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It’s the last day of the weekend, but fret not, for we have a brand new STS just for you! Thanks to our very own Billy Dunleavy and his great Marvel Snapshot last week, spotlighting Odin and the Asgardians (click here), not to mention my excitement over the upcoming movie, I thought it was time for some Thor! Thor is one of those characters that I’ve always thought was cool, but really only knew about from his affiliation with the Avengers. Now that his live-action movie is upon us, I think it’s time we all got more familiar with the God of Thunder, his mythology, and his supporting cast!

Title: Hulk vs. Thor
Written by: Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Frank Paur
Director: Frank Paur
Company: Marvel Studios
Distributed by: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
US Release Date: January 27, 2009
Length: 45 min.
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Hulk vs. Thor is another great animated adventure brought to you by the dynamic duo of Craig Kyle and Chris Yost. In it, we find Asgard, mythological home of Thor and the Asgardians, at its most vulnerable time during one of Odin’s hibernation cycles known as the” Odin sleep.” While Odin is recharging his “Odinforce,” Asagard falls under siege by a plethora of enemies wishing to take advantage of Odin’s absence. It is at this time that Thor and all the Asgardian warriors must take arms to defend the All-Father, Odin, and their mystical home land. Knowing that Thor is preoccupied with defending Asgard, Loki decides to use this opportunity to put into play his latest scheme to defeat his half-brother with the help of the Enchantress.

While Thor and his fellow Asgardians are finishing up the last of their opponents, Loki and Enchantress bring one, Bruce Banner, to Asgard. The pair then use their sorcery to separate the Hulk and Bruce Banner into two separate beings and turn the Hulk into a literal puppet for Loki. With the Hulk at his command, Loki, foolishly believing that he can control the monster, unleashes him on Thor and Asgard. It doesn’t take long for the Hulk to break free of Loki’s control and without Banner to hold him back, all hell breaks loose. Hulk’s rampage results in many injuries, deaths, destruction, and an epic, cringe-worthy, fight to the (near) death battle with Thor. This action packed movie has everything from Frost Giants, great battles, an impromptu trip to hell, and some very unlikely team-ups.

If you are looking to get your feet wet in the realm of Asgard, then Hulk vs. Thor is a great place to start. With the entire movie taking place in Asgard and featuring many of Thor’s supporting cast that will also be featured in the live action movie, this will definitely help to prepare you in advance. If that isn’t enough, let me remind you that the awesome story is written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, and the animation is top notch. In fact, the animation with its almost dream-like quality, that one would expect in a world where gods dwell, works extremely well with this story. Pick this movie up alone, or in the two-pack that also features Hulk vs. Wolverine with audio commentaries and some great featurettes.

Nick Zamora
nickz@comicattack.net