The
Masked Bookwyrm's Graphic Novel (& TPB) Reviews
Thor (Page 1)
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Thor published by Marvel Comics
For other appearances of Thor see:
The Avengers, The Best of Marvel, X-Men: First Class - Tomorrow's Brightest,
Daredevil: Born Again, and probably some others
Essential Thor, vol. 4 2009 (SC TPB) 600 pages
Written by Stan Lee, with Gerry Conway. Pencils by Jack Kirby, John Buscema, with Neal Adams. Inks by Vince Colletta, Bill Everett, Joe Sinnott, others.
Black & White: Letters: Art Simek, Sam Rosen.
Reprinting: Thor (1st series) #167-195 - with covers (1969-1972)
Rating: * * * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Review slightly revised: Mar. 2011
These Essential volumes, massive collections of consecutive issues, are basically just nifty grab bags of comics, with high and low points. With one or two exceptions, that's how I purchase them -- not as part of a complete library, but just as a random sampler. In this case, I was kind of hankering for some Thor comics, and settled on this one in part because of the artists represented. Jack Kirby, the original Thor artist, draws the first half, then John Buscema draws most of the rest. Two guys who kind of strike me as the definitive Thor depicters -- with apologies to Walt Simonson, John Romita, Jr., Oliver Coipel, etc. (Though, just as an aside, there were later Thor comics -- not from this period -- where I felt Buscema was maybe losing his enthusiasm for the gig). In addition to Kirby and Buscema, Neal Adams even pinch hits a couple of issues inbetween.
This is one of the few of these black & white Essential volumes where I kind of miss the colours, thinking that scenes of the Eternal Realm -- Asgard -- probably lose a bit in black & white. Though, conversely, the work of some inkers maybe benefit from this presentation.
But this runs a nice gamut of tales. There are plenty of earth based stories of Thor battling robots and super villains...and plenty of stories set within the mythological halls of Asgard; there are simple, one off slug fests...and multi-part epics. And yes, there is a variance in quality, with some just okay page turners (that you don't mind as much when the next story is just a flip of the page away) and some quite exciting epics...and some pretty missable affairs as well. Yet what emerges is a nice collection. I often read TPBs with an eye to the "definitive" story -- that is, if I was pruning my comics collection down to one book per character, what would it be? I don't tend to count Essential books in this theoretical culling process...but of the Thor TPBs I've reviewed, this one volume most delivers what I want, and expect, from Thor.
There are a few spots where one feels the cart gets ahead of the horse, as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby will seem to set up a neat idea...that kind of fizzles. Early in this collection, Odin sends Thor off to discover the true origin of the planet devouring entity, Galactus (familiar from other comics, notably The Fantastic Four). It's an intriguing enough tale, full of Kirby's grandiose visuals and Lee's dramatic dialogue...but seems like it should be the set up for something. Instead, Odin basically says, thanks, I was just curious...and that's the end of it! There's a one issue tussle with the Wrecker that is basically just twenty pages of mindless fisticuffs...except with a running stream of dialogue that makes you wonder if Lee was trying to use it as a metaphor for some deeper philosophical point.
Perhaps the stand out of the tell-it-in-one issues is one where Thor takes on the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime...a fun story that crams enough plot and twists into one issue to make a mini-series today!
Visually, Kirby delivers a lot of robust, dynamic visuals. I seem to be a bigger Kirby fan as I get older than I was as a kid, enjoying his work more, and he's certainly in his element with a character like Thor. Sometimes he's inked by Vince Colletta, an inker with a stiff Spartan style that has certainly gained him his share of detractors over the years, particularly as he maybe puts an undue restraint on Kirby's surging pencils. But a number of issues has Kirby inked by Bill Everett -- a pairing I'd never seen before but, at least in black and white, is just gorgeous. Everett brings a delicacy to the pencils, while also matching the bombast. And it's a true shame that, to my knowledge, the two weren't paired more often.
