Thor #1

Writer: Donny Cates Artist: Nic Klein Publisher: Marvel Comics Release Date: January 1, 2020 Cover Price: $4.99 Critic Reviews: 15 User Reviews: 94
8.9Critic Rating
8.9User Rating

A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSTAR CREATIVE TEAM TAKES THE KING OF ASGARD TO NEW REALMS OF GLORY!
The prince is now a king. All Asgard lies before Thor, the God of Thunder. And after many months of war, the Ten Realms are finally at peace. But the skies above the Realm Eternal are never clear for long. The Black Winter is coming. And the God of the Storm will be powerless before it.
Rated T+

  • 10
    You Don't Read Comics - Christopher Landers Jan 13, 2020

    Overall, if you were worried Marvel wouldnt have anything up their sleeve after Aaron left his Mjolnir-sized mark on this book, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Cates is bringing it big-time, and hes not the least bit boxed in by Aarons ending. If youve been enjoying his work on Venom, this is a little bit different flavor, but its just as ambitious. Big ideas and unexpected directions are what Cates does best, and hes off to a great start with issue number one of Thor. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Impulse Gamer - Chrys Terlizzi Jan 4, 2020

    Jason Aaron left some huge shoes to fill when he concluded his 7+ years on the title, but Cates and Klein aptly continue that tale in this issue while still managing to flip the story on its head and give the reader a wholly new take on the God of Thunder by its end. Klein proves to be an expert conveying mood with his pencils, while Cates clear affinity for Thor shines through wonderfully. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Comics: The Gathering - Nick Devonald Jan 1, 2020

    As a New Year dawns a New Thor stands ready to take on a galactic threat that threatens the entire Marvel universe. Luckily the team of Donny Cates, Nic Klein and Matthew Wilson are more than up to the job of telling this story. This isn’t just for fans of Thor, or Marvel, this is a comic all comic fans NEED TO BE READING. Yes, it’s that good. Read Full Review

  • 10
    ComicBook.com - Tanner Dedmon Jan 1, 2020

    Off to a tremendous start, the series offers temptations not only of exploring planets previously unknown but also examinations of the most relatable and compelling parts of Thor. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    GWW - Deron Generally Jan 1, 2020

    Nic Klein brings the excitement of the story to life beautifully with the art. From the first panel to the final page, the art perfectly complements the story and the final reveal at the end is amazing. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    AIPT - David Brooke Dec 31, 2019

    This is yet another example of how Donny Cates can balance payoff, introduce new ideas, and set in motion a story you can't put down. We're in for an intense and remarkable adventure Thor, and the likes of the Marvel universe has never seen. This is Thor on a whole new scope and scale that you can't resist. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - Forrest C. Helvie Jan 3, 2020

    The story as a whole will be one that's familiar as Cates explores the theme of "heavy is the head that wears the crown," and yet, he manages to end this first issue with an altogether unexpected twist. Plan on a wild ride with this new series as Galactus enters the fray for what appears to be a final ride to Armageddon. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Henchman-4-Hire - Sean Ian Mills Jan 4, 2020

    A big new story takes some bold steps to set itself up, with writing and art on point. Definitely a good way to start Thor anew. Read Full Review

  • 8.8
    Word Of The Nerd - Cat Wyatt Jan 1, 2020

    Thor #1 was a brilliant and surprising first issue in a new series. It's clear that the new creative team at the helm has great plans for this beloved hero. What's better is that they've already proven that they're not afraid to take risks. I for one am very much looking forward to seeing where this plot leads. Read Full Review

  • 8.7
    Weird Science Marvel Comics - Dispatchdcu Dec 31, 2019

    New readers to Cates will immediately see his outstanding imagination, his well-written dialogue, his easy to follow storytelling and his overly complex stories that he breaks down into easily digestible and vivid chunks that draw comic fans deeper into the narrative. THOR #1 showcases everything that has made Donny Cates one of the best writers at Marvel for many years now. Read Full Review

  • 8.4
    Chuck's Comic Of The Day - Chuck Jan 4, 2020

    Should be fun to see where it goes from here. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Book Revolution - Rokk Jan 6, 2020

    Overall: Thor #1 is a fantastic start to a new era for Thor. Donny Cates demonstrated that he is more than capable of following Jason Aaron on Thor. In fact, Cates made me believe that he is capable of delivering a Thor that is just as good if not better than Aaron's run. I would definitely recommend Thor #1. Any reader who likes cosmic tales, epic quests, and superhero action will certainly enjoy Cates' Thor. Things are looking very bright for the future of the Thor franchise. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Kabooooom - Matt Morrison Jan 1, 2020

