COMIC BOOKS: Thor: God of Hammers

Aug. 6—Mjolnir.

Thor's hammer.

Only one who is worthy of the power of Thor can wield the hammer.

In the first Marvel Thor story, mild-mannered Dr. Donald Blake found a walking stick after losing his cane. When he struck the stick on the ground, the stick transformed into Mjolnir and turned Blake into Thor.

In the latest Thor movie, "Love and Thunder," Thor talks to his former hammer, hoping it is not jealous of his new weapon, Stormbreaker.

Several years ago, in the comics, Mjolnir deemed Thor unworthy. Thor could not lift Mjolnir. Like in the movie, Jane Foster was deemed worthy and became the Mighty Thor.

Writer Donny Cates has already taken readers on a wild ride during his Thor run. Thor became the herald of Galactus. He has had to face his former alter ego, the now corrupted shade of Donald Blake, who disappeared from the comics decades ago.

In "God of Hammers," Cates and artist Nic Klein pit Thor against Mjolnir personified. And Mjolnir is not happy, especially with Thor. So brutal is Mjolnir's attack that Thor, now the king of Asgard, must recruit the help of his father, Odin, and several other Marvel heroes.

It is an epic bit of storytelling that again proves that Cates is a dynamic storyteller finding new paths for characters who have been featured in hundreds of adventures during the past 60-plus years.

"God of Hammers" also features several short Thor stories featuring numerous writers and artists.