I have been reading Essential Avengers Vol. 1, and prior to reading that I read Thor Visionaries Vol. 1 (thanks to an in-kind donation by one mr_moneypenny- thanks J!). I have really been enjoying reading Thor in these classic trades. I also have Vol.2 of Thor Visionaries on its way.

I have the current Thor series on my pulls list, but am behind by several issues. Once I get my comics situated in the new man room, I plan on starting to get caught up.

In the meantime, are there any Thor trades (other than the Visionaries-as I plan on getting all of the Simonson stuff), that you guys can recommend? I am looking for the stuff that really defines the character. Thanks!

Isn't solicting illegal?
And soliciting a blonde norse god more so?
Now, maybe you'd get lucky if you solicited Loki.
And aren't you married?
What?
Tiger Woods your hero or something?

1. Depends on what you are soliciting.
2. Can you solicit a fictional character and have it be illegal?
3. See no. 2. However, she is now a she/he, so any discussion of solicitation is off the table.
4. Yes.
5. Huh?
6. Tiger who?


I knew I was at risk of some kind of attack from you if I posted that title. You are nothing else, if not reliable!

I highly recommend the following:

Thor: Dissassembled
Thor: The Reigning
Thor: Blood Oath

Also good:

Thor: The Eternals Saga vol 1 and 2 (Thor kicks the carp out of the Eternals, Odin takes the Destroyer into battle vs the Celestials, and Thor knocks a Celestial over, doing as well against them as the Destroyer). Seriously, these old stories really make you wonder why Marvel needs the Sentry when Thor is just so much better (and frankly more powerful).

Thor: Son of Asgard - Thor, Sif, Loki, Baldur as teenagers. Thor struggles to lift Mjolnir, Loki schemes, Sif moons over Thor, and Karnilla strikes, it's a fun read of them growing up

Thor: Essentials 2 is I think where he fights and defeats Galactus, it's that or Vol 3. Which ever, that's a great one.

Wow! Thanks and rep to you!

I read Blood Oath-LOVED IT!

Thor Disassembled I have some of the individual issues, but had a difficult time getting the last three issues I needed, to complete and read the story. So I sold them. I have been eye-balling the trade, so I'll get it!


The Essentials are ones that I will probably delve into later. I like reading the classic stuff, but only in small doses. The dialogue is too campy sometimes, and after a volume, I feel dumbed down.

Thanks again!

This might seem like an odd recommendation, but I'd suggest the Hellboy novel Bones of Giants. Without getting too spoileriffic, Hellboy ends up with Mjolnir. It stays faithful to the mythology, but hits all the right superhero notes.

Maybe he's fictional, but you could always find someone to dress up as him. :cross-eye

Who? Me? Attack? Nah.

Oh, and I guess I should also recommend the opening of the new series. If only for the great fight scenes vs the Destroyer and Iron Man.

If you read Civil War and thought Tony Stark was a jerk in it, or disliked him cloning one of his oldest and best friends you can watch Thor totally own him. The fight is short, but damn does Thor smack the snot out of him.

His fight with the Destroyer marks the second time only that he's ever smoked the Destroyer. Thanks to the mighty Odin Force, Mjolnir, and the power of the Runes he wrecks the Destroyer and brings all the Asgardians back.

I will say this, the current series is painfully slow at times, but does have it's moments. I'm really looking forward to the next issue, as Doom is a split second away from being spam in a can at the end of the current issue. Thor has arrived, and he's REALLY honked off.

Lastly, while it isn't Thor per-say, Beta Ray Bill: Storm Breaker is also a great read covering a popular Thor supporting character. Bill takes on Stardust, Galactus, and a demon from the 'cthulu verse'. He gets slapped around by Galactus (but does some good damage vs Galactus), but totally beats the stuffing out of Stardust and then the demon. Bill unleashes the full force of Storm Breaker in a brutual end it all fight near the end, basically blowing himself to smithereens in the process. It's awesome, and gives you a good take on why it's not a good idea to mess with a Thor who is willing to totally cut loose with no regards to the consequences.

The follow on, God Hunter was not very good though, I only read a few issues before I dropped it (poor art and story).

