#immortal thor issue 2

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Immortal Thor #3 Speculation

Spoilers for The Immortal Thor issues 1 and 2 and the promotional summary we have so far for issue 3.

So I want to talk today about making the title or byline or maybe just selling point "Thor in the wilderness," and how my literary nerd brain is going brrr over it. (And I know this is more Thor than Loki, but Loki's involved, so it counts.)

"Going into the wilderness" is a symbolic or literal phrase referring to one undergoing a personal trial. One might think of "shamanic or "rites of passage" going off into the wilderness to gain some sort of wisdom or insight or to come of age, but as I am not Native myself in any capacity, let alone of a culture that might have practiced or still practices this sort of journey, I'm not going to get into that interpretation, because I don't even run the risk of misrepresenting the practice, I already know I will. So I will allow someone else with more background knowledge in that interpretation (if what I've heard of it is even a legitimate cultural practice) to talk about that in greater detail.

I do, however, have experience with the Christian (possibly Judeo-Christian? But again, not my experience, so I'm not going to make any claims I can't back up when I don't even know what makes for a credible source for that community on the internet) Biblical usage of the phrase.

We often (or maybe just I do) think of "the wilderness" as thickly forested areas, but in Biblical terms, given the area most of the stories take place, wilderness primarily just refers to anywhere apart from civilization. It can be deep in the desert or at the top of a mountain as much as in the heart of the woods. We can call to mind Jesus's forty days in isolation in the desert, where he is tempted three times by the Devil. In the Old Testament, Moses leads the Israelites into the desert/wilderness, where they wander for forty years until (as one interpretation has it) they come to trust in God enough for God to show them the way to the Promised Land (and not, as I thought growing up through Sunday School class, a 40-year straight line through a very large desert). There are other wilderness examples, but this isn't Sunday School, so I'll end with these.

So aside from other literary references (as I didn't look into it, but I'm sure the trajectory of this symbolism doesn't just go Bible -> Thor comic. There's got to be a Shakespeare play in there somewhere, at the very least), if Ewing is directly referencing the Bible here (which I doubt, but we're gonna pretend for a hot second, bear with me), why?

I'm going to ignore a few obvious parallels for the moment, around Thor (though a god himself) being the son of (a) God and Loki's horns being particularly prominent and (albeit more eccentrically) devil-like in this panel:

Ewing has been bookending these issues with excerpts from the Eddas. The Edda was composed by Snorri Sturluson, and is one of, if not, the earliest written account (both Prose Edda and Poetic Edda) of Norse mythology, as had previously been passed down through oral tradition. (Issue 2 is actually prefaced by a quote from Saemund Sigfusson, but I'll get to him later.) So what does this have to do with the Bible? Sturluson's account of Norse mythology is not without personal authorial bias, and Sturluson writes his Eddas at a time when Iceland has been mainly Christianized. So there is some interesting historical basis for making a biblical reference in a story following a hero from a completely different pantheon. This would certainly not even be the first time an illustration or characterization of Loki bore a striking likeness to the devil (he does have a snake form, after all).

(So I tried to find the image I was thinking of, and in addition to being devil-like, it also was setting off warning bells of being an anti-semitic caricature, so now I have to go stare at a wall and think about the upsetting and disheartening parallels between "devilish features" and anti-semitism and how disappointing it is that I didn't make this connection before. BRB.)

Saemund Sigfusson is quoted in issue 2 (and I cannot confirm this is a legitimate quote or if he's now a fictionalized Marvel character, but I would think it's an official translation), and he was an Icelandic priest and chronicler in the eleventh century. According to Britannica, "The Poetic Edda is known as Saemundr's Edda, because it was erroneously attributed to Saemundr." So another edda writer (edda just refers to this kind of work) who was also Christian, though I did not explicitly see in my (albeit scant) research whether he has been criticized for applying Christian themes/doctrine to Old Norse traditions. [EDIT: This is purely speculation on my part, but given what the Britannica says about Saemund's other work being lost to the ages and the Poetic Edda being misattributed to him, the source in the comic being "The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson," and Wikipedia saying the Poetic Edda is also called the Elder Edda, I'm going to leave the above interpretation in as a possibility but also add that this may actually be a quote from the Poetic Edda misattributed to Saemund. Why Ewing chose to do this, I don't know. Maybe he doesn't know it's not his Edda, maybe Brittanica and Wikipedia are telling me the wrong information and it is actually written by Saemund, maybe in the world of Marvel Saemund did write the Poetic Edda. Maybe I'll stop having really bad social anxiety and write in to the comic to ask Ewing myself and maybe he'll tell me.]