What's imaginative is how Kirby and Lee mix up their genres -- something that used to be what made super hero comics just a little bit more exciting than other mediums. Nowadays, it seems a lot of Thor comics tend to want to play up the strict Norse mythology angle. But what's kind of neat here is how Lee and Kirby know their Norse myths...but mix it up with a science fiction flavour. So Thor travels the galaxies...in a space ship, and Asgard looks like a hallucinatory blending of Viking legends...and something out of Magnus Robot Fighter. It gives the series, and its "reality", a unique, entrancing flavour. Perhaps they were deliberately applying the theme of "Chariots of the Gods" and other para-science theories about ancient gods really being alien visitors. The Asgardians here are not simply time frozen Norse gods...but a weird mix of ancient legends and futuristic beings.
Nowadays, writers seem a little more concerned about continuity and the overall "universe", so you probably couldn't write stories like the ones here. I mean, on one hand, Thor clearly exists in the Marvel Universe -- there's Galactus, and villains like the Wrecker -- yet these stories also seem to exist outside it because despite world shaking menaces, no other super hero swoops in to join the fray. And there's no attempt to explain how Asgard fits in with all the other cosmic beings and demi-gods in Marvel comics. In fact, this could border on sacrilegious to those who take it too seriously, with Odin often identified as "the way and the light -- the power and the word", as if he truly is the All-Father...the Supreme God! Which raises some interesting sub-texts about Thor as a kind of Jesus metaphor -- the son of God, sent to earth to save humanity. Pretty heavy analysis for a comic about a guy in tights with a magic hammer!
Though the series benefits from the variety inherent in the shifting milieu -- sometimes set on modern earth, sometimes in timeless Asgard -- it's at its most unique in Asgard. In fact, it's kind of funny that despite Thor spending a lot of issues as an earth based super hero, that aspect of the comic remains the most undeveloped. There's basically Thor, his alter ego of Don Blake...and that's it. Even one time love interest Jane Foster has been largely written out by this point. Yet you can't say the comic didn't have a supporting cast. It's just they were all Asgardians. Odin, Sif, Balder, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Heimdal, even Loki and Karnilla. Indeed, it's probably the biggest supporting cast outside of Spider-Man! It's when the story focuses on them that Lee's trademark angst and soap opera-y flare comes into play. And though there's repetition, even that can take on a certain operatic charm (as we frequently cut away to Loki and Karnilla plotting -- and Karnilla pinning for Balder). Though Loki definitely can exceed his "best before date". And Lee seems to enjoy writing the characters in all their passion and poetry -- and not just the Elizabethan "thee"s and "thou"s, but the phrasings he employs have a lyrical, poetic rythm. In recent years, Thor comics have tended to move away from the Shakespearian dialogue, but it lent the series a flavour distinct from Spider-Man or Daredevil. And there was probably no other comic at the time where grown men would unabashedly declare their "love" for each other. Heck, even modern Thor comics tend to squirm away from such emoting.
In fact, modern Thor comics tend to play Thor as taciturn and stone-faced. But here what's appealing is that Thor is an emotional, vulnerable guy -- one capable of expressing fear, and love, and grief, and isn't worried this will unman him! And Lee, ever the romantic, always seems to find time for Thor and Sif to declare their love for each other! And, of course, what's at the heart of the character is a guy who simply does what needs to be done. When Thor takes on a bad guy, you don't so much get the feeling he's thinking about winning -- or losing. Merely, that an evil must be bearded. Period.
This was around the time when Kirby was growing dissatisfied with Marvel and quit to go to DC Comics. But before he does, he and Lee deliver one of the collection's high points. Loki usurps the throne of Asgard and, inadvertently, triggers Ragnarok (the end of the world). In three issues (#175-177) Lee & Kirby tackle a veritable cliche of Thor comics -- such stories have certainly been done many times since, and probably before. Yet they do it exceptionally well, telling it concisely in three issues, but cramming it full of drama and emotion, machinations and strategies, with an apocalyptic grandeur. In three issues, it's as good a version of that kind of tale as there probably has been.
