The Thor Comics Recommendations Thread

[ross2287]

Okay, I'll admit I'm a total noob when it comes to Thor, but the idea of the character has always fascinated me and who doesn't love mythology? It's basically everywhere.

Anyway, let's hear some suggestions. What's good? What sucks? What should be elevated to god-like status? What should be used for lining birdcages?

[Nepenthes]

There's a Thor MAX trade by Garth Ennis. it's hilarious and quite violent, best Thor I can think of

[Canis Sapiens]

Try the Walt Simonson run in the 80s. Great stuff.

[Keyser Soze]

J Michael Stratzynski's current run on Thor is amazing. It's what converted me into a Thor fan. Catching up shouldn't be too hard, just 1-12, then 600.

[TheCorpulent1]

Straczynski's doing great work on Thor right now, so if you just want to follow the current Thor comics, I'd recommend catching up with the trades that have been released so far.

Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic's Loki mini-series is an absolutely awesome read and a great way to understand the character a lot better.

Walt Simonson's run is legendary and probably forms the basis of most modern fans' idea of what Thor's all about.

Dan Jurgens' run is great after the Death of Odin arc for bringing a more practical bent to Thor, complete with some geopolitics and an examination of how Thor's presence might clash with more established religions.

Anything written by Michael Avon Oeming is going to pretty much drip with fanboy enthusiasm for Thor, so his stories are always fun to read. He only has two: Thor Disassembled and Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill.

[yoshimura]

When's Thor #601 coming out?

[TheCorpulent1]

April or May or, like, December. Who cares at this point? Whatever date they've got posted right now, just factor another month or two of delays in and go with that.

[yoshimura]

Seriously?

[TheCorpulent1]

Marvel.com has it listed for release on April 8th, but I think it may have been delayed past that.

[yoshimura]

Is this what usually happens with Thor or other less popular heroes? Or are delays a general thing that Marvel does?

[TheCorpulent1]

Delays are a general thing that happens all over the comic industry. Thor tends to be particularly bad with delays because JMS is juggling a few things and Coipel is a really slow artist.

[yoshimura]

I see. Thanks!

[lowly marvelite]

Likes: I like the fact that JMS has latched onto the fact that a story can be told in a title like Thor. I mean it doesn't have to be from Thanos to Galactus to Surtur and back again for Thor to be interesting. Thor is one of the best reads in Marvel comics right now. I like the art work. I like the new outfit. I love the little glimpse into Loki's "homelife" growing up (sheesh!! no wonder he's such a twisted son-of-gun!) That being said, something new I'd like to see is the character of Thor written with a tad more consistency than he has been in the past...specifically the outcome of some of his battles. I suppose what I mean is this: People read different comics for different reasons...I latched onto Thor when I was a kid because he was originally Marvel's heaviest hitter (and I couldn't stomach DC's Superman...I do like Batman, however...). I have a soft spot for the powerhouses like Thor, Surfer, etc...what I don't like to see is Thor lose to folks he shouldn't lose to. Especially with him not "holding back any longer...". And especially now that he has possesion of the Odin-force. I can't see another superhero in all of comicbookdom (yes, DC's Superman included...I know I'm evil...), save for SS or the Sentry, that could match Thor, raw strength or total power.
I figure, with the advent of Marvel studios, their recent successes at the box office and resultant influence with the comic book community at large, the next time Thor and Superman meet in a crossover, the outcome should be different...

[yoshimura]

#601 has been delayed to April 22! Tear runs down my cheek.

Great post, lowly marvelite.

[TheCorpulent1]

Likes: I like the fact that JMS has latched onto the fact that a story can be told in a title like Thor. I mean it doesn't have to be from Thanos to Galactus to Surtur and back again for Thor to be interesting. Thor is one of the best reads in Marvel comics right now. I like the art work. I like the new outfit. I love the little glimpse into Loki's "homelife" growing up (sheesh!! no wonder he's such a twisted son-of-gun!) That being said, something new I'd like to see is the character of Thor written with a tad more consistency than he has been in the past...specifically the outcome of some of his battles. I suppose what I mean is this: People read different comics for different reasons...I latched onto Thor when I was a kid because he was originally Marvel's heaviest hitter (and I couldn't stomach DC's Superman...I do like Batman, however...). I have a soft spot for the powerhouses like Thor, Surfer, etc...what I don't like to see is Thor lose to folks he shouldn't lose to. Especially with him not "holding back any longer...". And especially now that he has possesion of the Odin-force. I can't see another superhero in all of comicbookdom (yes, DC's Superman included...I know I'm evil...), save for SS or the Sentry, that could match Thor, raw strength or total power.
I figure, with the advent of Marvel studios, their recent successes at the box office and resultant influence with the comic book community at large, the next time Thor and Superman meet in a crossover, the outcome should be different...
Thor getting s*** on in a lot of his fights is just something you have to learn to get used to as a Thor fan. It has always happened a lot and it probably will continue to happen a lot.

[Vartha]

Well ya have to admit Corp JMS's run is better than you thought it would be. I still think it's worth every penny and every push back.

Ross pick up the TPB for volume 3, it's cheaper and JMS's thor reads better that way, to many.

I personally LOVED Thor Blood Oath a mini by Omeing and Kolins. It's set during the Classic Thor run, and has plenty of other Mythic characters in it.

[TheCorpulent1]

JMS' run is great, but that has nothing to do with the fact that Thor gets his ass kicked a lot more than he should.

[lowly marvelite]

Thor getting s*** on in a lot of his fights is just something you have to learn to get used to as a Thor fan. It has always happened a lot and it probably will continue to happen a lot.

