I know that Thor is a superhero, but I think there’s enough crossover between Asgard and the Avengers for a #FantasyComicsMonth tag. So after getting this issue in a Marvel Comics Grab Bag at my LCS, I decided to save it for September.

“As Lives A Memory …” is part of a Marvel gimmick month that was called “‘Nuff Said!” back in 2002. The idea was that for the month of Feburary, most of the major Marvel books were going to do completely silent stories. Whether or not this was inspired by one of the most famous silent stories–G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #21’s “Silent Interlude”–I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t put it past the editors at the time, especially since they would probably have been kids or teens when Larry Hama did that landmark issue.

Anyway, this issue is written by Dan Jurgens with art by Stuart Immonen and Scott Koblish, whose work I knew from DC, especially from Superman books. When I was in high school, Jurgens drew what I considered to be the definitive Superman of the time, and Immonen was one of my favorite artists, as I really enjoyed not only his work with the Man of Steel, but with the Legion of Super-Heroes. So it’s interesting to seem them doing a Marvel book, even if Thor would definitely fit into the DCU.

What’s this about? Well, I think it’s coming on the heels of a major event and one in which Odin dies because throughout the comic, Thor and a number of other cast members are reflecting on the past when they had encounters with or were taught lessons by Odin. It includes Thor and Loki as boys and Thor’s agony over being tricked into killing a deer; Sif’s dealing with sexism in the ranks of Asgardian warriors; and even Loki, who well all know is the arch-rival of the God of Thunder, remembering his own moment. In the end, there’s a Vikin funeral (iiiiinnnnn spaaaaaace!) and Thor is wearing the crown.

The back of the issue features the script that includes an explanation as to the ‘Nuff Said challenge as well as a lettercolumn (and I can’t remember if this was in the dying days of the lettercolumn or if this was a comeback for the feature). I personally would have preferred it if the script wasn’t included. Yes, getting a peek behind the scenes is interesting, but I liked reading the story with very little knowledge of what the context was and seeing if I could pick up on it via context clues.

It’s a very well-written and beautifully drawn story. While it pulls on familiar strings of the mourning after the loss of someone so loved (as we’ve seen in comics and on television many times), it does so in a way that we understand why we feel for these characters. Jurgens has always been a good writer and Immonen and Koblish’s artwork brings that to life very well.

It’s not going to make me buy more of this title. In the very least, I might seek it out digitally if and when I get a Marvel Unlimited subscription. For now, this was worth the time to read.

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