For quite a long period of time in MARVEL continuity,
THOR comics just weren't tremendously good. Oh sure, there were a few shining moments here and there, but it wasn't until writer/artist WALT SIMONSON took over the God of Thunder's title with issue #337 that we see a new day dawn for Odin's favored son.
And what a day it is!
Dr. Donald Blake is approached by Nick Fury, Director of
S.H.I.E.L.D. to discover what happened to a probe that went missing in deep space. Or rather...Don Blake's mighty alter-ego is asked. THOR takes off for deep space and comes across a giant spaceship. After being attacked by the ship, Thor makes his way aboard and is met with force by a savage new warrior named
BETA RAY BILL. While THOR and this powerful creature do fierce battle, THOR is separated from his hammer. Because they are moving closer to Earth, THOR reverts back to his human form of Don Blake after 60 seconds. Blake is no match for his surroundings and is stunned. Bill, surveying the wreckage from battle, finds Dr. Blake's walking stick and strikes it against a wall. Lightning suddenly strikes BILL and he emerges from the light carrying Mjonir (Thor's mighty uru hammer) and dressed in garb similar to that of THOR. Donald Blake awakens long enough to see a vision of ODIN appear and call upon THOR to return home to Asgard. Mistaking BILL for THOR, BILL disappears in a flash of light, leaving behind a confused and angry Donald Blake, thinking the All-Father has turned his back on him once again.
Not since the days of KIRBY and LEE has THOR been more exciting. SIMONSON's seemingly "back to basics" approach with the title not only makes THOR a bad-ass again, but also brings into the fold lots of Asgardian supporting characters, lore and mythology along with some exciting new characters (like BETA RAY BILL) along the way. It also makes use of the plot device behind Thor's hammer. You know, the one where only the worthy may wield it? Obviously there's more to this BETA RAY BILL than meets the eye.
Since this issue was published, BETA RAY BILL has become a fan favorite over the years, making several appearances in various MARVEL COMICS, including his own limited series and even as playable characters in MARVEL themed video games, cartoons and more. Will we see BILL appear in the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE? Only time and Odin knows. But the book has certainly become more sought after by collectors over the years.
Sometimes it seems like only yesterday that this book hit the stands and I forget it's been over 25 years since this took place...so I'm going to have to find this issue. That's right. I'm writing a review of a book I've read many, many times, but don't actually own. I own
THE BALLAD OF BETA RAY BILL original Trade Paperback and was fortunate enough to get WALT's famous "dinosaur" signature on it years back and it's a proud part of my collection.
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