Classic Review: Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5

Quick Summary

Pros: The volume’s characters are still well-written. There are a few, solid moments of action within the volume.

Cons: Many of the larger story arcs are just average and can even be unexciting. The volume’s artwork is mostly average.

Overall: Though not as captivating as its predecessors, this is still a decent collection of Thor stories. The volume finds plenty of time to highlight individual characters and a few well-written moments of action. However, lackluster larger story arcs and a decrease in the quality of the artwork prevents the volume from being as good as it could be. Fans of this era in Thor’s life should keep reading here, but newer readers may want to start with an earlier volume. 

Story

Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5 is probably the most underwhelming entry in this era of otherwise fantastic Thor comics.  The majority of the volume’s larger story arcs are unimpressive and not that memorable. As a whole, they end up failing to live up to the high standards set by previous entries. However, individual moments within these larger story arcs still manage to provide flashes of brilliance, whether from a character-driven or action-driven standpoint. In the grand scheme of all Thor volumes, this collection is still on the positive side but does not stand quite as high as the rest of the “Thor by Walt Simonson” collections.

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As mentioned above, Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5 mostly tells story arcs that are just average instead of being incredible. Thor’s fight against the Serpent feels like a rapid and almost random escalation when compared to the well-executed reveal surrounding past villains, like Surtur. Meanwhile, threats posed by Loki’s illusions or the return of the Frost Giants never feel pressing or serious enough to generate genuine tension. The only worthwhile conflict here comes from Thor’s crusade against Hela, though even this is not as meaningful considering the fact that Thor led a crusade against Hela only a few volumes ago.

Instead, the positives in Thor Vol. 5 mostly come from brief but excellent moments of character-driven drama. Watching Volstagg’s family adapt to their new members or seeing Skurge attempt to pacify a seemingly maddened Thor reminds readers about the humanity within these gods. I only wish there were more of these character-driven moments, as they seriously help increase the volume’s appeal.

In addition to these, Thor Vol. 5 also has a few solid moments of action. Thor’s fight against the Serpent, though poorly justified, is portrayed wonderfully. Plus, watching Thor fight while knowing that he is in excruciating pain while doing so reminds readers what kind of hero he is.

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Art

Like the story, the artwork in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5 is a little underwhelming. Sal Buscema’s visuals still manage to properly portray the characters in this volume. This is particularly true in the way they exhibit Thor’s updated character design. However, in many places, the level of detail feels wanting, specifically in the comic’s environments. This leads to a few too many scenes that end up looking plain and uninspiring. There are even a few chapters where the page structures fail to really capture the action of the moment. The biggest exception here is in the battle against the Serpent, which sees Walt Simonson return to the visuals in order to help create the volume’s best looking chapter. In the end, the visuals in this collection are not bad but they are not that good either.

Continuity

Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5 continues the story from Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 4 (Review).

The story here continues in Thor Epic Collection: War of the Pantheons (Review).

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

• Man-Beast was created back in Thor #134, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 5 (Review).
• Thor previously repaired his hammer in Pittsburgh back in Thor #120, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 3 (Review).
• Thor #377 takes place after the events of X-Factor #15.
• A few references are made to the invasion of the Celestials from Thor #300, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 19.
• Thor #381 takes place alongside Mephisto vs. #4.