Thor Visionaries: Walter Simonson, Vol. 2

Thor Visionaries: Walter Simonson #2

by Walter Simonson

Few people have ever left their mark on one character quite the way Walter Simonson has. His work on the Mighty Thor swept the Norse God of Thunder to heights never before seen and rarely achieved since. Spanning epic tales of heroism and treachery, love and war, Simonson's work is often considered the definitive Thor. From the majesty and mystery of Asgard to the gritty streets of New York City, Thor was never the same. That is the mark of a true visionary. This volume continues the collection of Simonson's epic run, reprinting THOR #349-355 and #357-359.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fantasy, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Walt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.

He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like reviewing each issue as I go, so here goes.

Thor #349 -- "Debts of Honour": One of my favourite things about Simonson's time on The Mighty Thor is that the comic is really just an excuse to play around in Asgard. Thor always makes an obligatory appearance, but he isn't always the most important character. This issue casts Odin in the lead, as he recounts the tale of how he and his brothers, Vili & Ve, stumbled into Muspellsheim, pissed off the fire demon Surtur, shattered Surtur's sword, stole the Eternal Flame and sealed Surtur into the southern fire kingdom of Yggdrasil (you're a dumb ass, Odin). Baldur the Brave makes another important appearance, proving once again to be the most "heroic" of Simonson's pantheon. And since the universe is in deep, deep, Odin crafted shit, Odin calls upon the most obvious hero to save Yggdrasil: Beta Ray Bill (because he is as powerful as Thor). And Thor himself ... he is currently under the sway of a love potion. What a schmuck. So Odin is an idiot, Baldur is the bravest, Beta Ray Bill is a competent space Thor, and Thor is an incompetent boob. That about sums it up.

Thor #350 -- "Ragnarok and Roll": In case you don't believe me that Simonson's Thor is an incompetent boob, Surtur, bad ass Muspel-Demon, tricks him into make a rainbow, which, of course, reveals the Rainbow Bridge, and while Thor is busy fighting off Surtur's demon hordes, the fiery PapaDemon slips across space and time to Asgard and takes the fight to Heimdall.

For big, chaotic battle sequences (shockingly similar to the Chitauri battle in this past summer's Avengers movie), the battle for Manhattan that pits the armies of Asgard against the demons of Muspellsheim is good enough, but it leaves little room for character development, which bums me out. There is, however, one excellent sequence. The Enchantress, one of Asgard's biggest villainesses, volunteers to help Odin protect Asgard (along with all of Thor's other godlike foes, barring Loki), and mid-battle she goes *POP* over to her cousin's Manhattan apartment to convince Lorelei to join the fight. When Lorelei refuses, Enchantress slams her for her selfishness and vows to take her and her spells down when the fight is over. Then *POP* she's back in the battle. It's a nice touch in an otherwise standard battle comic.

Sadly, though, the fight's not over yet.

Thor #351 -- "Ragnarok and Roll, Too": You remember how I said that the big battle was like the Avenger's movie last summer? It became even moreso when the demons opened up a sky gate above the Empire State Building. But if recent Marvel film history didn't borrow enough from Mr. Simonson, there is also the little issue of the Bifrost being shattered at Heimdall's feet (much like the final battle in the Thor movie). This time it was Surtur with his gargantuan sword who did the deed, but the bridge is broken and only Odin, Heimdall and Thor are left in Asgard to fight the big demon.

Wait a second, though. The only one left to fight the demon is Odin, The Pragmatic Father. He admits in the final moment that he could have saved Thor during his one on one battle with the Demon, but he chose to let Surtur kill the God of Thunder because the battle weakened the demon just enough for Odin to destroy him. Sweet. The good of the many, hey Mr. Spock?

As the issue goes, it is more of the same. So much is happening at the moment that little can be done with character. Still, the Fantastic Four joined the fray, as did the US Armed Forces, so the Marvel world is reacting to what's happening, which is the minimum required to flirt with reality. Apart from that, nothing new develops. Beta Ray Bill is still as tough as Thor. Sif is still a reactionary who does what she wants. The villains of Asgard are still fighting. Blah blah blah.

