Thor # 4 Review: Thor vs. Thor

The thing I had been dreading ever since Thor #1 happened this week and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I started reading the series because I thought it was Mama Thor who was kicking Frost Giant butt and it was fun seeing her holding Mjölnir and interacting with it. However, the story took a new turn this month and I will have to think long and hard about whether I will continue with the series or not.

With the way things ended in the previous issue of Thor, I was looking forward to reading the fight between the God and Goddess of Thunder. Thor #4 opened with a flashback which explained how Odinson got his arm back, and Odin telling Thor about his missing hammer and mother. Thor (whom I will from now on refer to as ex-Thor) has some serious anger issues. I understand that he shared a special bond with Mjölnir, but I had to roll my eyes at his attempts to intimidate Thor (Notice how I didn’t use the term Mama Thor). There’s a lot of misogyny in the Asgardian world and it’s something I can do without in the series.

It was weird to see how ex-Thor seemed to ignore the Frost Giants and Malekith. He was more focused on hitting Thor and taking back his hammer. The fight between the two was brief but well worth it until I read the last few pages of the comic book and felt very disappointed.

Mjölnir has really taken to the new Thor and it was evident during the fight panels. Ex-Thor held out his hand to grab the hammer but it flew towards Thor instead. I’m not a big fan of Odinson but that panel really made me feel for the God of Hammer. I too would feel devastated if something I was bound to for years decided I wasn’t worthy enough and moved on to someone else without warning.

The God and Goddess of Thunder were able to put their differences aside and worked together to take out the Frost Giants. Malekith escaped and it was revealed that the skull of the Frost Giant King hadn’t been destroyed after all. Like I said before, the plot of the book is something I’m just not interested in.

The final panels were the ones that completely changed the story for me. Ex-Thor asked Thor if she was his mother and Thor answered the question by kissing his lips. Even after the little kiss I thought the Goddess of Thunder was Mama Thor but then the comic showed Freyja being freed from an ice prison. Yes, comic book fans, the female Thor is indeed not Mama Thor but someone else. I have to hand it to Marvel for fooling the readers.

Maybe it was clear from the start that it wasn’t Mama Thor who was wielding the hammer and my own personal feelings were making me blind to the obvious truth?

Anyway, what’s done is done and I have to accept that some other female character has been in possession of Mjölnir since the last three issues. Will I stop reading it? I don’t know yet. It’s not like I didn’t enjoy reading Thor’s inner monologues as the story progressed, but I thought it was Mama Thor. Now that I know it’s not her I don’t think I will be enjoying the comic book as much.

I apologize to all the people I told it was Mama Thor and not some other female they were talking about who owned the hammer now. I just wished it was Freyja who had picked up Mjolnir back in Thor #1. I wanted her to be the one who showed the world, especially Odin, not to underestimate her and treat her with respect.

What did you think of Thor #4? Who do you think is the new Thor? Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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