Where Do I Start With... Thor

Who?

Of course, as everyone knows, Thor is the ancient Norse God of Thunder, but he was adapted for Marvel Comics in 1962 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, making his first appearance in Journey into Mystery #83. Originally, he was bound to New York surgeon Dr. Donald Blake, and they would switch places at will. This has changed over the years, with Thor being attached to other mortals as well as going it alone, but Blake has recently returned to the series.

Possessing godlike strength and stamina, Thor also wields the mighty Mjölnir -- his legendary hammer; enabling him to fly, and command thunder and lightning.

Known for his headstrong attitude and Shakespearean speech, Thor has always taken part in fantastical adventures on both Earth and beyond, and is not limited to the laws and ethics of man. He is burdened by greater, more divine responsibilities.

Okay, so where do I start?

As always, there's no shortage of early material. Thor's beginnings (in the Marvel Universe) can be found in the Thor Masterworks and Marvel Essentials: Thor collections, as well as the appropriately titled The Mighty Thor Omnibus. Each of these impressive volumes features a different amount of issues from the classic run.

If you want a more modern take on an ancient origin, then there's First Thunder by Bryan J.L. Glass and Tan Eng Huat. It deals with Thor's exile from Asgard, how he came to be linked with Don Blake in the first place, and his never-ending battle with his evil stepbrother Loki, God of Chaos and Mischief.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger is an excellent (and, sadly, now finished) place to find a basic primer for Thor. All the crucial elements of his character are there, wrapped around a delightfully fun story with fantastic art. Read both volumes of it and not only will you know everything you need to know about Thor, but I guarantee you'll be thoroughly entertained too.

But if you just want to jump on the series now, and need to catch up, then I recommend J. Michael Straczynski's run, starting with Thor, Volume One (I hate it when they don't give trades their own unique titles). It basically sets up the new status quo for Thor: He's bonded to Don Blake again, Odin is dead, Asgard is on Earth, Loki's a chick, etc. Straczynski also builds a great supporting cast, and deals with themes important to a superhero who is also a god.

What next?

Straczynski's run builds into the Marvel Event Siege which is not only awesome, but relevant to Thor too. After that (and a brief run by Kieron Gillen), Matt Fraction took over, and his first collection -- World Eaters -- is out in June.

For more classic Thor, Walt Simonson's landmark run on the series is out in various forms, including its own full omnibus, and several Thor Visionaries volumes too.

Thor's extensive supporting cast also have their share of interesting tales: Loki gets his chance to shine in Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers; the ever-hilarious trio of Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg have Warriors Three: Dog Day Afternoon; and the bizarre Beta Ray Bill can be found doing... whatever it is he does in Stormbreaker and Godhunter (how does he have two?!); to name but a few.

Hope this was helpful. Do let me know of any suggestions. This article be worthy.