Thor comics Reading Order/Buying Guide aka I want to know about Thor where do I start?
Ok, so I have seen a lot of people ask about where to start reading if they’re interested in Thor with Marvel comics. This is going to be my suggested reading order/buying guide and is basically how I delved into them myself. As of a year ago, all I knew about Marvel’s comic Thor was what I absorbed through 90s cartoons and Marvel collectible trading cards, and now I am one of those people who can rattle off issue numbers.
I’m probably missing a few things, this is honestly what I read in order to try and get myself up to speed. I’m linking to Amazon just because it’s easy to find them there. If you want to try and find digital copies, I’ve included the issue names and numbers. The fact that I do actually own all of the things I have listed on this guide is one of the perks of being an adult with a full time job lol
And if you have any questions, please feel me to ask me. I love talking about Thor. I really do.
Thor has been a Marvel character for 50 years. I know that seems daunting, but luckily with Thor, there’s a much more recent place in his comics canon that works as an awesome jumping off point. Marvel killed off Thor by having Loki start Ragnarok. This was set up as an endless series of death and rebirth that powered freaky space gods, which Thor learned about. He was not pleased to be the power source of freaky space gods, nor did he take kindly to death meaning nothing to the Aesir if they’re just going to come back again. So he breaks them from the Ragnarok cycle. Everyone on Asgard is dead. The end. All of this can be read in Avengers Disassembled:Thor if you are at all interested in reading that.
Important things to remember while reading Thor comics
1.) Loki has always known he was a frost giant and adopted
2.) Thor and Loki are actual gods, none of this MCU space alien bullshit. They have been alive for a countless amount of time
THIS READING GUIDE IS UP TO DATE AS OF FEBRUARY 22, 2015
START HERE
Thor by J. Michael Stracyznski - What people refer to as the JMS run of Thor and generally considered one of the best as well. You can either get it in the three individual volumes - which you can find as Thor vol 1, Thor vol 2, and Thor vol 3 - or as a shiny hardcover omnibus. Why is this a good starting point? Because Thor comes back from the dead. Covers Fantastic Four #536-537, Thor #1-12 and Thor #600-603
Thor: Kieron Gillen collecton - contains Thor #604-614, Siege: Loki. Read Thor #604-606, then move on to reading Siege. When done Siege, come back to read Thor #607-#614 and Siege: Loki.
Siege - this is a big Marvel crossover event, but it’s very important to Thor and Loki. You’re not gonna get the full story but you need to read it anyway - Siege #1-4
Thor: the World Eaters - Thor #615-620.1, 621 - Kid Loki makes his debut here
Thor the movie comes out, we all rejoice. Marvel decides to start off with a fresh issue #1 for Thor thanks to it
The Mighty Thor vol 1 - you want the ones by Matt Fraction. The Mighty Thor #1-6
Fear Itself - another big Marvel event. I didn’t particularly like it, but it’s good to read because Thor is pretty much the star of the thing and it gives context to the stuff that happens in Mighty Thor and Journey into Mystery. Fear Itself #1-7
Journey into Mystery: Fear Itself - Journey into Mystery #622-626
Now, things get a little jumbled because Fear Itself and Journey into Mystery were released concurrently as their single issues came out, and then later the Mighty Thor and Journey into Mystery were, so there’s some overlap and back tracking you gotta do reading the trades. WeaponizedWit has created a MTM/JiM suggested reading order for the issues which is based on the publication order. A different reading order can be found here by katbelleinthedark based on the chronological events of the story. Take your pick of the two. I read them as they were published, but a more chronological order may work for you.
Journey into Mystery: Fear Itself Fallout - Journey into Mystery #626.1, 627-631
The Mighty Thor vol 2 - TMT #7-12, Fear Itself #7.2: Thor
Journey into Mystery vol 3: The Terrorism Myth - JiM #632-636
JiM/New Mutants crossover story Exiled - Exiled #1, JiM #637, New Mutants #42, JiM #638, New Mutants #43, JiM #638
Journey into Mystery: The Manchester Gods - Journey into Mystery #639-641
The Mighty Thor volume 3 - The Mighty Thor #12.1 - I especially love this one since it’s an out of storyline story about some of the actual Norse myths involving Thor and Loki, The Mighty Thor #13-17
TMT/JiM crossover event that makes me want to cry a lot Everything Burns - TMT#18, JiM #642, TMT #19, JiM #643, TMT #20, JiM #644, TMT #21, JiM #645, TMT#22 - this has no w been collected into a single trade
JiM #645 is the last issue of JiM that starred Kid Loki and that was written by Gillen. The Mighty Thor ended completely with #22.
