I have a hardcover of Lee and Kirby’s “Tales of Asgard” colored with the latest techniques, so why do I need this one-shot, really? One answer is “I don’t,” but another answer, equally valid, is “for comparison’s sake.” The story itself is made up of a series of little continuity implants which fit interstitially between and among “Tales of Asgard” and Thor stories from Journey Into Mystery/Thor. The continuity isn’t 100% accurate, but I’ll tell you this: they get more right than they get wrong. Besides, these are legends and there should be some variance from teller to teller. What made the issue for me is the explanation of why and how Sif’s hair changed from blonde (in her first appearance in “Tales of Asgard”) to black in her second and all subsequent appearances.
This comic strikes a good balance between the Lee/Kirby stories and the recent movie, and I would recommend it to someone unfamiliar with Marvel’s Thor and wants to read some comics similar to the movie.
Replies
Didn't they already do a story to explain why Sif has black hair?
SPOILER-----Loki was involved!
Not that I recall... but now that you mention it, it does sound familiar.
Hmm...
The myths have a story about Loki stealing Sif's hair, but it doesn't change color there.
Do they portray Loki as a boy, or is it the more traditional full-grown Loki of the green suit and golden yelllow horns or headress?
PS: Speaking of horns, if you re-read the Journey in Mystery issues from about 120-130, with special emphasis on the six part Hercules arc, you'll note that Big Daddy Odin's horns and headress grow longer and longer the madder that he gets at Thor and others. I'm not sure that it was a conscious decision on Kirby's part to show this, but the imagry is definitely there!
Thor, Loki and Sif are shown as youngsters at the beginning of the one-shot, and it follows them up until Odin creates the Don Blake identity and banishes Thor to Earth to teach him humility. It ends with Blake becoming Thor for the first time.
So, if I'm already familiar with Marvel's Thor (at least Stan and Jack's version) will I enjoy this, or will it annoy more than entertain me?
Kirk G said:
Here's a insightful series of posts that show that if you look at Odin's behaviour objectively in the old Kirby comics, he is obviously a completely demented psychopathic despot, in the mode of Kim Il Sung or Stalin. Odin's ever more grandiose headgear is probably another aspect of this.
Yes, Odin may have been Thor's arch-nemesis, even more than Loki because, though it is not directly shown, it is strongly implied that Odin did favor Thor over Loki while they were growing up. And that he tolerated no disagreement, independence or free-thinking. Everything had to follow the course he plotted in an endless series of schemes to prevent Ragnarok.
Thor was to play the part of the dutiful son, obeying every whim and command of his father, to be the weapon of Asgard. It is also implied that Odin choose Sif to be Thor's future wife. Yet, unlike the movie, Odin did not seem to be grooming Thor to succeed him, at least not in the Silver Age. Could Odin the All-Father, the Be-All and End-All fear his own son? Did he want him off Earth because he truly needed him to defend the Realm Eternal or was he preventing Thor from discovering who his real mother was? Did he drive a wedge between Thor and Loki to prevent them from joining forces against him?
So many possibilities! Odin makes Professor X look like Mentor of the Year!
Professor X wasn't so bad a mentor... he just wasn't a very good friend to his students.
He initially appeared to be a moral. just and honest man with a healthy respect for others, but soon he was controlling others, wiping memories from parents, cops and others to further the x-men's adgenda.
But I think they got him right in the recent X-men: First class movie. They cast him well, and he behaved appropriately for the time period.
Kirk G said:
I can only say that it didn't annoy me, but neither can I say it was particularly insightful or even necessary. What it is is a good complement to ToS, but little more.