Comics really don’t get better than this.

(Panini Books)

I’ve read a lot of Thor written by a wealth of acclaimed comics creators: Stan Lee, Walt Simonson, Dan Jurgens, Kieron Gillen, Matt Fraction, Warren Ellis, J M Straczynski, Tom DeFalco, Ron Marz…

Jason Aaron is coming close to surpassing them all.

His Tolkienesque epic, which begun with the arrival of the God Butcher and continues into the ongoing War of the Realms, could very well be the Thunder God’s finest hour. And ironically, it’s not even the son of Odin who is currently wielding Mjolnir, it’s the cancer-stricken Dr Jane Foster, living out her final days fighting for the sake of everything she holds dear.

The forces of the dark elf Malkith are ravaging world after world, but when their attentions turn to the dwarf realm of Nidavellir, they bring with them the unquenchable fires of Muspelheim, led by the fire giant Surtur’s daughter Sindr, also known as the Queen of Cinders.

After witnessing the horrifying deaths of hundreds of light elf refugees at the hands of Sindr’s forces, the once jovial and gentle Volstagg is left traumatised and seeking vengeance. He hears the summons of a Mjolnir left behind from the dead Ultimate Universe, its wielder killed during the events of Secret Wars, and lifts the hammer to become transformed into the War Thor.

Free from conscience, and the living embodiment of wrath, this new incarnation of the Ultimate Thor will stop at nothing to destroy his foes, even if his actions will wipe out the entire realm of Muspelheim, children et al. Only Jane Foster stands in his way, and every time she picks up Mjolnir brings her one step closer to her inevitable demise…

The stakes have never been higher, the risks are life-threatening, and even the original Thor might not be able to save his one-time love from herself. Because that’s the emotional wrench at the heart of Aaron’s narrative – every time Jane transforms to her Asgardian alter ego undermines her cancer treatment and erodes her mortality, yet she cannot stand back and watch when to do so will cost other innocent lives.

Providing the pay-off to this saga does not disappoint, then it will truly cement Aaron’s place in Thor legend. An outstanding read in any medium.