Gillen’s complete Journey into Mystery run can now be purchased in full in two volumes
Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen - continues Loki’s story after the events of JiM. Is complete, you will need issues #1-15, has been collected into three separate trade volumes -1, 2, and 3
All New Marvel Now Point One - features the Loki: Agent of Asgard intro story
Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron - #1-25 total, this series just ended recently. Volume 2 and volume 3, volume 4, and the entire God Butcher arc has now been released in one omnibus volume. This is a really lovely book with a lot of great Thor writing and breathtaking artwork from Esad Ribic.
Original Sin - Marvel event by Jason Aaron. Sort of all over the place, all about Uatu the Watcher being murdered and people’s dirty laundry being aired. Issues #0-8
Thor and Loki: the Tenth Realm - Original Sin mini tie in starring Thor and Loki, 5 issues long. Issues #1-5, also numbered as Original Sin 5.1 - 5.5
Axis - Marvel crossover event. Heavily features Loki. It is by Rick Remender. It is seriously shit but you’ll have to read it to understand what is going on with Loki and Thor after the events of Original Sin.
Thor also features prominently in Avengers written by Jonathan Hickman, which is currently ongoing. Volume 1, 2, 3, and 4 - There was also a large Marvel wide event called Infinity that ties directly into this comic. It has some awesome Thor moments as well - Infinity - Note you will need to read Avengers, New Avengers also written by Hickman, and Infinity to understand this plot line. It’s the way Hickman writes and while I like it, I admit it is super dense. New Avengers is a great read if you like Namor fyi
Loki: Agent of Asgard by Al Ewing - Loki’s currently running solo book. First issue was pretty enjoyable, second issue was bad, third issue was enjoyable, 4th issue was bad, 5th issue was great. This is an uneven book but it’s managed to not piss me off too much - volume 1 currently available, issue #11 just came out
Thor - Jason Aaron with art by Russell Dauterman. Currently released up to issue #5. This is the bullshit book with bullshit replacement “Thor”. I am not happy about this. Actual Thor is also in this book, but so far it’s been a clusterfuck of serious OOC Thor writing which I do not understand because Aaron’s previous Thor work was so good.
Angela: Asgard’s Assassin - by Kieron Gillen, Marguerite Bennett, Phil Jimenez, and Stephanie Hans. This is about Angela from Angela POV, Thor and Loki’s long lost sister, and is a weird cookie as Angela hates them and thus the Thor writing especially in this book makes him super OOC and evil but I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt that’s because it’s Angela POV and thus she is an unreliable narrator.
Do not read Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender, It is shit
Books I recommend that are Alternate Universes out of the main 616 timeline
The Trials of Loki - Loki #1-4. Excellent myth based Loki stories
Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers Loki #1-4, by Rob Rodi. A future what if AU that essentially stabs you in the heart repeatedly and leaves you curled up in a ball of painful Loki feels.
Thor the Mighty Avenger - completely new retelling of how Thor ended up on Midgard. Absolutely fucking precious and adorable and wonderful and I am so pissed Marvel cancelled it. Features the only Jane Foster I actually like.
Thor: Season One - another one volume retelling of Thor’s origin story that is really well done and has a lot of good Thor and Loki as brothers interaction
In the main timeline but takes place before JMS and you should still read it there are no excuses
Thor by Walt Simonson - this is an omnibus, yes it is pricey and yes it is huge but it contains the entire Simonson run of Thor which is really THE classic Thor series to read if you want to delve into the older comics. Thor #337-355, #357-369, #371-382, Balder the Brave #1-4. This run also features the introduction of Malekith.
Simonson’s run is pretty amazing and definitely worth a read.
The entire Ultimate universe is problematic, but if you really love Thor and Loki being FUCKED UP CODEPENDANT
Seriously, Marvel’s “Ultimate” universe, Earth 1610, is fucked up and terrible and problematic I am not at all joking about this, but hoooooooo boy are the Thor and Loki in it crazy fucked up about each other.
Ultimate Comics Thor - Ultimate Thor’s origin story. I actually tend to like anything Hickman writes, so his stuff is the best to be found in the Ultimate universe.
Ultimate Comics the Ultimates: Thor Reborn - this is a clusterfuck but god damn is Loki’s thirst real in this.
Ultimates Comics Ultimates 1 and Ultimates 2 - Again Hickman’s stuff is the best in the Ultimate universe
as provided by littlelostsock
Thor movie annotations - provides background detail for things that are different in the comics vs the movie. Things in the comics can be QUITE different from the MCU version.
xparrot’s guide to Kid Loki - looks like they summarize all of the events leading up to Kid Loki and then what happens afterwards. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t read the JMS run, but if things during Siege get confusing this may help you out.
The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland - my personal fave Norse mythology book because it’s really nice read. This is helpful for when things pop up in fandom and you’re left going “Why are people writing about Loki being pregnant as a canon thing?” Myth version versus Marvel can be quite different, but the stories are all interesting.
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