Johannas Capsules: Image superheroes, Thor, Lady Constantine, more

Hmm curious, as someone who is approaching 30 (only 2 1/2 more years) it's something I think about from time to time. I find myself less worried about being geeky today then I did as a kid though.

Curious that you should describe it like that since as soon as I read this part of your review

I was reminded of Buffy's first episode with Cordelia showing her around even before seeing you say later in the review how the book was similar. Perhaps it's just that common a staple of the genre though.

It's been a while since you've seen a soap huh? I used to follow Days of Our Lives some years back, and saw the type of character you describe. Yet when I caught a recent episode while home on a sick day, there seemed to be a true lack of them. It seems like even the best intentioned of characters have some secret or agenda they are hiding these days.

I didn't realize Alan Davis was doing this but then Marvel's Previews section makes it easy to ignore or miss things. Is Jurgens writing all of the parts as well? It might be something I'd try in a collection if they do one.

Hey Giles kicks butt and makes subtle fun of his students, so what's this 'reminds me of, only' stuff!

Oh now that is cool! Now why can't we have an 80s revival or at least rerelease of that?

I'm glad to hear that Venture is cool, as that's the one of the Image superhero line I took a chance on. Which I mainly did based on how much better Faerber's creator owened work is, than his work for hire.

I suspect that's it. It's a fine line between 'familiar' and 'ripped off'.

Well, I was never a big fan.

I guess I am just behind the times.

I don't think so

I think it's a necessary story to do

This is a fundamental problem with Marvel's entire depiction of Thor, though. The morality of the Asgardians seems to be based on Camelot rather than on Asgard. Sort of defeats the point, if you ask me.

I wouldn't say 'human rights violations' matches Camelot either.

But to the bigger point

: rather than on Asgard. Sort of defeats the point, if you ask me.

Help is on the way, though: Garth Ennis is doing Thor for Max.

Well, my point is really that Asgard is normally presented as being a magical realm full of noble upstanding chaps who fight for truth, justice and niceness. Camelot is simply a suitable example of historical legends who are primarily associated with chivalry and niceness, basically the sort of typical concept of 'goodness' which Thor et al are hammered into by Marvel. This has bugger all to do with Asgardian mythology.

Take, for example, Thor's hammer - in the Marvel version, he's the only person who can lift it because of a magical curse that means only people who are 'worthy' can pick it up. This is used to demonstrate the supreme virtuousness of Thor, and anyone else whom the writers deem worthy of picking up the hammer. That concept of virtuousness is largely identified with cuddly JudeoChristian values, hence the reason why people like Captain America are shown to be able to lift the hammer. As a rather violent raiding society, it seems unlikely that the Vikings would have regarded this sort of thing as fitting within their concept of moral virtue.

In the original myths, 'virtue' doesn't play any sort of part at all in Thor's ability to lift the hammer. The original myth (in summary) is that Thor commissioned a really impressive warhammer to use in battle. Loki tricked the smiths into making the handle too short, so that it would be unusable. After all, a warhammer is basically a small anvil on the end of a stick - your average Viking needed a good two-handed swing to use it. But Thor was able to wield a warhammer one-handed anyway, because he's really, really muscular.

This is why Thor is shown carrying the world's only one-handed sledgehammer. Nonetheless, Marvel saw fit to dump the original explanation for that and go with a cuddly one instead. And so forth.

Oh, goody. Blood-eagleing, pillage, and assrape for all!

Well, what do you expect from a bunch of 'Norsemen' who speak faux King James I English?

Yeah I'm not debating whether its something necessary or not. I just know that, due to past experience, Johns' writing isn't for me. I'm not that into the storyline except as a curiosity anyway, so having different authors write by committee isn't something I'm that interested in.

Hmm oh well, even if its a regular series there will hopefully be collections. Since I get my comics through mail order it's far more economical for me to buy collections and only get the first issue or so of the pamphlets as a sampler.

Oh, Rusty isn't too bad. Sure, he's a bit gruff and defiantely something of a hot-head, but he hasn't cheated/lied/killed anyone like the rest of the