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Thor #297: Review

Jul 1980
Roy Thomas, Chic Stone

Story Name:

The Sword of Siegfried!

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Thor #297 Review by (October 2, 2019)

Review: The Ring cycle continues through what was supposed to be the Celestial Saga with Brunnhilda’s judgment and the rise of Siegfried, the latter being more of a boneheaded jerk than his father but also being compared more to Thor than his father. This looks like it's anticipating Jason Aaron's run on Thor wherein the God of Thunder is portrayed as the same sort of lusty clod only less noble in his mien. The issue's one shortcoming is that Fafnir the dragon looks a bit silly and could have been much more fearsome as his reputation suggests. Oh well, it's still a cool issue with more of the melding of epic and comic we've been seeing of late.

Comments: Part fifteen of the Eternals Saga which spans issues #283-301. Letters page announces that Roy Thomas is leaving as writer with this issue, though he has plotted the book through #300.






 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #297 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Thor has finally learned what Odin meant when he said he once slew his own son (back in #292) and demands the Eye of Odin tell him what happened next; the Eye obliges: After weeping over his fallen son Siegmund, Odin returned to Valhalla to take vengeance against Brunnhilda, the Valkyrie who disobeyed his commands. Meanwhile,  Brunnhilda went to her sister Valkyries begging them for help with Sieglinda; they are shocked at her story of betrayal of Odin. Brun tells Sieglinda that she is pregnant with Siegmund's child; Hildegard knows of a place she can hide in Midgard, the Great Forest near where the giant-turned dragon Fafnir watches over the Rhinegold. Brun sends Sieglinda there, giving her the fragments of Siegmund's sword Needful. Odin arrives and scatters the Valkyries who are trying to hide Brun. Odin strips her of her powers, rendering her a mortal woman and sentences her to be the wife of the first man who encounters her; she pleads for mercy that it be at least a man of worth. Odin grants her plea and puts her, asleep, atop a mountain ringed with fire, so that only a brave hero might find her....

Meanwhile, in the Great Forest, a gnome named Mime finds Sieglinda; he takes her home and cares for her and helps her as she dies giving birth to a son, Siegfried who, like his father, bears the essence of Thor. Mime raises the boy as his own, forging sword after sword for the reckless and high-spirited lad, who brings a bear home to fight. Siegfried, however, does not trust Mime and keeps breaking the swords forged by the gnome. Mime show Sieg the fragments of his father's broken sword and the young man demands that Mime reforge it immediately; he does but it breaks so the angry Siegfried forges it himself, Mime divining that only a man who has never known fear may do so. The sword comes out so strong it even cleaves the anvil in half. Mime warns Sieg that he can never be a great warrior unless he knows fear and the best teacher of that would be the dragon Fafnir; Sieg demands the gnome take him there immediately....

At Fafnir's cave, Alberich (who is Mime's father) and some giant allies are there to take the magic ring back from the dragon; Odin shows up to mock Alberich's pretension and waits to see the gnome lose the ring once again. The slumbering dragon awakens and, annoyed, chases off Alberich and his pals with its fiery breath. Then Siegfried arrives and he and Fafnir meet eye to eye....


Preview Pages
Click sample interior pages to enlarge them:




Chic Stone
Chic Stone
Carl Gafford
Keith Pollard (Cover Penciler)
Keith Pollard (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Layouts: Keith Pollard. Letterer: Joe Rosen.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Thor
Thor

(Odinson)
Valkyrie
Valkyrie

(Brunnhilda)

Plus: Eye of Odin, Fafnir, Siegfried.

> Thor: Book info and issue index

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