I think you're probably right. Thor fans just are not a big enought "voice" in the comics community, or even the Marvel community, to make a difference. Superman has such a huge fanbase that if DC pulled the same crap with him that Marvel does with Thor they would actually be a threat to DCs revenues. Sadly, Thor does not have that kind of impact...so the writers proceed as they care to...without much regard for The God of Thunder...

[spider-neil]

will be interesting to see if the loss of coipel(sp) hurts the sales of the thor comic.

[yoshimura]

will be interesting to see if the loss of coipel(sp) hurts the sales of the thor comic.

WHAT!!>!>!>!!??!?!

What transpired to give us this horrible news?

*****

Why does it always have to happen to Thor!?

[TheCorpulent1]

will be interesting to see if the loss of coipel(sp) hurts the sales of the thor comic.
I hope not. As long as the replace him with someone as good (and they should, since Thor's comic sells well enough to rate A-list talent), I think its sales will be okay. Djurdjevic's drawn a few issues and the sales stayed pretty consistent.

[yoshimura]

February sales

1 Amazing Spider-Man 583 $3.99 Marvel 148,778
2 Batman 686 $3.99 DC 111,333
3 New Avengers 50 $4.99 Marvel 106,812
4 Thor 600 $4.99 Marvel 96,700
5 Dark Avengers 2 $3.99 Marvel 93,536
6 Hulk 10 $3.99 Marvel 77,203

[Vartha]

Something else to pick up is the Ages of Thunder Trade.
Matt Fraction takes actual Myth and Applies them to Marvel's Thor and the stories basically the the reason Thor ends up getting bannished from Asgard to learn humility preceding Journey into Mystery 83, Thor's origin issue in 1963.

Another trade is Blood Oath by Omeing. It covers what Thor is capable of without using Mjolnir and is a nice mythic type tale based in the classic Kirby Thor period.

[Keyser Soze]

February sales

1 Amazing Spider-Man 583 $3.99 Marvel 148,778
2 Batman 686 $3.99 DC 111,333
3 New Avengers 50 $4.99 Marvel 106,812
4 Thor 600 $4.99 Marvel 96,700
5 Dark Avengers 2 $3.99 Marvel 93,536
6 Hulk 10 $3.99 Marvel 77,203

Wow, Thor 600 manages to top everything except Obama meeting Spider-Man, Neil Gaiman writing a Batman story, and a New Avengers landmark? Impressive feat.

[yoshimura]

Lightning Strikes Again For Sold Out Thor #601!

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/124101485864326.htm

[yoshimura]

1 Detective Comics 853 $3.99 DC 104,099
2 Flash Rebirth 1 $3.99 DC 102,421
3 Wolverine Weapon X 1 $3.99 Marvel 97,888
4 Dark Avengers 4 $3.99 Marvel 95,846
5 New Avengers 52 $3.99 Marvel 93,967
6 Batman Battle For The Cowl 2 $3.99 DC 89,113
7 Hulk 11 $3.99 Marvel 82,719
8 Justice Society of America 26 $2.99 DC 81,193
9 Green Lantern 39 $2.99 DC 79,785
10 Thor 601 $3.99 Marvel 79,620

[TheCorpulent1]

Wow, 80k is a bit of a drop for Thor. I wonder if the novelty of the new series wore off or something. I hope Thor isn't heading back down to his old home in the 40s and 50s again. :csad:

[yoshimura]

Comics in general have dropped about 10% vs previous so being in the top 10 is what counts. However; as a whole (comics & TPB) are up in terms of in terms of sales worth. Marvel's best selling books also bumped up a dollar to $3.99, Thor starting from #600.

Thor #12 sold 73, 774 copies
Thor #11 sold 78,663

For April 2008, Thor #8 sold 91,963 copies to place 7th in the top 10. Note that for April of this year, the 7th place Hulk #11 sold 82,719 copies.

I do agree that the series will begin to drop off, but with the Siege of Asgard crossover and the movie coming out Thor has been raised up to another level. No 40s or 50s. :woot:

[Vartha]

You have to admit, SELLING OUT the 13th issue is still quite a feat compared to most of the other volumes.
You can't compare TODAY's comic sales to Sales in the late 70's and 80's. THEN for the most part there were many people out there just trying to make a quick buck. The area I lived in North of Chicago had basically three towns together. In those three towns alone were FOUR different Comicbook shops.
The one in MY town, the owner would wait a WEEK after a new book hit the stands, then double the price and put it into the Back issue boxes! He didn't last to long.
Walt Simonson's run were part of those books he'd try to get extra cash from.

I want to know how many book from the other runs sold out as many times as THIS run of Thor, because each generation adjusts what they print to over all sales and interest. Granted you have the Thor movie coming out but during the 70's Thor had hit the tv screen in the Hulk movie, and I don't recall any Thor issues selling out.

[yoshimura]

Question:

Are Thor volumes 1 & 2 TPB appropriate for an 11 year old turning twelve? It's for a birthday gift and I'm talkin' bout the JMS run.

Is it a little too violent/dark/mature?

Need input please!

[Vartha]

Well there isn't bloody violence for that matter there's probably THREE whole actual fights in those issues. I'd let my Son read them he's 13.

[yoshimura]

Arighty, thanks for your opinion.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, there's not a lot of blood or gore in JMS' Thor comics. There's not a ton of fighting, but usually when there is, it's light on blood. Some of the interpersonal politics in the Asgardian court may go over younger kids' heads, but for a 12-year-old, I think it's fine. Who knows, that child may come back to it in 5 or 10 years and appreciate it on new levels.

Make sure you keep the kids away from the Ages of Thunder one-shots, though. There's all kinds of blood and gore and sexual themes running through those. Thor throws his hammer straight through a giant's head in one scene and you actually see the blood and gray matter spilling out everywhere. It's very, very visceral.