Another interesting note on the parallels. Loki asks Thor, prior to whatever enchantment they place on him, if he trusts them in three different forms their relationship has taken (as king and subject (which is interesting; they demote themself purposely here), as siblings, as enemies). Loki sets him in his trial in the wilderness after he professes to trust them. Compare that to the common interpretation of the Israelites' wandering forty years in the wilderness until they come to put their trust in God.

What I'm saying is if issue three has some time increment of 40 (days, years, hell, even minutes) related to Loki's trial, I'll be unsurprised and also losing my shit.

I still have the same thought I had in my reaction post. Loki is not consciously trying to hurt Thor here (at least that's not their primary intention), but to prepare him for Toranos and protect him in his time of highest vulnerability. But I don't think Thor will see it that way immediately. Loki might need to brace themself for a storm-powered fist to the jaw once their brother makes it out of there.

[jademight]

"Many a mortal has died climbing a mountain. Exertion takes its toll. At the end of the ascent, what once seemed little effort can be more than body can stand. Imagine, then, climbing your mountain-- and at the end of the summit, finding a second mountain higher than the first. [...] Have you faced your mountain upon a mountain yet? If you have not, I hope it never comes. But if you have... If you have to face it now... know this. You have the courage of Thor."

[mias-back-from-the-dead]

so i tracked down what that photo album panel of comic book wade and logan on a BFF-vacation was from and uh

ok im back on my comics reading bullshit and i've been tracking weapon x-traction through the various comic strips it's been printed in.

it's one of those bullshit comic things where they don't actually have their own strip, it's printed in like 5-page chapters in other random comics

if you want to read this thing you have to hunt down, in order:

incredible hulk 2023 issue 14 fantastic four 2023 issue 11 spider-gwen: the ghost-spider issue 3 immortal thor issue 13 avengers 2023 issue 17 the spectacular spider-men issue 6

and, when it comes out on the 14th this month, x-men 2024, issue 2

And I am here to present you with the most ridiculous shit I can find for you. please bear in mind the ENTIRE GODDAMN series is buckshit ridiculous poolverine shenanigans but I here's what i got for yall at the moment:

STARTING STRONG HERE WADE

so a fox. no one saw this coming lmao

wade wants a slice of life au real bad huh

they are fucking. stranded in the rom comiverse this time???

????!??!??!??? tell me why i'm looking at the married-and-live-in-santa-monica-west-hollywood-since-the-eighties-senior-gays variant of poolverine?? and the plot point is that the 616 pair is supposed to go with them in order to bond better as bffs????

tell me im not going insane this is giving couple-picking-you-up-at-the-bar energy???

[tethrarisms]

*sigh*

Let's do this again.

The most harmful and irreparable damage the MCU has ever done is definitely Wanda's characterization and how the "fandom" perceives her even when non-cb readers migrate to the 616 side.

(This is screenshot depicting a fan reacting to Russell Dauterman's redesign of Lore, an evil Wanda variant who first debuted in 1993 in Scarlet Witch #1. She will return in the new Scarlet Witch series this year)

In addition to all the "she's always been white" constant, toxic and racist comments, which only reinforces their lack of ability to recognize issues such as colorism, Rromani representation (when they actually know the difference between Rromani and Romanian, that is) and straight-up whitewashing, they also fail to identify a most essential trait of her entire characterization: her desire to do good and become a symbol of heroism.

Wanda despises doing harm to others. Her first iteration is legitimately a depiction in which she and Pietro are being forced by Magneto to work for him and his brotherhood of evil mutants, all thanks to emotional manipulation. She never means to hurt the original X-Men except when Pietro is hurt and/or in danger. It's her protective side, not her "evil" side.

