The news that the title of Thor will be held by a woman was greeted with enthusiasm by some, interest by others and a deep sense of contempt for the "gimmick" by another vocal group of comic fans. The conversation, like the book itself, has been interesting, but there is a certain amount of criticism for the move that seems a bit ... and I'm using a scientific term here ... shitty.

The latest issue of the comic took the words from these critics and placed them in a mouth of a villain as he battled the new Thor. You can read them for yourself, because it's a pretty neat case of the fourth wall being broken in a non-Deadpool book.

The response is just as great, although you'll need to pick up the book if you want the entire dialog.

Thor is an ideal, and only the worthy are able to pick up and wield the hammer. The idea that having a woman take the role is just a gimmick isn't just ignoring history — other women in the comic books have wielded Mjolnir, albeit briefly — it's condescending and rather childish. Does gender really enter into whether one is "worthy" or not?

There are still secrets here, including who this character is and why the last Thor had to step down, but the books have been enjoyable so far.

This sort of in-universe meta-commentary can sometimes come off as cloying and a bit too tongue-in-cheek, but this at least draws a line in the sand and makes it clear they won't listen to the worst parts of online criticism when they're working on the book, and that is great news.