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Journey Into Mystery featuring Sif
Journey Into Mystery featuring Sif, Vol. 1: Stronger than Monsters
An all-new journey begins, starring Sif...the Berzerker?!
She may be a Lady, but girly ain't her style! When the latest crop of beasties beset Asgard, our sword-slinging heroine leads the battle charge - but that no-holds-barred zeal for glory may be the very thing that brings the realm down around her winged helm! Finding herself newly minted with an ancient version of the Berzerker spell, Sif returns to an unsuspecting Midgard...and with no patience for relative peace, starts putting out fires with gasoline! And things heat up even further when our heroine falls in with a group of brutal Asgardian savages - and joins them in their millennia-old battle against monsters! But can the berzerkers keep their bloodlust in check? Guest-starring the Superior Spider-Man and a collection of Marvel superstars!
<>Collecting: Journey Into Mystery 646-650
She may be a Lady, but girly ain't her style! When the latest crop of beasties beset Asgard, our sword-slinging heroine leads the battle charge - but that no-holds-barred zeal for glory may be the very thing that brings the realm down around her winged helm! Finding herself newly minted with an ancient version of the Berzerker spell, Sif returns to an unsuspecting Midgard...and with no patience for relative peace, starts putting out fires with gasoline! And things heat up even further when our heroine falls in with a group of brutal Asgardian savages - and joins them in their millennia-old battle against monsters! But can the berzerkers keep their bloodlust in check? Guest-starring the Superior Spider-Man and a collection of Marvel superstars!
<>Collecting: Journey Into Mystery 646-650
120 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
July 24, 2019
What a snoozefest!
Is Sif this dull all the time? Or did Immonen just write her that way?
I don't know and I don't even remotely care at this point.
Basically, this just takes everything that's boring and weird about a Thor-in-Asgard story and turns into a Sif-in-Asgard story. In fact, she's even got a version of that stupid Warrior Madness that Thor used to get when he managed to work himself into an uncontrollable lather.
I wanted a Sif story because I've always been curious about her as a character. What I didn't plan on reading was a boring story about a boring character with no real defining features. She made a deal with a witch (or whatever she was) to be able to beat the shit out of everything.
Which was weird, because I thought she was already supposed to be pretty badass.
Eh. All I can say is that I sort of forced myself to finish this one.
It's not the worst thing I've ever read but I definitely am not interested in reading anymore. However, this may appeal to hardcore fans of everything Asgard.
Is Sif this dull all the time? Or did Immonen just write her that way?
I don't know and I don't even remotely care at this point.
Basically, this just takes everything that's boring and weird about a Thor-in-Asgard story and turns into a Sif-in-Asgard story. In fact, she's even got a version of that stupid Warrior Madness that Thor used to get when he managed to work himself into an uncontrollable lather.
I wanted a Sif story because I've always been curious about her as a character. What I didn't plan on reading was a boring story about a boring character with no real defining features. She made a deal with a witch (or whatever she was) to be able to beat the shit out of everything.
Which was weird, because I thought she was already supposed to be pretty badass.
Eh. All I can say is that I sort of forced myself to finish this one.
It's not the worst thing I've ever read but I definitely am not interested in reading anymore. However, this may appeal to hardcore fans of everything Asgard.
October 1, 2013
Here’s the deal: I’ve written too many 1 star reviews which were detailed breakdowns about the problems of superhero comics from Marvel and DC and, besides some books that deserve more scrutiny, they pretty much say the same thing every time: a lack of imagination, a lack of strong character development, generic storytelling, blah blah blah. Journey Into Mystery is guilty of the same sins but isn’t worth writing about in detail. Instead I’m going to propose ways that this comic could have been improved. But before we start, I’m aware that Journey Into Mystery is now cancelled so these changes come too late, and, having read Stronger Than Monsters, I can see why Marvel made that choice. These are just ideas that could’ve saved the series and that interest me as a superhero comics reader looking for something a little different.
This book is about Lady Sif who is basically written as female Thor. This is terrible because it’s essentially saying she has no character and is different from Thor purely because she doesn’t possess a Y chromosome. So let’s distinguish Sif in some way from Thor - like maybe NOT a warrior obsessed woman out to prove a woman is as deadly as a man. Yawn. Been done. I don’t think anyone doubts women can kick ass like men, so how about women - Kathryn Immonen I’m looking at you - drop this as an issue forever? How about we take it as read that Sif can look after herself and make her stories NOT warrior/fighting themed or about honour and other overused concepts like that but about these things instead:
1) Explore current popular culture. Sif could be walking through a city that is holding a Justin Bieber concert. Interested, she follows the crowds of fans and winds up inside the concert, hears Bieber’s music and decapitates him. And maybe Sif goes after a few other annoying celebrities while she’s at it - Mel Gibson, One Direction, Michael Bay movies, and so on. Sure, it’ll date the comic but at least make it more memorable than it was, and it’ll have grabbed some headlines and shifted more copies of the comic than it previously did.
2) Make her guileless and child-like in outlook, but still of course deadly. Instead of a jaded, weary attitude, how about cheerful and happy - Marvel, you’re not DC, you can do this. Your characters don’t all need to be tortured, brooding dickheads gritting their teeth like they’re constipated while standing in the rain - they can celebrate the good things in life. Sif can help out ordinary people with their lives as she wanders through Midgard, kicking bullies’ asses, and brightening up lives wherever she goes. Being angry, crazed and bloodthirsty like she is in this book is boring. Going after bankers or Richard Branson and humiliating them? I’d like to see that. Remember that Captain America cover of him punching Hitler? Let’s get back to that for the 21st century!
