Thor #600

Just in time for the 600th issue, the comic starring Thor reverts to its original numbering.

But the math is a bit dodgy - the comic started out as Journey Into Mystery, and Thor first appeared in issue #83. The comic took the title The Mighty Thor with issue #126 - but there were other versions of "Journey" in late years.

At any rate, it's a big celebration for the God of Thunder, and it features an action-packed lead story by J. Michael Straczynski and pencil art by Olivier Coipel and Marko Djurdjevic, with inks by Mark Morales and Djurdjevic.

The story brings together threads Straczynski has been putting in place since Thor's return, and it's a heck of a story, with lots of unexpected twists. The series has been an outstanding blend of strong story and excellent art by Coipel, and this issue is no different. It's great work by all involved.

As a bonus, there's a short story by Stan Lee with art by David Aja, and it's a light bit of fun, with a few flashes of Lee's trademark spirit.

I also enjoyed the "Mini Marvels" story by Chris Giarrusso, with a slightly different version of Thor's return. The issue also includes five reprints of classic "Tales of Asgard" stories and a reprint of every Thor comic book cover (or at least most of them, although you'll need better eyes than mine to make out any details).

All in all, a good value and a worthy celebration for one of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's greatest creations. Here's to 517 more!

Grade: A-