This really stresses how convoluted some classic origins are.
Thor's origin is retold from the very beginning, when Dr. Donald Blake was just a lowly American tourist vacationing in the mountains of Norway who just happened to stumble upon some aliens.
The Good
I enjoyed the narration that Glass gives Blake at the beginning - - you could hear the echoes of Thor's own conflicts with Odin in this lowly doctors' recollections of his conflicts with his father. It was also intriguing to see the Hulk-style multiple personality angle that Glass puts on the relationship between Thor and Blake. I don't know if I've ever seen the reconciliation of the two parties ever explored in modern continuity.
The Bad
I'm a huge fan of both Huat and Villarrubbia, but this is yet another book whose art has been compromised by the lack of an inker. I really wish there was a ban on this kind of thing, because I know the pencils and the colors were great, but the whole experience is diminished because I feel like I'm looking at these pages through a muddy glass. Also, like the recent Avengers Origins mini, this issue just reinforces how convoluted a lot of Marvel origins were in the 60s. The aliens have nothing to do with Asgardians, yet they're the one who just incidentally happen to be there to instigate Thor's rebirth. I wish a little more license were taken to update this.
The Verdict - 3/5
The issue's a bit of mixed bag. Blake's definitely a likable character and I know the talents involved are excellent creators... but this issue's a bit muddy. The art needs an inker, like I said, and considering that the back-up feature shows just how closely this sticks to original stories, I really think this could've used some streamlining. The aliens just didn't fit into the mythic narrative. But I am really intrigued to see how the potential identity crisis between Thor and Blake develops.