After Kirby leaves, there's a multi-parter (began by Kirby, finished by Neal Adams) in which Loki switches bodies with Thor. This seemed to be a popular plot for Lee (using it in Daredevil and Captain America around the same time) and though not as good as those versions, nonetheless it's an enjoyable page turner. After which comes a two parter, now with "Big" John Buscema officially ensconced as artist, pitting Thor against Dr. Doom...that proves a surprisingly compelling effort. It's effectiveness creeps up on you. There's a scene where Doom is threatening someone while feigning civility which is just chilling in its subtlety, and the story even builds to an unexpected twist. It demonstrates how action and adventure doesn't just have to be a code word for "fight scenes". It's a fast paced, exciting effort...yet Thor and Doom only come to blows for three pages or so!
Sure, throughout it -- and a lot of the stories -- there is a lot of goofiness, and lot of implausibility, or loose logic that strains credulity. These are almost 40 year old comics, after all. Lee was, no doubt, writing as much to meet a deadline as out of artistic inspiration. And maybe I'm being unduly kind at times when even the continuity seems inconsistent -- sometimes Thor can't be separated from his hammer for more than a minute without turning into Don Blake...other times he can! But if you can forgive those lapses, there's a lot to entertain.
Then they launch into the collection's biggest epic. You know how I said those "apocalyptic, fight for Asgard" stories are pretty much a cliche of the series? Well, scarcely a half dozen issues after the last one, Lee and Buscema take another whack at the theme -- and despite the repetition, score another winner. Stretched over seven issues, it manages to conjure an effectively dramatic, apocalyptic ambience, with a few twists and turns and mysterious agendas, as an enigmatic cosmic entity threatens to consume the universe...and even Odin seems helpless to stop it. Of course, by this point, Lee is getting into the idea of overlapping stories, so the final couple of chapters are almost more a secondary plot (and, indeed, the plot had its roots in an earlier story -- which is an appeal of these Essential books, collecting such a massive run of issues between one cover means those roots are also contained in this volume). There are even moments of profoundity, as Hela, goddess of death, points out that she's a far cry from being a villain. And when it finally comes to an end...the last couple of pages segue into the next story arc.
Once more (!) Loki seizes the throne of Asgard...and it's feeling repetitious, and a little nonsensical. Perhaps Lee had some ideas left over from the previous Loki-seizes-the-throne arc and wanted to present them. But the how and why is ill-explained, so the saga lacks a certain foundation. When I initially posted this review, I suggested this story arc went a bit "off the rails", perhaps a reflection of Lee losing interest (he hands over the writing to Gerry Conway part way through) -- but I also said maybe I read it in the wrong frame of mind. And re-reading it some months later, by itself, removed from the context of the preceding issues (and therefore any blatant sense of repetition) I actually did like it more. Sure, it's still a bit thin (stretching from, more or less, the last couple of pages of #190 through to #194), the lion's share an epic fight scene as Loki conjures an unstoppable monster to battle Thor -- in a premise evocative of the later Superman villain Doomsday. But the energy is high, the angst and emoting in full swing, and the theme of Thor torn between conflicting duties adds an emotional undercurrent. Conway adopts the Lee-style Shapespearian patois quite well, and it does wrap up with a clever denouement. The Silver Surfer even guest stars for an issue.
I've said the advantage to these massive omnibuses is lesser issues can seem better, because they don't have to justify the purchase on their own -- but maybe the downside is it's too easy to negatively compare a tale to another a few pages earlier. Coming at the end of almost 25 issues of Thor comics, the above-mentioned arc was maybe starting to seem a bit stale. But read on its own, though hardly a classic adventure...it's an okay page turner.
The final issue here begins a new arc -- another end of the world one! -- that goes unresolved (until Essential Thor, vol. 5, of course). But as such, the collection kind of ends with a whimper, more than a bang.
But when you're talking a collection of almost 30 comics, that's a pretty small part of the collection.
