Jane Foster picked up Mjolnir and took on the mantle of Thor in Jason Aaron’s already iconic Marvel Comics run from just a few years ago. This summer, Natalie Portman’s live-action take on Jane will do the same, rejoining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and teaming up with Chris Hemsworth once again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Foster’s Thor is one of the more popular modern Marvel creations and it should come as no surprise that she’s co-headlining another book in the weeks leading up to her big-screen debut. Unfortunately, Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor #1 doesn’t live up to her reputation. Or Thor’s, for that matter.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor is a five-part series from writer Torunn Grรธnbekk and artist Michael Dowling, telling the story of an attack on Asgard that finds Odinson captured and Jane once again needing to take up the Thor mantle. It’s a straightforward premise that doesn’t offer a ton in the way of intrigue, but it’s exciting enough to get you interested. The only problem is that the first issue takes 20 pages to even start the journey that was only even potentially interesting in the first place. It’s not that these pages are even really filled with setup as much as we’re watching Jane and these other characters go through the lives we already know they’ve been living.
So much of this story is one we’ve seen before, in one form or another. Asgard is under attack. Enemies are uniting against Thor’s forces. Jane struggles with the choice to wield the hammer. There are some new wrinkles this time around, like Odin living within Mjolnir, but that doesn’t add anything new or significant enough to set this story apart.
Sadly, it all comes across as rather lifeless. Jane feels robotic, which is a shame given just how fascinating a character she has been. The motivations of the villains are dull. The expressions on the faces of the characters are lifeless on nearly every page. Honestly, “lifeless” is a fitting word for the issue as a whole.
If there’s a redeeming quality to this book it’s the spirit of Jane Foster shining through its lackluster script. Her exchange with Odin in the final third is lively and reminds you of just how enjoyable she can be on a page. There’s also a brief glimpse at some nifty, colorful action when the battle arrives at Asgard’s doorsteps. But the reasons behind the action are more difficult to care about than they should be.
Jane Foster is a great character who should have no trouble leading fantastic comics, movies, or any other forms of media. Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor, unfortunately, isn’t one of them.
Published by Marvel Comics
On June 8, 2022
Written by Torunn Grรธnbekk
Art by Michael Dowling
Colors by Jesus Aburtov
Letters by VC’s Joe Sabino
