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The secret history of the greatest Thor stories ever written

Started by MCJ,

13 posts in this topic

smithdatura

smithdatura

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A good article indeed. I didn't read Simonson's original run on Thor back in the day, but put it together a year or so and have been going through it at a leisurely pace since - I'm about to hit the frog stories, but the whole Beta Ray Bill/Ragnarok (and Roll!) story ark was fantastic. Simonson's multiple plot lines and pacing throughout the books, it seems to me, was on a par with anything being produced anywhere else within several years of the period - and I include the Byrne/Claremont X-Men run in that frame of reference.

 

You could tell Walt had really done his research on Norse mythology before he started his run, respecting the legends while bringing a ton of originality to the end product at the same time.

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VintageComics

VintageComics

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Ditto. I read it for the first time a few years ago and it blew me away.

 

What a great down to earth read that was.

 

Thanks!

 

 

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MCJ

MCJ

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Yeah, that's my favorite story arc. Walt Simon goes into more depth in the forward to the 2001 Thor Visionaries book, which reprints #337-348 (the book would be better if it contained the whole Surtur Saga, out to #353).

 

In that book, Simonson talks about his love of Norse mythology and his first efforts at drawing and writing Thor stories while he was studying geology.

 

I bought the original run off the newsstand as a teen. I was captivated by the editors' note that Surtur had last appeared in JIM #104...Turns out Simonson had read that issue back when he was in school. He later did some Thor artwork (around the 220s I believe) but his run starting with #337 was epic...

 

 

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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Does he tell what kinds of drugs he was on when he dreamed up The God of Frog Thunder? doh!

 

I almost stopped buying comics at that point.

 

The only worse "Animal Hero" was Cap-Wolf.

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MCJ

MCJ

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He doesn't, but I wouldn't put it past him that he imbibed a few beverages around the time of Thor #366...Not my favorite stretch, either :) I consider the Frog issues to be his "Ewoks period." lol

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mackenzie999

mackenzie999

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the 2001 Thor Visionaries book, which reprints #337-348 (the book would be better if it contained the whole Surtur Saga, out to #353).

 

 

Is there a better collection out there? I've never been a Thor fan but after noticing the high regard people seem to have for the Simonson run, I am a bit curious.

 

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delekkerste

delekkerste

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the 2001 Thor Visionaries book, which reprints #337-348 (the book would be better if it contained the whole Surtur Saga, out to #353).

 

 

Is there a better collection out there? I've never been a Thor fan but after noticing the high regard people seem to have for the Simonson run, I am a bit curious.

 

Yes, 2011's "Thor by Walt Simonson Omnibus" which reprints Thor #337-382 (except for 2 fill-in issues) and Balder the Brave #1-4.

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AJD

AJD

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Does he tell what kinds of drugs he was on when he dreamed up The God of Frog Thunder? doh!

 

I almost stopped buying comics at that point.

 

Really? I thought those issues were fabulous. It was a wonderful fusion of funny animals and 'serious' superhero stuff. (A bit like Bone in some ways.) And it didn't surprise me at all to get to the end and read 'This is dedicated to Catapult and all the other heroes of Duckburg'.

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mackenzie999

mackenzie999

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Yes, 2011's "Thor by Walt Simonson Omnibus" which reprints Thor #337-382 (except for 2 fill-in issues) and Balder the Brave #1-4.

 

Perfect, I'll keep my eye out for this, thanks!

 

That being said...I see prices for this are around $75-$100...methinks it might be cheaper to assemble a reader copy lot.

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MCJ

MCJ

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Well, I actually have a reader copy lot (sad that reader copy=9.2-9.4+) that I bought off the newsstand back in the day. Resale for the run overall (raw copies) appears to be only slightly above that of buying the omnibus or the Visionaries HC ($70 @ mycs)--There's something to be said for the experience of reading the original issues and then the letters pages and even the ads...Some of those reader reactions in the letters pages are priceless!

 

On some level, I can appreciate Simonson's Duckburg shout-out. In a way, it might count as a needed break after the cataclysmic upheaval that the events of #337-353...

 

On a sidenote, did anyone pick up the Walt Simon's Thor Artist's Edition? It's stuff like that that makes me wish I'd gone to SDCC.

 

 

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