REVIEW: ‘Thor,’ Issue #25

Thor #25  is written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Martin Coccolo, colored by Matt Wilson, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino. It’s published by Marvel Comics. Part 2 of the “Banner of War” storyline continues the battle between Hulk and Thor, now being waged on two fronts. While Thor engages Starship Hulk, the spirit of his father Odin leaves Mjolnir and confronts Bruce Banner, learning more about the mysterious event in El Paso in the process. Meanwhile, Iron Man takes it upon himself to stop Banner once and for all.

Though both Thor and Hulk are two utterly different series in terms of character and genre, Cates has managed to take them both in completely unexpected directions. He continues that trend here, as this feels more like an issue of Hulk than an issue of Thor; the majority of the issue is focused on the conflict between Odin and Banner. Banner learns just how powerful the Allfather can be, even in death, and Odin learns that Starship Hulk is full of surprises. And when it comes to the El Paso event, a connection to the mysterious being posing as Betty Ross is revealed, which only raises more questions and builds anticipation for future story arcs.

After the insanity that was Banner of War Alpha, Coccolo shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to this titanic throwdown. Pages feature literal guns popping out of Hulk’s shoulders and firing at Thor while Odin delivers a savage beatdown to Banner. And Iron Man busts out a new suit of armor that looks like it could take on a whole fleet of Hulks, or a red and gold version of the Transformers villain Unicron. Paired with Wilson’s bright colors, this is sure to be one of this week’s most visually stunning books. Sabino’s lettering continues to give each character their own distinct voice, from the Asgardian script that Thor and Odin speak in to Iron Man’s electronically filtered voice.

Continuing the trend of celebrating Thor’s 60th anniversary, there are two backup stories. “If This Be Mercy!” is written by Tom DeFalco, penciled by Ron Frenz, inked by Brett Breeding, and colored by Wilson. “Thor’s Wedding” is written by Nadia Shammas, illustrated by Simone D’Armini, and colored by Pete Pantazis. “If This Be Mercy!” focuses on Amora the Enchantress, and her lingering guilt over a choice she made that led to the death of her sister Lorelei. Though DeFalco and Frenz are best known for their work on Spider-Girl, they also tackled Thor, with their run introducing Eric Masterson, who would later take on the mantle of Thunderstrike. DeFalco’s script delves deep into the guilt that haunts Amora, and Frenz’s work feels like the spiritual successor to Jack Kirby’s work on the God of Thunder. Shammas and D’Armini are clearly having fun with their story, which pulls from the myth of the same name. If you’ve ever wanted to see what Thor and Loki looked like in dresses, this is your chance.

Thor #25 serves as a continuation of the “Banner of War” storyline, pitting Bruce Banner against Odin and continuing to celebrate Thor’s 60th anniversary. The story will continue in Hulk #7, as Banner not only has to face off against Thor but a Celestial-powered Iron Man. Will the Green Goliath pull out a win, or are Banner’s days of smashing coming to an end?

Thor #25 is available wherever comics are sold.