Thor #13 // Review
Cul Borson, brother of Odin, and uncle of Thor gets the spotlight in Thor #13, written by Jason Aaron, with art by Mike Del Mundo, and colors by Del Mundo and Marco D’alfonso. Previously, Cul could be classified as a villain, even attempting to take the throne of Asgard from his own family. After his death and resurrection, however, he had a change of heart. Or, at the very least, he saw the value in family. Still, he had some lessons to learn about doing the right thing. His character was recently put to the test when Odin sent him on a mission to infiltrate the land of the Dark Elves. Now, he has discovered Malekith’s secret weapon that he has been using to conquer all of the Ten Realms: the Black Bifrost, a magical bridge that can transport legions of Dark Elves anywhere they want. Cul, finding himself on the most critical mission in the entire War of the Realms, must step up to find a way to get past a battalion of enemies and destroy the Black Bifrost. But, hasn’t he failed at every crucial moment in his life before?
This issue could have easily been filler. By all rights, it should have been. Cul Borson, a minor character, and nobody’s favorite gets a chapter all to himself in the middle of Jason Aaron’s swan song on the Thor series, and it ends up being one of the best segments in all of The War of the Realms, so far. Such is the magic of Aaron, though. He loves to give you a story that you don’t care about, and weren’t looking forward to, and knock it out of the park. He does his best work in the one-and-done issues, and that’s saying a lot because his ongoing saga has been the stuff of legends.
As stated above, Cul Borson is the focus of the issue, and up until this point, he has only been the loud-mouthed, annoying brother of Odin that thinks he should be King of Asgard. This issue reminds you that there is a real person behind all of that selfishness, and digs into the character like never before. For all of his big talk, Cul is a very self-aware individual. He knows he’s a screw-up. He knows he has squandered his relationships with his family. And, most importantly, he knows that his poor decisions have left him alone, minus his brother, who has given him one last chance to prove himself. The fact that the one last chance ends up putting him in the most important strategic position in the war means something to him, and he doesn’t intend to screw up again. Does all go according to plan? That would be a spoiler. There is poetry in Aaron’s salute to Cul in this issue, though. And, there is a growth of character that is still, somehow, entirely on-brand for him. That’s all that can be said without giving anything away, but it is an ultimately satisfying moment in time for the character of Cul Borson.
Mike Del Mundo might be one of the greatest Thor artists in the history of the book. His style is perfect for the trappings of a fantasy setting, and his unique approach to action scenes will keep him present in the mind of Thor fans for years to come. With an assist in colors by D’alfonso, there is a look to the palette of this book that is unlike any other. Hopefully, Del Mundo gets another chance to draw Thor before Aaron leaves the book, instead of just being stuck dealing with the side characters, or the readers would be robbed of something special.
This being a supplemental story to The War of the Realms, it is not absolutely necessary to read it to understand what is happening in the main book. No one could blame you for skipping out on it. You would, however, be doing yourself a big disservice if you did decide to pass on this tremendous, heartfelt singular chapter. Cul Borson may not be one of your favorite Asgardians at the beginning of this issue, but by the end, you might have your mind changed, if not your heart.
