Why is Thor possibly my favorite superhero of all time?

[seawasp]

And why do I bite my nails over what the forthcoming movie may, or may not, do well?

Well, I could try to describe the majesty and brilliance and incomparable genius of Walt Simonson's run on Thor, but my writeup would simply be a weaker and less resoundingly final version of Chris Sims' writeup of ten of the most awesome moments. Note that as others say in the comments, you could make an equally good list of the FIFTY most awesome moments of that epic and never-equalled run. But THAT is Thor to me. THAT is what the movie will be trying to match itself against.

It will fail. Let there be no question on that score. It will be impossible for the movie to equal Simonson's work. But if it partakes of even a tenth of its power and wonder, it will be one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.

Comments

[lydamorehouse]

Unlike you, I'm not a huge Thor fan. HOWEVER, the trailer gave me *a lot* of hope. Like, as in, I'm now excited to see it. Meanwhile, the Captain America trailer had the opposite effect. I felt like the Thor trailer gave us some "money shots," where as the Cap one utterly failed in that score, you know?

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. I'll be really curious to read your impressions once its out.

[seawasp]

Really? My feeling on the Cap trailer most recently released was that it may have exceeded the RDA of awesome on that day. It looked like they may actually have done it RIGHT, right down to keeping his actual origin and doing the period correctly in the Marvel style, while keeping the links to the other movies that are necessary in order to bring forth The Avengers.

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

The CA trailer -- at least the one I saw in the theater this weekend, which I'm guessing is the most recent -- left me neutral. I can still see that movie being very good or pretty awful; the trailer didn't give me a lot of hints which way it's going to fall.

The Thor trailers, on the other hand, have largely erased my earlier skepticism about whether they could pull off the god of thunder a la Marvel. I don't yet know if it will be good, but I'm now reasonably confident that it will be at least plausible; and I'm hoping for something in the league of the first Iron Man movie or the first couple of Spider-Mans.

Sims' list did tempt me to drop the ~$75 Amazon wants for that tome, but I haven't managed to talk myself into it yet.

[seawasp]

I would be buying it, except that I recently got the separate collections.

[j-v-lynch.livejournal.com]

http://www.angryflower.com/mjolni.html

[seawasp]

I just want my own Mjolnir. Is that so much to ask?

(Well, okay, I wouldn't be able to lift it, but it'd look cool on the mantelpiece.)

[shanejayell.livejournal.com]

My local comicbook shop has a Stormbringer on display. *wants*

[seawasp]

I wouldn't want that one; a weapon whose main job is to screw you over isn't my idea of a fun time.

[shanejayell.livejournal.com]

StormBREAKER. Ooops. Sorry.

*hangs head*

I have lost my geek-credibility. *lol*

They have Beta Ray Bill's hammer! SO tempted!

[seawasp]

Yes, you have. Shame and shame. Especially since your original message chiding ME was emailed to me, so I have EVIDENCE of your Fail! MUAAAAHAHAH!

Yes, I'd take that one, too. Though I'd have the same problem lifting it, as I understand it -- I don't think Bill's hammer is any less picky than Thor's.

[shanejayell.livejournal.com]

Original message? What original message?

*looks shifty*

*lol*

Yeah, I screwed up. :)

[j-v-lynch.livejournal.com]

The trick would be getting it up there.

[seawasp]

Nonliving things can pick it up, so I could use any powered method of doing so, I just couldn't lift it using my own muscles.

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

Does that mean that Iron Man can lift it?

[seawasp]

I would say that he could pick it up as an object, but not wield it as anything other than, well, a clunky hammer. Mystically it would depend on whether the enchantment felt that Stark viewed the armor as part of himself or not. He might, given that it's an interface between him and the device that keeps (or kept, depending on timeline and version) his heart beating); in that case it would count as part of him, and he wouldn't be able to lift it unless he was Worthy -- and no, Tony Stark isn't worthy.

[shanejayell.livejournal.com]

Loved Simonson's run, also loved the recent 'relaunch' under Babylon 5's JMS. I'm sorta hopeful the movie will be good, but it's hard to say.

yeah, I think if your right, that would make it well worth while.

[ancientone.livejournal.com]

personally, I've been let down once too often with the superheros being made into a movie. cross your fingers.

Re: yeah, I think if your right, that would make it well worth while.

[seawasp]

In more recent years? I haven't been terribly let down since the modern superhero movie age opened. There have been some that were disappointments compared to the best of them -- X-3, for instance, was MUCH weaker than the others -- but none that were anything like what we used to get.

Re: yeah, I think if your right, that would make it well worth while.

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

They still make the occasional turkey. Elektra springs to mind.

Re: yeah, I think if your right, that would make it well worth while.

[seawasp]

Yes, but again, you're using Elektra as an example of "Bad" while I have the old 1990 "Captain America" as an example of "bad". Elektra, by comparison, is a masterpiece of cinema.

[melchar.livejournal.com]

'My Mother called me darling', - and that entire arc was so -incredibly- good. I go back and reread it from time to time. There are some thing that are just THAT good.

[hallerlake.livejournal.com]

The retrospective sounds pretty awesome except for the Thunder Frog, which sounds corny beyond belief :)