Thor is really enjoying a renaissance, isn’t he? A character that could barely hold his own monthly comic is now not only a major draw as a guest star (see Hulk #5), but has earned several one shot specials delving into the history of the character. Next month a new one shot entitled God-Sized Thor (in case you were shopping for him and were unsure what size he wore) hits the stands to take it to a new level.
Also known as ‘The Executioner,’ Skurge was a one-time member of the Masters of Evil alongside Baron Zemo, the Melter, etc. He also proved quite a challenge for Thor assisting the Enchantress in her attempts to humble the God of Thunder. Eventually redeeming himself in the eyes of his former foe, Skurge perished fighting an assault on Asgard of Frost Giants. Armed with his massive axe capable of cutting through dimension of time and space itself and the strength of a God, Skurge is a formidable adversary.
Writer Matt Fraction has been doing wonders at Marvel Comics, whether it’s in the pages of the Immortal Iron Fist, Iron Man or the Mighty Thor himself. A gifted writer with a taste for the classic Marvel-style story, his latest Thor tale will also be his last for some time. He had told CBR.com that he felt that after two one-shots back-to-back and a 3-part Secret Invasion tie-in it was time to take a break before his hammer grew any mold. It’s unfortunate because Fraction has a real talent for the character, but I’m sure he will be back before too long.
Joining Fraction on art chores is a team of all start artists including Doug Braithwaite (Universe/Paradise X, Brave and the Bold), Mike Allred (Madman), Dan Brereton (The Nocturnals) and Marko Djurdjevic (cover artists extraordinaire). The comic is built on a classic tale building on the legendary Walt Simonson run back in the 80’s.
Humble as ever, Fraction spoke of his upcoming mega-comic:
“Thor: God-Sized” is a completely new-reader friendly tale also designed to appeal to longtime fans of Thor. In fact, Fraction took extra special care in crafting the story because he knows that even though the tale of Skurge’s last stand is over 23 years old, it’s still as powerful today as it was back then. “I just hope I don’t fuck it up,” he said. “Skurge had such an epic death. It was handle brilliantly by Simonson both as a writer and an artist. It really punched you. It was an effective, moving death and yet it wasn’t even the end of the story! It was just really powerful and really wonderful. Everything I love about Simonson’s run is summed up in that one issue, so I’m trying really hard to not fuck it up.”
It looks like there will be some stormy skies in December.
Recommended:
Thor, Vol. 1
Thor, Vol. 2
Thor Visionaries – Walt Simonson, Vol. 1
Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story
Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares
