Thor (1998 series) #85

Review: “The cycle diminishes these deeds, these sacrifices.” So said issue #84. And they were right: repetition only trivializes what the heroes go through. The problem is that in the Norse myths each cycle lasted thousands of years; in comic books the apocalypse comes whenever a new writer takes over. Having seen too many such stories in Thor, they are difficult to take seriously anymore. Indeed, the fact that they reversed this one leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Anyway, this issue tends to sag under the weight of the pretentiousness which had been looming in the background during the previous issue, with its Golden Bough/Joseph Campbell humanistic view of religion which makes God dependent on created beings—if not, as here, the outright villain of the piece—desperately in need of lessons only noble and majestic humans can teach. Feh.

Comments: "Thor Disassembled"--Cover. Deaths of everyone left except for Beta Ray Bill. Final pages include cameos by every god and hero who has appeared in the series, including Spider-Man and many Avengers.