Books like Ένας κόσμος χωρίς θεούς

NOTE: This is a slightly expanded version of my original review for Issue # 1 of THOR: GOD OF THUNDER, a review which I originally posted on Amazon back in November of 2012 but then took down due to trolling. (Mostly DC trolls) Nonetheless, after consuming this entire first volume, my initial reaction to this new series still stands.With all due respect to Jack Kirby's Thor and to Brian Azzarello's recent work on "The New 52" WONDER WOMAN, based on this first volume of THOR: GOD OF THUNDER, VOL 1: THE GOD BUTCHER (the latest TPB in the "Marvel NOW!" reboots), Jason Aaron has FINALLY made goldilocks a compelling and intriguing character in his own right. More importantly, He-Who-Weareth-His-Mother's-Drapes is also more entertaining than ever.And yet, though it opens on a boisterous note with the youngest, earthiest version of Thor rowdily carousing in an Icelandic tavern, this first volume wastes little time in literally raising hell:Alarmed by the horrified shrieks of otherwise desensitized Vikings, a suddenly sober Thor must immediately investigate the mysterious appearance of a corpse unlike any that has ever washed up on the bloody shores of Iceland--the corpse of a god who has obviously drifted too far from his own shores. How could this mysterious dead god have drifted so far? Could there be more dead gods on the way? More importantly, what terribly powerful entity could have possibly killed a god to begin with and why?And so begins an unprecedentedly high-stakes murder story that promises to consume Thor through three different time frames: the aforementioned younger, drunker, earthier Thor of the past, a more cosmic and responsible--though still hard-drinking--present-day Thor, and a grayer, even lonelier, more battle-tested--if not necessarily any less intemperate--kingly Thor of the future. Coupled with the daunting mystery of a god-murdering serial killer, on the surface this multiple-time frame structure might seem like too much epic to cram into just one volume of a Thor comic. It's not.Despite the story-line's vast scope and fast pace, Aaron's skill as a writer keeps you hooked where a lesser writer could have easily confused the living hell out of you, or at best inspired some serious eye-rolling: ***SPOILER ALERT*** as the story keeps leaping forward in time, not only do we witness how the mounting body count keeps raising the stakes on Thor's investigation, we also see the increasingly calamitous effects that these events will have on Thor himself, making us wonder as to the exact nature of the role that Thor has played throughout the ages in all of this mayhem. Has he played too big of a role? Or not enough of one? Maybe both. ***SPOILER OVER*** If one thing is certain about this first volume, it's how the story keeps pulling us in opposite directions, compelling us to want to know what will happen next, while keeping us guessing as to how we got there.Oh, and similar to recent versions of the character, Aaron's ale guzzling Thor is also a likable chap. Though nowhere near as "cuddly" as the disposable movie-version, this Thor is still appropriately boastful, charmingly vain, and generally laid-back (he is a god, after all). Yet he never comes off as aloof, cloying, or goofy. On the contrary, he's actually kind of cool. ***SPOILER ALERT*** What's more, in one unexpected sequence, where he responds to a prayer that has been personally directed to him by the child of a godless people, ***SPOILER OVER*** Thor also proves himself a genuinely intriguing god: not only does he take his job seriously, after all, but the G.O.T. might actually CARE. Like I said, intriguing.Speaking of which, though atypically lavish and photo-realistic for a comic book, the beautiful artwork on display here never devolves into novelty or spectacle for its own sake. On the contrary, swathed in lush shadows and bloody hues, Esad Ribic's intriguing mix of cinematic visuals and vaguely Disneyesque character work not only keeps pace with the script's magnificent style, it also amplifies the story's more rambunctious qualities, keeping the proceedings ominous yet that much funner to experience.Aaron and company clearly know what they're doing here, people. Kudos also goes to Marvel, which was wise to hand the responsibility of launching a new Thor series to a creative team that is spearheaded by Aaron's prodigious writing ability: though I'm obviously not impervious to gimmicky publishing events like "Marvel NOW!" (Marvel's attempt to out-headline DC, which, as you might have heard, recently underwent a major reboot itself with its "New 52" titles), I would have NEVER purchased a Thor comic if the talents of a writer like Jason Aaron had not been involved. Dig? I mean, a traditionally humorless, drapes-wearing version of Wonder Woman but male and with a big magic mallet in lieu of a magic lasso? Normally I would take a pass.Verdict: Buy this NOW! For my money, THOR: GOD OF THUNDER, VOL. 1: THE GOD BUTCHER lives up to the hype surrounding both the "Marvel NOW!" reboot initiative and Jason Aaron's previous work--which is saying a lot. Relentless, intriguing, and hell-raising fun, this first volume already has me eagerly waiting to see what happens with future (and, uh, past) story lines and I'm sure that I will remain hooked when we get there.