King Thor #2 // Review
The Odinson's final tale continues, as he and his brother Loki fight Gorr the God Butcher at the end of the universe, in King Thor #2, written by Jason Aaron, with art by Esad Ribic, and colors by Ive Svorcina. Previously, despite King Thor making every attempt to revive the spark of life on Earth, the universe began to die out around it. Seeking a way to save the last remnants of life, Thor encountered his returned brother, Loki, who is now carrying a powerful, living cosmic weapon called All-Black the Necrosword. Loki attempted to kill him and was on the verge of succeeding until Gorr "the God Butcher" showed up. Now, Gorr intends to complete the mission he started many years ago: the mass murder of all gods.
While the final fight between Thor and Loki would have been enough to sell this book, Aaron decided to up the ante by inserting a nemesis that defined his run more than any other character--Gorr. Without Gorr, Thor would not have lost his worthiness, and Jane Foster never would have picked up the hammer, so it only seems proper that he would crawl his way out of the black hole Thor left him in, and challenge Odinson once again. Aaron continues to use the character to test the worthiness of the gods, and it's all the more poignant at the end of Thor and Loki's lives, when they should be examining their deeds, good and bad, the most.
This issue is wall-to-wall action, but Aaron doesn't let that stop him from turning it into a character examination. And, that examination doesn't end with his title character, either. Loki and Gorr are both put under a microscope, each of their motivations dug into deeper than ever before. Aaron doesn't believe in flat characters, and these final chapters of his epic story are serving as his thesis on all things Thor.
Esad Ribic's art is flawless here, especially when it comes to breathing life into Gorr. You could almost see a Gorr ongoing series if Ribic was drawing it, because every panel he draws of the character really makes him seem like a living, breathing being, seething with righteous hate for all gods. Similarly, Ive Svorcina is the perfect colorist to accompany Ribic's art. If there were ever a contest for the perfect marriage of artist and colorist in a book, these two would be in the top running.
In the end, if you've been reading Aaron's run on Thor, you'll want to pick up this book, as it is the wrap up of his massive tale. The last of his storylines are being tied up here, even some that you thought were already concluded. If you haven't been reading Aaron's run, however, you might feel a little lost with this book. As mentioned above, it leans heavily on what Aaron established years ago, and it does so unapologetically. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. It just means you should go back and start at the beginning of Aaron's unparalleled run and enjoy every bit of it. This is a legendary comic book story coming to an end, and it should not be missed for any reason.
