When it comes to Thor Epic Collections, AIPT has you covered. The epic and oftentimes overly dramatic Thor series had some interesting growing pains to recover from in 1994 and 1995, which are collected in Hel on Earth. Primarily written by Roy Thomas and Glenn Greenberg, this collection could have easily been retitled “Identity Crisis” as the major storyline aims to explain how Thor and Donald Blake aren’t the same person.
This collection houses Thor (1966) #476-490, Thor Annual (1966) #19, material from Avengers Annual (1967) #23, with the latter opening the collection. The opening issue ends up being a fantastic Hercules story as it delves a bit into his past while showcasing his incredible strength. One can imagine the MCU version of Hercules will borrow a bit from this story as he’s capable of being the friend and foe of the Avengers. This opening issue also features Thunderstrike, who briefly took Thor’s place for a spell. His inclusion here, and in future issues teaming up with Thor, is a reminder the identity of Thor has always been rather fluid.
After the opening issue, Thor Annual takes us back to Thor’s days with his classic costume. A nice inclusion here since the rest of the collection features his rather insane “armor” costume. Given the style and ridiculously oversized muscles, one can imagine Rob Liefeld’s style was an influence. It’s not apparent in the image below, but the chest portion of Thor’s costume is actually painted on. Some armor that must be!
Marvel Comics
Fans expecting answers surrounding Donald Blake are in for a treat of a story within a story. Odin lays it all out as to why he gave him power at all and why he was made to think he was Thor. It’s a relatively good explanation that allows Donald Blake to be retconned but also ensure his stories still matter.
Most of this collection is made up of monsters and mainstays outside of the identity crisis storyline. Hela is a major villain, for instance, and the Annual features Cereberus and Hrinmeer the Halfling with great effect. The weird monster madness reigns supreme in much of this collection, making it a heck of a lot of fun.
John Buscema leads the charge on this collection as far as art, but make no mistake, M.C. Wyman and Jerry DeCaire bring the ’90s aesthetic and then some. We’re talking impossibly bulbous muscles, “radical” costumes, and damsels that are as tiny as a twig. A lot of the comics in this collection feel like they plucked their visual style from what was hip and hot at the time rather than doing their own thing. For better or worse (and it’s mostly worse), it’s a collection that is a perfect reflection of the time.
Fans of Sif should adore this run on the series as she ends up being Thor’s main fling. They two make out quite a bit and pine for each other. Roy Thomas makes the relationship work because both are boisterous and rather outspoken. This is a Thor who is more brawny He-Man than contemplative or even relatable.
If you like your Thor over-the-top and godly, Thor Epic Collection: Hel on Earth will be your cup of tea. This collection is a good example of Marvel attempting to clean up the identity crisis created by Thunderstrike and Donald Blade and get back to basics. While the art is as dated as it comes, the idea of bringing Thor back to his roots was ahead of its time.
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