3) Break the fourth wall. Deadpool can do it, why not Sif? It makes her a more urgent presence on the page and makes her more personable. And while we’re at it, let’s cut the “thou” and “wilt” and all that crap. It was never good back in the 60s when it was introduced and, decades later, it’s still not good. Give her a sense of humour - women superheroes are important to have but female supes who don’t take themselves too seriously are too few and far between. Women can be funny too, why not Sif?
4) The title is Journey Into Mystery and riffs on the campy sci fi/fantasy stories of yesteryear - so let’s go for it. Don’t half ass it guys, you want to write stories from way back when with aliens from Mars and crazy adventures into unknown realms, really go for it. Make a story that’d make Grant Morrison shake his head in frustration, muttering “they went too far!” in every issue. Why not play around with form like Jeff Lemire is doing with his Vertigo series Trillium? Journey Into Mystery is one of the lowest selling books, so no one gives a crap what you do with it, so take some chances. Print it in four colours. Print it in black and white. Print it all in one colour. Print it back to front. Print it in single sheets, jumble them up, sell the pages loose in bags and have the reader construct their own journeys into mystery. Print it as a graphic poem. Print is as a song that only people who can read music can understand. Print it in prose.
5) Have Sif join the Scandinavian band Lordi and enter the Eurovision Song Contest.
6) Make Sif gay in defiance of DC’s latest bullshit and stage an enormous gay wedding with everyone in the Marvel Universe.
7) Have Sif fight a wizard, a band of dwarves, and an annoying midget with giant hairy feet who’re victimising an innocent dragon.
8) Have Sif parody famous Marvel stories, or even parody current Marvel Events like Infinity or Battle of the Atom - with sock puppets.
9) If you still want to do a Sif as female Thor story, go HUGE with it. Thor fights a God Butcher? Sif fights a Universe Killer. Or a dozen Universe Killers, one for each Universe they’ve killed. And the stakes are - the death of the reader of the comic itself!
10) Make Sif interested in a popular sport like golf, tennis, football (either American or soccer), basketball, baseball or racing - there aren’t enough sport comics out there and, as Brian Wood shows with his Image series Mara, there really need to be more. Sif the Olympic Gold Medallist - why not?
11) Sif gets sucked into World of Warcraft - the actual game - and has to fight her way out.
12) Sif parodies DC Comics stories, old and new.
13) Sif reviews pop culture - a review of GTA 5 or Matt Damon’s latest movie? I’d read that!
If I thought about this more I’d definitely come up with a longer list but I think I’ll stop there - you get my point. What you get with the actual book is a generic superhero fighting comic featuring a humourless and bland main character and a totally forgettable story. I would rather have read a comic featuring any or all of the ideas above. How about it, Marvel? You are the House of Ideas, after all! Prove it.
This book is about Lady Sif who is basically written as female Thor. This is terrible because it’s essentially saying she has no character and is different from Thor purely because she doesn’t possess a Y chromosome. So let’s distinguish Sif in some way from Thor - like maybe NOT a warrior obsessed woman out to prove a woman is as deadly as a man. Yawn. Been done. I don’t think anyone doubts women can kick ass like men, so how about women - Kathryn Immonen I’m looking at you - drop this as an issue forever? How about we take it as read that Sif can look after herself and make her stories NOT warrior/fighting themed or about honour and other overused concepts like that but about these things instead:
1) Explore current popular culture. Sif could be walking through a city that is holding a Justin Bieber concert. Interested, she follows the crowds of fans and winds up inside the concert, hears Bieber’s music and decapitates him. And maybe Sif goes after a few other annoying celebrities while she’s at it - Mel Gibson, One Direction, Michael Bay movies, and so on. Sure, it’ll date the comic but at least make it more memorable than it was, and it’ll have grabbed some headlines and shifted more copies of the comic than it previously did.
2) Make her guileless and child-like in outlook, but still of course deadly. Instead of a jaded, weary attitude, how about cheerful and happy - Marvel, you’re not DC, you can do this. Your characters don’t all need to be tortured, brooding dickheads gritting their teeth like they’re constipated while standing in the rain - they can celebrate the good things in life. Sif can help out ordinary people with their lives as she wanders through Midgard, kicking bullies’ asses, and brightening up lives wherever she goes. Being angry, crazed and bloodthirsty like she is in this book is boring. Going after bankers or Richard Branson and humiliating them? I’d like to see that. Remember that Captain America cover of him punching Hitler? Let’s get back to that for the 21st century!
3) Break the fourth wall. Deadpool can do it, why not Sif? It makes her a more urgent presence on the page and makes her more personable. And while we’re at it, let’s cut the “thou” and “wilt” and all that crap. It was never good back in the 60s when it was introduced and, decades later, it’s still not good. Give her a sense of humour - women superheroes are important to have but female supes who don’t take themselves too seriously are too few and far between. Women can be funny too, why not Sif?
4) The title is Journey Into Mystery and riffs on the campy sci fi/fantasy stories of yesteryear - so let’s go for it. Don’t half ass it guys, you want to write stories from way back when with aliens from Mars and crazy adventures into unknown realms, really go for it. Make a story that’d make Grant Morrison shake his head in frustration, muttering “they went too far!” in every issue. Why not play around with form like Jeff Lemire is doing with his Vertigo series Trillium? Journey Into Mystery is one of the lowest selling books, so no one gives a crap what you do with it, so take some chances. Print it in four colours. Print it in black and white. Print it all in one colour. Print it back to front. Print it in single sheets, jumble them up, sell the pages loose in bags and have the reader construct their own journeys into mystery. Print it as a graphic poem. Print is as a song that only people who can read music can understand. Print it in prose.
