Long before the comic book character known as Thor. We have an actual Norse god named Thor, who inspired the character. Thor was worshipped mainly throughout Scandinavian countries, most popular in the age of Vikings. He was the God of thunder and lightning and strength and fertility. Also, he is commonly seen wielding a hammer called Mjolnir, which is said to be one of the most powerful weapons, at least at the time.
In 1962, the comic book version of Thor first appeared, and Marvel Comics took almost the entirety of the Norse religion and included it into their continuity. Thor, for many different reasons, comes to Earth to fight evil. Thor is sent to Earth without memories to learn humility in one version of his origin. He lives as a medical doctor until he discovers the hammer Mjolnir and transforms into Thor again.
Throughout his fictional stories, Thor constantly struggles with his life on Earth versus his life in Asgard, the plane of existence where he’s from. He usually prioritizes Earth, even falling in love with a human woman named Jane Foster. In these early days, he joins the Avengers to stop massive threats against the Earth.
Eventually, more of Thor’s Asgardian adventures come to light, where he faces off against threats from other planes that threaten Asgard or the entirety of his existence. From the fiery realm of Muspelheim, Thor often faces off against Surtur, an immortal god-like demon whose destiny is to cause Ragnarok, a version of apocalypse that would mean the end Asgard. Reading books about Thor can help you better understand the character and his origins.
5 Books About Thor
Thor is also popular in modern pop culture, appearing in movies, TV shows, and comic books. While Thor’s origins may lie in Norse mythology, he lives today through comic books, movies, and television. His ancient mythological adventures inspire new storylines for his comic book counterpart, even today. Most of us know the Thor movie and Tv series.
If you know something different and exact, Thor, you must read the book. Here are the top 5 comic series and books about Thor which I will talk about. Let’s start!
1. The Hammer of Thor: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
The way that records and deals with all of the fantastic things in this book blows everybody’s mind. Magnus is continuing on his journey, and Loki is still scheming. He’s still trying to get Ragnarok to happen before its time. Magnus and his friends need to stop that from happening. We learn more about Hearthstone, and the newest character, Alex Fierro, who is transgender.
The way that Rick Riordan portrays this character is incredible. Magnus is so accepting because he doesn’t understand what it is to be transgender and gender fluid, but neither do many readers. So the way he takes things in the way he asks questions and learns to accept things is very much like a focus to enjoy it.
Author: Rick Riordan
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Superhero Action & Adventure, Norse Fairy Tales
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
2. Thor: God of Thunder (Series)
The story of the God of Thunder takes place in three different periods. In Thor’s first period as a young guy, he’s the Coin of his time drinking. He’s hanging out with women, dealing with a guy who wants to fight.
The middle part of the timeline focuses on Thor, the honorable warrior character on who he is more focused. He is more dedicated to the earth and his ways. The third timeline in the future focus on old King Thor. Old King Thor is Thor at the end of his rope. He’s beaten and broken. He’s constantly being tortured by force, tired of it. The reason why old King Thor is beaten is because of a creature called Gore.
Gore is referenced as the God butcher in the story, and the God Butcher has gone around for centuries. Then Thor fought him in these three different timelines. Gore has been killing all the gods in the universe because he’s got a personal vendetta against them. It’s a pretty straightforward story, but it’s so much fun.
There is a small or one issue where he doesn’t do the duties on it. That one slumps a little bit, but then it bounces back. So here’s more of that. The variant covers are here, so you get the variant cover for Scottie Young. If you pick up the first two trades, you’ll be satisfied.
Author: Jason Aaron
Illustrator: Esad Ribic
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Marvel Comics & Graphic Novels
Available: Comics | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
3. Thor, God of Thunder Reborn (Series)
Thor, God of Thunder Reborn series builds towards the war of the realms, which will be the big event for the Marvel Universe. Thor is back and dealing with the whole Ragnarok and craziness in the series. The war that will be coming is raging in the various realms. This is lots of battling, punching, and humor, and it’s a great mix of action heroes in general. There is an epic story that goes back for quite a while. You’ll appreciate this a lot more if you’ve read all that.
But it goes back to like God, the God Slayer stuff in the future Thor and his daughter or granddaughters. There is a reveal in this that is awesome. It only gets crazier from there as far as the future stuff. We’re talking like the end of universe type-level things: Thor versus unstoppable Juggernaut. You will feel excited and thrilled when they fight and talk.
