Dark Horse Comics’ Norse Mythology by Sandman. An anthology drawing straight from the ancient sagas and poetry of old Scandinavia, fantasy fans - and especially those of Sandman - will feel right at home here.
Few names resonate with comic fans like that of Neil Gaiman, and with good reason. A constant proof of what the comcis medium can do, Gaiman has always shone brightest when he’s indulging his love of ancient myth and legend. An immensely satisfying part of the award-winning Sandman saga was watching Gaiman develop this discipline over the course of the series, incorporating dynamic and psychologically intense styles of older storytelling into his own modern myth-making. This love of myth exists throughout his works, especially his 2001 novel American Gods, and the 2007 motion picture adaptation of Beowulf co-penned by Gaiman, culminating in his 2017 novel Norse Mythology, from which this comic series (the third such series, each consisting of six issues) is adapted. This first issue, adapting the famous poem “Hymiskviða” features Æsir Thor and Tyr on a mission to claim a massive cauldron from the giant Hmir, which ends in Thor fishing for the World Serpent, Jörmungandr.
Gaiman’s storytelling ethos has spread far and wide, but comics have always been its most fertile and effective proving ground. In Norse Mythology III #1, it’s clear to see why. With his collaborator on the seminal Sandman #50 story “Ramadan” P. Craig Russell adding his skillful hand in layouts and scripts, and David Rubín delivering jaw-dropping on art, Gaiman’s old-school sense of wonder, wit and whimsy are on full display in heartening fashion, transforming a timeworn tale into a new, fresh field-scape of action, humor and a true sense of magic which leaps off the page.
This approach to storytelling, melding myth, legend and realism, is something Gaiman’s been considered a master of across his career. However, his true strength has always shown when he’s producing a story bereft of satire, where his love for this archaic practice of myth-making, and the genre of fantasy as a whole, really comes through. In some ways he adopts a similar approach to the source material as acclaimed Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki does to Shinto myth (in such films as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away), in that his work captures a certain strain of glibness while at the same time projecting an adventurousness and warmth of character that feel personable and endearing despite the larger-than-life subject matter.
There’s a charm in these myths, with their rampaging giants, elemental ocean gods and massive craft beers, which invite an older sense of imagination stripped of modern limits, and therefore brimming with color and character and vividness. Russell's scripting and Rubin's art embody this outsized sense of a world simultaneously more and less real, embracing a notion of scale that inspires wonder even in the issue's gorier moments. Rubin embodies the same creative instincts that have made Gaiman so successful, never embracing the obvious answer where something more imaginative and expressive is possible. Galen Showman's lettering is perfectly married to the story's layout and contributes immeasurably to the inviting tone, showing why comic fans are so quick to raise the importance of this underrated art form.
Thor's adventure with Hmir is one every fan of mythology knows, and yet Norse Mythology III #1 successfully tells it anew, and it's clear the entire creative team is all-in on the importance of finding new life in these ancient fantasies. Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russel, Galen Showman, David Rubin, and Xulia Pison nail the assignment, making Norse Mythology an essential read for fans of fantasy.
