Tales of Asgard offered Sword & Sorcery fans a way to enjoy superheroes. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby appropriated the entire Norse mythology to bring Thor into the Marvel universe. This quasi-Sword & Sorcery had been done before by Gardner F. Fox at DC when he created Hawkman, another weapon-wielding superhero. Some fans loved it. Others, like myself, were a little reluctant. I like my Sword & Sorcery separate from the Superman crowd.
Despite this prejudice, there were Lee-Kirby stories in Journey Into Mystery that ignored the superhero elements for the mythic ones. The first ten back-up stories were collected in October 1968 for a one-shot reprint called Tales of Asgard. If you tried just a little, it was like there was no Donald Blake, no earthly superhero battles. Just Asgard and Viking myths…
“Tales of….. Asgard! Home of the Mighty Norse Gods” (Journey Into Mystery #97, October 1963)
“Odin Battles Ymir, King of the Ice Giants” (Journey Into Mystery #98, November 1963)
“Surtur The Fire Demon!” (Journey Into Mystery #99, December 1963)
“The Storm Giants” (Journey Into Mystery #100, January 1964)
“The Invasion of Asgard!” (Journey Into Mystery #101, February 1964)
“‘Death’ Comes to Thor!” (Journey Into Mystery #102, March 1964)
“Thor’s Mission to Mirmir!” (Journey Into Mystery #103, April 1964)
“Heimdall Guardian of the Mystic Rainbow Bridge!” (Journey Into Mystery #104, May 1964)
“When Heimdall Failed!” (Journey Into Mystery #105, June 1964)
“Balder ‘The Brave'” (Journey Into Mystery #106, July 1964)
Jack Kirby continued The Tales of Asgard in later issues but these weren’t collected in the 1968 reprint. There was only so much room. When Journey Into Mystery was discontinued for The Mighty Thor #126 (March 1966), “Tales of Asgard” came along as the back-up feature.
Later Thor comics focused more on the mythology, delighting fans like myself. The Walt Simonson run of Thor (1983-1986) often felt more like an S&S comic. Alan Zelentz and Charles Vess did a Marvel Graphic novel called The Raven Banner (1985) that focused on Thor’s three buddies, the Warriors Three. This fantasy sheds spandex tights as only Charles Vess could. The graphic novel was featured in Epic Illustrated.
Much of the material seen in Tales of Asgard was used in the film, Thor: Ragnorak (2017). Jack Kirby should have received a much bigger credit as the designer of Thor’s world.
Tales of Asgard, as reprint collection, was significant for me as a fan of Sword & Sorcery. I was a huge Conan the Barbarian fan, as well as a reader of Norse folklore in book form. I wanted to love Thor comics. The superhero side of the mighty Asgardian always made me uncomfortable. Tales of Asgard allowed me to enjoy those elements I liked without having to endure those I did not. Later in 2009, all the tales were collected in a six issue mini-series which included every story from Journey Into Mystery #97 to Thor #147. Sword & Sorcery fans rejoice!
