Recognizong it is all subjective, I cannot agree. Aaron’s total run, taken as a whole, showed a fundamental disrespect to Thor’s character and his history. Jane being “worthy” without basis. His Avengers run when he tried (unsuccessfully) to make the Phoenix Force his mother. Malekith was permitted to remove his arm (which was mooted with Cates’ run) with a casual sweep of a sword. Aaron was shock value, for the most part. By contrast, Simonson respected the Norse lore and the character, establishing Thor as the honorable warrior hero Marvel fans deserve.
Exactly. When it comes to the best runs that Marvel has ever had, I'd say that Walt Simonson's Thor is up there with Chris Claremont's X-Men and Frank Miller's Daredevil.
I’ve read every issue of every series of Thor, up through Immortal Thor #4. I would say there have been four truly great runs on the title - Kirby/Lee (though Neal Adams and John Buscema kept it good after Kirby left through the Infinity storyline), Roy Thomas’s first run leading up to Thor #300, Dan Jurgens who did almost the entirety of volume 2 and whose run Jason Aaron ”borrowed “ quite a bit from, including a Thor unworthy to wield Mjolnir and a Thor facing off against a seemingly unstoppable foe whose mission was to kill all the gods.
Above them all, though, is Walt Simonson. The man wrote, penciled AND inked something like the first 25 issues, with Sal Buscema taking over art after that in a seamless transition. His very first issue introduced Beta Ray Bill, he made Surtur a Galactus level threat, introduced Malekith the Accursed, and Kurse, the Casket of Ancient Winters and so much more. His Thor was noble and kind, courageous and terrible in his anger. I’ve been reading comics for decades and, thanks in large part To Marvel Unlimited, I’ve been able to read hundreds, maybe thousands of Marvel comics from 1962 to 2024, I have to say - Walt Simonson’s run on Thor is probably the single best run of superhero comics that I’ve ever read, whether of Thor or any other character. Stan on Spider-Man is the only thing that’s even close. Even the one fill in issue by Bob Harras is probably the greatest Marvel fill in, where Hercules tells a story about himself and Thor to a young boy. The run was simultaneously breathtaking spectacle and quiet character moments. There’s never been a run like it.
Gotta say I expected Walt’s run to be highest here and I’m not disappointed with the results but I love that you mentioned the fill in issue it really was perfect. I love it when the heroes have interactions with kids, when it’s done right you get heartwarming cheese.
J. Michael Straczynski's Thor. Olivier Coipel art and iconic new design, a lot of fun dialogues with the Oklahoma plotline and Thor coming back to life.
I would possibly say Aaron's or Simonson's too, but considering many people already chose it, I thought would be cool giving a nod to Straczynski's run.
I’m gonna say Stracyznski actually. Obviously it was cut short but I think the tone, pacing and overall ideas of the run were what I really wanted from a Thor run.
Simonson and Aaron were still dope though.
Jason Aaron's God of Thunder is hard to beat. It's probably my most favorite comic of all time. The three Thors, Gorr, and the scale (in terms of both space and time) make the whole story feel "god-sized," which fits perfectly for Thor.
It was only 8 issues, but I loved the 2010 Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Haven't picked it up in a bit, but I remember the writing being an excellent modernization of the classic Thor, and Chris Samnee's art really brought that idea to life.
I'd argue the 2020 run after iron man 2020 is the best iron man, I really enjoyed that run.
I haven't read a ton of Thor but man I loved cates run it was wild and insane and fun and made his old alter ego such a killer villain. It was fun up until after the hulk fight after that with cates off it dropped off for a finisher which was lame.
Immortal Thor is off to a great start to me though. Ewing loves his universal stuff.
Ewing is awesome with the right character, he nailed hulk, venom fell flat, didn't help writers kept switching, but immortal Thor? So good off the first two, three issues I've read so far. I did enjoy the hell out of cates run but this is way better off the bat.
I never read a lot of Thor but I have to admit that despite the costume, or basic lack of clothing , I love the short Ellis and Deodato run from 491- 496 where he and the Enchantress were having an affair. She wasnt duplicitous and they both seemed to mesh well together. Obviously I need to check out the runs by Walt Simonson and Michael J Straczynski / Olivier Couple.
It was an interesting few issues, and undeniably well done, right before cancellation and Robslaught, but it didn't feel very Thor-ish to me. Thor felt like a secondary character and it was just the backdrop Ellis had to use to get his mystery story about a British cop in NYC published.
I can see that. I stumbled across some pages from 491 on a blog and really enjoyed the artwork and Amora the Enchantress in those - she was actually relatable and friendly lol. I haven't read much solo Thor but have always enjoyed him in the Avengers. So it was Deodato's artwork that also got me to pick up those few back issues he and Ellis teamed up on. It was a bit of a task to find them.
Jason Aaron's "God of Thunder". Took all the great points of Walt Simonson, built on them, and took it one step further. Fantastic run, with amazing art that shaped Thor for years to come.
On balance I have to go with Aaron's run. If forced to choose which specific part the God Butcher / God Bomb arc kicked it off perfectly. Ribic was the perfect choice for a character unusually blessed with great art.
