The Revenant Marvel Comics Discussion Thread

[Ser_Hakim_Dayne]

Hi.
I'm interested in Thor comics but there are a lot of them, where do I start and what do you recommend?

 

[Antvasima]

Hi.
I'm interested in Thor comics but there are a lot of them, where do I start and what do you recommend?

The Walter Simonson, Dan Jurgens, J.M. Straczynski, and Al Ewing runs are of very high quality, and Tom DeFalco wrote Thor with respect and as a fundamentally nice person, so that run is also largely quite enjoyable.

 

[Ser_Hakim_Dayne]

The Walter Simonson, Dan Jurgens, J.M. Straczynski, and Al Ewing runs are of very high quality, and Tom DeFalco wrote Thor with respect and as a fundamentally nice person, so that run is also largely quite enjoyable.

Thank you very much

 

[Antvasima]

No problem.

 

[ObberGobb]

The Walter Simonson, Dan Jurgens, J.M. Straczynski, and Al Ewing runs are of very high quality, and Tom DeFalco wrote Thor with respect and as a fundamentally nice person, so that run is also largely quite enjoyable.

I'm actually quite a big fan of the DeFalco run. I like Eric Masterson, and all the stuff with the High Evolutionary was pretty cool.

 

[Antvasima]

Yes, but Rick Remender suddenly decided to turn the High Evolutionary from a morally complicated character into a raving casually genocidal animal abuser, which didn't fit at all with his previous portrayals.

However, this time it was likely an order from the Marvel movie managers, since they planned to take a similar route with the HE in the MCU.

 

[The_Unknown_Warrior1]

Speaking of Thor, what's the general consensus on Donny Cates as a writer? I've read a couple of his comic runs of specific characters (which I don't have a strong opinion on since Thanos isn't exactly a favorite character of mine), Cosmic Ghost Rider (which was incredibly goofy, but in a fun way), Venom, and Thor.

But based off the comics I've read: I think he's done a consistently good job with the characters he's written for, especially everything involving Venom from 2018 to the King of Black event. I think he did a good job with characterizing Eddie Brock and Venom, and I enjoyed seeing him getting further character development that started in the 90's with Lethal Protector.

 

[Antvasima]

He mischaracterised Thor as an asshole, so I did not care for that, even though Matt Fraction and Jason Aaron had done the "groundwork" for this, and he causally inserted quite a lot of other disturbing themes into the story, including supposedly partially reformed Loki gruesomely torturing Donald Blake, who was also completely mischaracterised.

I also did not care for his rather vile and very dark Thanos stuff.

That said, he has been through absolute hell on a personal level, so I feel sorry for him about that. I just do not care for his writing.

 

[The_Unknown_Warrior1]

He mischaracterised Thor as an asshole, so I did not care for that, even though Matt Fraction and Jason Aaron had done the "groundwork" for this, and he causally inserted quite a lot of other disturbing themes into the story, including Loki torturing Donald Blake, who was also completely mischaracterised.

I'll admit that I'm not as personally knowledgeable on Thor's character in the comics then it should be, but I do understand why you wouldn't like that since you've read a lot of Thor comics in the past.

I also did not care for his rather vile and very dark Thanos stuff.

Forgive my ignorance, Ant, but isn't that always Thanos' deal in the comics? Again I'm not a comic buff, but I thought the general basis of Thanos' character is that he's a nihilist constantly earning for Lady Death's attention. I mean that's why he gathered the Infinity Gauntlet initially in the comics IIRC.

That said, he has been through absolute hell on a personal level, so I feel sorry for him about that. I just do not care for his writing.

I can respect that mentality, to be honest. I mean even if you don't like his writing, he doesn't sound like a bad dude in real life and I felt bad when I learned he developed amnesia in 2022 after a car accident.

 

[Antvasima]

Forgive my ignorance, Ant, but isn't that always Thanos' deal in the comics? Again I'm not a comic buff, but I thought the general basis of Thanos' character is that he's a nihilist constantly earning for Lady Death's attention. I mean that's why he gathered the Infinity Gauntlet initially in the comics IIRC.

Yes, but a theme of "Thanos wins and does lots of absolutely horrible things, and let's turn him into even more of a Gary Stu than he already is", is not something that I enjoy.

I can respect that mentality, to be honest. I mean even if you don't like his writing, he doesn't sound like a bad dude in real life and I felt bad when I learned he developed amnesia in 2022 after a car accident.

Yes. If I remember correctly, he received severe brain damage, was in a coma for 6 months, his fiancée left him, and he had to work extremely hard to rehabilitate himself. Okay, so he turned Thor into an asshole and a very bad friend, and did a very poor job with handling both the Hulk and Loki, and destroyed Thor's beloved town of Broxton for no good reason, and did some really twisted Carnage and Thanos work, but that just meant that I thought he was a largely destructive writer (but very far from the worst ones I have encountered), not that I wanted him to suffer personally,

 

[The_Unknown_Warrior1]

Yes, but a theme of Thanos wins and does lots of absolutely horrible things, and let's turn him into even more of a Gary Stu than he already is, is not something that I enjoy.

I can understand that sentiment, to be honest. From my understanding, it doesn't sound like Thanos is as interesting or as entertaingly intimidating as someone like Darkseid (which I know is a very popular take, but Thanos' creation was inspired by Darkseid so that was the easiest comparison to make)

Yes. If I remember correctly, he received severe brain damage, was in a coma for 6 months, his fiancée left him, and he had to work extremely hard to rehabilitate himself. Okay, so he turned Thor into an asshole and a very bad friend, and did a very poor job with handling both the Hulk and Loki, and destroyed Thor's beloved town of Broxton for no good reason, and did some really twisted Carnage and Thanos work, but that just meant that I thought he was a largely destructive writer (but very far from the worst ones I have encountered), not that I wanted him to suffer personally,

Oh no, I totally understand what you're trying to say. You're saying that you don't like his writing but you don't wish harm upon him nor are you saying he's a inherently bad person, so I respect that you can separate your preferences from judging the character of the writer in question(But I'm not going to lie: his fiancee must've been a horrible person if she left him after he was in a car accident which left him amnesiac, Donny honestly dodged a bullet there.)

 

[ObberGobb]

I think Cates is fine. His stuff isn't my cup of tea, but nothing outright terrible either. I agree about his Thor though, I definitely feel he was mischaracterized throughout the run, so I'm happy with how Al Ewing has been treating him.

The Black Winter arc was cool though, and honestly the Cates Run has my favorite Thor design.