I'm looking forward to the end of this battle. I prefer the quieter issues.

Thor #352 -- "Ragnarok and Ruin": It's a Thor free Mighty Thor. Everyone else is duking it out while Thor lies comatose (and nowhere to be seen in these pages) on the broken Bifrost. So what's happening elsewhere in this Nine World's spanning battle? Ex-cop Roger Willis flies off to Svartelheim to fix the Casket of Ancient Winters. He has a super fast Fantastic Four plane as transport, the Human Torch for protection, and some super glue (seriously!) to put the broken casket back together. The Avengers, some X-Men, the Asgardians and the rest of the FF are fighting in New York with Beta Ray Bill. And Odin and Surtur are duking it out in Asgard for the Eternal Flame. The battle rages for the entire book, so there is not much to report but that there is much action all leading to the moment when Surtur touches his sword (Twilight) to the eternal flame. Now ... all hell should break loose, right?

Thor #353 -- "Doom II": Wrong because it is the big finale, and Surtur just can't win. Remember that I mentioned Loki couldn't be found anywhere? He was in Asgard all the time, casting an illusion of the Eternal Flame, and when this issue kicks off it is just Loki vs. Surtur, but soon enough everything starts to swing the Asgardians' way. Odin is back in the fight. Thor joins his brother and father. And one of the coolest covers in Thor-dom comes to fruition:
The three of them have at Surtur each with their own battle cry:

Odin: For Asgard!
Thor: For Midgard!
Loki: For Myself!

It doesn't get much better than that.

Thor #354 -- "Pickin' Up the Pieces": Hel hath no fury like a Thor pissed off. Hela shows up to claim Odin's body because his power is no longer palpable throughout the Nine Worlds (he's still trapped in Muspellsheim locked in perpetual battle with Surtur, according to Loki that is), and Thor goes full out Storm God on her ass, scaring the Mistress of Hel back to her land before entrusting now empty Asgard to Heimdall and wandering off into the snow to brood and pout for a while (before getting trapped in an avalanche). Thor tells us it is mourning, a particularly human experience, that he now must face for the first time. I just think it is a plot device to get us ready for the next adventure (and to set us up for the nice break in the next issue). A interesting fact about #354: it's the most Thor we've had in this volume of Simonson's run.

Thor #355 -- "The Icy Hearts": Oh! how I love this issue. Most people would probably find it too sentimental or too quiet for their tastes, but the nostalgic me always remembers this as a beautiful Thor tale, and I wasn't disappointed this time through.

Thor has been rescued from the avalanche that almost killed him, and he's sleeping on a bed of furs while a giant hand tosses Mjolnir up and down, up and down, like a kids toy. Pan back and we see Tiwaz, an old God (or giant?) with a big white beard and Asgardian garb. Tiwaz plays host to Thor and nurses him back to strength, wrestling with the Thunder God every night so that Thor can "earn" his dinner. Thor becomes convinced that Tiwaz is Odin in disguise, and his spirits begins to return to normal. He eventually throws Tiwaz, much to the big man's delight, and Thor is officially ready to take on the rulership of Asgard. It's such a simple tale -- sort of like Thor's mind -- but it speaks to me of kindness, care, home, warmth, love. Thor was lucky to bump into old Tiwaz , who just happens to be the Thunderer's great-grandpa, and we are lucky to have a breather before the guts and glory storylines return.

Thor #356 -- "The Power and the Pride!": Walt Simonson took a break for a month, and we get a fun little issue about Hercules and Thor. Since this volume is about Simonson's Thor, however, we don't get the Hercules joy.

Thor #357 -- "A New Deal From an Old Deck, or the Credit Card Soldiers": Two adventures in one. Beta Ray Bill and Sif battle some armor clad bank robbers who shrink into playing cards, effectively disappearing, at the touch of a button, while Thor and Frigga bring the children back to shattered Asgard. The first adventure is a front for some shady character with glowing yellow eyes, and it's quick fun, but nothing special. The second contains a wonderful moment when some Frost Giants attack and try to eat the Asgardian whelps. The wonderful moment? Thor is about to kill the giants as they are running away, but Frigga stops him and asks him to leave them some food because they are obviously starving. We need more Frigga's in our adventure stories. Don't you think?