The appeal of these Essential volumes is the sheer variety -- two or three epic sagas (that would make decent TPB collections on their on!) and some shorter one or two issue adventures; cosmic grandeur and New York brawls; Thor as super hero...and Thor as a mythical, fantasy hero. Thor is one of those character who I kind of like in theory, but often have trouble finding a story that quite captures the essence of what I associate with the character and his comic. And this Essential volume hits the spot. Verily -- I say thee Yea!
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor, vol. 1 (1991) 280 pages
Written by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, R. Berns (a.k.a. Robert Bernstein). Pencils by Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, Don Heck, and Al Hartley. Inks by Joe Sinnott, Don Heck, Dick Ayers, others.
Colours/letters: various
Reprinting: the Thor (and related Tales of Asgard) stories from Journey into Mystery #83-100 (1962-1964)
Additional notes: intro by Stan Lee; original covers; bios
Rating: * * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Reviewed: Jan. 2024
This collects the very earliest stories of Marvel's Norse myths-inspired hero, Thor. And it's interesting to see the original concept and how it evolved even over these early issues. It's also interesting because it's an example of the early Marvel where the involvement of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby was inconsistent, leaving it to other talents at times.
Kirby draws the first few issues, then disappears from the pages for a while. Stan Lee is credited as "story" throughout but the initial writing is left to others. What "story" meant is unclear. Of course there's been a lot of controversy over Lee's efforts, how much he did/didn't do in the comics (which I'll circle back to in a bit) but even Lee I think implied his contribution/oversight was minimal. But Lee, and Kirby, return toward the end of this collection -- to significant effect.
What stands out at first is how they (Lee et al) perceived the character.
Funnily enough it was only recently while watching one of the MCU movies that it occurred to me that Thor was Marvel's Superman. That is, a character just inherently stronger, more powerful than the others, and whose charismatic presence (by virtue of his Godhood) can awe other superheroes. I'd never really seen him in that light growing up, partly because "power" is a variable concept in comics, and the Marvel style tended to be more iconoclastic than DC's, so Thor was never treated with the same reverence DC sometimes lathers on Superman; plus Thor himself was an idiosyncratic figure, in powers and personality, making him seem less archetypal than Superman.
However reading these original stories it's actually quite obvious Thor was supposed to be Marvel's Superman -- or, at least, Marvel's Shazam/Captain Marvel (who, after all, originally was also cut from the Superman cloth).
The origin, as most readers know, is that frail, lame American physician Don Blake is vacationing in Norway when he witnesses the start of an alien invasion. Hobbling away from the aliens he stumbles into a cave where he finds a mysterious walking stick which, upon striking it against the ground, transforms into the mystic hammer, Mijolnir, and Blake transforms into mighty Thor.
The Shazam/Captain Marvel thing is obvious -- not just in terms of the physical transformation (with Blake drawn especially scrawny and small so that his transformation evokes the child Billy Batson becoming the adult Captain Marvel) but the scene of him stumbling into a mysterious cave and finding the stick is quite evocative of Billy entering the mysterious subway tunnel and finding the wizard Shazam. (And Captain Marvel/Shazam was heavily rooted in mythology, his powers derived from ancient gods!)
It's also interesting that at first it seems clear this is Don Blake acquiring the powers of Thor, rather than transforming into Thor, let alone that Blake is Thor. When he first encounters Loki, he knows of Loki through "legends" rather than any personal familiarity. The later origin, explaining that Thor had been given amnesia and put in the body of Blake by his father, Odin, is nowhere alluded to in this collection.
However, even over the course of the stories reprinted here there's a shift. Without explanation (or acknowledgement) Blake/Thor seems to be the actual Thor, visiting Asgard, and speaking of Odin as his father, Loki his brother, etc.
Hence my point of how these issues show an evolution.
