War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery #1

   The members of the Family McElroy have become famous for their podcasting empire, including such shows as My Brother My Brother and Me, The Adventure Zone and oh so many others (all great fun and well worth tracking down).

   The four - father Clint and sons Justin, Travis and Griffin - have also branched out into graphic novels, including an adaptation of their Adventure Zone exploits (with a new volume arriving this summer) - and now they've been lured to the halls of Marvel Comics, where they've crafted a mini-series set during the War of the Realms.

   This issue of Journey Into Mystery follows Thor's brother Balder the Brave as he's tasked with protecting Odin and Freyja's new infant daughter (the explanation for her sudden appearance is a hoot). 

   He sets out to gather a team of heroes to help with the task, but finds the world has been through some changes since his last visit. So his Spider-Man is Mikes Morales, his Hawkeye isn't a guy, and Wonder Man has had a change of attitude.

   The issue is fast-moving and has the feel of an episode of the Adventure Zone, with lots of twists and turns and (natch) lots of humor.

   The War of the Realms event books should be this good! Highly recommended!

Grade: A

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Journey Into Mystery: The Birth of Krakoa #1 (One-shot)

   This oddity from Marvel should have easily earned my affection - but alas, it was not to be.

   They've revived the classic title Journey Into Mystery and shoehorned in a horror /  adventure set during World War II featuring Krakoa, the living island (which was the first opponent for the New X-Men in the 1970s), and starring Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos.

   I'm always happy to see the real Nick Fury in action, since he's the one I grew up reading. (No offense intended to the Samuel Jackson version, which is also a lot of fun.)

   But the story has to jump through lots of hoops to get anywhere,  and the Howlers and Nick never actually do much other than suffer at the hands of this strange, newborn island / mutant.

   And since when can Fury fly an airplane?

   Anyway - nice art, a decent enough horror story - but the total doesn't really live up to the potential of its parts.

Grade: C+

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The Classics - Journey Into Mystery #85

   When Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber and Joe Sinnott created Thor in Journey Into Mystery #83 (published in 1962), they forgot one thing: a proper origin.

   In that first appearance, Thor was more superhero than mythological god. Dr. Don Blake discovers a stick hidden in a cave in Norway, and when he strikes a rock with it, he's transformed into a powerhouse with the power - and hammer - of Thor.

   But he still spoke and thought like Don Blake, so apparently he just had the powers of Thor - he wasn't actually the ancient god.

   Or was he?

   Two issues later, the creative team (with Dick Ayers replacing Sinnott as inker) took us to Asgard, where Thor's wicked brother Loki escapes his strange prison (he was inside a tree) and comes to Earth, where he confronts Thor - who recognizes him!

   They fight, as Loki uses his magic and wits to try to overcome his brother. At the end of the fight, Thor sends Loki back to Asgard to face justice - but how did he know where it was?

   In the months and years ahead, the "superhero" version of Thor would continue to fade, and when Lee and Kirby took the reins back from the writers and artists who worked on the character for about a year, the mythological version became the "real" Thor - and that's when the character really earned his spot at the top of Marvel's heroes (and he became one of my favorites).

   Thor's "true" origin wasn't revealed until 1968, in Thor #158 - but that's a review for another day.

Grade: B+

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Journey Into Mystery #646

As always, we're glad to provide reviews on request here at Chuck's Comic of the Day - and a few days ago we received this one from Dave Sopko:

Really interested in your take on Journey into Mystery with Sif. My daughter (12 years old) really liked what little she saw of the character in the Thor movie. Wondering how this is for her age group.

I like the depiction of Sif in the movie, too (I was especially impressed with her attack on the Destroyer), and I've liked the character since she first appeared in Thor's comic in the 1960s, replacing Jane Foster.

So as much as I enjoyed the stories about Loki in this title, I was glad to see Journey Into Mystery turned over to the adventures of Sif.

