Thor vol. 2 #57Thor vol. 2 #57
Title: “The Gardener”
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencillers: Kaare Andrews, Joe Bennett, Brian Haberlin, Kyle Hotz, Phil Jimenez, Dave Johnson, Mike Kaluta, J.P. Leon, Carlos Pacheco, P. Craig Russell, Bill Sienkiewicz, Philip Tan
Inkers: Jack Jadson, Tim Townsend, Jesus Merino
Colors: Dave Kemp of Avalon Studios, Dave McCaig, Brian Haberlin, Dave Johnson, Chris Chucky, Lovern Kindzierski
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Volstagg’s children, nephews, and nieces clamor about him because it is story time. They’re fighting about who gets to sit where when Volstagg tells them not to fight as there is room for all and that the story is about to begin. One of them asks what the story is about and another says that she hopes that it is about Thor. Volstagg says that it is and that those stories are the best ones because they are the ones legends are made of. Volstagg opens the book and there are no words or pictures. Volstagg explains that this is a magic book. An image appears and Volstagg says that this story happened so recently that it hasn’t even been written yet.
Volstagg says that once upon a time there was a city called Asgard. He says that it was no ordinary city because the inhabitants were gods. Volstagg says that their leader had been Odin, but that sadly Odin died fighting Surtur. Some feared that no one could replace Odin, but that those people overlooked Odin’s son Thor. He says that Thor inherited the Odinpower ans that it was that power that enabled Thor to move Asgard above Midgard’s greatest city so that he could watch over the mortals that needed his help and guidance. Thor guided the people like a shepherd leads a flock. Man had invented a wonderous device that allowed them to look into space. What they saw was a foreboding construct that was hurtling straight toward Midgard. This was a threat worthy of Thor’s attention.
In Canada, the construct landed with a mighty explosion. The contruct was actually a colossus of a being. He was sheathed in smooth shiny armor. Strange dragon-like creatures scouted around for the visitor. Others buried devices into the ground around him. The being bored his jeweled staff into the ground as a gardener might look for fertile soil. Thor flew right at the being and the large machine that was being constructed around him. Thor tells the being to reveal its intention so that he could determine if it was a friend or a foe. The Gardener didn’t speak, but instead creatures sprung from the giant’s body. As Thor fought the beings the Gardener continued his work. A structure that was left on the moon began harnessing the energies of the sun and sending them to the Gardener. Thor fought for two hours before gaining ground on the minions of the Gardener. He says that all life on Midgard was about to become extinct.
The children are all in disbelief that anything could fight off Thor for two hours. Volstagg says that any foe capable of transforming an entire planet is a formidable foe. He says that Thor tried raising a storm and teleporting the being away, but all his efforts were in vain. One of the children says that she thought Thor had the Odinpower and asks why Thor didn’t use it. Volstagg says that she is a clever child and that is the heart of the story.
Far away, the moon began to crumble and it seemed that Earth was doomed. Thor began striking and striking the Gardener, but Gardener kept transforming itself in response to each blow. Thor began to grow tired. Finally it happened and the moon flew apart in a “cascade of rock and rubble”. People were terrified as tragedies, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, ravaged the planet. People wondered were Thor was and why he would allow this to happen.
When Odin was alive he often questioned
Thor’s actions. This caused Thor to view himself as not a
worthy successor to Odin’s throne. He originally turned it
down, but that when the people demanded that he reluctantly
accepted. He told the people not to expect him to be Odin and
that he was just a pale shadow in Odin’s gleaming radiance.
Thor turned from being like Odin and in doing so turned
subconsciously from the Odinpower. He kept it under control and
never allowed it to be the guiding force of his soul. Faced with
this disaster, the barrier that held back the Odinpower gave
away. Thor’s destiny was clear and he embraced it. Thor flew
to the heavens and pulled the stricken Gardener behind him. Thor
was no longer the God of Thunder. After being it in name only,
Thor became the All-Father at that moment. 
Using the
Odinpower to its fullest, Thor gathered every fragment of the
moon together and put it back together with one exception. Just
as Odin had once imprisoned Surtur within the Earth, Thor encased
the Gardener within the moon. The act was not without its cost
however and Thor was left drained and plummeting from the
heavens. He crashed through the roof of a simple Asgardian home
where he passed into a state of Odinsleep to replenish his power.
Some say that this was impossible and that it was just an
illusion, but that to know the truth all anyone would have to do
is go outside and look at the moon.
The children ask if Volstaff means that Thor remade the moon after it was blown into a billion billion pieces. Volstagg says that is exactly what he means. One of the children says that it was a good story, but that is all it is. He says that no one could do that… not Thor, not Odin, or anyone. Volstagg’s niece asks him if he believes it. Volstagg says, “Of course I do, child.” He gets up and walks down the hall. He opens a door to reveal Thor sleeping in one of his beds. He says, “Of course, I do.”
Lightning Crashes rating: 6 out of 10
A nice little story about Thor, but the interruptions in the telling of the main plot of the book are getting somewhat annoying. Bennett does a nice job, but all the pin-up pages are either really good or really lousy. I split the difference and gave it a 3 out of 5.