Initially the Superman/Shazam thing is obvious. Thor is basically an all powerful do-gooder, flying about the city (well, being dragged by his thrown hammer), admired by the public, and with a whimsical approach to super feats. Thor even uses super-breath, like Superman! Or performing ridiculous acts like strapping villains to a hospital gurney, then literally throwing it across the city where it lands, villains unharmed, at a police station. The kind of goofily implausible feats that other Marvel comics of the day would've shied away from but you might see in Superman comics -- especially of a decade earlier. And the sort of things you might see in other non-Marvel/DC efforts from rival companies. (It's perhaps relevant that writer Bernstein had worked on the Superman family of comics at DC and also wrote for some of the superhero comics that Archie Comics was attempting in the 1960s).
Even the "realist" stuff seems goofy and inconsistent from story to story. Blake seems to be a humble GP, yet is often tinkering in a lab as if some sort of research scientist. Other times he is referred to as a surgeon, and even a famous neuro-surgeon. In one story he's involved in an overseas medical clinic in a warzone and in another he's built a robot capable of mimicking human functions! It's as if the Marvel staff didn't really know what a "doctor" was or did!
He fares better than nurse Jane Foster who seems to double as a secretary/receptionist. And quite often the subtext is a nurse is just waiting to land a doctor as a husband; at one point, she quits Blake's employ, telling him she needs a real man as she goes off to work for another, handsomer doctor. (In fairness to the writers, aside from the sexism of the time, I think there were Romance comics about man-hungry nurses at the time so maybe they were having trouble switching gears when writing Thor comics).
The series feels childish even as other Marvel comics were starting to aim for slightly older readers. There's little use of wit or wisecracks nor, conversely, much emotional angst let alone much of a cast. We are set up with a quasi love triangle, with Dr. Blake, his nurse, Jane Foster, and Thor -- but it's wildly inconsistent from issue to issue as to who loves who unrequitedly. It can feel like it's thrown in simply because it's a staple of comics -- like Superman.
The lack of much characterization is reflected in how some stories spend a lot of time with the villains, introducing them, showing them scheming -- only for Thor/Blake to show up a few pages into it just to thwart them (reminding me of a lot of older Batman comics). Thor is just the generic hero.
It's also funny how other characters often refer to Thor as Mighty Thor (not even "the" mighty Thor) almost like it's his name. Since Thor is a public domain name, perhaps Marvel was trying to figure out how to modify it as something trademark-able.
All of which isn't to say it's not enjoyable, to an extent, read as an adult (or specifically for your kids). Once you accept that it's a goofy comic aimed at children, there can be a charm. The pacing is pretty snappy for the most part and there is clever use of ideas like the whole "if Thor loses his hammer he reverts to Blake" thing (in some scenes Thor does this deliberately because changing to Blake is a strategy). However it does just feel like a Golden Age Superman wannabe at times.
I get back to how un-Marvel it can feel. Whereas most Marvel comics had begun rooting the stories in the real world of New York, Thor's setting is a more generic one. Though one or two stories toward the end of this collection start to imply New York. Again, remember -- we're seeing an evolution! And there's no hint of the greater Marvel Universe. No guest appearances by other heroes, no villains cropping up who first fought the Fantastic Four, no suggesting there are any other heroes than the Mighty Thor.
Over these issues we can see the property evolving. From the initial concept of a man acquiring the powers of Thor, soon they start dragging in Asgard and the Norse Gods. Loki becomes a recurring villain (maybe a bit too recurring!); Thor is clearly now a Norse God and has chats with Odin (in the early issues Odin would occasionally appear as a face in the sky, dispensing wisdom -- again, maybe harkening to the wizard Shazam in the Captain Marvel stories). But it's all very light and despite the addition of Asgard, the stories are still mostly earth-based.
In addition to the frequent use of Loki as a bad guy, there's a heavy reflection of the early 1960s Cold War politics with a few stories involving Thor battling communist bad guys!
Finally toward the end of this collection Stan Lee assumes the full scripting (not just "story") both with Kirby returning, and also with Don Heck as artist. And the comic seems to change immediately.
