Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: August 3, 1965
Cover: October 1965
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Illustrator: Jack Kirby
Delineated by: Vince Colletta
Lettered by: Artie Simek
5 pages
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| Journey Into Mystery #121 | Reading order | Journey Into Mystery #122 |
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According to the legends, the Pillars are merely the feet of the Utgard Dragon! Beneath the waves his jaws lie open, waiting for every ship that passes!
It’s not obvious to me how this ship knows where it’s going. All we’ve been told is they are searching for some hidden evil. Not much of a clue. Undeterred by his own ignorance, Thor decides the “Sea of Fear” is as good a place to start as any.
I expect better of the Asgardians, but maybe the Sea of Fear has some effect on people.
After 5 issues of waiting for the ship to set sail, now it has. The issue opens with the ship caught in a storm headed toward these deadly Pillars, and ends… with the ship caught in a storm headed toward these deadly Pillars.
You’d think a God of Thunder would be more useful in a storm than he is turning out to be.
5 pages used to be enough to tell an entire Tale of Asgard. Now it barely seems to suffice for a complete chapter of a tale. I guess this story is only 12 panels long. Perhaps the story would read better if we separated it out and read the entire saga at once.
It doesn’t.
Rating: ★★½, 49/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 4.
Characters:
- Thor
- Loki
- Balder
Story notes:
- Voyage seeks to postpone Ragnarok (the end of the world, when even the gods shall perish) by finding the hidden evil that threatens Asgard.
- To sail between the Pillars of Utgard means instant destruction.
- Crew seems afraid; some muttering that Loki should lead because he would take them home.
- Ship caught in maelstrom.
- Storm pushing Odinship toward Pillars.
- Thor has no power over this storm.
- Balder carries horn to perch of ship.
| Previous | #395 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Journey Into Mystery #121 | Reading order | Journey Into Mystery #122 |
| Journey Into Mystery #121 | Journey Into Mystery | Journey Into Mystery #122 |
I loved Thor as a boy. Jack Kirbys art, with the inking of Vince Colleta makes those pages so awesome.
That story made little sense to me when I read it (and I think the ending makes it very confusing about when it is taking place), but it sure is pretty to look at. I mean, LOOK AT IT!!
I’d been really looking forward to the Odinsword Quest, and was disappointed by what disjointed nonsense it was. So yes, all the points it’s getting come from pretty art.