Oh yeah, Lorelei shows up in the final frames and renews her love spells on Thor: this time with some Loki-strengthened aroma therapy.

Oh yeah, again. Enchantress booby traps Odin's scepter as a trap for Loki, which he dutifly springs, but we're not sure of its impact yet.

Thor #357 -- "When Dalliance Was in Flower, or Take the Cash and Let the Credit Go": Thor's back in Asgard and falling deeper and deeper under Lorlie's spell. Meanwhile, Beta Ray Bill stops the Credit Card Soldiers from destroying the U.S. economy by revealing to the angry Vietnam vets in Golden Armour are bing manipulated by the nasty Soviets under the direction of Iron Man's old foe, Titanium Man. It's easy to forget that this was written way back in 1985.

The Beta Ray Bill stuff is mere filler, and it's totally unnecessary. I wonder more and more what the point of Bill is. Surely Simonson could have had the Warriors Three wander around New York with Sif and do the same thing, but I suppose since he created Bill he feels a necessity to use him. I can increasingly do without old Horseface, though (which hurts my nostalgic heart because I loved him when I was fifteen).

As for Thor and Lorelei and Loki: Thor has been turned back into a blithering idiot, and Lorelei has fallen equally, madly in love with Loki (thanks to the Enchantress). It seems the best laid plans of tricksters are doomed to fall apart, but right now Thor, at the behest of Lorlei, wants to make Loki the king of Asgard. We shall see.

Thor #359 -- "The Grand Alliance, or Life With Loki!!!": Enchantress to the rescue (well, with a nudge from Heimdall). Thor's enthrallment to Lorelei gets worse, but he's pushed into a temper tantrum when Enchantress manipulates him into walking in on Loki cuckolding him with his "love" (which contains a hint of FemDom action if you're interested), and his will thundrous power finally kicks in, He beats Loki up a bit, then tells Loki to lift the spell, then threatens Loki with violence, then pulls off one of the best life threatening moments I can remember in all of Marvel: Thor launches Mjolnir into Asgardian orbit, grabs Loki by the throat and lifts him to the heavens, saying "...there soars the Hammer of Thor and by royal Odin's decree, it must return to hand. Nothing may bar its way! Not even the head of Loki!" Sweet, & 'nuff said.

Thus ends this episode of Brad-stalgia. I must now seek volume three in the used book piles of North America. Wish me luck (but if you happen to have vol 3 of this set of Visionaries, I would love to borrow it, and I promise I will take care of it as thought it were my own).

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge fun. Most of the book is taken up with the final battle against Surtur, and it's fantastic. Gigantic battle scenes, huge casts of recognizable characters, the works. This part of the book was great. The Lorelei subplot finally gets resolved, thank goodness, because it was really becoming a drag on the book. Interesting how Simonson made Thor a supporting character in his own book, which is fine by me. This version of Thor is... less than bright, and characters like Beta Ray Bill and Sif make for much more compelling reading.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly, there’s a notable improvement in storytelling since vol.1. It’s not perfect but there’s no more mid-air jumps randomly interspersed in the book.

The first and longer part of the book is good. Epic battles, thunderous fights, betrayals and whatnots make for a true Thor book - seems to me Jason Aaron read these issues when he was younger.
But for the love of me, is it verbose! Why do these people always have to ramble time and time again, declaming pompous and vain sentences while hitting each other? And it’s even worse when they don’t! Came a time when I started to skim-read the pages ’cos balloons after balloons of pseudo-medieval bullshit just get tiresome. It’s like Bendis but without the modern street language fun.

The last issues are much less interesting- a threesome Lorelei/Thor/Loki... kinky!- and not always subtle: There’s a line of dialogue when some goon realizes he’s been working for Russians that goes like "we may be thieves but we’re AMERICAN thieves".
Aaah. The glorious 80’s... they never get old do they?

Still, it remains globally fun and entertaining if sometimes tiring due to the overabundance of theatrical sentences.