I actually collect the new Thor series-though I am somewhat behind on my read (in all my comics, not just Thor-haven't read anything since Sept of '08).

I'll keep an eye out for the Stormbreaker TPB. Thanks again!

Hey, Darth!
I'm OVERJOYED you liked the Simonson Visionaries volume 1 enough to continue reading subsequent volumes! Wa-hoo! And boy, oh, boy - if you liked that first trade, just WAIT for the second. GREAT stuff...

Anyways, I haven't seen anyone recommend the Secret Invasion: Thor mini-series, and I feel it deserves a mention. I wouldn't categorize it as ESSENTIAL, but I thought it was a fun read. The terrific Matt Fraction writes it, and I think he manages to hit a tone true to JMS's, but still is able to present something a little different. I liked it issue-to-issue, but it'll probably pop even better when read in one sitting... It's fairly short (3 issues), and is removed enough from the rest of the Secret Invasion stuff to be its own thang. I'm terribly, pathologically, PATHETICALLY hyper-critical of anyone other than Mr. Simonson writing Beta Ray Bill (it's sad, really), and I thought Mr. Fraction did a really good job.
(I'm glad lots of people seemed to like 'Beta Ray Bill: Stormbreaker', but it really didn't work for me. As the challenges against him mounted exponentially and Bill had to face a herald of Galactus, then a singularity / Black Hole, then Galactus himself, and he took it all in stride and just DID it... I felt the whole thing just sort of spiraled out of control, and the subtleties of the CHARACTER got lost amidst the non-stop weight lifting. Bill lost all of the pathos and "humanity" that I think separates Bill from Thor. Thor = a God. Bill is like what would've happened if Peter Parker would've been bitten by a radioactive Uru hammer. A mortal being dealt a bum hand, and then given power to wield to defend his detractors, basically. Or at least that's how Simonson wrote him, and that's the version of the character I really go for.
Sheesh. I've written a paragraph now. See? SAD. lol )

Anyways, enjoy your upcoming reading journey (Journey into mystery? ). You've got some great moments ahead...
Be well,
-jason

Hey Jason:

Yeah, I really appreciate it. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of Vol. 2. I have to see how this whole Surtur thing pans out. The timing of me reading it, with the release of HoT is certainly uncanny. I am also trying to wade through the Essential Avengers Vol. 1 before it gets here. 9 issues to go!

Thanks again and have some rep! Also, hail_eris, thanks and I will be repping you as well. I'll try and give that Hellboy a looksee.

But now, Bill is unworthy of the power of Thor and can no longer lift Stormbreaker.

He loose it during Godhunter? Like I said, I gave up on the story as the writing was poor as was the art.

Also, the problem with Fraction's Thor:SI work is that once again a writer ignores continuity to tell a story.

Somehow the Skrulls are capable of reforging Stormbreaker into two weapons that they can genetically engineer a warrior to lift. Both feats should be impossible for the Skrulls.

However, the Ages of Thunder one shot, and the other ones associated with it were fairly good. It effectively chronicles up to Thor being demoted and kicked out of Asgard for being arrogant, cold, and aloof. It does follow mythology more closely though.

You're TOTALLY right, on all counts! Rep!

The whole Skrull / Stormbreaker thing did get under my skin (as did the Super Skrull: Asgardian dude that ended up being the 'big bad' - I can see the Skrulls genetically engineering Super Hero stock, but Godstock? That was a bit harder to swallow), but it just seems that in order to enjoy any number of Marvel stories these days (and I really do! I'm not trying to be a gloomy gus here...), you just have to overlook an almost inordinate number of snafus, inconsistencies, and/or contradictions, which kind of makes me sad.

I had totally forgotten about the 'Ages of Thunder' one-shots, and that was a disservice on my part, as I REALLY enjoyed all of them. Can't BELIEVE I overlooked those... Maybe I'll have to pick up the trade to re-read those...

Bill decided that since he can't kill Galactus outright, he'll starve Galactus to death by going to every planet Galactus wants and destroying it before Galactus gets there, wither it's inhabited or not.
Thus,now that Bill has genocidal tendencies, he has proved himself unworthy of the power of Thor and can no longer pick up Stormbreaker.