Thor #133, Story B

Valhalla!

Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: August 2, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee-Jack Kirby production
Inked by: Vince Colletta
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
5 pages

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From out of the mists she hath come… She… before whom all who live must one day bow!

As we saw in the last post, my version of this comic has been well looted of pages, and this entire story has been absconded with. So we’ll look to the digital version for our images.

The battle with Harokin and his Warlock’s Eye to retake Muspelheim was entirely forgettable. But it led to this fairly unique coda, two issues devoted to the death of Harokin. Last issue was an ominous and ritualistic issue about acceptance of death. A drumbeat, an approaching black horse…

Now is time for Harokin to make his last journey.

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Thor #132, Story B

The Dark Horse of Death!

Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: June 30, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Script writing: Stan Lee
Picture drawing: Jack Kirby
Panel inking: Vince Colletta
Word lettering: Sam Rosen
Armor polishing: Irving Forbush
5 page

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Well do I know that ominous drumbeat! It summons the Great Black Stallion of Doom! It means the death of a mighty warrior is near at hand!

The battle is won. Harokin defeated and Muspelheim liberated.

Thor and this three warrior friends take a bath.

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Thor #130, Story B

The Fateful Change!

Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: May 3, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Vince Colletta
Lettering: Sam Rosen
Costumes: Asgard Haberdashery
5 pages

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My glorious record proves that Volstagg knows not the meaning of fear! But, why do we race so quickly into a land where death lurks everywhere?

The meandering Odinsword Saga came to an unclimactic resolution, but this led into a couple good issues showing us Ragnarok, the end of Asgard and the death of the gods. That’s led into this story of Thor and friends battling Harokin to retrieve the Warlock’s Eye.

Kirby does cool things with the 5-page/at-most-17-panel format when doing sweeping arcs of abstract history, but it’s limiting when trying to tell a piece of a more standard story. It just doesn’t get very far.

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Thor #129, Story B

The Hordes of Harokin!

Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: April 5, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Fabulously written by… Stan Lee
Fantastically drawn by… Jack Kirby
Fastidiously inked by… Vince Colletta
Finally lettered by… Artie Simek
5 pages

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Yet, the Lord of Asgard must first be a monarch– and then a father!

Clean story breaks are hard to find. The Odinsword Saga seems to be over. It bled into stories about the prophecies of Ragnarok. Which brings us here. For his role to be in Ragnarok, Loki is to be punished.

I don’t know if I approve morally of punishing someone for what he might do in the future.

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