(Uncanny X-Men v1 #4; #11)

It's also fundamental to be aware that Wanda and Pietro come from a place where there's trauma for being abused by Magneto when it comes to their powers. This is why they are hesitant to join the Avengers, and yet their sense of responsibility is stronger.

(Avengers v1 #16)

Now, when it comes to Chthon, it's another rabbit hole of struggling with independence, power and agency. Being controlled by an evil force is as an old trope as any other in comic books. Still, I can't help but notice that her relationship with Chthon is never truly solved as other magic characters' issues, so why does it stick to Wanda the hardest?

Allow me illustrate with other examples:

1. Magik and the Darkchylde.

For those who don't know, the Darkchylde is "an evil side" of Illyana Rasputin, result of her captor and abuser's tampering with her soul.

The Darkchylde has several interpretations, from abuse to struggling with self-worth, and it has been established for decades as a side of Illyana that she despises, fears and suppresses.

(New Mutants v1 #71)

Illyana took years to make peace with her inner self and even had an arc to leave her reigning place of power in Limbo to Madelyne, another character who was villanized by the narrative for the very same reasons. Which begs the question.... why would a fan root for the Darkchylde to be her standard self when this is precisely what she hates the most? When it's precisely what causes her pain and leads her to a process of isolation and unhealthy behavior?

2. Doctor Strange and dark magic

Throughout sixty years of stories, there are a few moments in which the Sorcerer Supreme is faced with the old dilemma if he should use dark magic or not. And yet, from everything he went through, even in his darkest moments, he still chooses to do good. This is an intrinsic part of him. Yes, we've seen alternate evil iterations, but the main version is still a recognized, praised character for all the good deeds he performs on a daily basis.

(New Avengers v3 Annual #1)

3. Loki against fate

(Immortal Thor #2)

Loki's most recent and important journey throughout the years is precisely changing their fate, from the god of mischief and lies to the god of stories. They know they also have antagonistic roles to play as such, and yet they look forward to building a better relationship with Thor and the Asgardians. They're as complex as they come, but never back to their first and oldest iteration.

--

There are others, of course, like Nico Minoru and the Staff of One, Daimon Hellstrom and his will to deny his father's desires etc etc. I can even point a famous non-magical one: THE HULK. Yep, the guy who has spent his entire existence struggling with said dichotomy.

So you see, this is not a situation where "women can't be villains, god forbid women do anything" like some of them love to claim. You have Amora, Morgan Le Fey, Umar, even Lore now. The fact is, the MCU pushed the main version of its Wanda to be an irremediable character. Fans may or not defend her actions, but the truth is, they went too far for a role of opposition/antagonism justified by mental issues, which is yet another problematic, hellish rabbit role that we discussed so many times, over and over and over.

House of M is by itself such a harmful event in Wanda's entire characterization that, even now in the 616 universe, she still struggles to be (re)accepted by the hero community. She's still demonized by mutants, she's still depicted as mentally unstable.

(X-Men #7 - 2019)

Meanwhile, few writers are doing their hardest to give her some independence and agency (praised be Orlando and McKay). She has finally showcased her resolve to deal with Chthon by absorbing the Darkhold. She finally built a place to help people in a small community. She's an avenger yet again.

(Darkhold: Omega #1)

However, despite all that, she's still being patronized and lectured on (for instance, Agatha trying to take the Darkhold from her).

(Scarlet Witch v3 Annual #1)

The fact that she hasn't given up on the role of super hero only showcases how fundamental, intrinsic, unshakeable is her desire to do good. The fact that she's a nexus being and that the Scarlet Witch is a role passed down through generations are enough reasons to reiterate how important she is as a defender of the universe, same importance we often see in the role of the Sorcerer Supreme.

No fan has ever advocated for readers to be feared by a Sorcerer Supreme. Those are roles of heroes.

So yeah, "evil mother" and "serving cunt" will not do it for me. Because being evil means embracing everything Wanda hates the most and fights the hardest. So you come here and tell me that Wanda was supposed to be evil incarnate, to the point of comparing her to Voldemort, is plainly offensive and shows how little you understand her. You have other mothers to kneel to if you so desperately need one. Wanda is not one of them. Leave her alone.