[Ninon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An awefully lot of blah-blah dialog - mostly the heroes telling out loud verything they do (in speach bubbles - not thought-bubbles!!), once did, and will do and how great they are and how no-one match them. In turn the foes tell every plan they have, out loud..
This becomes rather tedious to read after a short while..

Having said that, this is one of the better "old" Thor stories.. and it's fun to read and does have some humour here and there, - and haven seen the "Thor - the Dark World" movie.. you can see tidbits from this comic into the movie.

There is an awful lot of fights.. huge scale fights.. this also makes it a bit dull and makes it hard for the reader to "relate" to the characters who are most of the time just bashing about "for Asgard" regardless of WHO it is they're breaking asunder...
Also the "invinsible" Thor, who all of a sudden bashes Death around like any other foe, is, I think, taking it a bit too far.. and it gets boring.

There more interesting stuff about Thors great - grandfather, Loki's (failed) take-over of the throne with the help of Lorelei is a much more fun read - but is alas the shortest part of the whole comic.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Marvel, Thor at his Asgardian battle best. I think there's a good likelihood that some of this storyline was appropriated/borrowed/inspiration for the Avengers movie. Which either means Joss Whedon is very up on his Marvel, or someone wisely directed him there. I think the former most likely. It's also interesting as one of the weapons that appears here (mid 1980s) is later put to important use during the Siege storyline (late 2000s). Thor here is getting a little more fleshed out than he was earlier, more than just a muscle-bound lunkhead who spoke Ye Olde English. Walt Simonson deserves the credit as he was artist and writer for this...I am about to jump into Volume 3 now and look forward to the other treasures it holds. The whole host of Asgardians appear as well: Heimdall, Loki, Odin, Frigga, Balder, Volstagg, Sif, Enchantress (Amora), Tyr, The Executioner, as well as Beta Ray Bill, The Fantastic Four, and members of the Avengers. A treat.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but this? Is condensed AWESOME. The first issues collected in this book are truly, truly epic, leading up to a universe-saving battle, of course, and the latter issues deal with the fall-out and have so many humorous and beautiful moments that I can't count them all. And if that weren't enough, there are also *love spells*. Absolutely fantastic. I can't recommend this enough.

[David Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you luxuriate in Walter Simonson's Thor, keep in mind how terrible the book had become prior to his vision. Once a flagship for Marvel, Thor had become a non stop repetition of classic Lee-Kirby stories. Originality was long gone and the book had to be on the verge of cancellation. Along came Walt, who, given a free hand brought the book back to its' glory days. He introduced lots of new characters, and tampered with old ones to give them fresh appeal. A new secret identity for Thor, a fat Balder, nastier villains and of course, Beta Ray Bill.

Top shelf reading, folks. These are the greatest tales in the Thor Canon along with the 3 volumes to come. Sit back and enjoy.

[Al Gritten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simonson continues the intricate and well developed story line he begins in the first volume and introduces a few surprises as the forces of Asgard battle an eternal who can bring the nine realms to an end. The return of Beta Ray Bill and the epic battle for Asgard and Midgard along with plot twists, betrayals, and sacrifice lead frame by frame to a tantalizing ending. The art is good and augments a great story.

[Ralph Wark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thor is a romantic Fool, Odin is gone, and it's all fun.

This is the story of the attack of Surtur, who, if he places his sword on the eternal flame, will end all 9 realms, I clouding esrt.

And Thor has a love potion put upon him by Lorelei and becomes a horny love struck fool. That's never happened before in the annals of history.

Well written Walt Simonson

stuff, and Bata Ray Bill too!!!!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly the peak of the greatest run on Thor. The apocalyptic build of volume 1 is unleashed through volume 2. The word epic gets tossed around too much so there simply are no words left. Simonson continued making big changes that would not be undone for ages. Throughout there is a boldness of panel layout and artwork that seems impossible to sustain.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simonson's awesome run continues. The conclusion of the Surtur saga is really satisfying. It's fittingly epic in scale and the emotional stakes for the character have never been higher. The Lorelei subplot also comes to an end, as Thor is snapped out of his lovesick state by the sight of Loki in bed with his aforementioned "beloved."

