The Death of The Mighty Thor Part 2
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: James Harren
Colors: Dave Stewart
Cover Art: Russell Dauterman
Published: November 15, 2017
The mangog is here and well… it really does mangog about in this issue. It runs across Volstagg/War Thor in Old Asgard where they proceed to beat up on each for most of the issue while an unknown narrator fill in the readers as to why it is here. The mangog is the god’s reckoning. A self created punishment for placing themselves above other races/groups and then failing to live up to their own standard. The story that the narrator tells is that Odin, out of irritation/anger, murdered an entire race seemingly on a whim. And yet the raging spirit of billions of dead souls did not dissipate, but collected into a singe form, the mangog. It was a being that could hit back when the god’s forget their place or their purpose. The idea of godliness has been a running theme in the Thor book since Nick Fury whispered “Gorr was right” in Odinson’s ear back during Jason Aaron’s original sin event. This was in reference to the time Gorr (the god butcher) told Odinson that all gods are unworthy, that they have stopped fulling their purpose and must be brought down. This was the moment when Odinson dropped his hammer and became unworthy, and where Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor took off from. The idea of what makes a god worthy has always been circling the Might Thor, and the mangog is this idea’s latest formulation. The narrator says (in a panel where War Thor is really getting it) that the mangog has measured the gods and found them wanting “As we all have.” God/gods/deities have always been subject to the doubt/faith of those that placed them above, but should the dissatisfaction of those below (who have the privilege of siting in judgement) bring the gods down? These are huge questions which cannot be simply answered in a comic book (where gods are more tangible than they are in the real world) but it’s exciting that this book is willing to go to these interesting places. As War Thor is getting trounced all over this book, Malakith’s war bent machination are seen across the nine realms and into the land of the dead where the pursuit of the Queen of the Norns continues. It is then revealed at the very end of the issue, with War Thor beaten, mjolnir of the Ultimate Universe broken, and Vostagg dangling from a cliff, that Malakith is the narrator. He points the mangog in the direction of Asgardia where it will confront Odin, Odinson, and Mighty Thor leaving Malakith to pick up and control the pieces of a destroyed nine realms. His final act is to drop a dagger into Volstagg’s hand and send him off the cliff to his death. One final question that lingers going into the next issue (for me at least) is how Jane Foster being a human, and not a god will factor into her confrontation with the mangog? (just a thing to think about)
James Harren and Dave Stewart are in on art and colors respectively for this issue (and maybe the whole arc) but did a fantastic job. There was absolutely no let down as they brought the same fantastical seriousness that you can count in this book. The battle between the mangog and War Thor is really incredible and epic. It’s not just a couple of heavyweights stuck in place, but has a lot of motion and really moves around Old Asgard as the will of War Thor is beaten down and his hammer is eventually shattered. It’s not certain that Volstagg is dead, but him just floating off into space in the last pages is an incredibly sad image/ending for a great character. Even though the War Thor lost the battle it was Volstagg who got punished.
(Subjective) Score out of 10: 8
- Aaron, Harren, Stewart/Marvel Comics
Comicsly 