It’s understandable if you’re confused by the title Roxxon Presents: Thor, especially since it’s a one-shot but very much part of the Immortal Thor series. As the title shows, Roxxon has taken over Marvel Comics and stuffed the comic with products to sell to the masses. At its core, Thor is now the poster boy for the company, and there’s nothing he can do about it!
Roxxon Presents: Thor #1 is a lengthy joke that works because it pokes fun at a lot of pop culture and capitalist things going on these days. From virtual reality headsets to a clear dig at Elon Musk’s Cybertruck, there are a lot of Easter egg-style jokes to be had. There are stakes for Thor, seeing as his entire identity could be replaced with a corporate version of himself, but mostly, this comic reveals the corner where Thor is stuck. That corner involves a corporate-branded Mjolnir and a nightmarish version of Thor that only a corporation could love.
Outside the references are also some fun reflections on the superhero tropes we’ve come to expect and love. That includes a fun nod to how silly it is. Folks can’t figure out secret identities, as in a bit about Valkyrie. There’s also a reoccurring nod to caption boxes that tell you how to read a comic, as if Roxxon assumes the reader is stupid.
There’s also a metatectual element since this comic is the same one Thor is reading as Enchantress is enchanting him. Because of this, it acts like a one-shot that doesn’t need to be read along with Immortal Thor since it’s an aside to show a Roxxon-controlled Thor. In this way, fans could skip it and not miss a beat with the next chapter.
These companies and their always unnecessary steps.
Credit: Marvel
One of the major recurring threats to Thor in this issue is protestors, who are depicted as crazy people who have no rights or arguments since Roxxon deems them inconsequential. This ties in with Roxxon being bad for the people and only out for profits, even if it means polluting the Earth.
As far as punch-em-up action goes, there’s a fun scene involving Loki. Enchantress and Executioner also appear to be stuck in this fever dream alternate reality and act as teammates with Thor. Greg Land’s dynamic, in-your-face art works well in these scenes. Land brings a lot of charm to this smiling Thor, who is broad, muscular, and happiest when he’s doing it the Roxxon way. On the reverse side of Land’s work, expect to see plenty of familiar facial expressions he’s used countless times now.
Roxxon Presents: Thor #1 is a fun experiment in taking a side adventure into a possible nightmare version of a corporatized Thor. Serving as a commentary on corporate greed with nods to real-world consumer options, this is an enjoyable and truly unique read.
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