Thor: Love and Thunder Must Reads!
Thor: Love and Thunder is hammering its way into the box office this week at long last and from the trailer alone it's obvious it has taken some major notes from the God of Thunder’s major storylines. I have been waiting with baited breath for this film, so here are some title recommendations to tide us all over until we can see it on the big screen.
Thor by Jason Aaron
Gor the God Butcher is playing a major role in the film and likewise does so in this epic written by the incomparable Jason Aaron. Since 2013 this run has quickly made its way into a must read in the Thor canon and even without the death of the Gods storyline, this is a series I cannot recommend highly enough.
Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron
When this comic and the simply titled Thor series preceding it were released, it took the world by storm. The Thor we had known had been replaced by one who was worthy, a character who’s identity would not have even been revealed until the eighth issue of the book. In her time as the God of Thunder, Jane Foster took the helm and this became one of my favorite series as it was released. Jane was dying from a terminal cancer, and becoming Thor restored her strength, but she was a tragic figure who no matter what would return to fighting her disease in her mortal form and it was such a fascinating and unique take on the character, while the Odinson fought his own moral battles. While the film seems to be taking another angle with this, I can not wait to see how they adapt it to the screen. (I have my fingers crossed it’s not a variant situation but nonetheless, still excited!)
Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett and Lanning
This run may be different from the Guardians we have come to know on the silver screen but this is the quintessential Guardians run and you would be remiss to not pick it up. I do not know to what extent the Guardians will be in this film, it makes me call back to the comics run where Iron Man joins their ranks to escape the stressors of earth, and I would like to see the same for Thor’s sabbatical off planet.
Thunderstrike by Ron Frenz
The vibe and costuming of this film calls back to a past wielder of Mjolnir, and Thor’s look draws heavily from Eric Masterson, aka Thunderstrike. Though he was short lived relatively speaking as the thunder god, I am hopeful for a mention of this character beyond just the costumes facelift we see in the trailers, I’ll even settle for a *wink wink nudge nudge* like we got from Donald Blake’s mention in the first Thor film!
War of the Realms by Jason Aaron
Compared to the rest of the books on this list, this event book happened most recently and its effects are still being felt across the Marvel Universe. Where Malekith was the lead catalyst in this crossover event, and if you recall he was the villain in Thor: Dark World, ( :/ ) this event brought together heroes from all parts of the Universe and Nine Realms to stop this cosmic incursion.
Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee
This was the first Thor story I ever read in my journey as a comics connoisseur and it still sticks with me today. This short lived series consisted of the God of Thunder teaming up with the lesser known heroes such as Ant-Man and Namor in a somewhat monster of the week format but the book had so much heart and built these amazing character interactions that show just how nuanced and heroic Thor really is. The main reason this title is on this list though is the sweet romance it composes between Thor and Jane. If you take one thing away from this list, please read this book, this is the book that made me love Thor.
Beta Ray Bill by Walt Simonson
Now this is me honestly grasping at straws but I think it is well beyond time for Beta Ray Bill to make his big screen debut, and has long been one of my favorite characters in Thor’s list of allies. We get a nod to the ole’ horse head in Avengers: Infinity War where Thor gains the hammer, Stormbreaker, which in the comics belonged to none other than Beta Ray Bill. I think this is the perfect time to introduce the character, as well as bring back the Lady Sif who has long been one of his closest companions, especially in the MCU age of multiverses, anything is possible!
Unworthy Thor by Jason Aaron
This five issue mini series featured our now man with no name during Jane’s tenure as Thor in discovering how to become worthy. It is a short and sweet adventure on what worthiness really means on top of Olivier Coipel’s stunning artwork (plus an appearance of Beta Ray Bill, haha!) it is an excellent read before the movie’s release.
Thor by J. Michael Staczynski
And, I can never do one of these recommended lists without plugging my favorite run of Thor! The reason this title is here though is because of its introduction to the concept of New Asgard on Earth, and while in the films this is in the north-east coast of the United States, in the comics it takes place in Broxton, Oklahoma, the series has so many incredible story points, from the cosmic and magic ones to the simple ones of Asgardians assimilating with the Midgardians in there new home, it is one I go back to reading year after year.
Thor versus Hercules by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (and others)
Finally, this is another hope I have for the film, especially as we see Zeus and the pantheon in the trailer for the film, that means that Hercules, the Prince of Power can not be far behind! (Hopefully!)
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There are still many more Asgardians and adjacent I would love to see appear, like Baldur or Karnilla, or Enchantress especially! I would even take another Loki appearance at this point, but no matter what happens in the film and what characters we see, this movie has been one of my most anticipated for years now and we’d love to hear what our fellow Bedrock Citizens are expecting from the film, so come by and see us! Excelsior!
Written by Bedrock City Contributor: Victoria Flood
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