COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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Thor 360 Signature
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Grade:
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9.8
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Page Quality:
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WHITE
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Certification #:
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2727701008
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Owner:
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Thorseface
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
Thor no. 360: "Into the Valley of Death!"
Publication date: October 10, 1985
Signed by Walt Simonson on June 26, 2022.
Census: As of 6/20/23, 23 copies in 9.8 (up by 1), 1 signed (up by 1). No 9.8 representation for the Canadian print run.
Writer, penciler, and inker: Simonson
Letterer: Workman
Colorist: Scheele
Favorite line and some thoughts:
"Into the teeth of the howling storm, I cast the runes of Odin! The runes of life and death! Twelve I cast! Angerboda I call! Mother of three monsters! Witch whom Hela hath summoned long ago!"
-Thor, summoning the spirit of the witch Angerboda, mother of the Fenris Wolf, the Midgard Serpent, and Hela herself.
Fittingly, the title of this issue borrows from Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade." I wonder what Tennyson would have made of Thor's flying goats.
The narrative threads that have led us to this point include Malekith's earlier enchantment and consignment to Hel of mortal souls, the disappearance and seeming "death" of Odin, whose whereabouts are unknown to Thor but also Hela (as we learned in issue 354), and Balder's earlier escape from Hel (with reference to Thor 275). The last is something of a retcon of Balder's "death" and return to life that expands on an episode in Roy Thomas's earlier run on the title. Walt uses Balder's earlier time in Hel to his advantage as Balder can now act as something of a guide to Thor as he prepares to invade Hel. By this time Walt and Sal were at work on the Balder the Brave miniseries, the first issue of which ties into events in this issue, namely the mission Thor gives to Agnar. With this issue Walt is also looking forward to the first post-Hel invasion arc. The highlighting of Odin's scepter (the panels with the grieving Frigga are gorgeous, btw) sets up the impending frog storyline for which Simonson is so well known.
Angerboda is supported by both the Poetic and Prose Edda. Her name, which means something like "anger" and "foreboding," relates to the prophecies about her children, all of whom are destined to fight against the Aesir at Ragnarok. The method Thor uses to summon her from the dead--tossing Odin's runestones--is Walt's invention (I believe), but it is no mistake that his encounter with the witch leaves him with a sense of dread of what is to come.
The relationship drama continues in this issue: we finally begin to get a sense that Sif's relationship with Bill affected Thor, and for her part Sif can't understand why Thor just let her go. The love triangle between Thor, Sif, and Bill is handled with great subtlety in Walts run. We begin to see the consequences of it play out in a serious way in this issue and in Thor's journey to Hel.
The original art for this issue (as well as issues 337-340 and 361-362 can be experienced in the first of the two excellent IDW Artist's Editions produced for Walt's run. Do yourself a favor and buy a copy.
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