TL;DR: Saying Wanda should be evil is stupid and harmful.

[patrickdiomedes]

Rating Marvel's Disco Dazzler variant covers, as someone who knows practically nothing about disco or fashion.

Because why the hell not?

Amazing Spider-Man #55 and #56, covers by Luciano Vecchio. I have no strong feelings one way or the other on MJ's outfit on issue 56, but disco ball spider man? Hell yeah. I don't even mind the round spider symbol belt buckle here, and I usually prefer the symbol to be less round, and more like an actual spider.

The Avengers #17, cover by J. Scott Campbell.

I would like this a lot more if anyone other than J Scott Campbell drew it. God I fucking hate his art style so much. Still, Storm looks great, Thor looks like a member of the BeeGees (and I mean that in a good way) and Tony wearing an outfit OVER his iron man suit? A+

Avengers Assemble #1, cover by Anand Ramcheron. Perfect, no notes, 10/10.

Captain America #12, cover by Elizabeth Torque. I feel like the shield should be sparklier, but I dig the outfit.

Daredevil #12, cover by Scott Godlewski. Oh my god I didn't notice until just now that Matt has the Daredevil logo shaved into his chest hair, that's fucking perfect.

Deadpool #5, cover by Annie Wu. The fact that the red portions of the suit aren't sequinned is disappointing. Come on Wade, commit to the bit!

Doctor Strange #18, cover by Marguerite Sauvage. Oh, this one is fucking phenomenal. The colors, the patterns, the oversized collar and Eye of Agamotto on Steven? All absolutely perfect.

Fantastic Four #23, cover by Ben Su. Incredible Hulk #15, Cover by Todd Nauck. Miles Morales: Spider Man #23, cover by Karen Darboe. Don't really have anything to say about these, they're fun. Though Hulk should have chest hair.

Incredible Hulk #16, cover by Edwin Galmon. Ms. Walters, please crush me with your sequinned thighs.

Immortal Thor #14, cover by Lee Garbett. I actually bought this one, because hell yeah disco ball Mjolnir. Also because Immortal Thor is incredible. Al Ewing don't miss, y'all.

Scarlet Witch #3, cover by Jessica Fong. This one is absolutely stunning. The disco balls for her magical aura around her hands? The pattern on her clothes? The fucking stars? 100/10.

Uncanny X-Men #1, cover byPablo Villalobos. Dig the outfit, but I think the Soul Sword should've been disco ball-ified.

Venom #36, cover by Rickie Yagawa. Looks good, but I feel like they should've gone farther with the theme. Come on, give him some wide lapels!

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #8, cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli. Absolutely fucking perfect. The Mr. Knight look needed very little work to disco-ify it, and god it looks cool.

Werewolf by Night: Red Band #1, cover by Jeremy Wilson. X-Men #2, cover by Olivier Vatine. These two are pretty cool, but I dont' really have anything substantial to say about them.

X-Force #2, cover by Phil Noto. I am always a slut for Phil Noto, and I love how dynamic this cover looks.

X-Factor #1, cover by David Lopez. This one's alright, but honestly I can't help but think how cool Warren could look in a disco version of his Archangel form.

[misscammiedawn]

okay i need to ask cause im curious, what are your top 5 bruce banner/hulk stories? i have such a hole in my marvel knowledge about them aside from like. cartoons or w/e of him

Oh, this is a pleasant surprise. Thank you for asking.

We'll be quite happy to hear your favorite DC comics in return sometime, so do hit us up.

So, to answer the question. It's on a sliding scale. Hulk is an interesting character because he's the ultimate incarnation of a typical miscommunication fight-to-friends superhero scuffle. His one against Wolverine was the introduction of that character and both Avengers AND Defenders had elements of that in their origins.

Hulk makes for a glue to the Marvel universe because he is always a hero and yet he can always be fighting against other heroes. More often than not he is.

Assume you've checked out our Essay Posts but for us we want to see a story about Hulk explore different aspects of the character. Our favorite authors for him are Peter David, Greg Pak and Al Ewing. We also prefer stories that deal with Bruce's DID.