And this is where it gets interesting in terms of the whole controversy around Lee. Because Lee supposedly was involved in the earlier tales with his story credit -- but then Lee detractors often insist he didn't even deserve those credits (in other words, if you fault Lee for the tone of the early Thor stories, you have to acknowledge he actually was plotting -- and if you insist he was a just a hack who stole credit, then you can't credit him with those stories). With Lee assuming full writing credit, Thor finally starts to seem like -- well, like a Marvel comic.
Thor starts to develop a personality -- shifting away from the generic Superman hero to the more imperious, bull-headed character of later years; and he (and the Asgardians) start talking in a more formal, theatrical way. It's not quite the Elizabethan "thee" "thou"s they would later employ, but we're moving in that direction. And the Asgardian stuff becomes more crucial to the tales, as if Lee, Kirby, et al began to see it as more than just a backdrop for a super hero origin. Odin becomes grumpier, his relationship with Thor more fractious, and Don/Thor's relationship with Jane Foster becomes more melodramatic and important to the narrative (Don/Thor loves Jane but Odin refuses to bless their relationship...but holds out the olive branch that if Jane can prove herself he might change his mind).
The Marvel angst is now fully in play, with Thor being repositioned as a character with a certain tragedy in his life (at least in his love life). Lee was a proponent of the idea that heroes needed vulnerability -- emotional and physical (the latter reflected in how the "loses his hammer" thing takes on a seeming greater drama/suspense in the final Lee issues).
It isn't that the earlier comics were badly written for what they were. Not at all. Larry Leiber and R. Berns (Bernstein) do a nice job for what they are going for. But there's no doubt there's a change in tone, style and, yes, sophistication once Lee takes over completely. And it's interesting to consider in light of the "what did Lee really contribute?" controversy. Because the first issue in which he returns as the full scripter also sees the return of Jack Kirby. But the next three stories (including introducing the Cobra and a two-parter that closes this collection which introduces Mr. Hyde) are Lee working with Don Heck, with no indication Kirby has anything to do with the lead stories. And they are all just better, more sophisticated stories. Not just in terms of emotion/dialogue, but even the stories seem to develop and unfold more interestingly. I mean, they're still pretty goofy and juvenile, just more entertaining for a nostalgia-prone adult reading 'em decades later.
Kirby's attention is more focused on the new back-up stories: Tales of Asgard. And here you absolutely can believe Kirby is in the driving seat and Lee is just along for the ride (and to provide captions). Supposedly the tales are based on ancient myths though I'm doubtful Kirby and Lee stuck too close to the legends, especially with their emphasizing the nobility and goodness of the gods when pagan gods were notorious for their moral ambiguity. There's lots of big panels and bombastic visuals of Ice Trolls and fire demons and the like. Entertaing though not, perhaps, always that coherent.
But it helps cement the notion that they now view Thor's mythological roots as vital to the flavour of the series. In a way, you could argue they started out wanting Thor to be Marvel's Superman/Shazam, but Superman was an unlikely fit for 1960s Marvel with its penchant for messy, vulnerable heroes. The concept only started to spark when they moved Thor away from that inspiration into being his own, unique, concept for a 1960s superhero.
Art-wise: there's no doubt Kirby is the king and his issues are the most visually dynamic. But some of the other art is interesting. Joe Sinnott is most famous as a long-serving inker but I don't know if I had ever seen his pencils before. His faces are particularly nice although otherwise his art suits the tales which as I've suggested, feel more 1950s than Marvel Age. Don Heck was a very uneven penciller (though a few issues where he inks Kirby actually makes for a really nice combo -- Kirby's dramatic composition, with Heck providing a more realist finish). Heck's drawing isn't always that strong (even a bit messy) -- but he does offer some interesting composition and, perhaps most notably, generates atmosphere. This is particularly noticeable in the two-part Hyde story in which his shadowy visuals imbibe the tale with a darker, palpable sense of menace than the earlier Thor adventures.
So -- probably a weaker example of early Marvel (compared to the FF, Spider-Man, etc.). But interesting to see the character develop and the thermes evolve (and to speculate, as I have, about the Superman/Shazam roots). But equally -- decent enough page turners for the most part if you're in the mood for nostalgically revisiting your child-like sensibilities.
