Thor writer Joe Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Changeling, and Amazing Spider-Man) will end his run on writing the hammer wielding god this September.

It’s a shame because Thor has been outperforming many of Marvel’s more successful books, yet there are no real creative differences amongst them, according to JMS. In the Diamond Previews catalogue for September, Marvel lists two Thor titles: the Thor Annual by Peter Milligan, Mico Suayan and Clay Mann, and Thor: Defining Moments Giant Size #1 by Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. The Giant Size issue is a 64 page $4.99 extra-sized special to end JMS’ run on the book.

Here is his reason for leaving  Thor.

The one concern at the back of my head was that of being pulled into a Big Event that could affect the forward momentum of the book and alter its direction. I’ve said elsewhere that in many cases — and this isn’t just Marvel, the trend is pandemic — such an event can sometimes result in the individual books serving the event, rather than the other way around, and you have to spend months and issues afterward stitching everything back together. I’m the kind of writer who likes to write in a straight line and know for certain the terrain he’s standing upon. Some writers can handle all that and never break a sweat. For me, it’s just not something I can do competently. That’s a shortcoming on my part and I recognize it as such.

Prior to the reboot, when “Thor” was selling in the mid-50s, a Big Event wouldn’t have been much of a concern, but now it was selling in the top ten month after month, and that increased visibility meant it could precipitate an event. And, again without saying much because this has to come from Marvel, such an event appeared on the horizon.

I agonized over this for months, then finally — and I’m trying to remember when the email chain took place, but I think it was somewhere either just before or just after the first of the year — I went to the ever-patient and wonderful [editor] Warren Simons, and the equally patient, warm and fuzzy [Publisher] Dan Buckley, and said of the coming event, “I really, really hate this, because creatively I’m having the time of my life, but I think I need to let go of the book or risk screwing it up when we hit the Event.” It was an awful decision, not just because it’s a hit book, but because it’s the only place I could do that sort of faux-Shakespearean style of dialogue that I love so much. There’s simply no other book out there where you can indulge in that.

Here is the official press release from the good people over at Marvel:

“One of most acclaimed comic runs of the decade concludes this September as award-winning scribe J. Michael Straczynski brings his historic Thor story to a stunning conclusion! Thor: Defining Moments Giant-Size #1, from JMS and Young Guns ‘09 artist Marko Djurdjevic, is an action-packed conclusion to the Eisner-nominated epic that IGN.Com calls “The best Marvel comic on the stands.” As the final curtain falls, will Thor’s closest allies save him from the machinations of Loki? What does Dr Doom have planned? And just who will rule Asgard? JMS delivers the Thor finale that no Marvel fan, new or old, can afford to miss.

“It’s been a terrific run, and a lot of fun,” said JMS. “Warren Simons and Dan Buckley are to be thanked in particular for giving me the room to play and the freedom to just tell stories, a rarity in this business.  Creatively, Thor was a high-water experience for me.”

Thor editor Warren Simons added, “We’re extremely proud of the extraordinary work J. Michael Straczynski has completed on Thor over the last two years. Along with Olivier Coipel and Marko Djurdjevic, JMS seamlessly reintroduced Thor and the other Asgardians into the Marvel Universe, returning the God of Thunder to his rightful place as one of Marvel’s greatest icons. From the brilliant set-up of Asgardians living side-by-side with salt-of-the-earth folks in rural Oklahoma, to the current storyline featuring Asgard divided, JMS deftly wove great humor with great action, and the combination has made Thor a critical and commercial success. We couldn’t be happier with his work, and we continue to look forward to working with him in the future.””

So look for JMS’ final issue of writing the Asgardian in September with Thor: Defining Moments Giant-Size #1, as his award-winning run concludes!

Straczynski is now working on The Brave and The Bold comic book. Will you still read Thor now that JMS is no longer on this book ?

Simon Daoudi
Simon@comicimpact.com