Thor #1, written by Donny Cates, with art by Nic Klein, and colors by Matthew Wilson, has the unenviable task of following one of the best runs ever for the Odinson. Jason Aaron set the bar high with his beyond-epic story of heroes and worthiness. Donny Cates, however, seems to know no fear. In his relatively short time at Marvel, he has successfully tackled the likes of Thanos, Venom, Doctor Strange, the Inhumans, and The Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor seems to be the next character he’s set his sights on. Cates brings his signature confidence to this book and hits the ground running with cosmic concepts and an entirely new mission for the newly-crowned King of Asgard.

Aaron left Thor on a nigh-final note, having him take over his father’s throne, and even skipping ahead to the end of the universe to show the readers Odinson’s final acts of heroism. This left the next writer a bit of a box to write himself out of. How do you walk back Thor being the king of Asgard, and being as powerful as Odin? Cates’ answer? You don’t. You just give him something bigger to fight. In that regard, Cates succeeds in continuing the story without really undoing anything, and respectfully moves forward with his own story.

Showing Thor to be a bored king, who is nonplussed by the political elements of his job, and longs for battle seems to be right in line with the character readers know. Cates delves into what being king would actually be like for someone who has always been a god of action, but he doesn’t linger too long on the woes of his hero being a reluctant leader. By the end of the book, a new mission statement and purpose are given to the god of thunder, and it’s a big enough story hook that it would be hard for anyone to not want to pick up the next issue.

Klein’s art fits perfectly into the world of Asgard. He definitely has a strength for fantasy elements, but when Cates injects some cosmic flavor into the issue, Klein doesn’t miss a beat. That’s good news, considering the direction the book seems to be taking. Wilson’s color palette is equally as fitting for this story, especially shining on any page with Thor letting loose his god-powered lightning. Hopefully, the powers-that-be will hold onto this art team for the foreseeable future.

Overall, if you were worried Marvel wouldn’t have anything up their sleeve after Aaron left his Mjolnir-sized mark on this book, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Cates is bringing it big-time, and he’s not the least bit boxed in by Aaron’s ending. If you’ve been enjoying his work on Venom, this is a little bit different flavor, but it’s just as ambitious. Big ideas and unexpected directions are what Cates does best, and he’s off to a great start with issue number one of Thor.

Grade: A+