Author: Jason Aaron
Illustrator: Mike del Mundo, Christian Ward
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Mike del Mundo, Christian Ward
Available: Paperback | Kindle
4. Mighty Thor (Series)
Mighty Thor is Marvel Comics, written by Jason Aaron, and Russell Darby illustrated it. Marvel and DC love to restart their series. They do this with some gimmick to get in new or old readers reinvigorated to reread the series. Jane Foster is the new Thor and the goddess of thunder. So she now possesses the power of Thor.
The first issue explains to new readers that Jane Foster can lift the Maillol near, become Thor, and become one of the mightiest superheroes in the Marvel universe. Unfortunately, Dr. Jane Foster herself, her human side, is dying from breast cancer, which is complicated even more because she turns into Thor.
Thor’s abilities and powers go through her when she goes through chemotherapy and washes out all of the chemotherapy she’s gone through. Her human side is very weak and dying. So when the Thor power comes into her, taking out all of the toxic chemicals is trying to eliminate her cancer. Unfortunately, that always sets her back.
Becoming Thor doesn’t take cancer away from her itself because the cancer is a part of her body. It’s a pretty sad story. She’s such a powerful character but still weakened by something very human. Marvel Comics isn’t shy about killing off characters that have cancer.
The original Captain Marvel died from cancer several decades ago, and he’s remained in the story itself, centering around a story that could have different realms. The dark elves appear to be the villains in this, but a larger power could also be manipulated. It is an organization appearing in individual Avenger titles and The Avengers themselves.
There’s also a dark council of different members from different species. Since Dr. Jane Foster picked up Samuel Nir and has become Thor, Odin didn’t take it too well. He’s taken it to the point where he wants to arrest her and probably kill her.
Sometimes, he has appeared, and some suspect something else may happen behind the scenes. But that will probably be a subplot that will be explained later. This first issue brings you in, and it has a surprise villain. It’s someone that is much more mortal, someone that we’ve never seen takes up the role of Thor in the past. So I will continue reading the series.
Author: Jason Aaron
Illustrator: Russell Dauterman
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Marvel Comics & Graphic Novels
Available: Comics | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
5. The Unworthy Thor
If you enjoy Russell Dorman’s art style for the Mighty Thor, It’s similar. But it’s darker, which works because this is a darker story. With this issue, it’s pretty much focuses on Thor feeling unworthy. Thor is down in the dumps. He’s not who he was and not a God anymore.
Also, he’s fighting trolls and finds out from one of the mysterious members of original sin. Finally, some of these events are becoming relevant, where the person from original sin says there’s another hammer because a seat rewards. So we get to see even more relevancy of these events.
Thor rushes to Asgard, finds that Asgard is not there, and discovers Beta Ray Bill. Beta Ray Bill is willing to give his hammer up for his friend. That is the end of the issue. So it’s been a big mystery for those paying attention to the story.
What did Nick Fury whisper into Thor’s ear that made him unworthy? This book finally brings that to light. Toward the end of the fifth issue, what Fury whispered to Thor is Gore was right. Gore, the God butcher, was a previous store comic antagonist who had it out for the gods and Thor.
There’s nothing above them to call judgment on them. However, in the end, none of the figures we know claim the other Mjolnir. That’s how the story ends. I believe the ending to The Unworthy Thor is meant to give us a little hint at a new villain to come in a new series. I recommend looking.
Contributor: Jason Aaron
Illustrator: Olivier Coipel
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels
Available: Paperback | Kindle
More books to know more about Thor:
The Viking Spirit – An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion by Daniel McCoy: This book overviews Norse mythology, including the stories of Thor and his fellow gods. It explores the historical and cultural context in which these myths offer insights into their durable relevance.
The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson: This medieval Icelandic text is one of the primary sources for Norse mythology, including the tales of Thor. It offers a detailed look at the character of Thor and his role in the Norse pantheon.
The Poetic Edda: Another primary source for Norse mythology. This collection of poems features several about Thor, including “Hymiskviða,” which tells the story of Thor’s quest to capture a giant’s cauldron.
Overall, these books offer a range of perspectives on Thor, from historical and mythological analysis to contemporary retellings. Each one provides a detailed and engaging exploration of one of the most beloved characters in Norse mythology.
Reading books about Thor provides insight into the culture and beliefs of the ancient Norse people. They contain epic adventures, battles, and fantastical elements, making them an exciting read.
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