5) Have Sif join the Scandinavian band Lordi and enter the Eurovision Song Contest.
6) Make Sif gay in defiance of DC’s latest bullshit and stage an enormous gay wedding with everyone in the Marvel Universe.
7) Have Sif fight a wizard, a band of dwarves, and an annoying midget with giant hairy feet who’re victimising an innocent dragon.
8) Have Sif parody famous Marvel stories, or even parody current Marvel Events like Infinity or Battle of the Atom - with sock puppets.
9) If you still want to do a Sif as female Thor story, go HUGE with it. Thor fights a God Butcher? Sif fights a Universe Killer. Or a dozen Universe Killers, one for each Universe they’ve killed. And the stakes are - the death of the reader of the comic itself!
10) Make Sif interested in a popular sport like golf, tennis, football (either American or soccer), basketball, baseball or racing - there aren’t enough sport comics out there and, as Brian Wood shows with his Image series Mara, there really need to be more. Sif the Olympic Gold Medallist - why not?
11) Sif gets sucked into World of Warcraft - the actual game - and has to fight her way out.
12) Sif parodies DC Comics stories, old and new.
13) Sif reviews pop culture - a review of GTA 5 or Matt Damon’s latest movie? I’d read that!
If I thought about this more I’d definitely come up with a longer list but I think I’ll stop there - you get my point. What you get with the actual book is a generic superhero fighting comic featuring a humourless and bland main character and a totally forgettable story. I would rather have read a comic featuring any or all of the ideas above. How about it, Marvel? You are the House of Ideas, after all! Prove it.
April 24, 2014
Sadly, I was a little underwhelmed with this book. I like Sif, and I was thrilled to see that she was the star. But the actual storyline is underwhelming and doesn't really go anywhere. With a stronger story, I might have really enjoyed the read. I'll still read the second volume, since there are only two, and hope for improvement.
June 22, 2013
Considering my past experiences with Kathryn Immonen, this was a pleasant surprise. She crafts a compelling protagonist with Sif, and keeps the ensemble cast of Asgardia in the loop too, with humorous results.
The story initially feels odd, but soon becomes a very personal journey for Sif, with time for some world-saving and very witty dialogue along the way.
The real star of the show is Valerio Schiti's gorgeous artwork, which is highly detailed and never once lets up through all five issues. I'd follow Schiti to another book, given that JiM has been canned, for certain.
The story initially feels odd, but soon becomes a very personal journey for Sif, with time for some world-saving and very witty dialogue along the way.
The real star of the show is Valerio Schiti's gorgeous artwork, which is highly detailed and never once lets up through all five issues. I'd follow Schiti to another book, given that JiM has been canned, for certain.
February 8, 2014
F$&king Hel. This is the kind of book I want to read on a monthly basis. And I did, until it's recent cancelation. Every time Marvel hits a home run with the perfect book, BAM, canceled. The numbers just weren't up to snuff, I guess. Because if it doesn't have Thor in it, most people won't read it.
But, by Odin, this was just a seriously gorgeous book from start to finish. And without a single appearance by the Thunder God. Immonen took Sif and made her into the focus of the revamped "Journey" after Gillen finished his impossibly brilliant run on it featuring Loki as the main character. And she nailed it.
I'm not just saying this to pander to certain parties that are gung-ho about female leading roles in the Big Two. No. This book has earned its praise. A flat out full octane adventure story that uses Asgard/ia much the same way Willingham uses Fabletown or Terry Pratchett uses Discworld. Delving deep into its heart and day to day life, unearthing what is human and making new myths from old. Sif had been much ignored as of late and it's good to see her where she belongs, riding out on a quest and making bold statements- with tongue and sword. Leader of men and slayer of beast. God, I was swooning the whole way through. Is it hot in here? I feel very warm...
I had always thought that she could've held her own in a self-titled series, like Marvel's version of Wonder Woman, but I guess after seeing this, I was wrong. The readers just didn't care enough. I'm glad that we got 12 issues out of it. I'm happy enough with that.
To top it off, we got the most perfect art to capture this quest, panel by panel. Valerio Schiti is a master. Perfect lines, gorgeously understated line work, no heavy hatching, just brilliance. And the. Looting. Masterful.
Writing: A
Art: A
But, by Odin, this was just a seriously gorgeous book from start to finish. And without a single appearance by the Thunder God. Immonen took Sif and made her into the focus of the revamped "Journey" after Gillen finished his impossibly brilliant run on it featuring Loki as the main character. And she nailed it.
I'm not just saying this to pander to certain parties that are gung-ho about female leading roles in the Big Two. No. This book has earned its praise. A flat out full octane adventure story that uses Asgard/ia much the same way Willingham uses Fabletown or Terry Pratchett uses Discworld. Delving deep into its heart and day to day life, unearthing what is human and making new myths from old. Sif had been much ignored as of late and it's good to see her where she belongs, riding out on a quest and making bold statements- with tongue and sword. Leader of men and slayer of beast. God, I was swooning the whole way through. Is it hot in here? I feel very warm...
I had always thought that she could've held her own in a self-titled series, like Marvel's version of Wonder Woman, but I guess after seeing this, I was wrong. The readers just didn't care enough. I'm glad that we got 12 issues out of it. I'm happy enough with that.
To top it off, we got the most perfect art to capture this quest, panel by panel. Valerio Schiti is a master. Perfect lines, gorgeously understated line work, no heavy hatching, just brilliance. And the. Looting. Masterful.
