balder the brave thor simonson reading order

Balder the brave thor simonson reading order series#

Balder goes from contemplating suicide to ruling Asgard, all with a quiet dignity that stands in contrast to Thor’s jovial pomposity.Ībout two-thirds of the issues in the Omnibus feature art by Simonson Sal Buscema drew the remaining third. The most fascinating figure in his Thor isn’t the title character but rather Balder the Brave, a proud warrior who renounces killing after facing the souls of the men he has slain in battle. Although Simonson delivers massive set pieces, he never neglects the emotional development of his characters. Numerous threads run through Simonson’s stories, interweaving and intermingling and sometimes coming to prominence in unexpected ways. The story of Surtur is chief among them, and it is also a perfect example of Simonson’s skill with long-term plotting.

Simonson’s Thor isn’t just a facsimile of a mythological figure imported into a comic book he is an active participant in the creation of new and exciting myths. Instead, Simonson focused on the noble gods, as well as their ignoble counterparts, including Loki, the Frost Giants, the dark elf Malekith and the seductress Lorelei. Sure, Simonson’s Thor still interacted with other Marvel superheroes and remained a member of the Avengers, but those mundane earthbound adventures are some of the least-exciting stories in the Omnibus (Thor’s time as a frog excepted).

Balder the brave thor simonson reading order series#

In quick succession, Simonson brought in this major new player and did away with Thor’s frail civilian alter ego, Donald Blake, refocusing the series on the mystical realm of Asgard and Thor’s fellow gods. The Omnibus begins with Simonson’s introduction of Beta Ray Bill, an equine-faced alien who proved worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer.

Under Simonson’s direction, Thor was both grandiose and playful, with stories that ranged from the epic saga of the world-ending villain Surtur to a wonderful arc that found the hero transformed into a frog by his mischievous brother Loki. Considered by many comic-book fans to be the definitive take on the Marvel version of the Norse god of thunder, Simonson’s Thor integrated elements of Norse and Celtic mythology that had fascinated the author for years. Thanks to the high-profile release of the Thor movie, Marvel Comics has gone back to the character’s most creatively vibrant period and released Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus, which lovingly restores nearly 1,200 pages of writer/artist Simonson’s work on the superhero series from 1983 to 1987.