Written by contributor Verushka Byrow
Thor: Metal Gods is a space adventure, filled with the sort of characterisation that made everything so much better.
There is no mention of the Avengers and Thor still has Mjölnir, although he’s still frenemies with Loki. I’ve yet to figure out what the word is for brother/enemy to fit these two. I think the best way to describe Metal Gods is that it made me excited to read/listen to something about Thor and Loki instead of weary (because the movies tended to his the same notes between these two).
But, back to the story. It all begins with Loki and a crown
There’s nothing quite like Loki the rock star in the 1980s no less, which is where this story begins. He’s the lead guitarist in a band and he gives his lead singer Sylvain (AKA Nihilator) a crown and things go downhill from there. Why? Well before Loki stole the crown from Thor, it belonged to the people of a world that kinda no longer exists. And, as a result, the true power of the crown has been forgotten.
Then there’s Thor who answers a call from an old friend, Horangi, who is a tiger-goddess and is not awed by Thor in the slightest. However, she means enough to him that when she calls and asks for his help, he will answer — and get taken to an intergalactic K-Pop concert. I’m not even kidding.
And there, Thor discovers Nihilator, still wearing the crown, which he recognises as belonging to him, and which should be locked away in Asgard’s treasury. According to Horangi, that means Thor is is the reason her people from Korea are being brought to this world against their will. She may have been in self-exile, but her people matter to her, and she will do everything she can to protect them. Destroying the crown, she argues, is Thor’s responsibility.
Horangi is the kind of no bullshit character that gleefully puts Thor in his place, and who Thor respects. She is powerful in her own way, and a fearsome fighter — which he can respect too.
However, when the concert gets out of control, Thor and Horangi find themselves on a ship called the Orlando, in the company of the captain, Zia and her crew.
Their first order of business? Find Loki, before they can get the crown back.
Loki is the thread that brings everything together, showing the scope of this story. It’s with Thor though, the push and pull of their relationship, their arguments, and how they know each other so well that the character shines.
And that’s where this world begins to expand wonderfully
I adored learning about the crew and listening to Thor and Horangi interact with them. They are a motley bunch, but they work well together, and have formed their own family — frost giants included. I appreciated that while Thor and Loki might be the more familiar and main characters in this story, the authors have created complex secondary characters around them. And included in this crew, is Skarra, a citizen of Miskandar, the city that gifted Thor their crown.
The beauty of this tale is how each part revealed something new about the overall story, and gave Thor the chance to be more. He learns of the consequences of his actions on Miskandar, where he thought he was quelling a rebellion and was gifted with a crown as thanks. The doubt it creates in him is something that always makes me sit up and pay attention because Thor is all about confidence — in himself and his hammer and something big is the only thing that will take it away from him.
Like Loki, who takes both away by telling him the truth.
That means Thor is forced to question his actions, and that he was so wrapped up in being the Mighty Thor, he didn’t think what his actions would mean to a planet of people. Metal Gods forces Thor to reckon with his assumptions and what he realises is how blind he has been.
While Thor is undergoing a crisis, it means it’s up to Loki to save the day, to the something more than just the trickster, because there are some electric fight scenes in this, and Loki is front and centre — AND I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Valkyries — who 10000000% need their own movie and/or book series like this.
The brothers’ relationship comes to the forefront as well because only Loki would know Thor well enough to hurt him, but also save him as well. In addition, there are other relationships that Loki has had, like for instance with Zia, that shows him in a different light — to us and Thor.
And what about the crown?
That’s the beauty of Thor’s world: the impossible is possible, and you’re only limited by your imagination when it comes to serials (or books) in Thor’s world. So what starts as a story about a crown that seems to control way to many people? Turns into something different — it’s. SO. DAMN. GOOD.
I should have posted updates after I finished each part but really, when I was listening, I was absorbed in the story — so apologies to @serialboxpub — I got completely swept up in this serial!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A space adventure on an epic scale, Marvel’s Thor: Metal Gods propels Thor and Loki on a quest to recover a dangerous alien artifact. Together with a Korean tiger-goddess, a charismatic, gender-fluid space pirate, and Frost Giant mercenaries, the sons of Odin must each confront their pasts and face the truth behind the destruction of a planet that Thor once tried to help. Tinged with humor, celestial horror, complex relationships, space battles, barroom brawls, and blasts of sheer fun.
