Fraction takes on Thor in 2010

Verily, this Free Comic Book Day, Matt Fraction and John Romita team for an Iron Man/Thor one-shot, and then Fraction takes over the ongoing. We would have words with them, but we can’t.

Matt Fraction is one of the biggest writers working at Marvel Comics today, he’s writing X-Men, he’s writing Iron Man, and now… he’s taking over Thor. He’s written the character before, in a series of 4 incredibly metal one-shots and the 3-issue Secret Invasion mini-series, but in May he gets a proper go, as he and John Romita Jr release an Iron Man/Thor FCBD one-shot, which of course teams the two heroes and film stars (Iron Man 2 will be out in Theaters around the same time). After that, Fraction moves onto the ongoing with #610, alongside a yet to be revealed artist. This news was broken by the LA Times , and they had a little interview with Fraction where he discusses his approach to the God Of Thunder.

There was one run– Walt Simonson’s– that I thought hung the moon but,
weirdly enough, the character wasn’t a favorite particularly beyond
what Walt did. And then, as an adult, a few years ago, I was at a
friend’s house and saw a Kirby/Giacoia original Thor page on his wall
and… and it was like an array of lock tumblers just clicked into
place in my head. Like — the art, the character, the myth, the
potential — the whole thing came to me in a weird revelation. I got
obsessed with the character because for the first time I felt like I
figured out, I sort of innately understood, just what you could do with
Thor. How big it was, what the potential was, what the book was
really, or could really, be about. For the first time I knew what Thor
meant. Believe it or not, this is just one of several
completely insane-sounding stories that have happened to me
regarding Thor since I fell into the big guy’s orbit. I’ve reconciled
myself with just buying the ticket, taking the ride, and sounding like
a mental patient until I’m done.

I’m most excited about getting off of Earth. There are nine worlds in
the Norse cosmology, sort of, and lately the book has been spending a
lot of time here in Midgard sweet Midgard. I want to take these
amazing people, these characters that are so known and loved (at least
amongst the pages of THOR), and take ’em up and down the world
tree. And beyond! Hell, why stop at just our world tree? I’ve said too much.

I’m excited about this one, I’ve never been a big Thor fan, I like him on The Avengers, but as a solo hero… meh, but Fraction’s one-shots and SI mini were brilliant, and since the first taste is free… I think I’m buying Thor. Any thoughts on who the secret artist is? Patrick Zircher? Dougie Braithwaite? Walt Simonson?

Here’s Romita’s cover for the FCBD book: