Thor: Ragnarok

[Local Hero]

Reported 13/04/2004
Source Newsarama
by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Asgard’s gotten a new Lord in the form of Thor. And the Thunder God is about to get a new creative team.

Mike Avon Oeming is taking over the reigns of Thor for six issues starting this June, as part of the Brian Bendis and David Finch’s “Avengers Disassemble,” an event that also brings Robert Kirkman and Scott Eaton to Captain America, and Mark Ricketts and Tony Harris to Iron Man. "Bendis got me in the door, he has huge coat-tails,” Oeming told Newsarama. “But once I was in, they had to read over Hammer of the Gods and my other books to see if I could handle the job. So far, so good.

Despite being the artist on Bendis’ Powers series (as announced last week, Powers will move from Image Comics to Marvel’s Icon, a new imprint for creator-owned and licensed properties) and having written Parliament of Justice and co-written Bastard Samurai (with Miles Gunter) and Hammer of the Gods (with Mark Wheatley), Oeming believes that what’s important is his storytelling skills and that’s what he thinks has gotten him the gig in the first place. “I think a basic understanding of pacing and story structure can get you a long way. It certainly isn’t my spelling! The fact is, I don’t think many writers, even writers better than I, have a good grasp of pacing and structure. They have great insights, amazing way with words and relying emotions and subtext in ways I never could, but many of the same writers have no sense of pacing. Sometimes, the basics can take you a long way as a writer. Also, I consider myself more of a storyteller than a writer. I struggle with writing and in no way claim to be a great writer, but I think I’m a good storyteller.”

Thor first appeared in the pages of Journey Into Mystery #83. Many creators have stamped their mark on the legend of Thor and his adventures on earth and Asgard. To Oeming: “He's a God who knows what it is to be mortal. I don’t really see him as a part of either world, I don’t see earth really relating to him, and yet I don’t really think he relates to the Gods because of his relation with humanity. I think he's pretty lonely. His dad is dead, his brother is his enemy and his real mother is a force of nature. He probably drinks a lot.” In a way, Oeming’s six-issue arc pays homage to past creators as well as the recent events from departing writer Dan Jurgens’ run. “It’s a touchstone to the series overall, recalling moments from [Jack] Kirby, [John] Buscema, [Walt] Simonson and [Dan] Jurgens. I don’t want to give too much away. Let’s say you’ll see things here that have never been done in Thor before. This is a lot about Thor’s family, his relation to Asgard as its Lord in absence of his father, what does it mean to lead the Gods - to be a god - to rise above the rest and become a god? It sounds grand, but truly it’s a personal Thor story. This is his story. There's lots of ‘cosmic gobbly-gook’ but it’s truly a personal story about Thor.

“My story takes place just before ‘Avengers Disassemble,’ [writer Brian Bendis’ upcoming storyline in Avengers] so if it’s referenced at all, it would be in his run. Cap and Iron Man show up in the second issue, so maybe they'll mention Thor and his troubles in Asgard at some point. And yes, some of Dan’s will carry over. A lot of the characters from Thor’s past will show up, some for old time’s sake, others are too close to Thor and part of his experience to just show up and say hi. There’s a real fellowship with Thor and the Warriors Three, Sif and the cast over the years that I want to explore.” If it sounds like he’s got a solid working knowledge of both Thor and his supporting cast, it’s because, well, Thor and his homeland are something he can still go sort of fanboy over. “One of the comics that made me fall in love with comics was X-Men Annual #9 by Art Adams. Thor wasn’t in it, but it took place in Asgard. Then I got into Simonson’s run and that sealed it. Also, I’m a fan of mythology and Norse mythology is amazing. I’m a big fan of Zeppelin, and they have tons of references to Vikings and Lord of the Rings, so those were also influences.”

As for his favorite stories, “Simonson’s run is my favorite for story content - but Buscema’s work was my favorite in terms of pure fun and joy. They could do anything in there and it was great.” Although he’s an artist himself – one that’s even tackled “thor” in Hammer of the Gods, Oeming’s not drawing his Thor story. Joining him on the series is Brath and Dragonlance: The Legend of Huma artist Andrea DeVito. “At this point I’m only writing. I’d love to draw Thor at some point. Andea is doing amazing work, but the covers are handled by Steve Epting.” What’s it like working with another artist? Does he come up with sketches, designs and layouts for DeVito, or do they throw ideas off of each other and come up with a consensus on the artistic side of their collaboration? “I trust him - he did Brath for CrossGen, so he knows the world,” Oeming said. “I ‘talk’ to him through the text of the script, but I really just sit back and watch him do his thing - the pages are amazing. I get details with the visuals but always preface them by saying he can just do his thing, as an artist, I can’t help but write visually, still Andrea has to do his thing. He's great.”

As for the look of the Thunder God, think basic Asgardian, worthy of worship by the Norse. “We brought back the classic look to Thor,” Oeming said. “I think Thor just needs to look powerful and not too refined - he's very organic. I don’t know Andrea's influences, but it has the feel of [George] Perez with the smoothness of, say, Alan Davis.”

Look for Oeming and DeVito’s Thor in June – both issues #80 and #81 ship that month.

To get to know the creator and to keep up-to-date on the latest news from Oeming, visit his website at http://www.mike-oeming.com and join the Oeming Newsletter by emailing him at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:oeming@aol.com">oeming@aol.com</a><!-- e -->

[The Mighty Thor]

I have loved Dan Jurgen's "Lord of Earth" story so much, that I truly hope this follow up can pay off. It almost seems like a let down, to have my favorite book come off of an epic story like Jurgen's, just to get plunked into a crossover situation.

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to Bendis' Avengers run. And it will be nice to see Thor play an interesting and important role in that story. I just hope that Thor, the book not the character, can continue its greatest under the pen of a new writer.

TMT

[SLVRSR4]

I just picked up the most recent issue of THOR and it had in big bold writing at the top: FINAL ISSUE!!!!
Can anyone tell me what's going on please? This is one of Marvel's most enduring titles, and is currently one of my favorite. Is marvel Re-Launching it? AGAIN?!! Any info would be appreciated.

[The Mighty Thor]

I have no idea what they are doing with Thor. Personally, I think the current Ragnarok storyline has left quite a bit lacking when compared to Jurgen's fantastic run on the series. I still enjoy the book, and I like the artwork alot, but it is not at the top of my favorite list as it once was.

But considering the outrageous events in Ragnarok, I think they will have to relaunch the series, considering they have killed off most of the Thunder God's supporting cast.

[SLVRSR4]

It's a shame that Marvel sees it necessary to keep restarting and relaunching books. It's kind of like a slap in the face to the people who've been long time collectors. Don't get me wrong, I understand why they're doing it. It's simple marketing. A new buyer is more apt to buy a #1 comic as opposed to a #588 comic. It attracts new readers. Bear in mind that I'm one of the worlds BIGGEST Marvel Zombies, and TMT might be shocked to hear me say this, but I respect DC for not following suit and by attracting readers with compelling stories and creative teams instead of a lame re-numbering.

[The Mighty Thor]

Absolutely! DC has so much history that restarting titles that are near or over the 800 issue mark would be insane. Its almost like a marathon with those guys.

I thought Marvel was on the right track by reinstituting the old numbering of many of their titles, especially the ones that suffered from the Heroes Reborn fiasco, one of which was Thor. Now it looks as though they may be canceling it yet again.

Jurgens relaunched Thor in an epic way and kept it going for more than six years. I hope Marvel doesn't ruin all the good he did by bowing down to the bottom line.

[Local Hero]

While i despise the whole renumbering as a gimmick malarky, I must say that as far as the whole thor/ragnarok concept goes, I am much of the opinion that that ragnarok should not be seen as so much as the end of the world, but only the end of the world as we know it. Think of it like a cosmic reboot.

For anyone who hasn't read alan moore's Top 10 series, there is a bit in it where the cops visit the 'Godz' bar, where Loki has incited one of the other gods to kill his brother(Balder I think) with some mistletoe. the twist in the story is that after a period of time the 'murdered' brother is restored to life and the whole cycle repeats itself over and over. I think this is part of norse mythology that is missed. Ragnarok may be the end of all things, but it also sets things up to begin the world anew.


Ragnarok

Ragnarok is the day of the last world battle. First, three little ice ages will fall upon the world, known as the Fimbulvetr, and many other prophetic signs will appear. When the time finally arrives, all the cocks in the world will crow simultaneously. The fire giants lead by Surt will come out of Muspelheim and march toward Vigrid, the place of the final battle. Naglfar, the ship made of dead men's nails, will sail the frost giants to the battlefield, lead by Loki and Hel. Heimdall, the watcher on the rainbow bridge, will sound his horn, Gjallar, signifying the end of the world. He and his adversary Loki will battle to the death, with neither being the victor.

The Fenris-wolf will be released from his chains and wreak havoc across the world. He will finally devour Odin in the last moments of battle. The World Tree Yggdrasil will perish and a new and improved world will spring from its roots.

[The Mighty Thor]

I understand that the mythology of Ragnarok is closely tied to the story line. In fact, Oeming is incorporating alot of the mythological elements into the story, so in that regard he is doing a great job. And the idea of rebirth has already been touched upon heavily in the story, so I am sure that you are correct in your assumptions. Now we just have to wait and see if the rebirth will come in the form of a new #1.

If so, I can understand, I just hope they also list the overall issue number along side the new #1. Especially considering that Thor is about one year away from hitting issue #600.

[The Mighty Thor]

After having finally read issue #85/587 I must say that I found that I enjoyed this story, much more so than I thought I would 2 or 3 issues ago.

In the middle of this storyline, Ragnarok, I found myself wondering where it was going. Obviously it was the end times for Thor and the rest of the Realm Eternal, but the conclusion was a mystery to me. I didn't quite comprehend how they were going to handle all the death and destruction that filled the pages. The answer...they simply let it happen. They played it out very close to actual Norse mythology and it resulted in a story that literally left you wondering, "Ok, what now?"

The highlight for me throughout the whole stroyline was Andrea Divito's artwork. The artwork shined especially strong in the final chapter of the story. The "History of Thor" double splash page at the end of issue #85 was especially nice. I hope that this talented artist finds work on more of my favorite books. It would be a pleasure to see more artwork of this caliber.

[SLVRSR4]

It seems that Thor is at an end, but a recent interview with Joe Quesada says that their are big plans for the character that would please Thor fans to great extent. Here's hoping. On a side note, Beta Ray Bill is getting his very own five issue mini-series that deals with the after-effects of Ragnarok. Can't wait for that one!