The Mighty Thor #8 Review (Shattered Heroes)

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

The Mighty Thor

Issue #8

Written by Matt Fraction, Art by Pasqual Ferry

Published: January 2012

After reading the lackluster first issue of Thor’s Deviant Saga, Mighty Thor 008 is a breath of fresh Asgardian air. The titular hero is gone, biting the dust while killing a serpent, as prophecy foretold. In his place is Tanarus, the new God of Thunder. But he’s filled more than just Thor’s mighty shoes. Tanarus has filled Thor’s place in history, in everyone’s minds. Thor is not even a memory. This rewritten saga is beautifully conveyed with images of past Marvel battles, with Thor replaced by Tanarus. We see Tanarus fight the Hulk alongside the original Iron Man and Ant Man, we see him fighting Beta Ray Bill. We even see him fighting alongside Captain America and Spider-Man, battling the very Serpent that Thor gave his life defeating. Thor never was, there was only Tanarus.

Except to Loki. Of all people, Loki knows that something is awry, that Tanarus is not his real brother. It’s weird to root for Loki, but it’s not difficult. Everyone loves the underdog, which is what he comes off as. Loki has little love for his brother, he’s proven as much over the years, but he seems to take issue with anybody interfering with Asgard. Loki’s subplot is the highlight of the book and what has me most excited about continuing the series.

Meanwhile, Asgard is being rebuilt. Odin is gone, the World Tree has been damaged. Citizens from all nine realms now inhabit what is left of Asgard, as the All-Mother takes charge of its reconstruction. Matt Fraction does a good job of keeping the All-Mother mysterious. They talk amongst themselves and give the impression that they’re devious, that they may have ulterior motives, but they very well may not.

And then there’s Tanarus, who we learn a bit about, just enough to keep us wanting more. And there’s even a cameo by another hero, which is clearly setting up something else. There are exciting things happening all over the place in this series, and somehow Fraction manages to cram them all in without making it seem convoluted. Pasqual Ferry’s art is beautiful, with the exception of a few odd-looking faces that will no doubt appear in my nightmares. The duo is taking Mighty Thor places, giving the legendary hero a worthy series.