Tough Like a Girl #13 – Thor: Goddess of Thunder

Lis and Nathaniel take a look at Thor, but not the version you're used to seeing from the movies. This is a whole new wielder of that mighty hammer and she's not taking any lip from anybody about it.

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9 responses to “Tough Like a Girl #13 – Thor: Goddess of Thunder

  1. I’ve read these issues recently and I enjoyed them a lot. One of the problems I anticipated you addressing was the status of the villains, because while this may be the first story of the GODDESS OF THUNDER, it’s like the sixth volume in Jason Aaron’s continuing run. He’s been working with Malekith and Agger/Roxxon for a while. It sucks when a book says Volume 1 but there has clearly been a lot of backstory and set-up that isn’t given in this version.

    If you hated Malekith in THE DARK WORLD (or just forgot him, as Lis did), Aaron has a lot of fun making him a serial-murdering sorcerer. Basically, Thor’s Joker.

    Fun episode!

  2. I will be honest, I kind of look at most of these “switches” with a sideways glance, because I’ve seen a lot of this before. A big drastic change with someone new in the costume for a few months, then back to status quo. Sometimes, it makes sense; Sam (Falcon) Wilson as Captain America? Fine by me. Other changes… sometimes they feel very forced, and yes, I do think sometimes these characters would be better served as NEW entities all together.

    BUT, having said all that, the very nature of Marvel’s Thor and his hammer, and its power being reliant on the bearer’s worthiness makes this a very interesting idea to explore, and I have heard it was handled very well. I did learn who this new Thor was, and that also makes the whole thing work better for me as an old comic fan.

    Glad to hear you two enjoyed it. I will have to check it out! My wife Cindy is also a children’s librarian, so I’ll have to see if they have this trade at our local library. Fun show!

    Chris

  3. Allow me to preface my comments by saying that I haven’t read these issues, mainly because I’m not reading ANY new comics. Now, on to my thoughts.

    1. The name of the giant Laufey is pronounce Lau-Fee (like Loud without the D).

    2. Freya is not Odin’s wife, that is Frigga (or Frigg in the Lore). Freya is a completely separate Goddess and has different responsibilities. But what should I expect from a company that can’t seem to remember that Odin had two brothers, not one, and he isn’t the Midgard Serpent. (Sorry, but Fear Itself is a REALLY bad take on the Norse Gods.)

    3. Odin, in the lore, is not someone to be emulated, but he isn’t an outright jerk. He often goes outside the bounds of what should be done in polite society, but always with the goal of staving off Ragnarok. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t get his comeuppance, but he at least has a good reason. (See Episode 13 of my show for more on that. http://twotruefreaks.com/media/podcasts/TheHammerPodcasts/mp3/THP-Episode013.mp3)

    4. I don’t have a problem with a woman getting the power of Thor. I think it’s a great way to mix things up. What I do have a problem with is that she took his name. Thor is not a title, it’s a proper name. It would be like a new librarian coming in to replace Lis and saying, “I have your job now, so my name is Lis and you have to call yourself something else.”

    Add to that the subtext here. It might not be intentional, but it seems like they’re saying that a woman can’t wield this power unless she takes on a male identity. Beta Ray Bill didn’t call himself Thor once he gained the power, so why does Jane Foster have to take on that name? Oh, I know that Eric Masterson was called Thor, but that’s because he was actually impersonating a banished Thor and trying to convince people that nothing was wrong. It just rubs me the wrong way that they couldn’t give her a new superhero name and call the book “The Power of Thor” or some such.

    Sorry for the long post, but as a Heathen (and fan of the Thor comics), I felt I had to comment on this stuff.

    1. Lots of good points, Gene. You’re a far bigger expert than I on Thor’s history, but I do wonder about a couple of things:
      1. The Thor of 2020, appearing in “Thor Corps” and elsewhere, actually used the name “Thor” and was definitely not Odinson. How does that fit your statement?
      2. Didn’t Beta Ray Bill actually say “call me Thor” to some military men in issue 354, the end of the “Casket of Ancient Winters” story? Was that just expediency in your mind?
      Just playing Surtur’s advocate here. 🙂

      1. I consider Dargo Ktor to be in much the same situation as Eric Masterson. In the future (2587), he was a member of a cult/resistance that views Thor as it’s savior. They have found Mjolnir and have been trying to find someone worthy to wield the power. Dargo was able to pick up the hammer in a battle and received the mantle of Thor. To the outside world, he has to pretend that he is Thor, in order to act as a rallying point for the cause.

        Bill actual quote is, “As far as you’re concerned, Colonel, I am Thor! And this battle is mine to command!” (Thor #351, Page 10, Panel 4). This is just a way to have the military, who had been ordered to obey Thor, to listen to him. Everyone else in the issue, including the Vision who back’s up Bill’s claim to the Colonel in the next panel, calls him Bill.

        🙂

  4. Another great episode. I just read these issues over the summer on the Marvel Unlimited app, which I love! I’ve been very intrigued with the new books that have made big splashes, Unfortunately, I already knew Thor’s identify from reading All-New All-Different Avengers, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment here. The mystery, the thought balloons, the sound effects rendered in the artwork, all wonderful.

    I completely agree that Agger makes no sense as a CEO. I could buy an explanation that he has mental powers that coerce people to work for him, in spite of knowing that he’ll absolutely kill them all on a whim, but the writer has never suggested he has any powers like that, so no. He’s just an over-the-top villain, attempting to personify “greedy corporations” and failing to be tempered by any realism. Total overkill.

    In regards to research, the charm of your show is the “fresh eyes”. It’s nice to hear fresh perspectives of first-time readers. My daughters fall into the same vein, and I don’t want to make reading “work” where you have to “prepare” before even starting, or need me to explain everything in order for it to make sense. They should be able to jump in and be entertained, and your show captures that. So my vote is: it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

    I finally took a look at your back catalog. SOLD! I have to give them a listen. Of the 11 episodes, I’ve read 5, my girls own 2 more, and I’ve heard of 3 others. Fair warning. Thanks, punchers!

    1. Doh! Slight correction. I mean to lay off research *before* reading the book. After reading it and before recording the show, Lis can go to town!

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