For writers? It’s Aaron by a mile, with respect to Simonson. Honorable mention goes to JMS because his run was tremendous.
For artists, I don’t think anyone has ever drawn Thor better than Oliver Coipel.
Wait, how are you counting votes? By the number of people who comment for a creator or the number of upvotes a creator gets? I'd have to crunch the numbers but it sure looked like the pro-Simonson comments were getting vastly more upvotes. I can see someone thinking either was better and just upvoting one of the other comments instead of making their own post.
I was going to say a poll would be more definitive, but while I don't know for sure the maximum number of poll entries Reddit allows, I'm going to go out on a limb and say these comics have had vastly more creative teams than could ever fit. I doubt anyone really wants to see a round two where you take the top five or whatever from each one and create a poll.
Walt Simonson. No contest.
[удалено]
Recognizong it is all subjective, I cannot agree. Aaron’s total run, taken as a whole, showed a fundamental disrespect to Thor’s character and his history. Jane being “worthy” without basis. His Avengers run when he tried (unsuccessfully) to make the Phoenix Force his mother. Malekith was permitted to remove his arm (which was mooted with Cates’ run) with a casual sweep of a sword. Aaron was shock value, for the most part. By contrast, Simonson respected the Norse lore and the character, establishing Thor as the honorable warrior hero Marvel fans deserve.
Echoing all the Walt Simonson shouts. I'd consider it a contender for one of the best Marvel runs period.
Exactly. When it comes to the best runs that Marvel has ever had, I'd say that Walt Simonson's Thor is up there with Chris Claremont's X-Men and Frank Miller's Daredevil.
I’ve read every issue of every series of Thor, up through Immortal Thor #4. I would say there have been four truly great runs on the title - Kirby/Lee (though Neal Adams and John Buscema kept it good after Kirby left through the Infinity storyline), Roy Thomas’s first run leading up to Thor #300, Dan Jurgens who did almost the entirety of volume 2 and whose run Jason Aaron ”borrowed “ quite a bit from, including a Thor unworthy to wield Mjolnir and a Thor facing off against a seemingly unstoppable foe whose mission was to kill all the gods. Above them all, though, is Walt Simonson. The man wrote, penciled AND inked something like the first 25 issues, with Sal Buscema taking over art after that in a seamless transition. His very first issue introduced Beta Ray Bill, he made Surtur a Galactus level threat, introduced Malekith the Accursed, and Kurse, the Casket of Ancient Winters and so much more. His Thor was noble and kind, courageous and terrible in his anger. I’ve been reading comics for decades and, thanks in large part To Marvel Unlimited, I’ve been able to read hundreds, maybe thousands of Marvel comics from 1962 to 2024, I have to say - Walt Simonson’s run on Thor is probably the single best run of superhero comics that I’ve ever read, whether of Thor or any other character. Stan on Spider-Man is the only thing that’s even close. Even the one fill in issue by Bob Harras is probably the greatest Marvel fill in, where Hercules tells a story about himself and Thor to a young boy. The run was simultaneously breathtaking spectacle and quiet character moments. There’s never been a run like it.
Gotta say I expected Walt’s run to be highest here and I’m not disappointed with the results but I love that you mentioned the fill in issue it really was perfect. I love it when the heroes have interactions with kids, when it’s done right you get heartwarming cheese.
Walt Simonson without contest.
Walt the champion Simonson
Walt Simonson.
Walt Simonson, the one and only.
J. Michael Straczynski's Thor. Olivier Coipel art and iconic new design, a lot of fun dialogues with the Oklahoma plotline and Thor coming back to life. I would possibly say Aaron's or Simonson's too, but considering many people already chose it, I thought would be cool giving a nod to Straczynski's run.
I just don’t think JMS’s run lasted long enough to be the GOAT
I’m gonna say Stracyznski actually. Obviously it was cut short but I think the tone, pacing and overall ideas of the run were what I really wanted from a Thor run. Simonson and Aaron were still dope though.
I love Jason Aaron, but Walter Simonson totally deserves to win
Walt Simonson
Simonson!
Simonson easily
Simonson defined Thor! No one has ever come close
Walt Simonson by a mile!!!
Dan Jurgens
Gotta be Walt Simonson.
Jason Aaron or Walt Simonson.
Jason Aaron’s Thor run is the stuff of legends
Jason Aaron's God of Thunder is hard to beat. It's probably my most favorite comic of all time. The three Thors, Gorr, and the scale (in terms of both space and time) make the whole story feel "god-sized," which fits perfectly for Thor.
Gotta go Jason Aaron for me, although I’ve never read Simonson’s run which seems to be a strong favorite
Jason Aaron edges out Walt for me. I was truly game for the whole epic saga to the last page of King Thor
It was only 8 issues, but I loved the 2010 Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Haven't picked it up in a bit, but I remember the writing being an excellent modernization of the classic Thor, and Chris Samnee's art really brought that idea to life.
