Thor #311: Review

Sep 1981

Doug Moench, Gene Day

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Story Name:

Grief More Than a God May Bear

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #311 Review by Peter Silvestro (January 29, 2020)

Review: A white cop shooting a black youth? Haven’t I heard of that before? Yes, too many times. I am writing this in 2020 when several incidents along these lines have taken place in recent years and the USA is under a strain. Kudos to Marvel for taking the time periodically to address social issues. This one, honestly, does not provide any pat answers but ends in tragedy, with the hero himself feeling hopeless. A brave issue, if a bit heavy-handed.

Comments: The second story continues the Tales of Asgard from issues #305-306.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #311 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

While Thor is musing over his nature as both god and man, trouble is brewing elsewhere in the city. An African American youth, Jimmy Sayers, is accused of stealing from a store and pursued by the shopkeeper; the police arrive and corner Jimmy in an alley. One cop thinks Jimmy is reaching for a gun and shoots him; they rush the kid to the clinic where Dr. Donald Blake is assigned to perform surgery. Meanwhile, a crowd gathers, protesting the shooting of a black youth by a white cop, and occupies the clinic, raising and banner for Jimmy while the police gather to keep an eye on the situation. Tensions escalate and when Jimmy’s mother is denied entrance to the clinic, violence breaks out, the protesters pelting the police with bottles and bricks. Don completes the surgery successfully and looks out the window at the commotion. Concerned, he leaves Jimmy in a nurse’s care and heads outside; turning into Thor he calls down thunder and addresses the crowd, lecturing them against violence and hate. The protesters are not impressed since to them, Thor is just another white man sticking up for the white cops. With Mjolnir, Thor disarms both the police and the protesters and cracks a chasm in the street, explaining that it was a show of violence and power that achieved nothing. So he tells them that the rift between people is not irreparable. Inside, however, Jimmy takes a downturn and he dies. When the crowd learns of this, the cop who shot Jimmy breaks down in tears and Jimmy’s mom stops the violent crowd members from taking some sort of revenge. The cop and the mother look at one another and share a bond of grief….

Epilogue: Dr Jeffries suspends Don from practice for deserting his gravely ill patient and promises a review. The nurse tells Don that no one could have saved Jimmy but it doesn’t help….

“A Call to Arms!”

Writer: Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio. Pencils: Keith Pollard (breakdowns), Gene Day. Inks: Gene Day. Colors: George Roussos.

Synopsis: Balder returns to Asgard, bearing the body of the dead Nanna in his arms. He explains matters to Odin and his court and wishes that Nanna’s spirit could inhabit the Valhalla of old, before Hela took it over and made it a dark place. Odin sends out his ravens Hugin and Munin to summon the nine Valkyries and all answer except for Brunnhilda who is living the life of a mortal. Odin makes Valtrauta the new head Valkyrie and sends them out to recruit a new ninth Valkyrie. But everywhere they go, they have the crown of death behind them; then Krista, Hildelgarde’s sister volunteers to be the new Valkyrie ….

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