#1 is and always will be Immortal Hulk. This 50 issue run is so good it briefly outsold Batman. It's horror themed, references the entire lore of the character and is an anti-capitalism anthem. I once saw a shitpost that said that Immortal Hulk is what Mr. Robot would be if the Alderson System decided to just punch capitalism until it stopped. But sincerely it's introspective, it's respectful of DID in a way I've not really seen many other comics get right and Joe says "Trans Rights" (there's also a prominent trans character who resists propaganda/nostalgia based mind control because she's fucking sick of the world telling her what she is supposed to be and she does not look at her childhood as a safe place to retreat to).

#2 Ground Zero by Peter David. This was about the time that PAD was gearing Hulk from the Mantlo era into his soap opera era and in this era he's writing a Gray Hulk who speaks more than the green guy and isn't the hero that everyone would associate with the character. The best part of this arc by far is the depiction of Sam Sterns, The Leader, and why he is a fun and perfect foil for Hulk/Banner. Just a damn good comic. As its its spiritual follow-up a few years later, Countdown.

#3 Joe Fixit/Vegas Arc by Peter David. Right after Ground Zero. Pretty much anything between Joe's introduction in Vegas as an enforcer up until Samson forces the system to merge into a new alter called The Professor. It's soap opera action but it's fun seeing the Hulk/Banner divide from the perspective of Hulk. Usually Banner is the one trying to prevent the transformations and feeling Hulk is ruining his stability and life but here you have Joe living a happy life and Banner being the thing ruining it for him. Made for some interesting stories for a few years. The scene with Betty and Joe laughing together is one of my favorite moments in comic history.

#4 Planet Hulk. Honestly anything in Pak's run is good (I especially liked the Amadeus Cho stuff with Hercules) but Planet Hulk is rightfully held up as the best of the era and gets consistent adaptations (Thor Ragnarok is pretty much Planet Hulk). Hulk being imprisoned by a barbarian race is actually a fairly common story. I can think of 3 times it has happened off the top of my head. He even gets a love interest in 2 of them. But this one is the perfection of that oddly specific formula.

#5 Crossroads. The Bill Mantlo series which pretty much all modern Hulk takes inspiration from knowingly or otherwise. 80s Hulk was a weird time because of the TV show bringing a lot of interest to the character which couldn't translate into the Marvel universe as it stood at the time and that series was able to isolate him out into his little adventures which were fairly isolated and got to be experimental. Also includes the Banner family backstory as well as a symbiotic alien parasite a short while before Spidey had his black suit stuff happen. It's a classic.

Thank you for asking and sincerely ignore everything and just read Immortal Hulk because it's the correct answer.

[ikol-art]

Just a quick little question, any comic recommendations for pre-seige/pre-God of Stories Loki comics? Askin' because I am compelled by the senior citizen.

Heya,

Honestly all of the ye olde comics from 1960-ish are pretty hilarious so the first Journey Into Mystery (issue 85-125) and Thor volume 1 (continues counting from issue 126, don't ask me why, all the way to issue 484 in 1995-ish), back to Journey into mystery (issue 503-513), Thor volume 2 (issues start counting at 1 again until like 85), Thor volume 3 (same here) and then the most confusing thing ever.. they go back to calling it Volume 1 and count from 600?!? Dark Reign happens somewhere during volume 3/issue 600 too, I know Lady Loki is in that as well. At issue 617 we get Kid Loki so lots of old man stuff before that

More recent but still fulfilling your senior citizen needs would be Thor and Loki Blood Brothers (but also ouch)

King Thor is after all the current comic stuff so Loki is simply old AGAIN

Immortal Thor also has flashbacks so you get a two for one deal with pineapple butt Loki AND skald loki/goddess of stories Loki

[farsight-the-char]

....

As a Citizen, as Sibling, As Enemy, Thor trusts Loki.

From The Immortal Thor issue 2.

......

"It is the duty of the Storyteller to impede the Hero..."

[magratpudifoot]

Admit things: 8, 13, 17

8. Do you think it's disgusting when girls get really wasted?

No. I am generally concerned for the safety of girls (and people in general, but more so with girls) who get really wasted, but not disgusted.