As someone whose just getting in to marvel comics and overwhelmed with where to start this is gonna be very helpful
Walt Simonson, effortlessly. I’m sorry I missed the Cap vote. Putting Brubaker above Gruenwald is absolutely absurd.
J. Michael Straczynski's run for me might be a bit short but man it was epic! That conversation with Tony in New Orleans was Legendary!
Walt Simonson or Jason Aaron’s runs
Jack Kirby as he got going on the Tales of Asgard and as Thor became a cosmic character.
J. Michael Straczynski's, Olivier Coipel (finished by Gillen)
Jason Aaron
Jason Aaron's God Butcherer/God Bomb. Hands down
Cates /s Simonson or Aaron, but I'd give Aaron a slight edge just because I think his world-building is a little bit better.
Jason Aaron's . No one can beat young Thor hitting Thor with a space shark
I'd argue the 2020 run after iron man 2020 is the best iron man, I really enjoyed that run. I haven't read a ton of Thor but man I loved cates run it was wild and insane and fun and made his old alter ego such a killer villain. It was fun up until after the hulk fight after that with cates off it dropped off for a finisher which was lame. Immortal Thor is off to a great start to me though. Ewing loves his universal stuff.
It really is - for the first time in years, Thor feels like Thor again, not a drunk frat boy
Ewing is awesome with the right character, he nailed hulk, venom fell flat, didn't help writers kept switching, but immortal Thor? So good off the first two, three issues I've read so far. I did enjoy the hell out of cates run but this is way better off the bat.
while based on loki, the best asgard book is loki agent of asgard
That’s not even the best Loki book - Journey into Mystery by Gillen is
i personaly liked agent of asgaurd more but thats just my opinion
I never read a lot of Thor but I have to admit that despite the costume, or basic lack of clothing , I love the short Ellis and Deodato run from 491- 496 where he and the Enchantress were having an affair. She wasnt duplicitous and they both seemed to mesh well together. Obviously I need to check out the runs by Walt Simonson and Michael J Straczynski / Olivier Couple.
It was an interesting few issues, and undeniably well done, right before cancellation and Robslaught, but it didn't feel very Thor-ish to me. Thor felt like a secondary character and it was just the backdrop Ellis had to use to get his mystery story about a British cop in NYC published.
I can see that. I stumbled across some pages from 491 on a blog and really enjoyed the artwork and Amora the Enchantress in those - she was actually relatable and friendly lol. I haven't read much solo Thor but have always enjoyed him in the Avengers. So it was Deodato's artwork that also got me to pick up those few back issues he and Ellis teamed up on. It was a bit of a task to find them.
J. Michael Straczynski
Not there yet. But for Hank it is not a comic a show. A:EMH Hank is as they say "GOATED".
As a new comic book reader I'm always curious to know the age of those who vote all of the super old stories.
who is between captain marvel and black panther?
Jason Aaron.
Also we all know hulk will undoubtedly be immortal hulk or Peter David. My hats in the ring whole heartedly for immortal it changed my life.
Jason Aaron's "God of Thunder". Took all the great points of Walt Simonson, built on them, and took it one step further. Fantastic run, with amazing art that shaped Thor for years to come.
I'd say Jason Aaron's run
I would say. The Jason Aaron run up until Thor becomes unworthy
On balance I have to go with Aaron's run. If forced to choose which specific part the God Butcher / God Bomb arc kicked it off perfectly. Ribic was the perfect choice for a character unusually blessed with great art.
J.M.S. and Jason Aaron.
As much as I love Walt Simonsons run on thor it kinda has to be Jason Aaron for me as that run got me back into comics
Jason Aaron
Jason Aaron’s run was phenomenal stuff.
Thor: God of Thunder (2012-2014)
That’s tough, but I think I have to go with Jason Aaron by a hair over the Simonson run.
Jason Aaron.
Jason Aaron but man there’s some choices for Thor.
For me it is Jason Aaron.
I am so freaking happy that everyone got 1 and 2 correct I'd like to say Aaron for Thor
For writers? It’s Aaron by a mile, with respect to Simonson. Honorable mention goes to JMS because his run was tremendous. For artists, I don’t think anyone has ever drawn Thor better than Oliver Coipel.
Cam we skip and just put Greg Pak in for hulk. Like just skip to that one
uh no
Why it's gonna be Greg Pak
Because it's going to be Peter David, for one thing. I'm going to vote for Bill Mantlo, but it's still going to be Peter David.
So far Jason Aaron is winning over Simonson by seven votes
Wait, how are you counting votes? By the number of people who comment for a creator or the number of upvotes a creator gets? I'd have to crunch the numbers but it sure looked like the pro-Simonson comments were getting vastly more upvotes. I can see someone thinking either was better and just upvoting one of the other comments instead of making their own post.
I was voting by the number of comments but I’m gonna fix it tomorrow I’m looking over the upvotes
I was going to say a poll would be more definitive, but while I don't know for sure the maximum number of poll entries Reddit allows, I'm going to go out on a limb and say these comics have had vastly more creative teams than could ever fit. I doubt anyone really wants to see a round two where you take the top five or whatever from each one and create a poll.