Writing: A
Art: A
July 7, 2016
It's strange how a book that is so well-written with such fantastic accompanying art can end up feeling so flawed. When I say well-written, I'm specifically referring to Immonen's dialogue. She's really mastered the kind of Renaissance-English-y speech many writers before her have used for the Asgardians, but has taken it a step further and really made it read beautifully. I genuinely loved "hearing" these people, and I felt like she did an exceptional job separating characters in spite of this difficult dialogue.
And the pencils! Schiti is a perfect companion to Immonen's style, treading the line between traditional comics art and something a little more modern and classy, which is pretty much exactly how anything regarding Asgard typically feels.
But, ultimately, this book falls down when it comes to plotting. There just isn't much to get attached to. Sif's internal struggle with a berserker spell, which supposedly makes her want to kill anything and everything, just doesn't feel at all believable, especially when it's revealed that It's a big letdown of a story, and almost nullifies itself in the end.
Still, with all the rest this book has going for it, I'm hopeful the next volume picks up considerably (though I already know it's the final volume, since this got canceled immediately thereafter). In any case, very interested to see what else Kathryn Immonen has in store for us.
And the pencils! Schiti is a perfect companion to Immonen's style, treading the line between traditional comics art and something a little more modern and classy, which is pretty much exactly how anything regarding Asgard typically feels.
But, ultimately, this book falls down when it comes to plotting. There just isn't much to get attached to. Sif's internal struggle with a berserker spell, which supposedly makes her want to kill anything and everything, just doesn't feel at all believable, especially when it's revealed that It's a big letdown of a story, and almost nullifies itself in the end.
Still, with all the rest this book has going for it, I'm hopeful the next volume picks up considerably (though I already know it's the final volume, since this got canceled immediately thereafter). In any case, very interested to see what else Kathryn Immonen has in store for us.
December 3, 2014
Marvel has been doing a lot of great things with its female superheroes lately- the new Ms. Marvel, sending Captain Marvel to space, the incredibly fun She-Hulk solo series, and the all around satisfying Black Widow title, just to name a few. But that's not to say they don't drop the ball every now and then, which surely happened with this Sif series.
I hate to give Stronger than Monsters a bad review because on one level, it has a lot going for it. The combined artistry of Valerio Schiti on pencils and Jordie Bellaire on colors is a match made in heaven. The concept for the story is good enough. Sif, tired to seeing Asgard torn apart by struggle after struggle, goes on a quest to become a stronger warrior. Unfortunately, the execution of this concept is really weak. The story is pretty unengaging, and at times even doesn't make all that much sense. Once our characters arrive in New York City, there were a few moments that got a genuine chuckle out of me, which made me wonder why writer, Katheryn Immonen was writing a fantasy epic and not something more comedy-based. Reading Stronger than Monsters make me realize why the title got cancelled. I will not be continuing the series from here on out and am quite happy I got this from the bargain rack.
I hate to give Stronger than Monsters a bad review because on one level, it has a lot going for it. The combined artistry of Valerio Schiti on pencils and Jordie Bellaire on colors is a match made in heaven. The concept for the story is good enough. Sif, tired to seeing Asgard torn apart by struggle after struggle, goes on a quest to become a stronger warrior. Unfortunately, the execution of this concept is really weak. The story is pretty unengaging, and at times even doesn't make all that much sense. Once our characters arrive in New York City, there were a few moments that got a genuine chuckle out of me, which made me wonder why writer, Katheryn Immonen was writing a fantasy epic and not something more comedy-based. Reading Stronger than Monsters make me realize why the title got cancelled. I will not be continuing the series from here on out and am quite happy I got this from the bargain rack.
March 24, 2014
I liked this quite a bit. Maybe it's because I haven't seen Sif's character explored anywhere else in Marvel-verse, whether it be the comics or MCU, but I was just glad to see her front and centre. I liked the art, and I liked the tie-in to known Norse mythology (the concept of berserkers). Other stuff, I think I'd have picked up on more if I was used to the version of Asgardian mythology created by Marvel, but it still worked pretty well.
I think some people talking about her just being bloodthirsty and so on missed all the points where she held back the other Berserkers and forced them to behave fairly. So the spell gives her "licence" -- but she fights that even before she knows anything about it.
I did like the bits with Heimdall, too. Also nice to see Asgard with barely a trace of Thor. (I like Thor, but he steals the show.)
I think some people talking about her just being bloodthirsty and so on missed all the points where she held back the other Berserkers and forced them to behave fairly. So the spell gives her "licence" -- but she fights that even before she knows anything about it.
I did like the bits with Heimdall, too. Also nice to see Asgard with barely a trace of Thor. (I like Thor, but he steals the show.)
June 18, 2019
I found this in my local library recently and as I love Sif, figured I'd give it a read. I'm not a massive comics fan as a whole, but I was reading this for free after all! :)
The concept was intriguing and the opening page just drew me in. As with many comics I've read, the artwork and colouring of this one was also beautiful. I loved how many well known Asgardians were in here, along with nods to Norse myth (something I'm quite interested in) such as the Nidhogg dragon, which were quite funny pages to read. I thought the writing style was done well, even if the font took the first couple of pages and a little bit of time to get used to. Also, the battle scenes seemed well detailed, though again, sometimes I got a little lost with what a few of the panels were showing.
Unfortunately, I could only give this a three star rating. Most of this comes down to a story I really wanted to get behind, but couldn't quite manage it. I think I would have preferred it if Midgard (Earth) hadn't been brought into it for the later battle scenes, or at all, if I'm honest. This was where the story seemed to lose focus and got quite confusing.
