With the conclusion of Thor #6 there can be no debating that Thor is the mightiest Avenger, was there ever a doubt. As we painstakingly await release of issue #7 we can take a look at this run so far and marvel at the depth of the story so far.

First off why is Cates writing Venom? He is and always should be first and foremost a Thor writer, I haven’t been this engaged in a comic book since Jason Aaron’s Thor God Butcher . Donny Cates is on fire, it seems the guys keyboard or fingertips have the Midas touch. Just as quickly as Thor was brought into the conflict with the Black Winter, issue 6 keeps that pace and ends an an unbearable cliff hanger for number 7. All we know up to this point is the fight so far was just warm up round.

It’s hard to put a starting point on where the magic starts in this series, is it when King Thor butchers the devourer Galactus or does it begin in the first pages of issue #1 as Thor hurls Mljonir across all ten realms. Whatever panel gets you hooked you won’t have been waiting long to appreciate the vibrant artwork and detail Nick Klein throws at you from the gate. Even if every pannel was void of a single word the tone draw into Thors face is he’s in charge and regardless of what Galactus, his heralds, Loki or the Silver Surfer think will stop at nothing do what he thinks is right. Spurned on by the Black Winter power of revealing your death has driven the King to near desperation

WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW

Personally I feel it reminds me of a darker Unworthy Thor setting, something no one is going to complain about. Apart from aesthetic scenes worthy of a forehead tattoo Cates dialogue is phenomenal. Thor’s progression through his time as King is not an evolution but a devolution of him from God to King to Herald and by the end to hopeless. The way audiences see this is unique because never once is Thor’s ability or power called into question if anything he shows new unheard of levels of strength; instead we see these holes emerging in Thor’s Psyche as he fights to save everyone and be a moral king. Avengers Endgame may have touched on this emotional mental dilemma with the chubby Thor equaling the depressed model, even Thor can only take so much. What Donny Cates highlights is Thor has been in a state of war for a very very long time, has escaped his death countless times and it is all building to something so terrible Thor can feel

Thor facing images of past foes shown by the Black Winter

The big takeaway is the demise shown to Thor by the Black Winter. The horror so profound it led Thor to return home in silence with no mention of his deeds and exploits to save everyone. Cates tries to put a scale for the challenges ahead, having the Black Winter itself state it was never here for his universe that fate is already guaranteed.

Now at first I was giddy as a schoolgirl with the imagery but the excitement soon faded as I realized Marvel Zombies has been done time and time again. If you notice though Thanos is wielding a black gauntlet, maybe this is not the Zombie virus at all. Could Thanos have trapped death itself into a weapon? I definitely have no more ideas under my tin foil hat but maybe you do, leave your theories and comments in the section below.

Overall a pleasant read and 4 solid stars.