in just 6 issues we have seen Thor as he stopped Alien Invasion’s, Communist Plots, and fellow God’s. in this issue we add one to the bunch, Common Criminal’s.  This is a story of a Mob boss named Thug Thatcher, whom tried to muscle into the steel industry and sold sub-standard steel.

This issue is filled with a recap of the important details of Thor, and would have made a great starting point for someone new to it back in the day, but it also fits in well.  This comic has everything that I hope for, read  on to see why.

Story

This story is much more than just a mob boss crime story, it is about our hero, in his most vulnerable from doing whats right, being a doctor for the Thug first and foremost.  Then being the hero.

The story has a good balance of action and development,  it even does a great job recapping for new people at the beginning. This issue would have been a great point to pick up the ongoing Thor story if one had missed the events up until now.

Hidden Meaning

In additional to the story elements I will talk about in section’s below, the story’s greatest point, is its underlining message. you see, our Thug whom got in trouble for making Sub-Standard steel, met his downfall due to being on the frame of a building that begins to collapse because it was made of said steel. While the action’s of Thor lead to this, it was all the action’s he had done that ultimately lead to Thor’s success.

Art

What makes comic art great, or not; it is both subjective and not a science.  The story is great, and the art did a good job of telling that story.  though most of the issue I feel the art met or exceeded the quality that I would have hoped for.  There however was a frame of Odin on page 6 that just bugged me.  but I will break down my art discussion into a few sections this time.

The Cover

The cover is simple, we have Thor, swinging his hammer about in  his right  hand as his left is extended outward;  the city serving as the backdrop behind a curved horizon.  the words “See the heroic Thunder God battle the forces of evil!!” Under his hand.

The cover gives us no hint of the story that is on the pages between. This bold of a cover while quite attractive was uncommon in that day and age.  Most covers from that era gave much more detail to try to hook someone shopping around. Was this an attempt at a different technique, of more is less? Or did the cover have to be done before the story was? If anyone has any real insight into this I welcome it. Overall, I liked the bold open statement of the cover!

The Insides

This brings me back into the book,  and what I think and feel about the inner art.  The first page wowed me, and right though the recap it kept up being good.  around the end of page six, I found that it began to downfall,  it still had good panels, but it was just missing something in most of them.

Originality & Continuity

The recap ties it in to the events of the past, and even expands upon them. for example, the frame to the left, I remember no such vow being made in any of the issues thus far.

I do not feel it breaks the continuity to add it in though, it could have happened between the 1st and 2nd Thor stories quite believable.

The story also recaps how Jane Feels’s and builds upon that, putting some clarity into it as we dive into her mind.

Characters & Development

As I began saying just above, we dive deep into Jane’s mind, her thoughts about both Dr. Don Blake and about Thor.  This is a great bit of clarity for us, and for her character.  Reminding us how she cares for both.

Whom can blame her mind for working such a way, if the world did have a superhero like Thor, would there not likely be many a woman fawning over them in their own minds? is it any different from how we view our less godly heroes?

Dr. Don Blake also developed in this story,  He made contact with Odon in his mortal form, He also showed us that he is a Dr. First, and will help a patent no matter who it is. This was as telling and building for his character as how Ant-Man handled the Scarlet Beetle in Tales to Astonish #39 in the prior month this was published.