Set Description
The inimitable Walt Simonson's classic run on Marvel's Thor (1983–87): issue nos. 337–355, 357–369, 371–382. A total of 44 issues of the monthly title / continuity constitute the run (45 if you add Thor annual no. 13, for which Walt drew the cover but John Buscema did pencils).
Walt was writer, penciller, and on some of the most important issues inker for 337–354, 357–367. No earlier creator handled story, script, and visuals for Thor in this sustained serial narrative fashion, with multiple interwoven plots that converged and culminated in truly epic climaxes. Simonson is a true auteur. Even if he did not create Marvel's Thor, he is in my opinion (shared by many old farts like myself), the most important creator to work on the character apart from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. With all due respect to the younger generation of writers / artists (who are impressive in their own right) Walt is the greatest living Thor scribe and artist.
After departing to pencil X-Factor, Walt stayed on as writer and cover illustrator for the rest of his Thor run. Sal Buscema took over pencils for nos. 355, 367–369, 371–379, 381–382. The extraordinary all-splash issue no. 380 features Walt’s breakdowns under Sal’s finishes. John Workman’s letters (including most of the bombastic sound effects) are throughout.
An important tie-in to Walt's run was the four-issue limited series Balder the Brave, written by Walt and illustrated by Sal (though Walt did the covers). The Balder issues are included in the Thor Simonson Omnibus (which has now seen two printings) and are integral to Balder's arc in the main Thor run. The CGC Registry lists them separately. Also notable is Avengers no. 249, which takes place more or less concurrent with Thor no. 352. Finally, because Walt was collaborating with his significant other, the great Louise Simonson, on X-Factor, there is a rare crossover between those titles during the "Mutant Massacre" storyline (X-Factor no. 11 and Thor nos. 373-374).
Is it tough to pull off the Simonson Thor run in 9.8? Yes, but not impossible. You'll see that the mighty mbakich held the title for best set in this category for many years with a straight flush. Lookin4newstands has taken the really hard road by privileging Canadian Editions and Newsstand copies and has nearly pulled it off. Both are serious collectors with impressive Thor collections beyond Simonson's run. If only I had the dough.
In general, the rarest Simonson era books in 9.8 are those from later in the run, pencilled by Sal Buscema. I guess this is because most collectors are interested primarily in those books both written and illustrated by Walt. Along these lines, the rarest book in the run is currently Thor 375 (only 3 copies in 9.8), cover and text by Walt but interior pencils by Sal. This past year saw a huge increase in the census for two other Sal issues, 371 and 372, on account of the MCU Loki show. Those issues feature the first appearances of the Time Variance Authority.
For my part, I am still hunting for one last 9.8 to upgrade a signed 9.6. Otherwise, all 9.8s, all WP. My approach has been to go after signature series books, which I have acquired both through auction and recent CGC in-house signings. According to the census, it is currently impossible to assemble the full run in 9.8 with signatures (for at least nine books in the run there is no representation under signature series at that grade). I think I bought the first of the signed books on ebay back in '09. As of June '22, fourteen of the collection's 9.8s are signed, comprising 31% of the run as defined by the registry. Of those 14, six issues (339, 349, 353, 374, 380, 382) now feature bespoke remarques added by Walt in late ’21. The representatives for issues 349, 353, 379 and 380 are currently the only signed copies in 9.8 on the census for those four books, all but 379 with remarques. It was a happy relief to receive the latter three back in the same grade they were sent to CGC (it is not guaranteed), now transformed into a miniature Simonson art gallery.
In addition to Walt’s signature and remarques, the collection includes books signed by his main collaborators: John Workman (king of dynamic letters, issue no. 342); the mighty Sal Buscema (one of the pillars of Silver and Bronze Age Marvel, issue no. 379); the notorious Jim Shooter (Marvel’s innovative and controversial editor-in-chief for much of the 1980s, issue nos. 364 & 365); and, of course, the great Stan Lee (Thor’s Marvel Poppa along with Jack Kirby, both of blessed memory, issue 337).
I'd hoped to finish all my descriptions by the judging this year but I'm a working stiff. Well, so be it. Thanks for eating the outlook provided thus far.
-Thorseface