And I don't really know why Spiderman was there?? I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of Spidey (not including Tom Holland's performances in the MCU, who has really been great and saved the character for me) and haven't really been in the past. In fact, there were several pages going back and forth between things that didn't make much sense in those Earth battle scenes that didn't involve Sif and the old Berserkers, that I just wanted to read about her again.
I also had to read the final pages twice to get some sense of the story closing, but I'll definitely admit I'm disappointed. The story had potential and, for a lot of it, I did enjoy it. But there was too much that was confusing for me to go any higher with my rating. However, hopefully in the future there will be more Sif comics because she's amazing and the world needs them! :D
The concept was intriguing and the opening page just drew me in. As with many comics I've read, the artwork and colouring of this one was also beautiful. I loved how many well known Asgardians were in here, along with nods to Norse myth (something I'm quite interested in) such as the Nidhogg dragon, which were quite funny pages to read. I thought the writing style was done well, even if the font took the first couple of pages and a little bit of time to get used to. Also, the battle scenes seemed well detailed, though again, sometimes I got a little lost with what a few of the panels were showing.
Unfortunately, I could only give this a three star rating. Most of this comes down to a story I really wanted to get behind, but couldn't quite manage it. I think I would have preferred it if Midgard (Earth) hadn't been brought into it for the later battle scenes, or at all, if I'm honest. This was where the story seemed to lose focus and got quite confusing.
And I don't really know why Spiderman was there?? I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of Spidey (not including Tom Holland's performances in the MCU, who has really been great and saved the character for me) and haven't really been in the past. In fact, there were several pages going back and forth between things that didn't make much sense in those Earth battle scenes that didn't involve Sif and the old Berserkers, that I just wanted to read about her again.
I also had to read the final pages twice to get some sense of the story closing, but I'll definitely admit I'm disappointed. The story had potential and, for a lot of it, I did enjoy it. But there was too much that was confusing for me to go any higher with my rating. However, hopefully in the future there will be more Sif comics because she's amazing and the world needs them! :D
April 25, 2018
This book is a severely overlooked gem in the Marvel universe. Kelly Sue DeConnick writes the introductory story. Kathryn Immonen pens the rest of the book. Both writers make me cry over their depiction of Sif and her supporting characters. Why Sif is not the Wonder Woman of the Marvel universe, I'll never know. She should be. She has a rich mythological background and she's one of the longest running characters Marvel has. I was also pleased to see Beta Ray Bill in this collection, who is another sadly underused character. I highly recommend this book for readers of Thor and true Marvel Zombies.
October 14, 2013
Let's put it this way: I wouldn't read it again, and I'd have very little desire to read the series following this. I have nothing against Sif, and in fact, have usually been pleased that at least in Asgard, women can kick ass. There's potential with the character as a no-nonsense ass-kicker, but why the focus on amping up her testosterone?? She's not Thor, she has more dimensions to her than that, maybe explore there? Some of her stuff on Earth was OK, so maybe give her some more stuff there? Or throw her into space, back with Beta Ray Bill or something? I feel like the story didn't help the character at all, and it was a mis-step for a good character. I do however, think there's potential for a series about Asgard, with Heimdall, Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandall, etc. now THAT would be good...if done right.
This was OK, nothing more, and while usually I enjoy having female characters that can fight, this just seems completely odd, and then somewhat abandoned by the end...
This was OK, nothing more, and while usually I enjoy having female characters that can fight, this just seems completely odd, and then somewhat abandoned by the end...
September 21, 2013
Kathryn Immonen - writer
Valerie Schiti - artist
After Surtur the fire demon burns down the Asgardian library during an attack, Sif decides she has had enough of the seemingly endless cycle of defending Asgard from attack and rebuilding only to be attacked by invaders once again. So, Sif decides to seek out an ancient power lost to modern times in order to become strong enough to discourage any invading force from daring to attack Asgard. Sif seeks out an ancient witch, and implores the crone to teach her the forbidden secret of berserker rage. The witch gives Sif the ancient power, but it awakens a lust for battle within Sif that cannot be quenched. Will the very thing she sought to protect Asgard bring about it's downfall?
Great writing and art from this terriffic team. Highly recommended.
4.5/5
Valerie Schiti - artist
After Surtur the fire demon burns down the Asgardian library during an attack, Sif decides she has had enough of the seemingly endless cycle of defending Asgard from attack and rebuilding only to be attacked by invaders once again. So, Sif decides to seek out an ancient power lost to modern times in order to become strong enough to discourage any invading force from daring to attack Asgard. Sif seeks out an ancient witch, and implores the crone to teach her the forbidden secret of berserker rage. The witch gives Sif the ancient power, but it awakens a lust for battle within Sif that cannot be quenched. Will the very thing she sought to protect Asgard bring about it's downfall?
Great writing and art from this terriffic team. Highly recommended.
4.5/5
Read
November 8, 2013If you've seen the Thor films, Sif is the awesome female warrior Thor should be with instead of mooning after that tedious mortal drip Jane Foster. This book bears pretty much no relation to the previous Journey into Mystery run, Kieron Gillen's peerless Kid Loki arc, except that it's about an Asgardian who's not Thor. Still, better a complete change of pace (from a rare Marvel comic where the lead never hits anyone, to a comic where the lead does little else) than a pale retread, and this is thoroughly entertaining in its own right, even if there isn't much plot beyond Sif looking for anything that needs a sound twatting, and then twatting it.
December 27, 2014
I didn't really get this. It felt like something Sif legitimately wants is being turned around on her by people who 'know better'. That's not very interesting when it comes to the female goddess of war.
