Review: Thor Epic Collection- War of the Pantheons
Quick Summary
Pros: A few stories in the volume’s first half are highly creative and fun to read. The volume’s second half centers around a thrilling story arc that recaptures the feel of very early Thor stories. The artwork is mostly positive.
Cons: Most of the volume’s first half is pretty lackluster.
Overall: This volume, for better or worse, feels like a real blast from the past. It presents several great stories that highlight imaginative looks at Thor’s life. These stories are backed by writing and art styles that feel like what was utilized when Jack Kirby was working on this series. However, the volume also contains several stories that are just lackluster and simply don’t stand out at all. Fans looking for a more modern take on a classic Thor story should consider checking this one out.
Story
Thor Epic Collection: War of the Pantheons, by Tom DeFalco is a relatively unique entry in this series with relatively unique appeal. The volume’s opening chapters are short but wonderfully creative dives into aspects of Thor’s character. Then, the volume’s second half tells an exciting story arc that recaptures some of the magic that made the Thor series great back when Jack Kirby was working on it. However, the majority of the volume’s first half is pretty forgettable and never really manages to rise above mediocrity. If fans are able to look past these lackluster stories and are interested in seeing a few that feel like “classic” Thor, then this may be the volume for them.
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War of the Pantheons starts out with a few solid chapters. The opening chapter is a flashback to the Secret Wars that provides an interesting look at the event and an equally interesting look at the Enchantress’ feelings toward Thor. Then, the following chapter provides a wonderfully creative look at a potential future for the world, one where Thor’s legend is a source of inspiration for a downtrodden people. These are unique snapshots that work well on their own but work particularly well after the climactic events of Simonson’s run on Thor.
Unfortunately, the rest of this collection’s first half does not fare quite as well. The stories after this point are pretty generic battles that all feel like lame excuses to pair Thor up with another Marvel property. This includes a thematically problematic run-in with the Celestials, an uneventful team-up with Spider-Man, and a completely forgettable encounter with Daredevil. Not all of these chapters are bad but all of them have problems that prevent them from being good, such as how the Captain America team-up gives Captain America a chance to lift Thor’s hammer but does so at a pretty unimportant moment.
Luckily, the second half of War of the Pantheons manages to recover and conclude the volume with gusto. This portion of the book details a thrilling fight between the gods of Asgard and the death god of the ancient Egyptian pantheon, Seth. The all-out war between these entities is exciting and contains plenty of moments that simply relish in pure action and tension. The resulting conflict feels incredibly evocative of Jack Kirby’s work on the series and works in a similar way. It also has several well-planned-out surprises, like the return of Odin and Surtur, that add additional importance to the story as a whole.
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Art
The artwork in War of the Pantheons is mostly positive and suits the story well. Ron Frenz’s work feels evocative of Jack Kirby’s work on some of Thor’s earliest stories, in which bombastic action and elaborate structures dominated pages. In this way, depictions of Seth’s forces and fortresses call back to the imaginative qualities this series represents. All of this gives the art a classic quality to it that works well with the classic nature of the storytelling, especially in chapters inked by Don Heck. The only downside is that there are a few places where characters end up having weirdly proportioned bodies, though this only happens a few times in a few places. Overall, the artwork in this collection looks nice and really suits the overall theme of this book.
Continuity
Thor Epic Collection: War of the Pantheons continues the story from Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5 (Review).
The story here continues in Thor Epic Collection: In Mortal Flesh.
This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:
- Thor #383 is mostly a flashback to events that occurred during the Secret Wars (Review) (Reading Order) event.
- Thor dealt with the Celestials in Thor #300, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 19.
- Thor #390 shows the aftermath of Avengers #290, collected in Avengers Epic Collection: Heavy Metal.
- Captain America changed his appearance and name in Captain America #337, collected in Captain America: The Captain.
- Iron Man’s reasons for attacking a government installation were shown in Iron Man #228, collected in Iron Man Epic Collection: Stark Wars.
- Thor previously fought Seth and Seth lost his arm in Thor #241, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 14 (Review)
- Thor #391 references Spider-Man’s return to his costume from Amazing Spider-Man #300, collected in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Venom.
- Peter Parker married Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, collected in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven’s Last Hunt.
- Spider-Man fought the Mongoose in Amazing Spider-Man #283.
- Thor #394 briefly mentions a number of events from Thor’s past.
- He rescued Doctor Graham and made one of his first public appearances as a superhero in Journey into Mystery Vol. 1 #84, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 1 (Review).
- An altercation between the Avengers and an angry Thor happened in Journey into Mystery #101, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 2 (Review).
- Thor encouraged a young couple in a park in Journey into Mystery #107, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 2 (Review).
- Thor and Hercules fought over Jane Foster in Journey into Mystery #125-Thor #126, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 4 (Review)
- Harris Hobbs’ trip to Asgard is detailed across Journey into Mystery #122-123, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 4 (Review). Hobbs’ involvement in Ragnarok is detailed across Thor #272-278, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 17 (Review)
- Thor asked Jane Foster about Don Blake’s “betrayal” in Journey into Mystery #107, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 2 (Review).
- Jane Foster was attacked by the Executioner in Journey into Mystery #103, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 2 (Review).
- Thor saved Jane Foster from the Cobra and Mr. Hyde across Journey into Mystery #105-106, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 2 (Review).
- Thor revealed his identity to Jane in Journey into Mystery #124, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 4 (Review).
- Thor and Jane were almost married but ended up apart in Thor #136, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 5 (Review).
- Thor #396 mentions recent problems with the Avengers and the Black Knight’s problems with his armor. These problems are explained in Avengers #293, collected in Avengers Epic Collection: Heavy Metal.