REVIEW: ‘Thor Annual, #1

Thor Annual #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, art by Ibraim Roberson, colors by Dan Brown, and letters by Joe Sabino. Thor ventures down to a broken version of Earth, following murmurs of the name “Mythos,” where he finds a terrifying sight. There is a backup story written by Al Ewing, art by Martín Cóccolo, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Sabino.

The annual has a brilliant concept. Taking place within something of an alternate future, it pits Thor against a foe altered by Asgardian technology. It’s set on a colossal scale, providing both combatants with what is essentially an empty landscape to fight in. What lore and history brought into this comic is dealt with rapidly. New elements that come from the previous run, such as Sif’s all-seeing ability and the broken Bifrost and Mjolnir, are summed up easily, for they are crucial to the story’s beginning.

After the opening skirmish, Thor takes time to visit this changed landscape. Whilst there is world-building and an extended cameo from one of Earth’s greatest heroes, that exploration of a broken reality is limited. That isn’t the point of the story, however, and this vacant planet is merely something to be prevented. The second fight dwarves the first in magnitude, with the new status of the God of Thunder being around to its conclusion.

Thor Annual #1 does a lot to help the main character accept his new role in the universe. Thor is now the All-Father, and with that comes new responsibilities and a new perspective. Not only is he the protector of Asgard, but he must consider all the realms. A King is different from merely a hero. To match the grandiosity, the dialogue is suitably epic. Kelly and Lanzing bring that enthralling, medieval poetry from both the protagonist and antagonist, lacing the annual with some great lines.

It does a superb job of showing not only Thor’s almighty power but the respect he has for his peers in the superhero community. As for the villain, it is a humorous yet great choice. It’s completely unexpected and brings a mix of bizarre and creepiness to the comic. The way they speak also fits with that slightly inhuman verbiage that Thor possesses as well.

The art is incredible. Roberson takes a familiar part of Earth and alters it to show the magnitude of the situation. It’s glum and negative, displaying a need for Thor to save the day. The All-Father looks tremendous. Roberson brings intricate details to the character, such as small lines of damage. This helps demonstrate Thor’s aging and maturity but also generates very specific facial expressions, adding humanity to a god. The enemy that Thor has a design that blows everyone else out of the water, however. It is gigantic and inventive, mixing mythical with monstrous. The scratchiness of Roberson’s art style is crucial to creating that imposing element.

The colors are stunning. The battlefield itself is dark and gloomy, devoid of life. But the real colors emanate from the villain. It is a blend of literally every color of the rainbow and gold, drawing all attention to that massive monument in the middle of the city. In a montage of the ten realms, each is given its own shade to help identify them. The lettering is the one downside to the issue, as both Thor’s and the enemy’s font can be difficult to read.

The backup story is a sneak peek of the upcoming Immortal Thor series. It is brief but a great glimpse at the exciting art team, and the dialogue between Thor and Sif is fun and energetic.

Thor Annual #1 is a fantastic rainbow bridge between two eras of Thor. It is a book filled with fun, simply placing two extremely powerful beings against each to fight it out. But at the beginning and the end, there are those connections to the main series that show this doesn’t have any impact. Even when it is a fight between two figures, it has to use an entire broken city as their playground. After this release, Thor will have the ten realms to take care of, so this release is warranted and welcome.

Thor Annual #1 is available where comics are sold.