August 11, 2016
This started at a 3 but ended at a 4. Not quite as compelling as the adventures of some of Marvel's other superheroines, but still a lot of fun.
We definitely need more Sif.
We definitely need more Sif.
April 30, 2021
Reprints Journey Into Mystery (4) #646-650 (January 2013-May 2013). Sif is angry. She believes the people of Asgard have become soft living in the world of humans and that their warrior days might be behind them. When she goes to Aerndis to learn the secret of the Berserker Incantation, she discovers a rage inside of her that she’s never felt. Sif is out for blood and willing to die for Asgard…and she might have to when a series of monsters are unleashed on Earth.
Written by Kathryn Immonen, Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif Volume 1: Stronger Than Monsters is a Marvel Comics Thor spin-off title. Following The Mighty Thor/Journey Into Mystery: Everything Burns, the collection features art by Valerio Schiti and was also collected as part of Sif: Journey Into Mystery—The Complete Collection.
I’ve always liked Sif. She was less developed than Thor or even Balder, and often played as “the unrequited love” of Thor due to Thor’s constant body jumping…but she was also a wicked fighter and could stand-up to the best of Thor’s villains. It is always nice to see her get some solo time.
The collection is essentially Sif deciding what the “new Asgard” is. I have never been a big fan of Asgard over Broxton, but it did give more opportunity for writers to develop some of Thor’s supporting cast by having them interact with something other than ogres, frost giants, and dragons. It would make sense that some Asgardians would fear this change (look at the United States and how people fear change in something that has always been called a melting pot). Her fear leads her to be reckless and take changes that she shouldn’t.
It is revealed however that it was kind of a Wizard of Oz fake. In the end of the story, Sif learns that her rage and urge to fight is a part of her, and the key was with her all along. Aerndis didn’t really do anything to her, but like a placebo, Sif thought it did…resulting in behavior that was out of the norm. It served to not only show Sif’s abilities but humble her by showing what she could become.
This collection is short and sweet. It could have used some more development, and it always throws me now when Superior Spider-Man shows up because it takes me a second to realize why Spider-Man is acting so different. I wish that the comic market could support a Journey Into Mystery for even longer (this run had a nice length). I feel that the Asgardians outside of Thor have a lot to offer, and Sif is just one of them (and this kind of makes me want Sif as an Avengers teammate sometime). Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif 1: Stronger Than Monsters was followed by Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif 2: Seeds of Destruction.
Written by Kathryn Immonen, Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif Volume 1: Stronger Than Monsters is a Marvel Comics Thor spin-off title. Following The Mighty Thor/Journey Into Mystery: Everything Burns, the collection features art by Valerio Schiti and was also collected as part of Sif: Journey Into Mystery—The Complete Collection.
I’ve always liked Sif. She was less developed than Thor or even Balder, and often played as “the unrequited love” of Thor due to Thor’s constant body jumping…but she was also a wicked fighter and could stand-up to the best of Thor’s villains. It is always nice to see her get some solo time.
The collection is essentially Sif deciding what the “new Asgard” is. I have never been a big fan of Asgard over Broxton, but it did give more opportunity for writers to develop some of Thor’s supporting cast by having them interact with something other than ogres, frost giants, and dragons. It would make sense that some Asgardians would fear this change (look at the United States and how people fear change in something that has always been called a melting pot). Her fear leads her to be reckless and take changes that she shouldn’t.
It is revealed however that it was kind of a Wizard of Oz fake. In the end of the story, Sif learns that her rage and urge to fight is a part of her, and the key was with her all along. Aerndis didn’t really do anything to her, but like a placebo, Sif thought it did…resulting in behavior that was out of the norm. It served to not only show Sif’s abilities but humble her by showing what she could become.
This collection is short and sweet. It could have used some more development, and it always throws me now when Superior Spider-Man shows up because it takes me a second to realize why Spider-Man is acting so different. I wish that the comic market could support a Journey Into Mystery for even longer (this run had a nice length). I feel that the Asgardians outside of Thor have a lot to offer, and Sif is just one of them (and this kind of makes me want Sif as an Avengers teammate sometime). Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif 1: Stronger Than Monsters was followed by Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif 2: Seeds of Destruction.
September 26, 2022
Album zawiera zeszyty z serii Journey Into Mystery #646-650 (2011).
Sif to postać, która została w filmowym uniwersum Marvela potraktowana dosyć po łebkach. Miałem nadzieję, że przynajmniej w komiksie poradzi sobie lepiej i owszem, w interpretacji Kathryn Immonen widzimy prawdziwą herszt babę, która potrafi pójść do łóżka z Thorem, spuścić manto jednemu z Trzech Wojów, a nawet odciąć głowę pewnej bogince, która odpowiada za dar Barsekera.
Dla niezaznajomionych berseker to wybitnie silna jednostka, która nie zważa na odniesione rany, walcząc w bojowym szale, który daje siły. Tyle, że jak odpuści to zazwyczaj się umiera od ran, bo adrenalina schodzi z człowieka. Tak o dziwo nie jest z Sif, tyle że zmienia się jej nieco charakter, na nieco bardziej zaczepny? Czy to tędy droga? O taki rozwój wydarzeń boi się też Haimdall, jej brat.
Sif klepie całą masę przeciwników, trafiając nawet na Ziemię, wraz z bandą kilku obcych, których uratowała w innym świecie. Tu przyjdzie jej nawet połączyć siły z Superior Spider-Manem. Akcja, akcja i jeszcze raz akcja. Wartka, przepięknie wyglądająca i zachwycająca szczegółami. To na pewno mocnym punkt tej pozycji.
