Thor: Rebirth (Comics) | Review

The Asgardian God of Thunder faces his greatest challenge and most monumental task when writer J. Michael Straczynski (Amazing Spider-Man: Book of Ezekiel, Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home) resurrects the character after years of absence from Marvel Universe following his death during the catastrophic Ragnarok event.

This is Thor breaking free from the endless cycle of Ragnarok, reuniting with his mortal host Don Blake and rebuilding his entire kingdom in rural Oklahoma while confronting heroes who violated his trust during his absence. The stakes have never felt more personal or grounded.

The story launches the 2007 Thor series following the character's death during the Ragnarok storyline where Thor destroyed the Loom of the Norns to break the cycle of endless rebirth. While Thor remained dead, Civil War erupted and Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Hank Pym created Ragnarok, a cyborg clone using Thor's DNA.

The clone killed Goliath during battle, creating a wound that cannot be easily healed. Artist Olivier Coipel (Avengers Vs. X-Men, House of M) returns to Marvel with career-defining work that establishes Asgard as a tangible, breathing location rather than a fantasy backdrop.

Thor awakens in the void of death, summoned back to life by Don Blake who finds Mjolnir embedded in solid rock outside a small Oklahoma town and transforms back into the physician who once hosted the Thunder God's power decades ago before the two were separated and lived entirely different lives across the long years.

The God of Thunder immediately seeks out his fellow Asgardians who have been reincarnated into human bodies across Earth with no memory of their true identities or divine heritage, forcing Thor to search the entire planet for his scattered people one by one.

Thor locates the Warriors Three trapped in mortal forms in war-torn African nations where Fandral serves as a humble relief worker, Hogun fights as a dedicated freedom fighter resisting oppression and Volstagg exists as a factory worker barely surviving on meager wages in brutal conditions with no memory of his former glory.

He finds Heimdall reborn as a man in New Orleans still recovering from Hurricane Katrina's devastation, using his innate abilities to protect his community without understanding why he possesses such gifts or where they originated from in the first place.

Thor rebuilds Asgard not in some distant realm but directly above Broxton, Oklahoma, a small town of approximately fifteen hundred residents who wake up one morning to find a golden city floating in the sky above their homes with no explanation and no understanding of what divine forces have descended upon their community.

The God of Thunder confronts Tony Stark in a brutal beatdown that tears Iron Man's armor apart piece by piece, demanding answers for why Stark created a clone using Thor's genetic material without permission and used it to kill Bill Foster during the superhero Civil War.

Loki returns reborn in a female body, immediately scheming to manipulate events from the shadows while pretending to help Thor rebuild Asgard and restore the Asgardian race to its former glory through careful planning and deception that spans multiple storylines.

Balder becomes a major focus as Thor searches desperately for him, eventually discovering his half-brother reincarnated in a new mortal body that makes Balder's eventual rule of Asgard a significant plot point that pays off in later issues written by Kieron Gillen (Dark Avengers: Ares, Star Wars: Ashes of Jedha) during the Siege event.

Thor takes the Odin-Sleep and battles Surtur alongside his deceased father Odin in the realm of the dead, confronting family legacy and the heavy burden of godhood while defending the World Tree from complete destruction by fire demons and ancient primordial evil.

Straczynski explores how ordinary Broxton citizens react to having Norse gods as neighbors in their small community, with some embracing the economic opportunities and tourism while others fear the cosmic threats and supernatural dangers that will inevitably follow Asgard wherever it appears in the universe or on Earth.

The arc sets up future storylines including Loki's manipulation of Bor leading to Thor's banishment from Asgard, the eventual Siege of Asgard by Norman Osborn's forces and the foundation for Thor's relationship with the mortal world that defines modern Thor comics.

Olivier Coipel delivers career-defining pencils that make Asgard feel like a real location constructed from stone and metal rather than fantasy concept art. His Thor radiates divine power and physical presence, towering over mortals while maintaining expressive facial work during quieter and intimate character moments.

Mark Morales' inks add weight without obscuring Coipel's detailed linework, creating a style that balances mythological grandeur with realism. The reconstruction of Asgard showcases impressive architectural design that feels ancient and otherworldly without becoming cluttered.

Straczynski treats the cast as an ensemble rather than focusing solely on Thor, giving significant page time to supporting Asgardians and Broxton residents who react realistically to divine neighbors. The pacing unfolds slowly, prioritizing character development and world-building over action sequences or villain confrontations.

The confrontation between Thor and Iron Man delivers brutal satisfaction for readers still processing Civil War's controversial outcomes. Straczynski makes Thor's rage feel earned, showing how creating a clone without consent cuts deeper than any wound Tony could inflict.

Rebirth succeeds as a fresh starting point for Thor that honors decades of continuity and rich mythology while making the character accessible to new readers discovering the Thunder God for the first time through this well-crafted run that balances nostalgia with innovation.

Straczynski's decision to place Asgard in Oklahoma creates fascinating storytelling opportunities that explore how ordinary people process the presence of living gods walking among them and shopping at local diners and interacting with everyday citizens. The small-town setting grounds the mythological elements in tangible reality.

Coipel's artwork alone justifies reading this arc, delivering visuals that capture both the epic scale of divine beings and the intimate moments of Thor reconnecting with lost friends. His Asgard feels like a location readers could physically visit rather than vague fantasy architecture.

This run directly influences Marvel's Thor film and establishes story elements that continue paying off for years including Loki's scheming, the Siege of Asgard and Thor's complex relationship with Earth that remains central to the character today.

Thor: Rebirth collects Thor #1-12 and Thor: God-Sized Special in physical Thor by J. Michael Straczynski trade paperbacks, hardcover and the complete JMS omnibus. For digital readers, the run is available on Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited.