Thor: The Mighty Avenger 3 (October 2010)

It’s a Thor comic, but it’s kind of Henry Pym’s issue. Giant-Man and the Wasp guest-star this issue and Langridge goes far in giving them their nicest portrayal in many years. Flashbacks to Pym’s past bookend the issue; Langridge uses them to give the character a resonance totally unrelated to the events Thor’s experiencing in the issue’s main body. It’s interesting to see bookends without some kind of analog in the story. It’s very nice.

Even with the big (no pun intended) guest stars—I don’t think the Wasp even shrinks down here though—Langridge spends a lot of time developing Thor and Jane’s relationship. He uses her knowledge of Thor (from Edith Hamilton, no doubt) to further the narrative, giving Jane a crib sheet for Thor. One the reader presumably already has.

It makes for some nice, delicate scenes.

With Samnee’s great art, it’s another wondrous issue.

CREDITS

Here Be Giants; writer, Roger Langridge; artist, Chris Samnee; colorist, Matthew Wilson; letterer, Rus Wooton; editors, Michael Horwitz and Nathan Cosby; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger 2 (September 2010)

As much as I love Samnee’s art—and Mighty Avenger is, to some degree, all about Samnee’s art (he manages to capture the wonderment factor of superheroes, a lost art… even though it’s set in Oklahoma)—one cannot ignore Langridge.

The issue opens with a great summary of the previous issue, then it continues a few hours later. These hours, off panel, are spent with Jane painstakingly glueing together an ancient urn. There’s a combination of humor and painful reality in that moment. Langridge makes Thor more realistic—with his characterizations being real people—than most mainstream comics.

It doesn’t hurt Langridge and Samnee take the time to pause and reflect on their fantastical story. They give the reader time to appreciate it—more, they give the characters those moments too. The issue ends with a lovely, sad, quiet scene with Thor and Jane staring at a rainbow.

It’s perfect.

CREDITS

Hyde; writer, Roger Langridge; artist, Chris Samnee; colorist, Matthew Wilson; letterer, Rus Wooton; editors, Michael Horwitz and Nathan Cosby; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger 1 (September 2010)

Langridge’s approach is to make Jane Foster the lead, something I wasn’t expecting, but it makes perfect sense. Recasting Thor as a mute homeless guy (at least in her view) for half the issue was a little more questionable. As is the scene with Thor defending a woman’s honor against a ruffian… the joke, it turns out, is the ruffian is Mr. Hyde.

I’m not sure why I didn’t just assume Langridge knew what he was doing. Maybe because I’m not a Thor reader. But he and Samnee get something fantastic going here. I would never have said Samnee’s art was particularly “kid-friendly” before, but Mighty Avenger isn’t so much a kid-friendly title as just a revamp without cynicism. There’s no grim and gritty here.

The issue ends on a soft cliffhanger. Langridge and Samnee have already made the characters compelling, so it doesn’t need anything super-flashy.

CREDITS

A New Beginning for Thor, the Mighty Avenger!; writer, Roger Langridge; artist, Chris Samnee; colorist, Matthew Wilson; letterer, Rus Wooton; editors, Michael Horwitz and Nathan Cosby; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 6 (October 2009)

So, for a forty year old comic, originally serialized in back-ups (and a double sized reprint), this issue is essentially a done in one. Thor and his sidekicks (are they called the Warriors Three?) hunt down this bad guy (called Mogul, no relation to the intergalactic Superman villain–this Mogul is from the Mystic Mountain, or Zanadu, or Xanadu or Zandu–lots of spellings) and set out to depose him from his throne.

And Mogul doesn’t appear very intergalactic here.

He’s Muslim.

He’s, in fact, a stand-in for Mohammed, which Lee’s readers probably wouldn’t have realized but I think Stan did. And Stan has Thor and his sidekicks fight for the American way.

In other words, it’s a very political comic book. More, I think, than any Silver Age Marvel book I’ve ever read.

Still good stuff. And, hey, with Bill Everett on inks, Kirby’s art is luscious.

CREDITS

The Tragedy of Hogun!; inker, Vince Colletta; letterer, Art Simek. The Quest for the Mystic Mountain!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Sam Rosen. The Secret of the Mystic Mountain; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. The Battle Begins!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Rosen. Alibar and the Forty Demons!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. We, Who Are About to Die…!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. To the Death!; innker, Bill Everett; letterer, Simek. The Beginning of the End!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Rosen. The End!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; colorist, Matt Milla; editors, Lee and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 5 (September 2009)

It’s Thor versus Fanfir for the (first?) time and Odin busts out his awesome “Star Trek” viewscreen to see everything going on.

The way Lee lays out the story… while it was originally serialized, plays well read in a sitting. Thor and his sidekicks have to go fight Ragnarök’s coming–by preventing an arms race it almost sounds like in the first section, but quickly it descends into a big battle.

Loki’s been banished for this stuff, so there’s none of his mischievous nonsense.

What’s interesting is how Lee sets up the subsequent story as a possible continuation, but not really… Odin’s still talking about sending Thor on a secret mission to gauge his abilities, but it’s not clear if it’s the battle, the fight against Fanfir or the stuff on the boat from the last issue. It makes everything seem very smooth and gradual, even if it’s really not.

CREDITS

The Hordes of Harokin!; letterer, Art Simek. The Fateful Change!; letterer, Simek. The Warlock’s Eye!; letterer, Simek. The Dark Horse of Death!; letterer, Sam Rosen. Valhalla; letterer, Rosen. When Speaks the Dragon!; letterer, Simek. The Fiery Breath of Fafnir!; letterer, Rosen. There Shall Come a Miracle!; letterer, Rosen. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; inker, Vince Colletta; colorist, Matt Milla; editors, Lee and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 4 (August 2009)

How did Stan Lee–I mean, seriously–how did he okay Colletta’s inks? I mean, I’m not a salivating Kirby enthusiast, but Colletta just sucks the life out of his art here. I’m thinking the eighties Super Powers books from DC to tie in to the action figures had more merit.

And it’s really a darn shame, because Lee’s story–until it gets annoyingly convenient–is really cool. I’m not sure I’d have liked to read it as a back-up over six months, but he’s got a whole Thor on a quest thing going, with a cast of interesting characters (odd how many Asgardians are, it turns out, complete cowards).

And why does Loki get such benefit of doubt? His nickname’s “Prince of Evil” or something along those lines. You’d have to be a complete moron to not notice.

Oh, wait. Colletta’s inks did make the witch look creepy.

CREDITS

Maelstrom!; letterer, Art Simek. The Grim Specter of Mutiny!; letterer, Simek. The Jaws of the Dragon!; letterer, Simek. Closer Comes the Swarm!; letterer, Simek. The Queen Commands; letterer, Simek. The Summons!; letterer, Simek. The Meaning of… Ragnarok!; letterer, Simek. Aftermath!; letterer, Sam Rosen. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; inker, Vince Colletta; colorist, Matt Milla; editors, Lee, Cory Levine and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 3 (August 2009)

Did Marvel get Matt Milla to recolor these stories to try to sell them to a broader audience (I mean, isn’t the trade just going to be a Thor product pre-movie release) or to try to make the Vince Colletta inks less horrific?

I want to talk about the stories, but… after reading this issue–the first with only Colletta inks throughout–a moment needs to be taken to talk about this subject. His inking reduces Tales of Asgard. There’s still Lee’s exuberance, still Kirby’s macro-enthusiasm, so it’s Colletta who makes it lesser.

There’s a story arc forming here, Thor and Loki on a quest, with Odin directing them (with a hidden motive). There’s also some “Loki as a Problem Child” stories and it’s hard to believe anyone would associate with him as an adult given the crap he’s pulled.

It’s nice stuff. Shame the art doesn’t hold.

CREDITS

The Boyhood of Loki!; letterer, Art Simek. The Golden Apples!; letterer, Simek. A Viper in Our Midst!; letterer, Simek. The Challenge!; letterer, Simek. The Sword In The Scabbard!; letterer, Simek. The Crimson Hand!; letterer, Sam Rosen. Gather, Warriors!; letterer, Simek. Set Sail!; letterer, Simek. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; inker, Vince Colletta; colorist, Matt Milla; editors, Lee, Alex Starbuck, John Denning, Cory Levine and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 2 (July 2009)

Included in this issue (and the previous one) are some Marvel Universe entries relating to Thor and Asgard. It’s sort of amazing to see where everything stemmed from these stories (well, not just these stories, but in part these stories). Lee’s storytelling is somewhat reductive. It’s a big world he’s telling a story in, but he concentrates his attention on a single item. There aren’t subplots (there isn’t room for them).

So, on one hand, it appears he’s retelling old Norse myths, but on the other–maybe not clear to contemporary readers of the material–he was laying groundwork for something much bigger.

All the above noted, I’m still a little mind-boggled with the Asgard stuff. It’s just too much information to digest and it’s not clear how one can apply it.

Lots of good material in this issue… though I now understand why people dislike Vince Colletta’s inks.

CREDITS

When Heimdall Failed; inker, George Roussos. Balder “The Brave”; inker, Vince Colletta. Balder Must Die!; inker, Colletta. Trapped by the Trolls!; inker, Colletta. Banished From Asgard!; inker, Colletta. The Defeat of Odin; inker, Colletta. The Secret of Sigurd!; inker, Colletta. The Coming of Loki!; inker, Colletta. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; colorist, Matt Milla; letterer, Art Simek; editors, Lee, Cory Levine and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 1 (July 2009)

Stan Lee writes these stories with such enthusiasm, it’s hard not to get involved with them… even when there are glaring continuity errors (Lee has Heimdall taking the assignment of guarding the Rainbow Bridge after Thor’s come of age, when just a few stories earlier, young Thor is on the bridge with an already assigned Heimdall).

The first couple stories feature Odin, which is a bit of a problem, since he’s all powerful and isn’t much fun to watch. His fight with Surtur, however, is fun to see. Kirby’s art’s strongest in that story. Maybe because the outfits aren’t so silly yet.

The young Thor stories, those featuring Loki, are annoying, as Thor is constantly duped by his evil brother. That infinite gullibility is one of the things, I think, I didn’t like about the character as a kid (and therefore, didn’t read much Thor).

Again, Lee makes it work.

CREDITS

Tales of Asgard; inker, George Roussos. Odin Battles Ymir, King of the Ice Giants; inker, Don Heck. Surtur the Fire Demon!; inker, George Roussos. The Storm Giants; inker, Paul Reiman. The Invasion of Asgard!; inker, Roussos.“Death” Comes to Thor!; inker, Reinman. Thor’s Mission to Mirmir!; inker, Chic Stone. Heimdall, Guardian of the Mystic Rainbow Bridge!; inker, Heck. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; colorist, Matt Milla; letterer, Art Simek; editor, Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.