    Thor fans and fans of Marvel's cosmic series would do well to check this one out. I won't say why but you'll want to read this one for certain. Read Full Review

  • 7.3
    Geek'd Out - Nico Sprezzatura Jan 1, 2020

    Befitting a Thor book, Nic Kleins art here is absolutely gorgeous and easily some of the best Ive seen from a Marvel title in recent memory. Aaron is a tough writer to follow, but so are the myriad great artists (most notably Russell Dauterman, Mike del Mundo, and Esad Ribi) who collaborated with him across his run. Colorist Matthew Wilson himself a veteran of Aarons run really clinches the visuals of the book with his trademark palette, full of vibrant colors that come together (at one point, literally) into a brilliant rainbow. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    All-Comic - Dom Berardi Jan 6, 2020

    Thor #1 is a great start for a series that will likely be epic. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Avanvolk Apr 22, 2022

    Awesome art, superb writing. Donny Cates loves writing big, epic stories, and it seems he's found another character to work his magic on.

  • 10
    OldManComics May 18, 2021


    Great work by Donny Cates, this is the first comic I read by him and my god the man is for sure on the way to become one of the greats. He truly understands Thor. He knows how to grab you, he knows how to pay homage to the past, respect the legacy of not only the character but his felow writers. Nic Klein goes for the ride and paints us the picture in Donny's mind. It's a great look for Thor. It's truly an asgardian team!

    This team absolutely trows it out of the park, and the readers simply stay in awe. It's a clear 10, as is the totallity of this first arc. Lets hope we may see a long and wonderfull Thor run.

  • 10
    Señor Smokey Sep 14, 2020

    Love what cates is doing. His style is changing the foundation and expectations for each character he does, Thor get this treatment with fantastic scale. The comic feels a mix of personal and cosmic with thor showing signs of internal conflict, still upholding his king-like fortitude, in the opening age of his taking of the throne with the later pages abruptly opening the world up with a new ominous threat.

    Art is killer top

  • 10
    HulkSmash69 Jul 26, 2020

    The artwork in the first couple panels is really cool. Also think what is essentially super saiyan Thor here will set up some exciting panels. Hate how expensive it is to jump in on this series, but it does have me super pumped for this series.

  • 10
    cincyfan Feb 16, 2020

    wow I had very high expectations for this with this all-star creative team and they were met and then some! Donny cates once again proves he is the best writer in the industry and nic klein and Matthew Wilson do a tremendous job on the art

  • 10
    Venom Feb 8, 2020

    Say What!!!!!This is dope!

  • 10
    Shaffer2323 Jan 23, 2020

    Black bolt, Silver Surfer, Venom, and now Thor. Goth boy Donny can't write a character unless they're clad in black. And of coarse, We'll soon be seeing Thor battle against a powerful foe also sporting black but with a bit of Red thrown in the mix as we've seen with Vox, Knull, and Carnage. Jokes aside, Cates had big shoes to fill following Jason Aaron's magnum opus on Thor, and this issue shows that he can wear those shoes pretty well. Throw in Nic Klein's stoic art and we have another legendary Thor run in the making.

  • 10
    Humble Hero Jan 6, 2020

    Such a fun read, I haven't read the Thor run by Aaron and I was still able to understand where this story picks up and loved every page of it. Highly recommend especially if you have followed Donny Cates since his Thanos run.

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 10
    Synthozoid Jan 3, 2020

    Perfect!

  • 10
    Afre Jan 2, 2020

    It is, simply put, amazing.

    No problems here, like he did with Venom, Cates made me excited for Thor too.

  • 10
    Ryan Jan 2, 2020

    Absolutely fabulous first issue from Cates and Klein. Klein excels at drawing Thor and his world. Cates delivers an opening issue that has reeled me in for the rest of the run. My only complaint can be is that Galactus shows up way too often

  • 10
    huz Jan 1, 2020

    Perfect start to the Donny Cates era of Thor, so excited for this creative team.

  • 10
    GammaBurst Jan 1, 2020

    Absolutely blinding #1 issue! Cates loves and respects the character, and, in a couple of pages, almost makes all the bad taste from the crap of the last run go away. Now that's a God of Thunder. The sky is the limit here.

