Writer: Ty Templeton Artists: Derec Aucoin(p), Walden Wong(i), Rick Taylor(c) Publisher: Marvel
Plot: Thor's brother comes home, but love hurts.
Ty Templeton takes a different approach with Thor. He allows superb Avengers United They Stand artist Derec Aucoin to clue in the reader to the differences between Thunder God and scientific marvel and merely speaks when he feels it necessary. That necessity arrives when characterization becomes critical.
Because of the premise, it seems that anybody with a good build can portray Thor, but Mr. Templeton shows through Don Jolson's words and deeds, he is the only person who deserves to be Thor. Notice also how Mr. Templeton deepens the issue of identity by relying superficially upon the Superman/Clark Kent schism to which Lois always seemed oblivious. He shows a different trained investigator--a hottie to boot thanks to Mr. Aucoin--missing what seems to be the obvious, but the way in which Thor is portrayed actually makes Officer Stone's blindness more understandable.
The ruse is that Thor is a Thunder God and immortal--though in actuality a legacy. He does look different when out of uniform because Thor is not merely a man in a costume--it looks more like battle gear. His speech as Thor accented with the "thees" and "thous" and "have at thees" further dissuades her from the truth. That Thor expects her to see through him and explicitly wonders why she has yet to tumble onto the secret indicates how the characters feel about each other. Thor respects her. He respects her intellect.
Mr. Templeton also has fun placing Thor and Marvel myths into the context of his new universe. Asgard becomes the base of operations. Loki rears his ugly head in all but name, and Mr. Templeton only slightly tweaks the more familiar Thor's origin to provide the basis for the science fiction Thunder God.
Derec Aucoin naturally animates the proceedings, but he provides also visual characterization. For example, observe how our Jennifer brushes back her hair when facing the Thunder God. The technology of Asgard is distinctive, and the operator--Uru-- moves with a body language all her own. Mr. Aucoin delights in amending the trademarks of the Marvel universe. He duplicates the startling--but now cozy--SHIELD entrance. He brings out the bearded Thor, and makes "Loki" an illustrative as well as a characteristic weasel.
