Kieron Gillen has just announced on his Work Blog that he is the new writer of Marvel Comics’ ongoing Thor title, taking over from the departing J. Michael Straczynski on issue #604 on the long running title. He will be joined on art duties by by Billy Tan.

Thor #604
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Pencils & Cover by BILLY TAN
Gatefold VariantCover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Has Doctor Doom crossed a line…? And what role did Loki play in Doom’s sinister plans? What did Loki know…and when…? Now, as Thor heads to Latveria to settle the score, only one thing can happen: Thor sitting Doom down and having a serious chat about their feelings. By which we mean, STATE-OF-THE-ART SLEDGHAMMER SKY-SCRAPING SUIT-SMASHING SUPERHEROICS!

Billy Tan (NEW AVENGERS) draws the action-packed escapades while Kieron Gillen (NEW UNIVERSAL: 1959, DARK REIGN: ARES, Phonogram) starts his six issue run. Hold onto your runestones, True Believers – things get hectic quick!

Gillen has said of the announcement:

Anyone who’s been following Anglophone comics will be aware that this is an enormous gig, in any way you choose to define it. It’s a gargantuan-selling Eisner-Nominated series. JMS’ sudden departure from the book leaves a pair of Galactus-sized shoes to fill, or at least waddle around amusingly in. So it’s a pressure situation. On the other hand, it’s also a fantastic opportunity – and not solely in terms of the size of the stage. JMS’ run has been personified with this slow and careful build, with all these pieces being put into motion. If left to their own devices, they’re moving in interesting ways. The best metaphor I can think of is a chess-game. A grandmaster has been playing and now, in its endgame, he leaves the table. With my handful of issues, I make these final moves. They’re mine, but to be at all effective, they’re a logical extension from what became before.

And besides: Thor, Loki, Doctor Doom. These are some of Marvel’s finest characters. How can this not be fun?

For those of you who aren’t followers of the anglophone comics industry and are here for the music malarkies, the explanation I’d use would be… well, remember 1995 when the Stone Roses had to pull out of Glastonbury when John Squire fell off his bike and broke his arm. Glastonbury Main stage on a Saturday night? Biggest stage in the UK. And into the gap comes… Pulp, with a single real hit to their name. This is a bit like that, except without the broken arms and instead of the Roses, work in someone with archetypal American Grandeur and grasp of storytelling – say, Springsteen – and it’s a Pulp who’s never had a proper hit yet. Actually, the more I think, the more it’s nothing like that at all.

But It’s not going to stop me acting like it is.

For those who are neither here for the comics or the music… well, it’s one hell of a big gig.

Congratulations to Kieron for getting such a massive gig. Anyone who has been following Keiron’s monumental assent in the comic industry will know that such a huge gig is well deserved. Gillen has been working in the British small press industry for a few years, doing work for companies such as Accent UK, but it was Phonogram, co-created with Jamie McKelive, that first brought him to the attention of American readers. He soon went on to do guest spots on several of Marvel’s higher end titles and also one-shots, such as Newuniversal: 1959, X-Men: Manifest Destiny, Secret Invasion Aftermath: Beta Ray Bill – The Garden of Eden, and X-Men Origins: Sabretooth. Recently Gillen was given Marvel’s prestigious ‘Young Gun’ accolade, and started to write mini series such as Beta Ray Bill: God hunter, and the upcoming Dark Avengers: Ares. Last week at Chicago Comic-Con Marvel announced that Gillen was to write a new ongoing S.W.O.R.D. title for the company, a big gig in itself, but clearly tey were playing this one very clos to their chest!

I’m really looking forward to this one, as I haven’t read Thor for a while now, apart from Matt Fraction’s wonderful series of Asguard based one-shot, but I’m going to have to pick it up now, and so by extension should you!!

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