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 9.5
    maelstron Mar 4, 2020

    This is a great #1. Really like the direction of this series

  • 9.5
    Odin06 Jan 4, 2020

    I read comics for more than thirty years, and in my youth, Thor was by far my favorite hero; he was a true warrior, honorable, brave; as the Norse God in the mythology, he was the stern protector of mankind. But in the last decade, because of internet agendas and incompetent writers and editors, the character got completely lost. For more than seven years, the God of Thunder was humiliated and disrespected; he lost his pride, honor, worthiness and even his own name. We lost the honorable and ancient warrior who lived epic adventures in the talented hands of Stan Lee, Walt Simonson and Tom DeFalco to get a generic Viking drunken barbarian written by a writer with almost no true knowledge of Norse Mythology.

    But fortunately, the d more

  • 9.5
    Psycamorean Jan 4, 2020

    Donny Cates is a good comic book writer, what else is new?

  • 9.5
    M1sf1r3 Jan 1, 2020

    Prelude:
    For the first time in eight years, Thor has a new writer. Cates has shown that he loves Thor in his other books, but can he follow so closely to Aaron's Saga?

    The Good:
    I love this King Thor. Feels exactly what Thor would act like when he becomes King.

    Still liking how Cates ties his stories together, this one being from Silver Surfer: Black.

    Klein's art is great. Really fits Thor and his world.

    That cliffhanger.

    The Bad:
    Nothing.

    Conclusion:
    An absolute wonderful start for Cates' Thor. The characters are great, it ties extremely well with his other work, has great art and the cliffhanger is amazing. Pretty much everything I could want from a new more

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 9.5
    Wolf Warner Jan 1, 2020

    Cates came up to bat looking to drive in a run but ended up hitting a got dayum Grand Slam!!!!!!

  • 9.0
    Screaming Enigma May 5, 2023

    This was a strong first issue for this run. Klein's fantastic art fits right in with Thor and the realm of Asgard. As for the story itself, it was done extremely well. Thor's current state as All-Father is established well, along with the weight of his hammer and his relationship with Loki. As far as the stuff with Galactus and the Black Winter goes, I'm very interested by it. Thor killing Galactus is something that could prove to be entertaining, and the introduction of the Black Winter already establishes a mega-powerful threat. Thor becoming a herald is certainly intriguing as well, especially considering that he's just become the All-Father on Asgard. Overall, this was a very enjoyable beginning to Cates and Klein's run on Thor and the more

  • 9.0
    CrazyforRAMU Jul 18, 2020

    It's an adroit pivot from what's come before toward the new author's destination. It shows respect for the last run while starting to introduce its own ideas, and it's gorgeously illustrated throughout.

    I'll be damned if I'll give it a passive-aggressive "Thank God it's not Aaron hurr hurr hurr" bonus point, though.

  • 9.0
    Liem Duong Jul 17, 2020

    Yo, Donny Cates hits 2020 with a bang. Donny Cates with Nic Klein jumps on Thor after the aftermath of War of the Realms that concluded Jason Aaron's decade long run with Thor. And Cates and Klein slams with a cosmic level lighting bolt. My lord. Everything, from the writing, to the art, to the colors, its grand, its epic, its cosmic, its everything a Thor fan wants. Probably going to be a top 5 Marvel series for 2020.

  • 9.0
    Spacey Medicine Feb 6, 2020

    Well that’s hella cool.

  • 9.0
    Hislight Jan 17, 2020

    While Im not sure its as groundbreaking as some have made it out to be Donny Cates take on Thor is off to an excellent start. Fantastic art coupled with a lively story that keeps you feeling energized and interested the entire time. Its fun seeing Cates bring all his toys together. Kleins art is great throughout the entire issue and I especially liked the way Galactus was drawn as well as that epic transformation for Thor on that last page, Hell even that Avengers Moment was great... Writing has a good balance between entertaining and poetic, something thats difficult for most writers to do with Thor comics. Its a great start and easy to follow, I just hope that this story goes places deeper than simply Thor In Space.

  • 9.0
    Superheroes for Hire Jan 11, 2020

    I rolled my eyes a little at the "winter is coming" premise, but Donny Cates has laid out a solid foundation for his run on Thor with this issue. I am personally looking for a sense of wonder, mystery, and gravitas that can only come with mythic tales when I read a Thor comic. And Cates knows just how to deliver with complex backstories, interpersonal drama, and larger than life concepts. I'm thoroughly excited by the story. Nic Klein is almost perfect on art - in that just rough enough way where I know I'm reading a comic book. It's polished house style cartooning at a high level, and colored so comfortably by Matt Wilson. My only gripe was the extra dollar (though earned) and the dumb look for Thor with a diadem that looks like glasse more

  • 9.0
    Bill Blaze Jan 8, 2020

    Donny Cates continues to weave his epic tale throughout the pages of the Marvel Universe.

