Hammer of the Gods #1

By Michael Avon Oeming

When people were new to the gods, they were cared for, but it soon became about the gods fighting amongst themselves, the people of Midgard soon q'ing their beliefs. Meanwhile, a cold winter night brings a stranger to a fam's home where the infant is feared to die in the night. The woman is given shelter and food, to which she repays by swinging around her sword and rewarding the child with the strength of the gods, but the other side to this gift made the boy unable to carry weapons or he'd lose his soul forever. As the lady's sword shines blindingly bright, the parents seem ignorant to her warning before she disappears, and the child's cries start, and are strong.

The pop names his son after Thorr's son, Modi. As he grew into manhood, his strength was great, which began scaring the people and isolating their fam as outcasts. When Modi and his pop were walking through town, Modi's taunted by some young men about fighting them "fair" with weapons, he wanting to oblige after getting hit in the head with a stone, but his pop denies this of him, reminding him to take the high road and never pick up a weapon. When they are on their way home by boat, his pop reminds him of his curse, once more, Modi promising to only pray to Thorr and not fight like him.

A year later, Modi decides to travel and be a hero instead of warrior and helps many different people during his travels. When he finally returns home, he's met by a single townsman, who tells of their town having been raided by giants, and if the others weren't eaten, they'd died other ways or fled. Modi goes against the man's advice to go in search of his fam, since he'd not heard from his pop in a year and was suspected dead. Modi goes across the angry ocean, which soon freezes, and when he sees the mtn sheltering his home had split, he knew what he'd discover wouldn't be good, his parents bodies trampled underfoot by a giant.

He curses the hell out of the gods as he feels guilt for not having been around to help. A giant overhears his shouts, being the 1st opportunity to release Modi's pent up rage, he putting the gods on his list, as well. Modi picks up an axe, which crumbles in his hands, saving him. As the giant loses interest and steps on Modi, he responds by holding his foot up and flipping him into the snow, the giant now declaring it was on.

Modi kicks his ass though, the icy wind helping to freeze the giant, and Modi breaking him to death, this not being enough for him, though. He gives his parents proper burial at sea, and vows to punish the gods for leaving them and breaking their promise to humanity. Odin would soon meet the Wolf, Modi getting directions from a devil, he inviting Thorr to fuck with him, but waking Durnir, who had slept a thousand years. A stellar start! I'm digging the intro, and hope the rest of it is on point.