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Classic Review: Marvel Masterworks- The Mighty Thor Vol. 16

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Quick Summary

Pros: The book’s shorter stories are fun and all manage to stand out from one another. The book’s longer story arc is exciting and allows for some great moments. Almost all of the characters are charming and make the stories even better. The artwork looks great and introduces an important individual to the series.

Cons: Sif is written poorly.

Overall: This is a solid collection of Thor stories and a great representation of this era in his life. The adventures detailed here range from dramatic displays of action to more thoughtful looks into galactic happenings. All of them are entertaining in their own way and all of them are made even more entertaining by the characters participating. Readers looking for some good Thor stories from this era should definitely consider checking out this book.

Story

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 16, by Len Wein with Roger Stern, is a great representation of who Thor is and what his stories are capable of, in this particular era of comic book history. Most of this collection focuses on short stories that have Thor and his allies confronting some otherworldly threat. The unique nature of these encounters, the participants, and the outcomes make them highly enjoyable and make them feel akin to episodes of Star Trek. This collection also contains a larger story arc that is more epic in nature and larger in scale, tossing some high-stakes excitement into the mix. Along the way, nearly all of the characters, with the notable exception of Sif, are enjoyable. All of this helps make this a fun collection to read.

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The majority of the stories in The Mighty Thor Vol. 16 are individual adventures staring Thor and, usually, his Asgardian supporting cast. Each one has its own unique theme and its own unique approach. One has the cast fight a villain who turns out to have been a hero all along, one has them leading a slave rebellion, and one even propels Thor into the distant future. The stories are entertaining and the fact that each one is distinct in its own way allows them to read well back to back.

The Mighty Thor Vol. 16 also contains a larger and more significant story arc. It involves Loki taking over the Asgardian throne in Odin’s absence. Though this concept is not a new one, this particular attempt is one of the more enjoyable ones to read. Loki’s plan is actually smart and rooted in logic, rather than just relying on complete stupidity from the heroes. It also allows for some great action and daring from the heroes, which is always great to see.

Speaking of this book’s heroes, the charm of their personalities is a big part of what makes this book even more enjoyable. There are moments where Hogun’s ferocity is apparent, where the Recorder starts to show a human personality, and where the complex relationship between Karnilla and Balder is tested. However, my favorite moments came from Volstagg. When Volstagg actually shook off his fear and saved the entirety of Asgard, I was absolutely delighted. Charm from the characters is present throughout the book and makes every story better than it would be otherwise.

The only character who doesn’t benefit from the writing in The Mighty Thor Vol. 16 is Sif. She essentially goes from a strong warrior to an unlucky damsel in distress, constantly being captured and forcing Thor to save her. This happens so often that it makes her seem helpless, making her the only character to leave this book with less appeal than she began with.

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Art

The Mighty Thor Vol. 16 opens with several chapters penciled by John Buscema, who also worked on the past several volumes of this series. Like those past volumes, this one contains Buscema’s trademark high-quality work and creative imagination. Characters look great, their actions are exciting, and the locations are all as fantastic as one would hope they would be. Though I am not as big a fan of Tony DeZuniga’s inks as I was of previous inkers, I did still end up thoroughly enjoying the artwork in these chapters.

After these opening chapters, Walter Simonson makes his explosive debut in the Thor series. His chapters here are detailed, well-structured, and creative. They look nice and help assist the reading experience. Many readers will also recognize the historical importance of these early Walter Simonson chapters, as this creator goes on to have a rich and memorable history with the God of Thunder. 

Continuity

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 16 continues the story from Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 15 (Review).

The story here continues in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 17 (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

Previous Volume Review

All Thor Reviews

Next Volume Review

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