Thor, vol. 1 (2008) 152 pages
Written by J. Michael Straczynski. Pencils by Oliver Coipel. Inks by Mark Morales.
Colours: Laura Martin. Letters: Chris Eliopoulos. Editor: Warren Simons, Alejandro Arbona.
Reprinting: Thor (3rd series) #1-6 (2007-2008)
Rating: * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
It seems everytime you turn around these days, comics companies are restarting familiar titles from #1. Still, this time they can justify the renumbering because, apparently, Thor and his entire Asgardian pantheon had been killed off previously.
It's still the same continuity, though, the story simply picking up the pieces. Thor is just hanging about in limbo when he is approached by his mortal alter ego, Dr. Donald Blake, who basically tells him he's only as dead as he wants to be, and can will himself back into existence. So he does. Then he tells him he can will Asgard back into existence. So he does (in the middle of the American Midwest, yet!) And then Thor goes about willing his people back into existence, their souls having sought refuge in human hosts scattered throughout the world.
And that lack of logic is one of the fundamental problems with this new series. Stories dealing with magic can always require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief -- but still: Thor recreating Asgard simply by willing it so? He's the God of Thunder...not The Guy Who Can Will Matter Out of Nothing! Or the Guy Who Can Come Back from the Dead Simply 'Cause He Wants Too!
And this series doesn't really explain much for the newbie. It's not entirely clear how Thor and his fellows died, or when. I doubt a new reader would even realize Don Blake is supposed to whack his stick on the ground to turn into Thor (the visuals often show him holding his stick in the air, leaving the reader to infer that he brings it down on the ground). And the first half dozen issues are partly about just resurrecting all the old Asgardian faces -- which will have no resonance if you aren't already a fan.
Yet in other ways, writer Straczynski seems to cavalierly alter the concept to suit himself. His treatment of Thor/Blake is just odd (admittedly, maybe this was established by earlier writers -- the last time I read a Thor comic, he had long since discarded the Blake identity). But he seems to treat them as two different people -- stranger, there's a scene where Thor's having a battle, and we cut to limbo where Blake and...Thor are dispassionately observing the battle. How many Thors are living under that winged helmet anyway? It's as if Straczynksi feels the fantasy aspect means logic doesn't apply.
But the biggest problem is that it's sloooowwww, with nothing much happening. With little story logic to Thor's re-establishing of Asgard, Straczynski just pads out moments, relying a lot on Oliver Coipel's visuals to carry things along. And, yeah, the art is pretty breathtaking at times, with Coipel (and the colourist) beautifully rendering the flat prairies of the Oklahoma and the medieval ramparts of Asgard, nicely capturing the rustic simplicity of a small town diner or the earth shaking power of a thunderstorm, delivering realism in scenes that require it, and comical exaggeration in the light-hearted scenes (of which there are a few) and the imposing power of the super heroics (though his Thor is a bit boxy and ugly). The effectiveness of the art definitely adds to the atmosphere, making the scenes more appealing.
But they are padded. A scene where Thor is told that he can't build Asgard there leads to a cute-but-obvious joke/punchline...except it takes four pages to get there! Four beautifully rendered pages, sure...but it is just for an obvious joke. Likewise, another scene where a local visits Asgard has some nice images of the character wandering the empty avenues, his shadow splayed dramatically against walls...but it is just a scene of a guy walking. (And Coipel's more realist Asgard lacks that otherworldly Kirby-esque splendour of earlier Thor comics).
The first action scene occurs in #3, as Thor has a showdown with erstwhile buddy Iron Man (this being post-Civil War, when Iron Man had been less than upstanding). But it's basically just to show what a bad ass Thor is as he trounces Iron Man, not really meant to be suspenseful or telling a plot.