  • 9.0
    mrDovydas Jan 7, 2020

    Yup, this is definitely written by Donny Cates. This really reminds me the beginning of his Venom run in terms of how big this actually feels. Without any doubt, this book is off to a very, very good start.

  • 9.0
    EDiakota Jan 4, 2020

    " No. Not unkown. The star plague. The blight storm. The rot blizzard. Many name... But one truth... It's the one true end. The black winter. "
    - SILVER SURFER

  • 9.0
    egonnn244 Jan 4, 2020

    "What is a king... to a god?"

    I don't really know how we got here story-wise but honestly, after reading this issue, I don't care.

    It is exceptionally well written with an art that is immaculate. The new status quo for Thor can serve as a perfect jumping-on point (I'm living proof of that) and the unfolding story pretty much hooks you in form the start.

    Wow, I did not expect this to be that good.

  • 9.0
    Nickweiser Jan 1, 2020

    I am buckled up and ready for this ride!

  • 8.5
    DDJamesB Jan 4, 2020

    I thought it was a really good book. I was very entertained and although there were some issues that I had it wasnt enough to not like this book. It has a big feel threat, it continues on Aarons run and it leaves you wanting more. Can't ask for much more in a first issue.

  • 8.5
    BirdmanG07 Jan 3, 2020

    Thank you for being an author who is carrying the weight of everything from the prior writer into your series. At times it almost felt like an epilogue of Aaron’s run, which definitely worked for the transition to the new direction it appears we’re heading. I got all of Aaron’s run and was going to take a break from Thor for a bit but after reading this I may have to keep it on my pull.

  • 8.5
    allenquanobi Jan 2, 2020

    not in love with this as others are, but it is a good start. It's almost impossible to not compare this issue with how Aaron's thor started, and it's weird to see that Cates went with Galactus as part of the story again, as we saw that in part of the Old King Thor arc in Aaron's original God of Thunder arc. I do like the herald angle that occurs, and also how that restores his arm. I guess Thor is just extremely OP now? I don't know how you can upgrade from already being so powerful, that makes me excited to keep reading. Keep it going Donny! Also, the art is really good, love the expressions that Klein details really well

  • 8.0
    Walt's Comics & Books Jan 16, 2020

    Pretty good!

  • 8.0

    I didn't love it. Anyone notice how Donny kind of adds a gimmick to every character he works on? Venom is now more dragon, Frank Castle is goofy and in space, The Inhumans had Vox, Silver Surfer is black, Rocket had a mech suit, and now Thor is Super Saiyan 3 Goku. I am starting to see this personal trope in his work.

    Sure, it's cool. Sure, it's epic. It is also a bit childish and tryhard.

    It just makes me wonder if Donny is capable of writing a standard story without altering the characters in any way.

    + LikeComments (14)
  • 7.5
    Gizmo Jan 5, 2020

    After briefly acknowledging where the Thor canon left off from the War of the Realms, Cates wastes no time plunging into a completely new direction. It's certainly an interesting choice, I'm not sure yet that I'll be sticking around as I'm a bit exhausted with universal threats, but I'll give it another issue for sure.

  • 7.0
    Malitia Jan 1, 2020

    I don't want to give a higher score for a first issue, but this run starts promising... albeit it's funny how some of Aaron's "WILL LAST FOR THE END OF TIME (SIRIUSLY!*)" changes get undone in the span of a single issue (not much of a spoiler, the biggest was literally on the cover).

    Schadenfreude isn't a nice thing, but I take what I can get.




    * Typeo intentional / Pun intended

  • 4.5
    Full Spread Jun 7, 2020

    While I loved Jason Aaron's extended, mostly awesome run on Thor, my biggest overall complaint had to do with all the "WORLD ENDING THREATS" that piled up. Every arc had to keep upping the stakes by proclaiming: "Well, I know I said the last universe crashing event thingy was the biggest thing to ever happen--but that's over now--and now there's an EVEN BIGGER BADDY that won't just destroy our universe, or ten universes, but A BILLION!" The stakes kept getting raised to such ridiculous, absurd points that nothing mattered anymore.

    That's also happening here.

    But it's even more obnoxious because Donny Cates is shoe-horning his own characters (or versions of characters) from previous books in.

    Oh, and brood more

    + LikeComments (1)
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