COMIC DETAILS
|
Comic Description:
|
Thor 351 Signature
|
|
Grade:
|
9.8
|
|
Page Quality:
|
WHITE
|
|
Certification #:
|
1000643007
|
|
Owner:
|
Thorseface
|
SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
Thor no. 351: “Ragnarok and Roll, Too!”
Publication date: January 10, 1985
Signed by Walt Simonson on 8/29/10.
Census: As of 6/20/23, 20 copies in 9.8 (up by 1), of which 4 are signed (no change). There are 5 Canadian 9.8s, none signed.
Writer, penciler, inker: Simonson
Letterer: Workman
Colorist: Scheele
Favorite line and some thoughts:
"And follow me into Hel"
-Sif, astride her flying horse, leads the Einherjar of Valhalla into the skies around the World Trade Center, with the frozen Statue of Liberty in the distance. There are so many great lines in this issue but this one takes the proverbial cake.
The slugfest in Manhattan continues, with the hosts of Asgard and the Avengers (including the Vision) now joined by the Fantastic Four (whom Walt will turn to after his run on X-Factor) and the 82nd Airborne! It is clear from this and other hints in his work that Walt knows and appreciates his U.S. military history: Thor's ally Roger Willis, who also shows up to lend a hand, is a Korean war vet (we learned this in issue 346, I think). The Colonel in charge of the 82nd is hesitant to take orders from Bill, as is Harokin, who has been a pain in the butt ever since he first appeared way back in Thor no. 129. Their concerns are allayed by Vision and Eilif Dragonslayer (the last Viking, newly promoted to Valhalla!!!) respectively.
Here's more evidence of the debt the Avengers film (2012) owes to Walt's work: Mr. Fantastic spies the flame demons building "some king of prefabricated device" on top of the Empire State Building. Turns out this evil gadget creates "an undirectional distortion in the space-time flux!" In other words, it opens a portal allowing more demons to spill into Midgard. Sounds familiar, right? Hilarious detail: in the panel where Vision reassures the Colonel, Volstagg, in the background, flicks a demon off his shoulder like an insect. Take note, Mr. Waititi: you did my boy wrong.
Surtur's approach to Asgard is devastating. Thor arrives just in time to witness the lord of Muspelheim shatter the Bifrost, preventing the Asgardians' return (it is this, when she detects the shards of the Rainbow Bridge falling from the skies of Midgard, that drives Sif to the warrior madness, as Thor, Odin, and her brother Heimdall are now beyond her reach). Faithful Heimdall falls to the flame demon before Thor can help him. Then, in one of the most awesome images of Walt's entire run, Thor whirls Mjolnir with such speed that it "burn[s] with the might of a thousand suns, energy enough to destroy even the demon of the flame." I wish there was a way I could post this image, too, for here is Walt's Thor in his glory, with a healthy dose of Kirby Krackle to boot. Here I must say that I prefer the original color scheme to that used for the 2011 Omnibus. If I recall correctly, Scheele's whirlwind had some lovely, pre-digital coloring that is missing here (btw, and apropos of female colorists like Scheele, have a look here: https://neotextreview.com/culture/color-me-impressed-the-unsung-woman-colorists-of-1980s-comics/).
In any event, all of this is for naught. Surtur swats Mjolnir aside like a fly and easily knocks Thor unconscious. Now all that stands between him and the Eternal Flame is his ancient enemy, the All-Father.
This might be the second of the signed books that I was able to purchase. Very pleased with the silver ink Walt used. One of my favorite covers from the run, too. The God of Thunder is very, very unhappy. Walt tells a great story about how editorial wanted him to change Thor's expression and how he (to put it lightly) refused.
|
|
|