Thor is on the precipice of a new era, and his main book is being relaunched under an exciting new title. Writer Al Ewing reinvented the Hulk's mythos through his critically acclaimed run of Immortal Hulk. He also made his mark on Marvel's Norse pantheon via the fan-favorite Loki: Agent of Asgard series. Now it seems that elements of both are coalescing into a new series, reportedly titled Immortal Thor.

Several of Marvel Comics' solicitations for August 2023 were leaked this week, and writer Luka N. Garay was seemingly the first to discover the news on Immortal Thor. Al Ewing and Martín Cóccolo will head up the book's creative team, and the plot teased maintains a heavy cryptic vibe: "In Norse myths they called him Thunderer. Vuer has he been called, and Hloriddi. The Gods know him as Asgard's King, keeper of Mjolnir, hero of the tales. When injustice grips the Earth and ancient powers bring down the sky, he fights for those who cannot--and when the tale is done, we will know what that cost him." Alex Ross' cover for issue one, promising Thor's rebirth was also shared alongside variant covers from Francis Manapul, Stonehouse, Peach Momoko, and interior previews from Cóccolo. Three out of these four covers show Thor in his original Jack Kirby design, teasing classic influences on this new arc.

Thor Gets The 'Immortal Hulk' Treatment in New Book

Of course, Ewing does not have ownership over the "Immortal" title descriptor. Notably, Danny Rand has claimed the title role of The Immortal Iron Fist nearly 20 years ago. Much more recently, Ewing's colleague in Marvel's X-Office Kieron Gillen is well into penning the second year of the hit series Immortal X-Men. However, since Ewing is the writer for both Immortal Hulk and Immortal Thor, it would not be surprising if there was some shared DNA between the two books, either in terms of characters, plot, or central themes. The grander cosmology of the Marvel Universe is a lane that Ewing enjoys operating in, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Thor may end up visiting the Place Below All, the King in Black's Cosmic Engine, or the realms of the Beyonders.

The Immortal Thor relaunch comes hot off the heels of the conclusion to the tumultuous Thor series by Donny Cates, Nic Klein and Torunn Grønbekk about Thor's new role as All-Father. Though unforeseen circumstances disrupted the storytelling, the series remained an interesting new direction for the Thunder God following his tenure under Jason Aaron. In fact, the finale of this series is shaping up to be a time-bending spectacle featuring Doctor Doom, Hela, Laussa, Bor, Thanos, and a mysterious new Infinity Stone. It's unclear how the fallout of this arc will impact Immortal Thor, but Ewing has a knack for weaving established continuity in with his own new takes.

The real question at the center of the new title to Thor's main book is obviously immortality. The other notable recent "Immortal" titles have shown both the Hulk and the X-Men have their own twist on immortality. But contrary to his status as a deity, Asgardians, even All-Fathers, die. In fact, Odin's death has played a key role in Thor stories of late. It remains to be seen what is going to make Thor immortal, but it is certain to shake up his story forevermore.

Immortal Thor #1 will be available from Marvel Comics in August 2023.

Source: Luka N. Garay