Robert Bernstein

Like the other early iterations of the now classic Marvel superheroes, this volume of Thor’s early adventures is a mixed bag. For the most part, the stories rely on the conflict between Thor and his evil half-brother, Loki, who, while imprisoned in Asgard, has the ability to cause problems with his magic. Some of these stories are inspired; others, like the one where Thor gets knocked in the head in a certain spot that turns him evil, are not. The soap opera aspect that Stan Lee added to the genre is here in the unrequited love that Thor and his alter ego, Dr. Don Blake, have for his nurse, Jane Foster. Because Odin has ordered Thor never to reveal his true identity to a mortal, Thor/Blake cannot tell Foster his secret, and she, like so many others before her (I’m looking at you, Lois Lane), can’t figure out the tie between Blake and Thor. Other than Loki, the villains here are mostly forgettable.… (altro)