Ta odsłona podróży w nieznane wydaje mi się mocno satysfakcjonująca i wpada w moje gusta, ukazując silną kobiecą postać, której nie można nakichać w kaszę. Chyba, że chce się dostać mieczem przez kark...
Sif to postać, która została w filmowym uniwersum Marvela potraktowana dosyć po łebkach. Miałem nadzieję, że przynajmniej w komiksie poradzi sobie lepiej i owszem, w interpretacji Kathryn Immonen widzimy prawdziwą herszt babę, która potrafi pójść do łóżka z Thorem, spuścić manto jednemu z Trzech Wojów, a nawet odciąć głowę pewnej bogince, która odpowiada za dar Barsekera.
Dla niezaznajomionych berseker to wybitnie silna jednostka, która nie zważa na odniesione rany, walcząc w bojowym szale, który daje siły. Tyle, że jak odpuści to zazwyczaj się umiera od ran, bo adrenalina schodzi z człowieka. Tak o dziwo nie jest z Sif, tyle że zmienia się jej nieco charakter, na nieco bardziej zaczepny? Czy to tędy droga? O taki rozwój wydarzeń boi się też Haimdall, jej brat.
Sif klepie całą masę przeciwników, trafiając nawet na Ziemię, wraz z bandą kilku obcych, których uratowała w innym świecie. Tu przyjdzie jej nawet połączyć siły z Superior Spider-Manem. Akcja, akcja i jeszcze raz akcja. Wartka, przepięknie wyglądająca i zachwycająca szczegółami. To na pewno mocnym punkt tej pozycji.
Ta odsłona podróży w nieznane wydaje mi się mocno satysfakcjonująca i wpada w moje gusta, ukazując silną kobiecą postać, której nie można nakichać w kaszę. Chyba, że chce się dostać mieczem przez kark...
December 30, 2017
Starts out strong with a splash page that pairs retro two-tone graphics with "Who's the sword-wielding warrior who's a soldier on the battlefield and a lady in Asgardia?" "SIF!" "Verily we can dig it."
So yeah - I'm full on board there.
The art is stylish, though the action sequences can be so elaborate and stylish they are hard to follow and Lady Sif never seems to find pants to wear, save one scene in the snow. It's just... yeah she does most of her ass-kicking in booty shorts. Eh. What can you do? It's modest for comics.
Anyway, yeah, the action starts out great and there's a real sense of seeing Asguardians at home, away from the spotlight, doing Asguardian life. Especially liked the two women cleaning the throne room and Gundrun.
The ending, however... was rushed. Very rushed. Relied too much on spontaneous bad-guy confession to get us up to speed with the plot.
Overall though, a quick read. I wish as much time and detail had gone into the second half of the book as the first.
So yeah - I'm full on board there.
The art is stylish, though the action sequences can be so elaborate and stylish they are hard to follow and Lady Sif never seems to find pants to wear, save one scene in the snow. It's just... yeah she does most of her ass-kicking in booty shorts. Eh. What can you do? It's modest for comics.
Anyway, yeah, the action starts out great and there's a real sense of seeing Asguardians at home, away from the spotlight, doing Asguardian life. Especially liked the two women cleaning the throne room and Gundrun.
The ending, however... was rushed. Very rushed. Relied too much on spontaneous bad-guy confession to get us up to speed with the plot.
Overall though, a quick read. I wish as much time and detail had gone into the second half of the book as the first.
September 26, 2021
This is the type of superhero story I love to see. Lady Sif, who has built her life around being a warrior who has defied expectations of her as a person and as a woman, looking at all of Asgard's losses and deciding she needs to be stronger. Seeking out greater battles, greater power, tearing a bloody path through the realms in an attempt to find new ways to protect it. It's the story of someone so deeply caught up in their warrior lifestyle that they forget what it is they're fighting for in the first place, someone so obviously kind and patient who has purposefully forgotten those traits - replacing them with rage and reckless bravery. Someone reeling with guilt for not being strong enough, ridiculing the traits that made them so uniquely wonderful in the first place. And going through a hyper violent bloody war on a quest to become a greater warrior, seeking not an answer but for the right question to ease her mind.
December 18, 2019
Enter Sif! Kathyrn Immonen gets the unenviable task of following a very good run by Kieron Gillen featuring Kid Loki. She focuses the story on Sif, which I love. Sadly, Immonen doesn't build Sif up at all and new readers won't notice any change in her. The Berserkers were cliched and boring. There are some interesting relationships that I would love to see explored but there was too much mindless fighting. Adding to that is the pointless addition of Spider-Man and you get a uneventful story that is missing the humor of the previous volumes. The art by Valerio Schiti was very good. Overall, a decent book but a clear step down from its predecessor.
June 23, 2017
Sif is worried about Asgard, and that is no longer has strong enough warriors. She goes on a quest to become more powerful. This is an interesting story that delves into the mythology of Asgard. It's nice to see a minor character taking centre stage, and you really get a feeling of what drives her. The fact that she shows a lot of flaws is also good. A good read.
September 16, 2018
The Lady Sif takes centre stage in this volume of Journey into Mystery. In search of power to protect Asgard Sif deals with an ancient sorceress, encounters lost berserkers, and battles some classic Marvel monsters from the title's pre-superhero days in the late 50's. Nice art and an interesting story exploring a woefully underused protagonist.
August 12, 2019
I generally enjoyed this book although it didn't quite end on a solid story beat so it was slightly unsatisfying there. It was nice to give Sif a richer back story and I enjoyed the added element of turning to the ravens and the wolf here and there for narration or story interludes. Great setup book and strong potential for more stories.
