is Super Saiyan 3 Goku. I am starting to see this personal trope in his work. Sure, it's cool. Sure, it's epic. It is also a bit childish and tryhard. It just makes me wonder if Donny is capable of writing a standard story without altering the characters in any way.

+ Like • Comments (14)

• Likes (4)

• Gizmo
• TheImageIsStrong
• Superheroes for Hire
• Kreniigh

Show all comments

Psycamorean - Jan 5, 2020

Donny Cates is capable of writing stories without altering the characters in any way, but like any writer, just writing the story itself should change and influence the character... You know, or else what's the point in reading it? Do you want stagnant stories where nothing happens? Do you not want characters to evolve?What Cates does is not anymore childish and tryhard than anyone else in comics. I mean, literally look at Thor for the bulk of the issue. This is a bad take made in bad faith.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Jan 5, 2020

If it was in bad faith I'd probably opt for a 1. It is constructive criticism. Obviously I don't want stagnant stories, but you can create exciting stories that don't visually or radically change a character, or alter their power-set. Sometimes a strong gasp of what makes a base character compelling or popular is what really works. Donny is kind of going with a symbiote-esque arc several times with many of his characters. As in it changes the character visually, emotionally, and power-wise.

Psycamorean - Jan 5, 2020

None of your examples change the base of the characters, though.

Psycamorean - Jan 5, 2020

Venom is and always has been about a guy in an alien symbiote suit. Giving the symbol on his chest a meaning that's not just a copy of the spider symbol doesn't change that. And neither does giving him wings on occasion. He's always been able to morph his body. Cosmic Ghost Rider fits Frank's character, unless you ignore many stories. Punisher can and has been silly. And the core of Frank's character is still present in CGR. Just look at the recent back up in Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider.

Psycamorean - Jan 5, 2020

The Inhumans getting Vox is just a repeat of what the Kree did to early humans to create the Inhumans. Vox works well within the Inhumans world. Silver Surfer has a reason for being black, you need to finish his mini for that, but it's a great parallel to one of the quintessential Surfer stories, Parable. He literally embodies his choices. Rocket has a mech suit. You mean, the raccoon engineer built a suit, what a huge change. One that he loses at the end of the run. Now he's back to 007 Rocket.

Psycamorean - Jan 5, 2020

The point is that none of these changes are made in defiance of the character, but rather in service to them. If you want the former, look at characters like Apex Lex or Infamous Iron Man. You're questioning someone's ability as a writer because they made choices that aren't just gimmicks, but work within the base character. That's why it's a bad take.

Humble Hero - Jan 6, 2020

If it works and his books are selling, how could you blame him? I understand why he does it, every writer wants to leave their mark on their favorite characters and Donny does what everyone else does BUT BETTER. Many creators try to "gimmick" existing characters with simple and uninteresting story telling but Cates does it right time and time again. Don't focus on things don't matter, focus on the fact that he is doing a good job and until he stops doing a good job, he can gimmick all he wants.

Gizmo - Jan 7, 2020

I like 20-issue Ceiling's criticism. Thor just transitioned to being the Allfather, which is already a big new thing for him, and now he's also suddenly imbued with more cosmic powers over the course of half an issue. I'm interested to explore this direction but I also think Cates missed a cool opportunity to build a story or character arc for Thor leading up to this moment rather than hitting us with it in a flash of circumstance.

Psycamorean - Jan 7, 2020

He's had the Odin-Force before, so that's not new. If you mean his ruling of Asgard, that's not being thrown away or ignored.

Gizmo - Jan 7, 2020

The Odin-Force? No, I was trying to allude to Thor becoming a Herald of Galactus without dropping spoilers... Oops.

Psycamorean - Jan 7, 2020

I was saying that Cates didn't miss an opportunity as his all-father stuff will continue to be explored. All this herald of thunder stuff is intentionally a bombastic first arc to draw people in, and the power change and physical change was to differentiate himself from Aaron immediately.

Gizmo - Jan 7, 2020

The missed opportunity I'm talking about is a build up to becoming the Herald of Thunder (I'm trying to remain open to how much or how little the Allfather stuff remains in the equation). Bringing herald status in the first issue isn't 'wrong' or anything, I'm sure Cates has something interesting planned, but it made me think that it would be cool if Thor had to give himself over to becoming a herald in order to overcome some dark, hopeless moment later in the story. I'd find that compelling.

Psycamorean - Jan 7, 2020

Oh, okay, I see what you're saying. My bad. I guess that would be compelling, but that's not really a criticism, just an idea for what you'd rather be reading, yeah?

Superheroes for Hire - Jan 11, 2020

There's an obvious gimmick to get the speculators buying extras and readers hooked with something shiny. But Cates actually has purpose and satisfying story beats that follow, unlike many of his peers that endlessly kill, maim, and swap heroes to try and drum up internet headlines.

W_himself

Jan 16, 2020

Pretty good!

Gizmo

Jan 05, 2020

After briefly acknowledging where the Thor canon left off from the War of the Realms, Cates wastes no time plunging into a completely new direction. It's certainly an interesting choice, I'm not sure yet that I'll be sticking around as I'm a bit exhausted with universal threats, but I'll give it another issue for sure.

Malitia

Jan 01, 2020

I don't want to give a higher score for a first issue, but this run starts promising... albeit it's funny how some of Aaron's "WILL LAST FOR THE END OF TIME (SIRIUSLY!*)" changes get undone in the span of a single issue (not much of a spoiler, the biggest was literally on the cover). Schadenfreude isn't a nice thing, but I take what I can get. * Typeo intentional / Pun intended

Full Spread

Jun 07, 2020

While I loved Jason Aaron's extended, mostly awesome run on Thor, my biggest overall complaint had to do with all the "WORLD ENDING THREATS" that piled up. Every arc had to keep upping the stakes by proclaiming: "Well, I know I said the last universe crashing event thingy was the biggest thing to ever happen--but that's over now--and now there's an EVEN BIGGER BADDY that won't just destroy our universe, or ten universes, but A BILLION!" The stakes kept getting raised to such ridiculous, absurd points that nothing mattered anymore. That's also happening here. But it's even more obnoxious because Donny Cates is shoe-horning his own characters (or versions of characters) from previous books in. Oh, and brooding Thor is boring and g iving him glowy eyes doesn't help matters (and maybe makes them worse). more

+ Like • Comments (1)

huz - Oct 13, 2020

Who did he shoe-horn in?