Issue(s): Silver Surfer #86
Cover Date: Nov 93
Title: "Friends and foes"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Andy Smith - Penciler
Bill Anderson - Inker
Lynaire Brust - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
The Silver Surfer tries to prevent Thor from striking a defenseless Beta Ray Bill.

Bill recovers and joins the fight.

When they have Thor on the ropes, they stand back and watch him ask his invisible girlfriend for help.

That might have been a good time to press the attack, but i suppose the spectacle was too difficult to pass up.

Talking to the Valkyrie rejuvenates Thor. He returns to the battle and hits Bill with a blast from his hammer. The Surfer uses his surfboard to carry Bill's smoking body to safety, but that leaves the Surfer at a disadvantage.

Bill is brought to Sif, who, by the way, changes her outfit constantly between chapters of this crossover.

She uses the Norn Stones to teleport away. When the Surfer gets his board back, he battles Thor a bit more, but he winds up getting knocked out too. He's saved by the arrival of Adam Warlock and Pip the Troll.

So far the formula of this story has been "hero challenges Thor, gets beaten, is rescued by the next hero in line". It will get a little more varied than that, but that's basically what we're in for. That wouldn't be the end of the world if we were actually excited for the fights. Andy Smith draws all three Silver Surfer chapters of Blood and Thunder, and also one of the Warlock Chronicles chapters. He's not very good, and that's especially a problem when all this series has to recommend are the fight scenes.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part two of Blood and Thunder. Part three is in Warlock Chronicles #6. Warlock Chronicles #6 actually takes place mostly before or concurrently with this issue, showing (among other things) how Warlock came to decide to get involved here (and why Pip is dressed like a cowboy). So even without any other considerations, there is some concurrency going on. But the Infinity Watch also appear in Starblast #1 and Quasar #54 (Starblast part two) before fully committing to helping Thor. Since the Watch's appearance in Warlock Chronicles #6 takes place concurrently with this issue, their appearance in Starblast #1 should take place before this issue. And then the Watch's appearance in Quasar #54, which shows them deciding which adventure to get involved in, has to take place during Warlock Chronicles #6 (i.e. also concurrently with this issue).

References:

• The Silver Surfer agreed to help Beta Ray Bill with Thor after Silver Surfer #81-82 and he's arrived here now by tracking Bill to make good on that promise.
  
• Thor beat Beta Ray Bill in Thor #460-461 and in Thor #468 (the latter taking place directly before the start of this issue).

Crossover: Blood and Thunder

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This was Andy during his "I'm Bart Sears, too" phase.

"Bill is brought to Sif, who, by the way, changes her outfit constantly between chapters of this crossover."
...and apparently hair color too, because now she's a brunette instead of raven-haired.

Ok, so I'm not the only one thinking that Smith is channeling some Bart Sears here.