The other day I
purchased perhaps the heaviest tome that will ever sit upon my bookshelf: a
Marvel Comics omnibus containing the entirety of Walter Simonson’s run on The Mighty Thor. A hardcover with over a
thousand glossy pages, the compendium collects Simonson’s nearly four year run
writing the Mighty Avenger, the bulk of which was also drawn by him (Sal
Buscema pencilled 18 of the 45 collected issues).
With the
exception of a few high profile scribes, Grant Morrison and Brian Michael
Bendis chief among them, it’s rare nowadays to see a single writer dictate the
course of a character and the surrounding universe for so long. And after
reading most of the omnibus—I still have yet to read the final two fifths or
so—I want to see more of these auteur
efforts, because Simonson’s run contains some of the best superhero comics I
have ever read.
Walt Simonson
Likewise, the portrayal
of Thor and his fellow Asgardians in Kenneth Branagh’s recent movie owes a lot
to what Walt Simonson did in the mid-’80s. While Thor’s filmic origin is
(mostly) inspired what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby came up with for the character
in 1962, the less overt but no less important episode—Loki’s elaborate deceptions,
the culture of Asgard, and the comic interactions of the Warriors Three—can be
found in the pages of this omnibus.
It’s an epic
story in the most classical sense of the word, not only long but
far-reaching—from the golden spires of Asgard to a galaxy’s blasted core to the
very bowels of the underworld. And like any good epic it also has a cast of
interesting characters. There’s Lady Sif trying to find her own way and improve
herself without becoming too reliant on others, Volstagg’s tomboyish young
daughter Gunnhild bashfully hoping to impress Hogun the Grim, and the seductive
Lorelei’s mission to woo Thor and upstage her older sister the Enchantress.
Best of all, though, is former warrior Balder’s depression following this
escape from Hell and his later revitalization. For all of its awesome action
sequences—and believe me, there are many—the series’ strength lies in
Simonson’s deft characterization.
Walt Simonson
And let’s not
forget Beta Ray Bill, the alien warrior chosen to lead his scattered people to
a new home and who, after a scuffle with Thor, discovers he’s one of the few
beings in the universe worthy enough of lifting the Mighty Avenger’s hammer,
Mjolnir. In time, he becomes one of the Lightning God’s closest allies and
friends, as well as a surrogate son to Odin, who forges him a hammer of his
own. His relationship with Sif is one of my favourite parts of the series and
certainly the most touching.
Simonson is just
as excellent an artist as he is a writer. His pencils are fluid and dynamic and
just as capable of rendering subtlety as they are the broader strokes.
Recoloured with richer, more vibrant hues for this omnibus edition, you’d think
the series had been on the stands just ten years ago rather than a quarter of a
century.
Walt Simonson
Simonson’s run
on Thor is probably too pricey for the average buyer—it cost me three weeks’
worth of tips—but it can also be found in softcover volumes under the Marvel
Visionaries banner, and with the same recolouring as well. It’s one of the best
examples of superhero comics and arguably the most definitive rendition of that
character—a character who, at one point, turns into a frog.
Walt Simonson
Did I mention
how much I love this comic?
1 comment:
Agree w/ your opinion on this great run, but I believe the Visionaries TPBs contain more or less the original coloring.
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