Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: August 1, 1963
Cover: October 1963
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: G. Bell
5 pages
The inks are by George Roussos, who often used the pseudonym George Bell. This is the first work of his we’ve seen.
The Thor series has not been very good. But I know there are good Thor comics. I even know there are good Thor comics made by Lee and Kirby. We just haven’t seen them yet. There’s been no real consistent artistic voice on the series, with a variety of artists and scripters taking a hand.
Thor is at his best when the stories explore the mythological. He’s generally better in Asgard than on Earth. Indeed, the best Thor story so far introduced Loki, and told the story of how he freed himself from the tree where Odin had imprisoned him. That was the only glimmer of greatness we’ve yet seen.
Here is the next glimmer. After the main tale and a Larry Lieber-helmed sci/fi tale, we get the first installment of a new series: Tales of Asgard. These stories will give Kirby a chance to flex his mythological cred.
We begin with a tribute to the ancient Norsemen, a heroic folk who spun inspiring tales of heroism. We then learn some of those tales. The heroes were the Aesir. The villains were the Frost Giants.
The story is quite terse, almost more of an outline than a story. Mythology can be like that, though. The Christian Bible can be similarly terse about the origins of the world, often just reciting lineages. That is basically what we see here. Buri begat Borr who begat Odin.
There are some details that are confusing or missing, but, again, myth works that way. When Buri is created, the comic is pretty clear that the world now has 3 beings, one of whom is a cow. Then Buri takes a wife. Where did she come from? We are not told.
Most of the pages have only 4 panels, so this is in effect a shorter comic to read than most. Less panels per page probably makes it easier to draw. But it also has the effect of allowing the panels to be bolder and more detailed.
Rating: ★★★½, 67/100
Significance: ★★★★★
In addition to launching a new series, this issue introduces a lot of important characters to the Marvel Universe, notably Surtur and the Frost Giants. We learn the Norse gods are called the Aesir; we learn the origin of Odin; and, we are introduced to Yggdrasill.
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol.1. It is also available in Thor Epic Collection vol. 1: God of Thunder. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Surtur
- Ymir
- The magic cow
- Buri
- Borr
- Odin
Story notes:
- Norse gods are called the Aesir.
- The Aesir battled Frost Giants, also called Ice Giants.
- Land of Aesir bordered by southern land of fire and northern land of mist.
- Surtur and his flaming sword wait to destroy the world of gods and men.
- The well of life lay beneath the world; rivers flowed from here; the northern frost turned rivers to ice.
- First being to appear in the world was Ymir the Frost Giant; then came a magic cow; then came Buri of the Aesir.
- Buri married and has a son, Borr.
- Borr had 3 sons, one of whom was Odin.
- Odin slayed the last of the Ice Giants.
- Odin and his brothers created Yggdrasill to protect the earth.
#107 story in reading order
Next: Tales to Astonish #49
Previous: Journey Into Mystery #97
