Classic Review: Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3

Quick Summary

Pros: Each of this volume’s story arcs are appealing in their own way. The character-driven drama is interesting and well-executed. The volume’s conclusion gives readers reasons to come back for more. The artwork is consistently high-quality.

Cons: Some of the volume’s smaller plot points are lackluster.

Overall: The third volume in this series reaffirms it as one of the most enjoyable eras in Thor’s history. It, once again, offers up highly compelling storytelling that is backed by beautiful artwork. This helps continue the drama surrounding all of Asgard and even enhances it in some places. The positives in this book easily outweigh the negatives and make the collection worthwhile for anyone who enjoys Thor, especially those who enjoyed previous entries in this era.

Story

Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3 is a success from beginning to end. At first, it mostly offers up lighthearted character moments, giving readers a break after the high-stakes action of the previous volume. Then, it sees a return to the ongoing drama by depicting an engaging and rewarding war among the gods. Then, readers get to witness the continuation of Balder and Karnilla’s growth, a personal story that still manages to find time for some excitement. There are a few downsides and some lackluster subplots within these story arcs, but the vast majority of the volume is highly enjoyable and is well worth the read.

(spoilers start here)

Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3 opens with a more low-key and lighthearted storyline that works well after the climactic and emotional conclusion of the previous volume. It wraps up plotlines involving Lorelei’s pursuit of Thor and her dealings with Loki in a way that work out well. However, the volume’s somewhat cavalier take on sexual assault is troubling and makes some of its attempts at comedy just uncomfortable.

From here, Thor Vol. 3 moves onward as Thor marches into Hell to face off against the goddess of death. This arc, once again, ramps up the excitement and action by depicting a battle of epic stakes and proportions. It pushes characters to their physical limits, tests them mentally, and even has a former villain sacrifice himself in a fantastic moment of glorious redemption. In general, the arc is great and does not contain the problems the first arc had.

Finally, the last portion of this volume depicts Balder’s solo adventure to save Karnilla from the frost trolls. Like earlier arcs, this one has its fair share of action, excitement, and adventure. However, the real draw here comes from its characters. Balder’s undying commitment to doing what is right is inspiring, Karnilla’s reaction to their commitment is consistently interesting, and the relationship between these two opposites is compelling. I seriously enjoy watching these characters interact and am looking forward to seeing more of them in the future. The only downside is that some of the logic in this particular arc is a bit stretched, as Balder seems ridiculously forgiving of the fact that Karnilla tortured his friend and Balder’s ability to melt ice seems to come from nowhere. Overall though, this is still a solid story arc filled with great characters.

Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3 also continues this series’ ability to build up excitement for the future. At the conclusion of this volume, Asgard still lacks a ruler and it is still unclear who will step up to the throne. Meanwhile, Thor has been turned into a frog and it seriously feels like anything could happen with that plotline.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Like the story, the artwork in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3 easily continues the success of the first two volumes. Simonson’s work is creative, detailed, and just nice to look at. In this volume, this is particularly true in the case of the characters and their interactions with one another. Facial expressions properly convey emotion, interactions are structured well, and the character designs are simply appealing.

In addition, Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3 contains some equally appealing work from Sal Buscema in the four Balder the Brave chapters. Buscema’s work on these chapters is crisp and clean but still contains the sense of dynamic energy and creativity present throughout the rest of the book. These chapters complement the story being told and provide even more artistic success for the collection.

Continuity

Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3 continues the story from Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 2 (Review).

The story here continues in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 4.

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

• Balder entered a death-like state in Thor #274, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 17 (Review). His return is detailed across Thor #301-302, collected in
• Nanna’s death and relationship with Balder are detailed across Thor #305-306, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 19.
• Thor #363 is a tie-in to the Secret Wars II event. It references the events of Secret Wars #6 and of Power Pack #18.
• The members of Power Pack met Asgardians in Power Pack #15, collected in Power Pack Classic Vol. 2.