Issue(s): Journey Into Mystery #112
Cover Date: Jan 65
Title: "The mighty Thor battles the incredible Hulk!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Jack Kirby - Penciler
Chic Stone - Inker

Review/plot:
This issue recounts and provides more details on the fight between the Hulk and Thor from Avengers #3.

The fight ended inconclusively.

The retelling was instigated by a group of kids who were engaged in a whoodwin argument.

During the battle, it turns out that Thor petitioned Odin to allow him to fight without his hammer for five minutes. Of course, after Thor dropped his hammer, the Hulk was able to pick it up due to the lack of enchantment.

Who doesn't love a Hulk/Thor fight?

By popular demand (everything's relative), here's the Tales of Asgard portion of the story. It's the origin of Loki.

A war between the Agardians and the giant warriors of Jotunheim...

...ends with the discovery of the son of Laufey, the giant king. Loki just seems to be a freak of giant nature, born a non-giant size.

A note from Stan indicates that there were several versions of Loki's origins in the Norse myths, but this is the one they decided to go with. So be it!

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 2

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Hulk's ears must have been burning because this issue ends with him also reflecting on the fight with Thor and hoping for a rematch. Based on that i've placed this before Hulk Smash Avengers #1; it doesn't really make sense for Thor to be reflecting on an older fight with Hulk when they've just had a more recent one. It's also a rare break in Hulk's Tales To Astonish chronology at this point in time. This means a slight pushback in publication time for Thor.

References:

• This story is essentially an untold flashback from Avengers #3.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Thor vol. 1

These issues all had Tales of Asgard included. I saw you included them for some previous issues, is there a particular reason it's left out here? Reprints may not have included them, I dunno.

Technically all the Tales of Asgard stuff is out of scope for this project since it takes place prior to Marvel Comics #1. It seems - and i can't promise this makes sense - i covered the ToA stories anyway when i had a color copy, but skipped them for the Essentials. I should probably remedy that.

I'd also love to create - or link to - a pre-Golden Age Marvel Saga style chronicle that covers ToA, the Tales of the Inhumans & Atlantis back-ups, all the Hyborian stuff, the Black Knight, Marvel Westerns, Wolverine's awful Origin, Phantom Eagle, etc., but it's a lower priority.

Aside from the overly thick inking this issue has, I just like that panel where Hulk just stares into the camera and makes a big proclamation like its wrestling. Definitely something he could only get away with before he really loses his intellect fully in the green form.

Following up on the last comment -- Vince Colletta's inking in the backup "Tales of Asgard" possessed far more finesse than Chic Stone's in the main story. This is a great issue to refer to if anyone ever doubts the importance of an inker's contribution. The art in the main stories finally equalled that of the backup "Tales" when Colletta began inking them starting with #116. For me, the Kirby/Colletta vision of Thor and his world remains definitive.