The multiverse is very in right now judging by the latest Spider-Man and Doctor Strange movies, but Jason Aaron has been exploring it for even longer with the Avengers. The main Avengers series has been bleeding into Avengers Forever and it’s never more obvious than in Avengers #56 out today. In a one-shot story, Jane Foster takes central focus as neither a Valkyrie nor Thor, but as a housewife. Yes, really.
As the preview shows, Jane Foster is not sleeping well, but as soon as she sees her husband Thor she’s at peace once again. Something is fishy from the start and it’s probably magic-related. Thankfully, Aaron and artist Javier Garron don’t make us wait for answers. As usual for Aaron, the results of this issue build off past revelations in the series as well as build on what we know about the characters. In this case, it’s about Jane Foster’s relationship to being Thor.
As the cover shows, Jane ends up face to face with herself. Much of this issue is told via captions to show what Jane is going through. Being a housewife and sitting around waiting for her hubby Thor is very much not her style. And yet, she seems happy. This issue ends up being a mystery for the reader to figure out what is going on while Aaron shows you can’t keep Jane down.
Not a good sign Jane and Thor sleep in separate beds, right?
Credit: Marvel
There’s some really cool imagery in this issue. In one scene, Jane is painting only to realize she’s painting herself as Valkyrie. Soon, feathers are bursting from her back in a fluid fashion and we see there are many Valkyrie paintings littering the room. Garron is very good at rendering little details like a feast of food all for Thor in one scene or the rubble of their newlywed house in another. Colors by David Curiel are fabulous at looking bright and fun. Given the multiversal story here, the bright colors add to the fantastical nature of the tale.
Character work for Jane Foster is intriguing. Aaron has done more with the character than most and it’s interesting to see him make distinctions about Jane loving Thor and how she’s grown up from those days. The cliffhanger says a lot about her character that wasn’t evident either. We know Jane is no longer Thor, but after putting this issue done you’ll wonder how much longer that will be true. Captions help get inside her head and serve not only as a refresher on the character but as a strong start to something more.
Avengers #56 is an enlightening departure from the main story to prop up Jane Foster and explore her character. It’s been a minute since Jane Foster has been explored and, judging by this issue, it’s been far too long. Get hype – Jane Foster rules in this solo story.
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