There’s nothing quite like a comics annual issue, and that goes for Thor Annual 2023, out this week. Extra-sized, the story gets to do more while also being self-contained. Sure, it’s a lead-in for future stories, but any lapsed comics fan can pick Thor Annual 2023 and have some fun. This week, Thor Annual 2023 is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with art by Ibraim Roberson and a backup by future Immortal Thor creators Al Ewing and Martin Coccolo. To say it packs a lot of punch is an understatement.
The main story drops readers into a dire situation as Lady Sif sees a threat emerge and change all of reality. Thor is currently the All-Father and rushes in to save the day, but soon he realizes the danger is entirely different. We learn M.O.D.O.K. has combined himself with the Rainbow Bridge and turned himself into M.Y.T.H.O.S.! That stands for the Master of Yggdrasil, the Tyrant of Humanity, the Omnipotent Savior. What a weirdo.
The story quickly dives into what has happened to the world, with Thor gravitating toward a familiar hero. It’s the kind of epic high-stakes story that could serve as a multi-part summer event, which adds to the overall value of the tale.
At its core, the writers dig into Thor’s heroism and inability to give up. Through captions, Thor reminds us of how his father would tackle this threat which helps us understand Thor is not his father. Given he’s still relatively new to being the All-Father, one can see he’s trying to figure out how he’ll take on the role, and that’s an interesting undercurrent in the story.
He’s a big boy.
Credit: Marvel
Most of the actual struggle of Thor takes place in his head, though. Ultimately, there isn’t much for him to vanquish or defeat, with the resolution coming more from willpower than anything else. The stakes are high, but it would have been nice to see him struggle more rather than spend most of the time reminding Thor about never giving up via a chat with an old friend.
Roberson’s art is epic and paired well with colors by Dan Brown. The design of M.Y.T.H.O.S. is pretty epic, with a glowing Infinity Gauntlet look. Details are great, like the montage of what could be to open the book, which is mirrored well later in the issue. Details in costuming, environments, and energy effects are all spectacular.
Closing out Thor Annual 2023 is a five-page story featuring Sif and Thor back on Asgard. This backup is a nice way to tidy things up for the upcoming Immortal Thor while establishing things will be fine but also very bad for Thor in the future. Coccolo captures the intense positivity of Thor in this tale and renders his classic look exceptionally well. Ewing is mirroring–either by accident or on purpose–a bit of what the main story did, reminding us Thor is new to being All-Father and showing us how he’s stepping into the role in his way.
Thor Annual 2023 is epic, with high stakes and a brand-new villain. Paired with a backup that hints at what we’re in store for with future Thor stories, this book is an easy pickup for casual, lapsed, and dedicated fans alike.
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