ASGARDIANS

The Asgardian best known to modern readers, or at least moviegoers, struts his stuff.

With his customary close and spirited take on original sources, O’Connor sets his portrait within a frame story that has Odin’s beefiest son—portrayed as a veritable mountain of muscle—relating several renowned exploits in order to earn passage from a cloaked ferryman at a river. In contrast to his depiction in the Marvel Comics Universe, this Thor turns out to be rather lacking in social skills. But when it comes to yarns, he does spin some winsome ones, like the story of how he acquired his hammer, Mjollnir, thanks to one of Loki’s schemes. He also recounts how he got the hammer back after it was stolen, by first urging Freyja to offer herself as ransom (her reply: “@#%!!”) and then by masquerading as the thief’s bride. The author tucks additional tales into his closing barrage of source notes, analytical comments, and personal responses to many of the preceding panels and incidents. He also apologizes for one admittedly awesome view of Thor ripping off an ox’s head barehanded; for all the martial overtones, only rarely does the gore or violence turn visually explicit. Most of the deities are light-skinned, but the many giants, dwarves, and other beings display a range of skin hues, along with often having deliciously strange and grotesque features.

It’s hammer time!