Thunder God of Mars: A Superhero Prose Novel
Ancient powers do battle, and the fate of the first colony on Mars hangs in the balance. In the not too distant future Ares challenges Thor to a duel on the red planet, with the intention of making his Norse counterpart protector of the humans struggling to survive both the elements and other supernatural forces.
The story
Ares, the Greek god of war, challenges Thor, the Norse god of Thunder, to a throwdown on Mars. The competing gods have already thrashed each other all over Earth, but Mars is Ares’ planet, so he should have the upper hand. Not that a little thing like that will stop Thor, who is as brash and impulsive as both the ancient legends and the recent pop culture iterations have portrayed him. After a short but intense battle, however, Ares fades from existence in what turns out to be an act of self-sacrifice.
The duel was just a ruse to get Thor to Mars, where a group of humans have set up a colony. Lacking the resources to provide for the struggling colonists, the god of war knew that the god of thunder could be persuaded to look after them if he saw their need. Now Thor finds himself fighting enemies from multiple pantheons and looking for assistance from unexpected allies.
The characters
Thor, obviously, is the reason anyone will pick up this book. The portrayal here is drawn from mythology and pop culture in ways that pay equal homage to both. All of his allies and enemies receive similar treatment, though readers familiar with the Norse mythos will probably find more to appreciate. The colonists themselves provide a nice counter balance to the supernatural goings on, though none of them really stand out.
The world
Since the story opens with a Greek god facing off with a character from the Norse pantheon, virtually anything or anyone from mythology can appear as friend or foe. The old gods’ power and very existence hinge on their relevance in the mortal world, and they are all interested in a getting a foothold on the red planet, or going out in a blaze of glory.
Mars, as portrayed here, is slowly being made habitable for humans and the story spans decades and generations of colonists. For the time being, they have to remain in their buildings and ships if they want to survive. Meanwhile, Thor and his ageless, supernatural counterparts aren’t effected by the alien atmosphere. Able to travel between realms with ease, Thor can call up anyone he wants, whether that be Hela the goddess of death to gather new Valkyrie, or frost giants to build him a house.
As Thor intervenes on behalf of the colonists, some of them become suspicious of otherworldly goings on. Not wanting to be sent back to Earth on a psychiatric discharge, they keep their observations to themselves.
The politics
No real politics to speak of. This is more of a silver age comic book with prose instead of pictures than the agenda driven drivel leaking into mainstream comics today.
Content warning
Some colorful language and comic book violence, but nothing graphic or even approaching gratuitous.
Who is it for?
It’s for anyone who misses silver age comics and when Star Trek was bright. It’s also for fans of Norse mythology.
Why read it?
Why not? Thunder God of Mars is lightweight, colorful entertainment. It’s comic book escapism in prose, which is even more fun than it sounds. Taloni takes a chance on risky concept (I mean, it’s a superhero comic without pictures!) and makes it work.