I didn't dislike this volume but I'd have to say the Generations comic is the highlight here. As fun as the main comic is, the main plot gets put on hold, for a side story about Volstagg when he finds the Ultimate universe's Mjolnir and becomes the War Thor. It's interesting enough to hold my attention but I'm eager for the climax. Don't worry! The major war is coming to the ten realms thanks to the machinations of Malekith and Loki. Just not in this volume.

And then what will happen to our hero, Jane Foster? ( )

When Volstagg witnessess the murder of helpless children as the result of the war of the realms, his rage calls a darker version of Mjolnir, which transforms him into the War Thor. Mighty Thor and Odinson must then team up to keep the War Thor from destroying all the realms in his quest to end the conflict. Also included in the volume is a timey wimey one-off where Mighty Thor travels back in time and teams up with Thor before he ever picked up Mjolnir and they defend some Vikings from a familiar enemy.

I continue to really love this story arc and Jane's struggle to decide whether to give up her humanity entirely and just become Thor makes for fascinating character development. Plus there's all the usual superhero action, which is fun in its own way. ( )

Dario Agger, the Minotaur who runs Roxxon, makes a deal with King Malekith of Svartalfheim, a dark sorcerer elf who wants the ice giant's skull that Agger has. Odin has given control of the Destroyer, Asgardia's most powerful weapon, to his evil brother Cul Borson to use it to seek out Thor and find out her identity and bring the hammer back to Asgardia. Freya is not happy about this, nor is the man now known as Odinson who has a list of names of people he knows who could be Thor and is going around trying to cross them off. On top of the list is S.H.I.E.L.D agent Roz Solomon who hasn't been seen in a while and has a beef with Roxxon. While he hunts down people from the list he finds out that Dr. Jane Foster, his former lover, is dying from cancer. Thor goes to Roxxon to try to stop the deal Agger and Malekith is making but gets interrupted by Destroyer. She takes Destroyer down under the island to protect the innocents. At one time Destroyer gets a hold of Mjolnir and Thor has to fight to get it back. But when Freya finds out what has happened she goes to Odinson and plans to head down to help Thor by herself. But Odinson knows some people who would be willing to help a fellow female. And a group of women including Scarlet Witch, Brunnhilde, Karnilla, Hildegarde, Spider-Woman, and Captain Marvel. Jane is dying from cancer because she is acting as Thor.

Now, Thor has formed the League of Realms because the Council has refused to act when King Malekith of Svartlfheim invaded the land of the Light Elves and took their Queen prisoner. Included among the League are Thor, Sif, Warrior Goddess of Asgard, Sir Ivory Honeyshot, a royal knight of the light elves of Alfhiem, Screwbeard, of the Dynamite Dwarves of Nidaellir, Angela, a renegade angel exiled from Heaven, Ud, the troll, Ro Bloodroot, the wood wizard of Vanheim, Titanya Vaetilda Viinnsuvius, of the mountain giants of Jotunheim, and Roz Solomon, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. of Midgard. They go into there to rescue the Queen but wind up facing something brought there by King Malekith. A creature that is indestructible.

Later, Cul is threatening Jane's position on the council since she is missing meetings. But there's only one person he hates more than Jane and that's the new Thor. The Shi'Ar have attacked Asgard in an attempt to get Thor and they have succeeded. The two gods of the Shi'Ar wish to put Thor to a challenge to who is better and if Thor does not go through with the challenge three Shi'Ar ships will blast Earth to bits. The first is to get as many prayers as possible using a natural disaster so the Shi'Ar gods cause a huge tidal wave to hit the biggest city thereby causing people to turn to the gods in their grief. But Thor leaps down and stops the tidal wave from landing and gets all of the prayers.

Meanwhile, Lady Sif and the others have gone to Cul to demand that he send troops after Thor to get her back. It takes some convincing and some shots to his manhood, but he agrees and they go after her and attack the Shi'Ar bringing the Destroyer to help. The gods have had enough and send out the ultimate judgment for Earth which is the Phoenix Force and the only thing that a possibly control it is Quentin Quire, omega level telepath and reluctant X-Man who is taking a vacation on Krakoa. Can they stop the Phoenix Force and the gods that unleashed it?

I really liked this comic because of the characters it had in it. I adore, of course, the Phoenix, but also Quentin and the Shi'Ar are always interesting to see. Cul is becoming more dangerous to the Council but there are still those who are fighting him and no one has seen Freya or Odin in a long while. Not since Freya got seriously hurt. And the Council needs to act to what King Malekith is doing soon before he takes over the nine realms. He's already done one and they've done nothing. It's like Hitler going into Austria and Czechoslovakia and no one doing anything until he went into Poland. What will be the realm that will be the one that gets the council to act? And will it be too late? I do have to shout out to the artists as the artwork is amazing and the colors are glorious. This was a great book and I give it five out of five stars. ( )

My biggest problem with Jason Aaron's Thor run is I just don't understand the tone. Is it over-the-top camp or serious melodrama? Is it an action comedy or a tragic drama? Goofy jokes and cheesy gags intermingle with war crimes and cancer storylines in a balance that leaves me confused and uneasy. I'm not sure I'll come back for more in the future. Or at least not until I've heard the big story has reached some sort of conclusion. ( )

Jane Foster is trying to deal with her mortality and the temptation not to put down the hammer. She's trying to get Thor Odinson to understand why she has done what she has done. Meanwhile Malekith is encouraging war between the worlds and when some delegates to go help the Dwarves, Volstaag is consumed by vengeance when some Elven children are killed while he tries to save them. He becomes War Thor and goes on a rampage. He has to be stopped but how to reason with someone who has nothing left.

It's interesting to see how Jane thinks first and then smashes, but is not unwilling to fight if she has to, it's also interesting to see the temptation coming back to the character.

I enjoyed it. ( )