by Elizabeth Madsen, Reviews

Perhaps it wasn’t much of a question that Thor would be so successful with Kenneth Branagh at the directing wheel, but to have a magazine created based solely on this movie definitely shows how good it is. Aimed at all ages, this magazine serves as an introduction into the beautiful branch of Thor’s place in the Marvel Universe. Whether or not you’ve been a fan of Thor since the beginning, joined our Norse god along the way, or if you’re new to the hero, this magazine will tell you what you need to know about both the movie and the comic books to enjoy his story.

The magazine starts off with short character biographies, introducing us to the main heroes and villains. Although brief, each bio gives enough information to get a good feel for each person, their role, and a bit of how they fit into the universe. It’s a quick recap for anyone whose knowledge of Thor has gotten rusty, and a great introduction for anyone who has already seen the movie (or who is getting ready to).

Interviews and articles fill several pages with insight into each of the characters and what the actors brought to their role. Jaime Alexander, who plays Sif, was quite the comic book lover while growing up, and she jumped at the chance to be able to play a superhero. Tom Hiddleston, as Loki, researched his character in both the comic book history and in Norse mythology. Who knew! Kenneth Branagh himself also answers some questions about what it was like to work on the movie and what he hoped to bring to the Marvel universe with his vision of the worlds and costuming.

For those who haven’t followed Thor in comic books much or at all are also in luck! Provided in this issue is a timeline of significant events that have happened since Thor’s introduction into the Marvel Universe in August 1962. You can meet the various aliases Thor has gone by, some of his friends he met along the way, and some of the momentous battles with enemies Hercules, the fire demon Surtur, and the one started by Loki that ultimately led to the formation of the Avengers.

Scattered throughout the magazine is several beautiful images of the concept art that helped form the realms of Asgard and Jotunheim, as well as the looks of the characters. There are the occasional storyboards as well, showing how some of the more intense scenes were captured before filming even began. Alongside the concept art are several still images from the movie itself of the main heroes and villains.

A wide variety of puzzles offer some additional entertainment. A word search that is surprisingly harder than I had anticipated, a crossword puzzle and some trivia that require a near thorough read-through of the magazine to know every answer, a quiz to find out which of our Asgardian heroes you’re most like, and so many more, which are fun and actually provide a challenge.

To top things off is a brief account of about the first two-thirds of the film, accompanied by photos. It’s located near the back, and gives a spoiler warning in case you haven’t seen the movie yet, you can skip right past it and not have to worry about how the film is going to end.

Overall, this magazine was very enjoyable. Aimed at all ages, but entertaining for everyone, there is hardly a dull moment while scouring all 96 pages for tidbits of information you may not have even realized you wanted to know. Between the interviews, articles, puzzles, comics, and artwork, you can lose yourself in the world of Asgard and follow along with Thor without ever having to have picked up one of the comics, or even see the movie.

ComicsOnline gives the Thor magazine 5 warriors of Asgard out of 5.

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