Thor: The Truth of History #1 (One Shot)

It's difficult to remember so far back in the past, but I'm pretty sure Thor was the first Marvel Comic hero I collected regularly.

I have clear memories of reading Journey Into Mystery #100, which was the original title of the comic that would eventually be taken over by Thor. That story featured the Thunder God's battle with Mr. Hyde, and I was fascinated.

He was completely different from the heroes I had read up to that point. As Thor, he was strong, he was fast, and he carried a cool weapon - a hammer (which would later be identified as Mjolnir) that was indestructible and would return when he threw it.

He also had a weakness - if he lost contact with his hammer for more than 60 seconds, he reverted to puny Dr. Don Blake. He was in love with his assistant, Nurse Jane Foster, but had to hide his secret identity from her. And it was a romance his father objected to, so that added to the drama.

The funny thing is, I almost stopped buying the comic. When issue #102 hit the stands, it featured a battle between Thor, Mr. Hyde and The Cobra. I thumbed through the issue and peeked at the last page - and then put it back on the rack. It was a continued story! I didn't want a comic that only told half the story.

The next month, I did pick up the second half of the story and immediately regretted not buying the previous issue. I was hooked for good, and I had learned to appreciate those continued stories.

Fast forward to today, and Thor is one of Marvel's hottest titles, thanks to the recent reboot and plans for a film version of the hero. As a result, Marvel has been flooding the market with Thor-related comics, including this issue: Thor: The Truth of History.

The comic is the equivalent of a feature-length version of the old Tales of Asgard back-up series that ran in those early Thor comics. It features Thor in the ancient past - about 4,000 years ago - as he and the Warriors Three go off on an adventure in Egypt.

The story is, to be honest, a little on the thin side - but it provides a great excuse to show off the fantastic artwork of Alan Davis, one of my all-time favorite artists. As always, he's teamed with inker Mark Farmer, and they provide the kind of dynamic, high-spirited artwork any fan should appreciate.

I especially enjoy the fact that this is the "original" Thor, with the classic Kirby-designed costume. The speech patterns don't quite match Stan Lee's pseudo-Shakespeare dialogue, but it's close enough.

Best of all, it's not a continued story - so even my pre-teen self would be happy to buy it. But I have to admit that the $3.99 price tag would have been another matter.

But this from a guy who refused to spend $20 to buy the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man because that was "too much money for one comic book." (Hey, I was a kid, and in those days, $20 was a lot of money... oh, who am I kidding - I was an idiot.)

Still, this comic is a lot of fun and for any old-timers out there, it's a real blast from the past.


Grade: B+