May 24, 2017
This was a wonderful book that featured some of my favorite aspects of Marvel's Asgardian worlds (warriors, monsters, magic, and fun moments on Midgard) while spotlighting a character who is typically in a supporting role. I'm definitely onboard for more Sif!
July 24, 2018
I loved this 5 part storyline. Lady Sif has always been a badass and this series just confirmed it further. The Spider-Man canoe was a lot of fun and the ending in Brockton was so cute. I really enjoyed this series.
September 17, 2019
3.5 stars. Great start and great end, slightly sagging middle. Its heart was great, the characters compelling, just had some pacing (plot and character) problems. Almost gave up on it, but I'm really glad I saw it through.
February 28, 2024
A weird fever dream of a book. Sif takes on a spell that will make her into an asshole, and then does asshole things like impale a child's hand with a sword. She gets teleported around to random places and fights random monsters. Not sure what the point of any of this was.
December 25, 2018
Gotta love Sif.
February 2, 2021
Fun to see Sif get a solo adventure
Despite her personal mopey drama, I liked her 'sidekicks', the appearance of superior Spider-man and the army of old school monsters.
Fun romp of a story.
Despite her personal mopey drama, I liked her 'sidekicks', the appearance of superior Spider-man and the army of old school monsters.
Fun romp of a story.
June 30, 2013
Verily, we can dig it!
Absolutely charming. Kathryn Immonen’s first volume in the adventures of Thor’s erstwhile paramour Lady Sif hits all the right notes, being both clever, fun, poignant, occasionally majestic (dragon anyone?), and even macabre when it needs to be. It’s quite a shame that the monthly title has not apparently found its audience, because Journey Into Mystery is a cut above most comic books on the stands today.
Of course, to be fair, at least half of the book’s success is Valerio Schiti’s enchantingly beautiful artwork – the style of which is absolutely perfect for a fantasy book. Schiti’s mythological creatures – from Nidhogg the dragon to the cat-like mounts in Niffleheim – are dazzling and the human characters from Sif all the way down through the various members of the Volstagg family are wonderfully expressive and meticulously drawn in both attire and gear. Flawless art helps any comic book a whole lot.
And Immonen turns in a great plot to go with it. While the story owes a lot to the typical fantasy quest, Immonen populates her story with plenty of engaging characters – including one of comic’s best takes on Heimdall – and more importantly razor sharp dialogue that is actually funny without being forced. Take Sif’s repartee with the Superior Spider-man … classic! Oddly, the character who feels the least developed is Sif herself – which is a bit unfortunate – but somewhat understandable as it seems this is all part of Immonen’s plan for the series – to give this third (or fourth? Or fifth?) tier character something of her own identity and vision. Certainly even by the end of this book, Sif has begun to lose her dour Asgardian demeanor, and the last scenes showing Sif among a group of children, are quite poignant.
Even though the monthly Journey Into Mystery title has already been cancelled, I do hope Marvel collects the rest of Sif’s adventures in a second trade. This mix of fantasy, fun, and great artwork deserves to be seen by a wider audience. Perhaps, Sif would have fared better with her own number one issue instead of picking up Mystery’s old serial; issue 646 is hardly a momentous number to start with after all. But, the comics industry is seldom kind to any new character and Sif (who was at best a supporting cast member for the mighty Thor) was always a long shot. Fortunately for us, Immonen and Schitti’s made the most of the opportunity; their take on what some would call a third tier character is remarkably first rate.
Absolutely charming. Kathryn Immonen’s first volume in the adventures of Thor’s erstwhile paramour Lady Sif hits all the right notes, being both clever, fun, poignant, occasionally majestic (dragon anyone?), and even macabre when it needs to be. It’s quite a shame that the monthly title has not apparently found its audience, because Journey Into Mystery is a cut above most comic books on the stands today.
Of course, to be fair, at least half of the book’s success is Valerio Schiti’s enchantingly beautiful artwork – the style of which is absolutely perfect for a fantasy book. Schiti’s mythological creatures – from Nidhogg the dragon to the cat-like mounts in Niffleheim – are dazzling and the human characters from Sif all the way down through the various members of the Volstagg family are wonderfully expressive and meticulously drawn in both attire and gear. Flawless art helps any comic book a whole lot.
And Immonen turns in a great plot to go with it. While the story owes a lot to the typical fantasy quest, Immonen populates her story with plenty of engaging characters – including one of comic’s best takes on Heimdall – and more importantly razor sharp dialogue that is actually funny without being forced. Take Sif’s repartee with the Superior Spider-man … classic! Oddly, the character who feels the least developed is Sif herself – which is a bit unfortunate – but somewhat understandable as it seems this is all part of Immonen’s plan for the series – to give this third (or fourth? Or fifth?) tier character something of her own identity and vision. Certainly even by the end of this book, Sif has begun to lose her dour Asgardian demeanor, and the last scenes showing Sif among a group of children, are quite poignant.
Even though the monthly Journey Into Mystery title has already been cancelled, I do hope Marvel collects the rest of Sif’s adventures in a second trade. This mix of fantasy, fun, and great artwork deserves to be seen by a wider audience. Perhaps, Sif would have fared better with her own number one issue instead of picking up Mystery’s old serial; issue 646 is hardly a momentous number to start with after all. But, the comics industry is seldom kind to any new character and Sif (who was at best a supporting cast member for the mighty Thor) was always a long shot. Fortunately for us, Immonen and Schitti’s made the most of the opportunity; their take on what some would call a third tier character is remarkably first rate.
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