A Bargain At A Buck

With rare exception, comics issues which pepper their covers with tidbits of scenes from inside, along with captions that exclaim that this issue is the one you can't miss (or words to that effect), often do prove to be enjoyable since the promotional material is taking the stance that the issue has a little something for everyone--or, more loosely translated, there's bound to be something here that you'll like. While that may indeed be the case at times, one could regard such a cover as attempting to put the best face on a story which was unfortunately mostly devoid of (to put it bluntly) a story, depending on your definition of the word. You and I could probably name three or four such issues off the top of our respective heads which fit that description; yet many of them work on some level, if only as a harmless change-of-pace story that allows the book and its characters to catch their figurative breath.

The Mighty Thor issue we're about to take a look at wasn't specifically chosen to explore this theme; rather, in a way it flagged itself because of the way it backpeddles its marketing with a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer:

Which in a way gives the impression that the issue is patting itself on the back for not even trying to give you the content you're getting for your buck--but that's a Marvel hallmark if ever there was one.

In this instance, you might find yourself more than willing to give the story a pass for its heavier focus on the Wrecking Crew and Code: Blue, since the book has up until now amply fulfilled its quota of engaging Thor/Asgardian adventure (e.g., the realm has just prevailed in a clash with Ymir and Surtur, neither of which can be considered lightweights). That said, you might as well know going in that, thanks to a two-page comic/ad promoting the TurboGrafx Splatterhouse game, and a five-page backup story featuring Earth-Lord of Earth Force, that leaves just eleven pages of Thor for readers who picked up this issue expecting to see a Thor issue that "has it all." (And you shouldn't expect the Sif vs. Leir battle to make up the difference.)

Starting things off for us is Thor, of course--at the very least we have to have Thor, right? And a little pomp and pageantry is always welcome, especially when you consider that part of this ceremony will result in choosing the next leader of Asgard, if only for the interim.

Appropriately, Heimdall's first task is to reintegrate Bifrost, Asgard's rainbow bridge--after which Thor parts company with his longtime friend, Hercules, only to turn to face another ally in the recent struggle who now appears to have changed his stripes.

As for Code: Blue, their long-awaited baptism of fire has them going up against heavy hitters who embody nothing less than the power of Asgard.

You can meet Lt. Stone's team in a separate post that lays out their battle with the Wrecker and his men in more detail. As for the other battle featured in this issue's marquee, it's one that will for Leir not only be brief but will also end in humiliation.

As for who Sif is for, neither she nor Thor can seem to make up their minds about that.

(Perhaps someone on Earth should introduce Thor to the phrase "no-brainer.")

Despite appearances here, try not to feel too badly for Thor. Judging by the succeeding panel which shows him exuberantly leaving for Earth without a backward glance, it would seem neither of these immortals has much of a problem with putting their relationship on indefinite hold.  What's a few years to them?

So: all things considered, did "Aftermath!" have it all for you? Or are you figuring that the cashier owes you a bit of change for your hard-earned $1.00 (which, from late 1990, works out to about $2.00 today)? C'mon, admit it--seeing Leir get dunked on his Celtic butt was worth every penny, eh?