Great stuff.

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues to be amazing. And looks great with the original colouring rather than the digital "facelift" the first volume underwent. Some really great little easter eggs alongside a solid storyline and incomparable art.

[Ondra Král · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nejlepší Thor, co jsem četl. Jedinej problém jsem měl s osmdesátkovou ukecaností, snad na každým panelu je bublina - ale to je daň doby.
4,5*

[Lonnie Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful collection.

The art and story Walt Simonson brings to the pages are as timeless as they ever were. This calls for a diet mead!

[Simon MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this run of Thor comics. It's been great re-reading them again after many, many years. I did like the Easter Egg on the last panel of this book where Walt and Louise Simonson appear.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gems include “Surtwar!”, “My Dinners w/ Thor”, & “Grand Alliance!’

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic battle with many stages and critical points. The importance of movement and troops is illustrated very well. the dangers of enchantment charms.

[Adam Sequoyah · Rating 2 out of 5]

MPA ratings: PG for violence

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The culmination in the second volume of Simonson's "Thor Visionaries" series isn't as strong as the buildup in the first. Earth is at risk of being wiped out by a massive demonic horde, but the scale of the action renders it beyond disbelief. Millions of monsters pour out over Manhattan, but our heroes escape unscathed, robbing the showdown of the tension the story had built so well.

Still, it's not bad. The characterization and art are solid, and Simonson does a good job balancing a large cast. Some flashbacks to Odin's early days do a capable job building the mythos. The aftermath offers a nice one-issue breather as Thor sorts through the outcome before throwing us right back into intrigue.

[Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Kirby's work on Thor gave him an incredible outlet for his creativity. Somehow he combined his vision of the Norse gods with an element of science fiction, with Asgard sitting somewhere in outer space at the end of the Rainbow Bridge. On top of that, he added original characters and outfits and costumes that were truly unique and original. Few artists have lived up to Kirby's originality and artistic genius for Thor, but Simonson has arguably come the closest. This is the second volume in the collection of Simonson's work on the title. The first half of the book, featuring the Asgardians' battle with Surtur is clearly the highlight. If you like either Thor or Simonson, this volume is excellent.

[j_ay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing on with the original issues from 1984 and 1985 (#s 349-359), with Walt Simonson heading toward and passing his first year on Thor: writing, penciling and inking. Expanding story arcs he’s peppered in the past issues, sometimes just a panel or page at a time (something not practiced these days in the dreaded “writing for the trade” format).
Workman’s outstanding lettering and Simonson’s solid storytelling throughout.
Comics are rarely this good these days.
And I don’t even like Thor.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Simonson continues his revolutionary run on Thor with this collected volume. Simonson's tenure pumped an enormous amount of energy and vitality into a tired staple of the Marvel Universe. His vision of the character and the other denizens of Asgard infused Norse mythology and legend into the series and the excitement that his presence left on the title had not been felt since the classic days of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

[Aaron Jorgensen-Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a close approximation of the lot of Thor comics I just got on ebay, to replace the childhood favorites that I stupidly lost during a "wandering the earth/giving away personal possessions" phase.

Just try and pry these comics from my mighty Norwegian hands.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asqard faces one of its most fearsome foes. In the aftermath of battle, Thor and co have to cope with the consequences. This is really one long story about battle, loss and friendship. Loki even comes out well in it. You get to meet another relative of Thor, and Beta Ray Bill returns. A good read.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, can see why Walt Simonson's run on this title is held in high esteem. The tories are grand, epic and layered which is ideal for the son of Odin and the Asgardians and his artwork is amazing giving scale to his epic battles.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here the Surtur saga comes to a close. Which is amazing. The other half of this collection is a goofy mess, so I'd rather remember one of the best "mega-villian" story-arcs I have read.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is the payoff to the epic story set up in the last volume, and it doesn't disappoint. Simonson's art also continues to impress. This is Thor at his best.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly delightful.

[Jdetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

More amazing Thor from Walt Simonson.

[k.wing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Volume 1.