The issue is written by Kathryn Immonen, whose work I've enjoyed in the past - and she's off to a good start here.

Of course, any story that starts in a library (even one that's one fire) and centers around a book is already ahead of the game in my view. The story focuses on Sif's desire to become a better warrior - one able to defend Asgard better from the constant menaces it faces.

To do that, she must go on a journey that takes her across wastelands, into the presence of a dragon, and then into the fight of her life. The story seems a bit disjointed - it hops quickly from location to location and doesn't always make clear why - but it certainly doesn't drag its feet.

The art is by Valerio Schiti, whose work I'm not familiar with - but I like what I see here. The characters are nicely done, although the backgrounds seem a bit sparse.

As to whether or not this is appropriate for younger readers - that's a tough call. The story's a bit murky, so I'm not sure younger readers would find it compelling. The comic is rated "T+" (whatever that means - is it for teens who are positive?) and there are a few moments of violence, and the final page hints at something truly gruesome - though it remains to be seen how bad it really is.

Some younger readers might not bat an eye at this, while other may not like it - but there is some violence to contend with.

For older readers, it's a good start to this five-part story - here's hoping for more of the same.

Grade: B+

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Journey Into Mystery #632

I would never have expected this title to stick around as long as it has.

It's not that Journey Into Mystery isn't a good comic - in fact, it's quite good. But a comic starring Thor's brother Loki? Go figure.

It succeeds because of excellent work by the creative team. Writer Kieron Gillen constantly takes the book in clever, unexpected directions.

During the Fear Itself event, we saw Loki working around the edges of the event, scheming to draw together some incredibly powerful forces and allies to play a crucial role in the event.

Now, in the aftermath of that series, we get the most unexpected story yet: a Christmas tale.

Yep, apparently the Norce Gods have decided to observe the holiday as part of an outreach to their mortal neighbors - and Loki finds himself receiving and giving some unusual (and often funny) presents.

It's the kind of series that you can pick up and read cold, but if you've been following along, you get even more out of the series. It's clever, well written and deals with some smart characters.

The art by Mitch Breitweiser (with colors by Bettie Breitweiser) is quite good - often comical, sometimes deadly serious - it has a painted look and it's reminiscent of the excellent Chris Samnee.

The question is, of course - is this newer, younger version of Loki still evil - or can he find redemption? What mischief can he conjure up to make life in Asgard interesting? And is the "old" Loki really gone?

It's entertaining to watch these scenarios play out, especially in a comic loaded with smart, conniving characters. Lots of fun and highly recommended!

Grade: A-

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Journey Into Mystery #622

With its usual numerical slight of hand, Marvel has turned the numbering of Thor's comic book over to this "new" comic, Journey Into Mystery.

Of course, geezers like me remember a time when Thor's comic was actually titled Journey Into Mystery. Thor's first appearance was in the former monster / mystery comic, and soon the title was turned over to the God of Thunder.

With the movie about to be released, Marvel decided to give Thor a new title and a new number one, so what to do with this title?

Interestingly enough, the focus here is on Asgard in general and the newly-reborn Loki in particular.

Loki was killed during The Siege, but was (somehow) returned to life as a mischevous young teen who apparently has no memory of his earlier, evil self.

This makes him a much more interesting character as he learns about the world around him and tries to determine what he wants to do with his life. He's also uncovering secrets - some dark and some vital to life.

Kieron Gillen provides an interesting, thoughtful script here, loaded with some delightfully off-beat ideas and creations.

The brotherly discussion between Thor and Loki, the examination of modern technology, the discovery of a well-hidden legacy and the mystic journey of seven magpies are just some of the high points in this story - which is to say, it's a creative and thoughtful tale.

I like the artwork by Dougie Braithwaite with Ulises Arreola providing colors. It has a painted look to it, and aside from some odd angles, it's vibrant and always interesting.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this book. Imagine my surprise when I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I'm looking forward anxiously to the next issue.

Grade: A-