Words & Art by Walt Simonson
Marvel Comics

What a truly fabulous run of Thor. Simonson does the impossible and the unbelievable and still remains true to Thor and the Norse Mythology. Many things have happened to Thor. In light of the late 90's, before the original title was cancelled, this is above and beyond. It had seemed by the time Marvel had gotton Thor to issue #500 that they had no thought as to what to do next. And so with Mike Deodato Jr.'s art and the many writers that covered the last remaining issues of Thor, it seemed like it was nothing but Fabio's block party. Thor looked like he was constantly in a cologne commerical. Surrounded by many scantily clad females. And the ability to NEVER have a shirt on. Of course there is nothing like a man with great abs, long blonde hair, and bisceps that won't quit. (Not to memention that Deodato's women's asses didn't quite either. Just take a look at The Enchantress in those latter issues.) If you can imagine that, then you know what I look like. 8-)



I will try to scan a better picture, but as of now that is all I could find on the web to get me out of a pinch.

But I wasn't going to write a post about the latter issues of Thor. I wanted to write about Walt Simonson's Thor. In these to issues, Thor is challenged by a dragon that is going by the name Fing Fang Foom. The ice giants wish to vanquish Thor, their sworn enemy. So to do this they will to call upon what is know in Norse Mythology as the World Serpent. A serpent supposedly so large that it wraps itself around the world. Well in their attempt, to litereally, fish out the World Serpent, they catch Fing Fang Foom. So after insulting FFF, for they were expecting a dragon of much bigger stature, they tell FFF of their enemy. How that in recent events, Hela (ruler of hell, which I can't imagine why the Norse picked a woman to rule hell . . . haha) had cursed Thor with brittle bones, like those of a human.

Well, FFF, seems intrigued by these trolls audacity to ridcule a dragon of such might, that he wants to meet this Thor and discover just how powerful he is. So he seeks out to find Thor. In the next picture, FFF runs into Thor, but because Thor seems just like "food", as FFF calls those smaller than him, he doesn't realize that it is Thor. Read on . . .



As the dialouge between Thor and FFF continues, Thor does finally reveal that he is in fact Thor. So FFF challenges him. He tells Thor that is he can lift just his foot off the ground, he will do the honorable thing and take Thor away from the city where they can do honorable battle, without harming other people. However, if he cannot lift his foot then he will battle him there with no regard for the other people. And if he will not accept the challange, then he will kill all the people and then Thor. Needless to say, Thor vanquishes the challange and off they are to the hill where they are to do honorable battle. As they travel, FFF tells Thor of his might and how this battle will matter little, as he will defeat Thor and he will be nothing more than food to him. Finally they find their spot to battle. FFF still boasting of his might, intends to reveal something to Thor that is suppose to make his turn tail and run. Check it out.



He reveals that he is indeed Jormungand, the legendary Word Serpent and that Thor has no prayer. And so we lead into Thor #380.



Thor #380
Words and art by Walt Simonson
Marvel Comics

This issue starts right into battle. As Thor and FFF trade massive blows. Each thinking that their's will be the finally blow to defeat their enemy. The pages that follow this battle are truely some of the most awesome full page spreads that really show off Simonson's great art. The power of his pencil brings to life a battle that no man has seen. But it makes it almost believable. As if the battle is jumping off the page right into your eye sockets and brain.

One of the best is the following two pictures. The first is of Thor as he is bitch slapped by FFF's tail and sailed across the countryside like a ping pong ball. The magnitude of the blow is, as comics in past like to do, puncuated by words that are suppose to bring the sound to life. You remember how Batman's punch to this ememies was always puncuated with a word like "BIFF" or "POW", blasted across the screen. Well that idea for the TV show was taken right from the pages of comic books.

The second picture, is Thor's answer to FFF. As he pounds FFF's mug with his enchanted hammer Mijolnir (I hope I spelled that right). It plummets FFF to the ground and the earth answers in a whine that no man has ever heard. And that reminds me of another reason why I like Simonson's Thor. The dialogue and the captions. The old language of Norse. He keeps it true to the old language without losing the reader, as the very old issues did. The older issues, as Thor was first premired in Journey Into Mystrey, was like reading a King James Bible. Very old dialogue. Anyway here they are.





And so at the end of the issue it would seem that both hero and villian were evenly matched as the finally page of Thor #380 shows. What is to happen to Thor? Did he defeat Jormungand? I don't know, but I'm sure he will turn up in another issue and you'll have to wait and see. That is unless you go to your nearest comic book shop and check out some of the awesomeness that is Walt Simonson's run on The Mighty Thor.



Once again, thank you for reading my comic babblings and I hope that you return to read more. And I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed posting it. Thanks again, and take care of yourselfs and don't forget that comics can entertain even adults. Enjoy life and drink beer, it's better than wine. 8-)