The first "plot" issue is probably issue #4, in which Blake goes to a war torn African country as part of Doctors Without Borders. But I use plot only in its loosest possible definition. This also reflects some of the hubris I've noted in other work by Straczynski. Throwing in the idea of Doctors Without Borders is potentially interesting, tackling some real world issues...but it smacks of pedantic smugness, as if just by tossing it in, Straczynski feels he has elevated his readers' consciousness. But Straczynski says very little with it, his characters are there to mouth statistics more than be real people. And though I'm all for super heroes tackling real issues, this feels too much like trivializing rather than tackling the issue. And I'm just not sure all-powerful Thor is the ideal character to use (in the previous issue, Thor visits post-Katrina New Orleans for a similarly awkward juxtaposition of fantasy and reality).
And, again, there's a lack of plausibility. Blake goes to Africa, does next to nothing medical, and is back in Oklahoma by the next issue. Um, I think stints with Doctors Without Borders usually last months.
The fifth issue is the first one where Thor battles a foe worthy of his power...yet still fails to quite create a sense of suspense where we worry whether Thor will triumph. It starts out with Thor investigating a mysterious menace, but again just seems the barest bones of a story. And like all the issues -- including the African sojourn -- is really just part of the resurrecting Asgard theme.
The final issue in this collection once more gets back to almost nothing happening...yet still manages to end on something of a cliffhanger as Thor lies sprawled in the dust in the final page, injured, possibly near death (well, as near death as one can be who can will himself into life).
Now the fact that the plotting is thin, the action minimal, and the logic tenuous, maybe leaves characterization as the point. But Thor is largely stony faced and stoic, Blake is, well, a cypher -- and neither Straczynski nor Coipel seem to remember he was supposed to be lame and the walking stick more than an affectation. There's a scene where Thor expresses an emotional conflict over whether he should try and resurrect his father, Odin. It's a nice idea...but would've been nicer to have portrayed it, perhaps teasing it through a few issues and scenes, to see Thor's inner turmoil -- not simply have him state it impassively in one scene. The supporting Asgardians don't have a lot to do (Volstagg gets a few cute comic relief moments). And though a couple of the town's folk recur enough that you can recognize them, they still haven't progressed much beyond walk ons.
Straczynski gets some cute scenes out of the town's folk trying to adjust to their Asgardian neighbours. On one hand, it's amusing to see these larger-than-life characters from the POV of the man in the street, on the other hand, it depersonalizes the Asgardians, bleeding the "human" out of super human protagonists.
With that being said, the whimsical scenes are often the best, even if sometimes problematic (though an amusing scene, do we really want to know about Asgardian waste disposal?).
Straczynski has characters repeatedly state the cycle of the Norse Gods has now been broken, and their future is theirs to fashion. Basically, it sounds like Straczynski (and his editor) were tired of past Thor writers endlessly recycling Norse myths. At the same time, that's kind of the point of Thor -- it's not just a team of super heroes who happen to be named after gods.
As well, Straczynski seems to fall into the trap of a lot of comics writers, who seems mainly interested in imprinting his own vision of the series -- the way the characters repeatedly say how the old pattern is broken seems as though Straczynski figures as long as he repeats it often enough any writer after him will have to obey his edict. It reminds me a bit of John Byrne (and others). But, of course, it's silly. His "vision" will only last as long as his tenure. Then a new writer, with a greater interest in Norse mythology, will come along, and reintroduce the old legends. Heck, even though the relocating of Asgard to small town America is a cute idea -- it's a pretty limiting one, and I suspect it won't be too long before some later writer relocates Asgard back to its mythical realm.
The only thing permanent in comics...is impermanence.
But Straczynski's writing is full of contradictions. He insists the old cycles (ie: the old comics) won't be repeated...even as he spends the first few issues simply re-introducing the old cast. He implies that he's bringing a new broom of creativity to the comic...and then for six issues, it feels like he's spinning his wheels, hoping for inspiration to strike.
Striking visuals and buoyed by some cute, light-hearted scenes, but this first collection doesn't tell a story, doesn't really flesh out the personalities much, and, perhaps worst of all, doesn't really offer any hint that it's going to get better!
This is a review of the story as it was serialized
in Thor comics.
