NYCC 2019: Donny Cates and Nic Klein to relaunch Thor comic
By Alex Widen
Among the many new comic book series offered by Marvel Comics during last weekend’s New York Comic Con was the return of their mightiest Avenger! Thor is being relaunched with a new No. 1!
As revealed on October 4 at the “Next Big Thing” panel at NYCC, Thor is set to begin a new volume of his adventures across the universe. That alone isn’t news; what is news is that he will have a new writer for the first time in seven years. Donny Cates (Redneck, Venom, Guardians of the Galaxy) is teaming with artist Nic Klein (Drifter, Deadpool) to take over from where longtime scribe Jason Aaron is leaving off. Aaron began writing Thor in 2012 and, while he will still write the character in Avengers, it is the finale of a long association with the Odinson, or his one-time replacement, Jane Foster (who now is Valkyrie).
The series picks up after the recent crossover event, War Of The Realms, with Odin crowning Thor as the king of Asgard. The attempt by Malekith, Amora, and a horde of villains to conquer the Earth has failed. As revealed by cover artist Oliver Coipel, Thor seems to have two arms once again and is reunited once more with his iconic hammer, Mjolnir.
He also has a new costume design, which may remind some readers of Mike Deodato’s fashion sense from 1995. A sneak peek sees King Thor dealing with Loki, helping the Avengers and greet the World Tree; perhaps for his makeover? Thor seems to be trading his helmet for a headband, which may look slightly similar to the one that Wonder Woman typically wears.
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Thor has been at the center of massive relaunches before. The biggest was in 2007, which saw creators J. Michael Straczynski and Coipel relaunch the series after a rare, three-year drought. In 2004, Thor’s series came to an end with the finale to the latest “Ragnarok” story arc due to low sales. In a rare feat, Marvel allowed the title (and character) to lapse for three years, only relaunching him when the pitch and creative team were just right. This led to a boon which, in a way, the Odinson still benefits from.
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After a seven-year run, how will Cates shake out as the writer of Thor? And how deeply will he entrench it into some of the mythology he’s crafted in Venom? Stay tuned!