13. What are you gonna do Saturday night?

My gf and I met up with friends for empanadas, then went for a walk while playing Pokemon Go (we just started up again after a 4 year hiatus) and crashed out on the couch with tres leches and watched The Producers (2005). I also squeezed in a few issues of The Immortal Thor.

17. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?

I am lucky enough to have a few different people in my life that I could talk to about anything, but @whatyoufish4 is the person who has the most patience for 2 am texts about anything from cat shenanigans to health frustrations to random fandom nonsense. She's the one who will actually ponder "Would Spike enjoy churros?" with me in the same conversation we discuss family drama.

[papermoonknight]

The Immortal Thor (2023) Issue 2

[tyrannuspitch]

Assorted Thor comic recs

I recently combed through a LOT of fairly random Thor comics; these are the best ones I've found so far. I went in without much in the way of guidance or expectations, so I don't really know whether this is a typical list of universally agreed greatest hits, or slightly more unorthodox with some hidden gems, but either way, I hope it's useful to someone.

These stories are all recent (2010 or later), and pretty short (from 20 to 160 pages). The first three are self-contained and beginner-friendly; they could function as introductions to Thor comics. The fourth is a subversion, so you need some general familiarity with Thor comics, but continuity is still not very important. The last one works best if you have also read, at minimum, Agent of Asgard.

So, in no particular order...

Thor: Where Walk the Frost Giants (one issue, 20 pages)

This is a short story in which Thor has to foil a frost giant invasion of Asgard, with the help of a young boy who idolises him. I'll admit the plot is fairly generic - but it's the best side of generic. The art style is halfway between retro comics and a storybook, with gorgeous colouring. The cheesy Silver Age high fantasy dialogue is rendered lovingly and unapologetically. This is a love letter to quintessential Thor comics without the racism/sexism/etc that often weigh them down, and it helped me, as someone who first loved Thor in its self-subverting forms, to appreciate the straight versions at their best.

--

2. Thor: Season One (one issue, 100 pages)

This is a funny, clever, fast-paced retelling of Thor's origin story as Donald Blake. I love its take on Donald Blake - it makes him a compelling character of his own, and his identity/existential crisis is the most emotionally compelling part of the story. Donald/Thor's relationship with Jane is another highlight. The Asgard plotline is, in my opinion, a little bit shallow, but it is still consistently entertaining. The art is beautiful, highly expressive, and particularly good at portraying magic/wonder.

--

3. Thor the Mighty Avenger (eight issues, from 2010 - not to be confused with the 2011 run of the same name)

This is a Thor backstory more akin to MCU Thor, with no Donald Blake, but it takes place over much longer than three days, and it expands Thor and Jane's relationship beautifully. Its Thor characterisation is layered, incredibly charming, and easily some of the best: a noble, out-of-touch weirdo with no self-preservation instinct and some delightful "sad wet cat" moments, slowly learning to love Earth.

The art is simple, charming and highly expressive, reminiscent of a retro comic, but with more modern designs.

--

4. Thor: For Asgard (six issues)

This series follows Thor as a new king struggling to maintain order as the Asgardian empire is threatened by uprisings, civil war, and possibly the coming of Ragnarok. It's a very dark take on Asgard and on Thor himself, verging on horror at times, and featuring, among other things: gore, war crimes, discussion of rape, more than one ritual suicide, and a journey through Hel. It definitely won't be for everyone, but personally, I found it incredibly refreshing. ("They're trigger warnings to you; to me they're the reason it's on my reading list"...)

The art reminds me of 80s/90s fantasy movies - shadowy and rich with gothic details like furs, candles, and skulls.

--

5. The Immortal Thor (currently six issues, ongoing)

This series follows Thor's fight against the gods of Utgard, each of whom is essentially a darker and more powerful mirror of an Asgardian god. It's an ongoing series, part of a continuity I'm not perfectly caught up on, but I'm really enjoying it anyway.

The art is beautiful - very colourful, with an excellent sense of magic and wonder - and the writing is incredible, the best I've encountered in any comic. It's clever, funny, subtle, and emotionally compelling, and it succeeds in balancing them all.

