For fans of the Asgardian gods Thor and Loki, Thor: Metal Gods might just be the greatest present this holiday season. The new series debuted on December 12 via premium reading and audio entertainment platform Serial Box and will feature at least 15 episodes, narrated by Daniel Gillies (Elijah Mikaelson), known for his time on the CW’s hit television dramas The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Eight episodes have been released so far, with the rest slated for weekly release every Thursday through March 19, 2020.
When MuggleNet was offered the opportunity to listen to the first episode in the series, I was very much channeling Katniss Everdeen and volunteered as tribute. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, as I have only ever seen (and loved!) Gillies as a very stoic vampire on the CW, but I am a huge Thor and Loki fan, so I went into this really wanting to love everything about the series.
First, it’s cruel that we were only offered the opportunity to listen to the first episode. I am not saying I am not grateful, because of course I am, but this first episode was so good that when it ended (and in such a cliffhanger-y way), I was cursing under my breath. That being said, I absolutely loved what I heard from Gillies and was intrigued by the introduction to the series’s storyline.
Thor: Metal Gods follows the adventures of Thor and Loki as they work together to solve a cosmic crisis all while being forced to deal with their past. New characters are also introduced, including a gender-ambiguous space pirate named Captain Zia, who has a mysterious history with Loki, and Horangi, a Korean demi-goddess who, when we first meet her, is none too happy to be dealing with Thor’s antics.
Gillies does an amazing job of differentiating the characters in this initial episode, with just the right amount of disdain in Loki’s scenes while providing ample grit and comedic delivery of lines for Thor during his interactions with Horangi.
Perhaps because I am new to this type of audio entertainment, I was surprised by all the background special effects during the episode. I am an Audible member and have only come across one other audiobook that had background effects, but this took me quite by surprise. The sound of rain, the roar of a crowd, the sound of the wind raging – I felt transported into the story and am eager to return for the subsequent episodes!
I suppose that means that the folks behind the series, made up of screenwriter Aaron Stewart-Ahn (Mandy), Brian Keene (The Horror Show with Brian Keene), Jay Edidin (Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men), and Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit), know exactly what they are doing and how to pull in an audience. This won’t be the only Marvel series set for the Serial Box platform, either. Listeners and readers can expect to see new series featuring other Marvel characters, including Black Panther, Jessica Jones, and Black Widow, to become available in early 2020.
About Serial Box:
Serial Box delivers premium audio and reading entertainment for an on-the-go audience that loves immersive storytelling. Serial Box is available on all mobile devices, and users can read or listen to each weekly installment, switching modes with just a click. Serial Box uses a collaborative writing process, bringing together award-winning and best-selling authors to create completely original stories as well as new content around some of fandom’s most popular characters. Follow Serial Box for updates on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Thor: Metal Gods was provided for review by Serial Box.
