In literature, the story goes, every narrative can be reduced to one of two prompts:
– A hero goes on a journey.
– A stranger comes to town.

War offers a double-shot of narrative. Two stories for the price of one. The Iliad and the Odyssey.

A coda that follows three Thors and two-handing hammers; confrontations and cliff-hangers with the God of Bombs, the Butcher of Gods, and the near-ends of faith, time, and all gods; issue No. 12 of “Thor: God of Thunder” is an off-kilter return to a new, smaller normal.

Past the cover and title page, Esad Ribic’s ethereal and eternal Thor dissolves to a more grounded, earthy depiction by Nic Klein. It is not the same. It will never be the same. But it is enough.

As written by Jason Aaron, this Thor revisits his favorite Midguardian haunts, crashes a few bars and parties, and looks up some old girlfriends. He meets a new lady scientist, and helps put a friend to death. Each relationship is a revelation. Overall, however, Thor seems distracted. Or searching for something.

Every veteran of war knows his story: “A hero goes on a journey. A stranger comes back.”

And he spends the rest of his life trying to figure it all out.