Although it's Thor-centric, this story's Loki characterisation is also really good - what's it's doing with the God(dess) of Stories role is fun and, afaik, completely new; and it's leading to some really interesting explorations of Thor and Loki's relationship.

--

Thus concludes my list. I'm not sure how to tie something like this up, but I feel like it looks odd if I don't. Bon appetit?

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Trust Me: A Poem

A poem inspired (once again) by Loki's brief appearance in The Immortal Thor issue 2. Is this going to become a regular thing, writing coda poems from Loki's perspective after every issue? I guess we'll see. Obviously spoilers for The Immortal Thor, and just about any comic I've talked about on this blog from the last ten years.

Trust Me

I am not the villain I once was, brother,

Though the narrative of my life

Ever strives to draw a box around me,

Though sometimes it's hard to leave

The amnesiac trickster behind.

But I made a promise in the cosmos,

As I felt the walls closing back in around me,

As I pulled that cage door closed once more,

I promised to save the universe from itself,

And I carry that promise in the very horn of my crown.

I know what I'm doing, and I know the price

Of this sacrificial lamb in the form of the Teller,

This aspect of mine that will protect you this time

Even as they rip the fabric of reality from beneath your feet.

I only hope it will save you when I am gone.

I have chosen my path with both eyes open,

I know I will not be celebrated for it.

I am the unloved, the unknown, the liar, the cursed.

Dying a hero will not erase the stories I have told,

Will not right my wrongs, or forgive my sins.

I take damnation to my grave, though once I tried

To clear my tarnished and soiled name.

This time, I'll die for you, dear brother,

Burning in the flames of this gift of your trust

That will keep me warm in the void I will no longer escape.

This time, my reshape-ment will drift away

Like ashes on a stale summer breeze;

This time, the magpie will not leave its eternal perch in Hel,

Silent in its foretelling of suicides no longer to come;

This time, the embryo of new self will miscarry at conception.

Thank you, golden king of Asgard, for

Protecting me, when the rest of our realm licked wounds of distrust.

Thank you, loyal and loving brother mine, for

Forgiving me all my trespasses, even when I slayed the brightest star.

Thank you, worthy and heroic adversary, for

Trusting me at your weakest and most desperate.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week?

Action Comics #1063 - Joker being a bro, Jesus now I really have seen everything. Him and Supes teaming up was the most fun I've had reading Joker in ages (and his final message to Supes after reverting back made me laugh). Timms was fantastic on the art here, the fight scenes were spectacular, especially the scene where Bizarro was killing Supes over and over. Was that a deliberate homage to what Batman went through in Emperor Joker, or am I seeing things that aren't there because that was the last big "canon" story with Supes and Joker both in it? Regardless, as someone who felt Aaron had burnt out over at Marvel in his last few books, this and Batman: Off-World have reinvigorated my enjoyment of his writing again. Supes head is getting rather cluttered these days between Bizarro and whatever Brainiac has implanted in him. Now I wonder if Williamson is actually going to use the Bizarro remnant in Supes head to explain why he can resist whatever Brainiac has done to him. Great three part arc from Aaron, this is my second favorite Bizarro story

Green Lantern #9 - Kinda wanted Tom to go with Hal out into space. Not crazy about the reveal here, they keep trying to justify why Earth has multiple Lanterns and it always comes off as humanwank. "We're the bestest species ever in the whole universe and no one else can even compete!", ok sure, whatever. Sure feels like Carol is being set up to join Hal in space, I think Adams has done a terrible job of setting that up, but I'll be happy when it does. I don't care about Carol's "Paul" and want her and Hal back together.

Immortal Thor #8 - I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't admit this: by my own standards this was a bad comic. Greatly enjoyed this issue, but I enjoyed it because I could see all the references/parallels to Immortal Hulk, and I've always maintained that a comic you get enjoyment from because it reminds you of better comics, is not good in and of itself.

