Even death can’t keep a Thunder God down. Al Ewing is no stranger to comics with the word “Immortal” in the title, after penning The Immortal Hulk to three Eisner Award nominations. Next up was The Immortal Thor, and after 25 issues, the series is about to conclude with Thor’s death. However, this is only the end of Act One, and July will see the Thunder God’s resurrection in Thor #1 by Al Ewing and Pasqual Ferry. However, there are still several mysteries to resolve, such as what happens in Immortal Thor #25 and where we pick things up in Thor #1, on sale July 2nd.
ComicBook spoke to Al Ewing ahead of the releases of Immortal Thor #25 and Thor #1. The prolific writer discussed relocating Thor from Asgard to Earth, what his supporting cast will look like in the new series, new and familiar threats, the differences between launching All-New Venom #1 and Thor #1, what readers can expect in Act Two of his Thor tale, and working with longtime Thor artist Pasqual Ferry. ComicBook can also exclusively reveal a lettered preview of Immortal Thor #25 by Jan Bazaldua, Matt Hollingsworth, and VC’s Joe Sabino, as well as covers and solicits for September’s Thor #2.
ComicBook: Thor is no stranger to death and resurrection, but in Thor #1 you’re taking the action from Asgard and Utgard to Earth. How do you approach changing the landscape up for readers, especially with the added mystery of how Thor is alive again and walking with mortals?
Al Ewing: I’m in a bit of a pickle here because I don’t want to spoil the book, but marketing a comic in the system we currently have means giving away at least a little – we need to show the covers, for example, or most of them – and wrong assumptions build around those little details. I will say that a lot of the questions you think you’ve guessed the answer to will be answered properly with Immortal Thor #25, and once that drops I’ll be in a much better position to talk openly about my thinking and what I’m up to.
But as for this question — essentially, I approach telling sweeping, mythic stories of Asgard one way, and I approach smaller, more human stories set on Earth a different way, using very different storytelling tools. Which tools will I be using for this series? All of them.
What can you tell us about Thor’s supporting cast? Will readers be following Thor as he awakens on Earth, or will there be other characters serving as the reader’s point of view?
There will be issues when we don’t check in on the main character at all — I call those “Tales Of Asgard” issues. But I feel like the real question behind the question is, “Does our protagonist have a potential new love interest?” He does!
I can’t help but think of parallels between this new volume of Thor and All-New Venom, with you bringing the action back down to Earth on a street-level compared to their previous galaxy and realm-spanning adventures. How would you compare and contrast the launches of Thor #1 to All-New Venom #1?
Honestly, I wouldn’t do — insert the “I reject the question” ponytail guy here — because I honestly don’t think it’d do either story any good at all. But if you put a gun to my head, I’d say that All-New Venom started off with an old-school mystery angle that allowed us to set up an exploration and appreciation of classic solo hero books, using that lighthearted storytelling to mirror the dual protagonists’ choice, conscious or unconscious, of the wise-cracking Peter Parker as their moral yardstick. And the new Thor book isn’t doing any of that at all.
We’re heading into Act Two of your Thor storytelling. What threats will our God of Thunder have to face in this new era as he’s also rediscovering himself post-death?
I’m going to dance around this one a little as well, because it’s based on faulty assumptions, but if you’re asking me to list some bad guys who’ll be in the book — well, the Enchantress is continuing her scheme, although that’s a background simmer for now. More immediately, we have the Sons of the Serpent making their first appearance in the story — and we haven’t seen the last of Cobra, Mister Hyde, Grey Gargoyle and Radioactive Man either.
To wrap up, you’re working with longtime Thor artist Pasqual Ferry. What’s it been like to receive pages from him, and what has he brought to the project that you’re most looking forward to readers seeing?
Pasqual is a genius at his art, there’s no other way of putting it. There’s a real magic in what he does, and having seen it up close, I’m working out the best way to play to his vast and multiple strengths. But he’s bitten into the first issue with absolute gusto and I love what I’m seeing. I know you will too.
THOR #2
- Written by AL EWING
- Art by PASQUAL FERRY
- Cover by Alex Ross
- Variant Cover by FANYANG
- WHO IS THE MAN CALLED THOR?
- The Thunder Gods were hired to teach a simple lesson – make trouble for Roxxon Construction, and they’ll make trouble for you. Now somebody’s targeting the bike gang where they live. Somebody who won’t give up. Somebody calling himself “Thor.” Somewhere in the city, a man with a hammer is getting to work.
- On Sale 9/24
Are you excited for July’s Thor #1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post The Immortal Thor Is Dead, But Al Ewing Still Has Plenty of Plans for the Thunder God (Exclusive) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
