Thor #31: Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge

After the emotional last few issues, where Thor came into contact with his baby sister, Laussa, who was raised in a pocket dimension by Thanos’ prime emissary, Corvus Glaive, and raised her away from the golden spires of Asgard, we return to the golden fields of Valhalla, where none of the souls who used to reside there could be found. With these souls gone, can Valhalla survive? Who could take these souls from one of the holiest places in Asgard? All this, plus a backup story featuring Thor, the Black Panther, and Bast, from Cheryl Lynn Eaton, and superstar artist CrissCross! 

Donny Cates is back on the book after a short hiatus, and he’s here with Torunn Gronbekk, and series regular artist, Nic Klein, as Jane joins Thor on this new chapter of their lives. Jane’s been a regular fixture in Asgard since her run as Thor, and later as the Valkyrie after the events of War of the Realms. Gronbekk’s been a fixture for Jane since her solo run as Valkyrie, and other projects Jane has been attached to, as well as the last couple arcs on Thor, so seeing her here is a welcoming sight. She really has a love for the characters and their mythology, and it shows in the way she’s been shepherding the characters involved. Her work here with Cates really elevates the stories that we’ve been accustomed to seeing since the relaunch of this volume. There’s an…energy here that hits some notes that I’ve felt has been missing from the Thor comics over the years, so it’s nice seeing them here. Cates’ run has felt a tad over the place since the Banner of War arc, but it’s felt like a return to form here. I’m excited to see what’s coming up next. 

Nic Klein continues to show up and show out, and his work in this book has shown a growth and maturation in his art that continues to shine. There’s a reason why he’s one of this year’s Stormbreakers, and being on a marquee character like Thor, for as long as he’s been, gives him a higher profile platform to show why he’s one of the new up-and-comers that Marvel wants to promote. I especially enjoy the way that he renders Doom and Jane as the Valkyrie. I can’t wait to see this story play out. 

On top of all this, we get a story that mixes the mythology of Thor, and the Norse pantheon, with Bast, the Egyptian goddess, the daughter of the sky god, Ra, who would protect her father as he rode his sun chariot from the east, so seeing the two interact, it’s a welcome treat. Seeing Thor interact with different pantheons has always been something I’ve wanted to see happen on a regular basis, and this hit some fun notes that we don’t get enough of. I hope this is the beginning of something more down the road.