Issue(s): Thor #467
Cover Date: Oct 93
Title: "Descent"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Bruce Zick - Penciler
Mike DeCarlo - Inker
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
This begins with the nova explosion from Infinity Crusade #5. Thor then wakes up in a strange place...

...which turns out the be the Valkyrie's hall.

She leads him down a spiraling descent (into madness).

Meanwhile we see Sif's encounter with Zeus and Pluto. Sif is able to put some doubt into Zeus as to the veracity of Pluto's claims, and she agrees to a duel to prove who is right.

These gods. When are they going to update their justice system?

Sif loses the fight...

...but she teleports away with the Norn stones...

...and gets Ares to admit that he's been lying for Pluto.

There's still the fact that Thor is suffering from the Warrior's Madness, but Zeus gives Sif three days to settle it before he tells Odin.

This is less a true tie in than a bridge back from Infinity Crusade to Blood and Thunder. But it's nice to see Sif being active.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Infinity Crusade #6 will show Thor with the heroes, but then he departs to return to his madness. So his appearance here (in his own head?) can take place before that.

The MCP list Athena and Artemis as being behind the scenes. Not sure if any of the other Greek gods should be listed. This is the only panel in which other gods appear.

References:

• This begins with the explosion from Infinity Crusade #5.
  
• The last thing Thor remembers is his battle with Drax from last issue and Warlock and the Infinity Watch #21.
  
• Thor and Ares fought in Thor #461.

Crossover: Infinity Crusade

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Is this THE WORST art team ever to have a sustained run on Thor? I refer to the bizarre facial expressions, mannish faces for female characters, extraneous lines, and over-large panels reducing space for storytelling,

Opinions encouraged.

"Zeus gives Sif three days to settle it before he tells Odin"- except that he must have given her an extension at some point, since Warlock's and Pip's appearance in Quasar 54 takes place at the beginning of Blood and Thunder, before Odin finds out about Thor, and it's part of Starblast. No way is it only three days from Infinity Crusade to Starblast.

The art sucks, yes. I dropped this title around this time and the horrendous art was a big part of why. It's just gross to look at.

I can usually find good things in a poorly considered artist (eg Tom Grindberg), but indeed, this is like the low point for Thor when it comes to art, I believe. So of course they do not immediately jettison the artist...

Matt & the rest of the Gang: I may be alone here but I think this art really stands out with what the rest of Marvel looked like at this time- it has a weird, quasi-quirky-Kirby vibe in some instances, a bit outsider, but sort of dynamic. I've never seen these issues outside of fnord's summaries so this is the first time I'm seeing it and it isn't terrible. Not ideal, but not terrible. Wasn't the art that follows this run- I vaguely remember Roy Thomas writing and a new (terrible) costume for Thor much worse than this? This still retains some classic elements in it's presentation.

The art in the following run is from MC Wyman who is actually pretty decent but his work at Marvel was hit-and-miss mostly due to it being limited to either their low tier books that no-one was reading, last minute fill-ins or some of the worst stuff they put out. If the U.S.Agent miniseries was the best scripts he got to draw, that's saying something.