Ultimate Black Panther #2 - Hill is telegraphing that Okoye is the traitor so hard that it's making me suspect a fakeout. Now I'm wondering if I had the Vodu wrong, if Okoye is the traitor and she is trying to poison T'Challa against them, maybe they're not bad guys after all? Or perhaps they are. but are pursuing their own agenda separate from Moon Knight in line with their direct influence in the Bene. I'm not thrilled at Storm potentially being T'Challa's "Chani", was really hoping we could give him a different love interest. At the same time though? Oh my God it's hilarious that Hickman has such a hard-on for that T'Challa/Storm baby he made sure it happens in 6160. Man wants his kwisatz haderach damnit!

[geekcavepodcast]

Marvel Announces Free "Marvel Must-Haves" Comics

Marvel Comics announced a new series of free comic books during 2024 ComicsPRO the Comic Industry Conference. "Marvel Must-Haves" one-shots will collect multiple iconic issues spotlighting various characters to help get fans "in-tune with current Marvel adventures."

Marvel Must-Haves - March 2024 #1 will collect Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness' Spider-Man / Deadpool (2016) #1, Al Ewing and Martin Coccolo's Immortal Thor (2023) #2, and Iman Vellani, Sabir Pirzada, and Sara Pichelli's Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant (2023) #1.

Marvel Must-Haves - March 2024 #1 releases on March 6, 2024.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Marvel Must-Haves - March 2024 #1)

[radroller]

Finally got around to reading issue 2 of Immortal Thor

Loki and Thor talking to each other like that really makes me feel things :`)

Al Ewing really cares a lot about Loki so expect their characterization to be good.

[westofwonder]

Pull List (12/13/2023)

Action Comics #1060 Dark X-Men #5 Detective Comics #1079 Green Lantern #6 The Immortal Thor #5 (Minor Threats): The Alternates #4 Moon Knight #30 Radiant Black #27/27.5 Speed Force #2 Superman: Lost #9 Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3 World's Finest: Teen Titans #6 Waller Vs. Wildstorm #4

Action Comics - This will be the last issue of this title I'm going to be getting for some time. Not on board with how the Aaron run is looking to be. Again, I wonder how the PKJ run will be remembered after all is said and done.

Dark X-Men - Lot of mixed feelings here. I wish this team had longer time and more issues, but I'm also not really to sad to see this miniseries end. Always fun to see certain characters interact - the X-books are good for that.

Detective Comics - I'm glad DC is letting Ram V. cook. Lot of the things here feel like it would be in the Batman ongoing if it wasn't in TEC, and I mean that as a positive. It's dong more for the Jade and Lian than the current GA book! Not sure if it needed to be a weekly thing, but DC really wants this book to get to 1100! The bat-books are allowed a wider berth - y'know: cause they sell. If you wanted to check out any of those books, this is the one that deserves the most looking at.

Green Lantern - I just really like how this book looks. Skipping ahead Hal turns himself into a giant robot! Fun!

The Immortal Thor - Embarrassingly behind.

The Alternates - Disappointed kinda because I was hoping for more Minor Threats energy, but this is different than that. My own fault.

Moon Knight - Is he dead? I don't know, but that's what I've been told. We'll see how long things stick after this issue. I think MacKay will do a good story nonetheless.

Radiant Black - These double issue are really annoying from a series I am woefully behind in. Luckily, it won't take me too long to catch up when I do - it's not really a high-concept series. It's a superhero story with some toku elements in it - doesn't need to be more than that (for me.)

Speed Force - I love that Michael Holt is a supplemental Flash character right now. Mr. Terrific is one of those characters that should be popping up in other people's books. Wallace and Avery getting a book is still fun and I'm glad DC is doing this book.

Superman: Lost - Seeing Jurgens' name connected to a Supes books is always a treat - a nice familiarity. I'm curious to see what happens here and how Priest wraps this story up.

Wesley Dodds - Wesley has a book - still excited about that. Dian is here! We're having fun with the OG Sandman.

WF: Teen Titans - Always nice to revisit this era of TT history. I imagine Waid will incorporate some elements from this series into the main WF. I didn't mind the modern slang or culture stuff because I'm curious on how an "updated" version of teen sidekicks working together can look like.

Waller Vs. Wildstorm - Looking forward to what the writers here do next. A regular Stormwatch book would be excellent.

This is late because I had a long day today of getting other things accomplished. Hope to say more when I do catch up with these titles. I hope to do that during my time off for the holidays.

Happy readings!