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Robert Greenberger
by Robert Greenberger
Among the lots of Norse gods, Sif isn’t particularly a major figure in the surviving tales from the Poetic Edda. She is an earth goddess, the wife of Thor, and features prominently in just one tale. There, Loki has shorn off her golden locks and an angry Thor forces him to replace it, as the Trickster God has the dwarves make new hair from gold, which is taken to represent the golden wheat on Earth. (To see for yourself, go read Neil Gaiman’s retelling in Norse Mythology).
Once Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced Thor back in 1962, they needed to populate Asgard with names familiar to those who knew the myths even if they modified the characters for their own brand of heroic mythmaking. So, we first meet Sif in journey into mystery #102 (March 1964) as a raven-haired warrior companion and eventual love interest.
Over time, very little had been made with her as a character other than show her as Heimdall’s sister and a youthful playmate to Thor and Balder. The hair story is retold although the replacement is black.
Sif: journey into mystery – The complete Collection
Things changed thanks to the marvel Cinematic universe and actress Jaime Alexander making the most of her small role in the first two films plus a guest appearance on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. When marvel turned JIM into a title featuring Loki, it opened the door for other Asgardians to get their due and thankfully, she finally got the spotlight in issues #646-655 and in her own one-shot Sif, Those ten titanic tales are collected in the forthcoming Sif: journey into mystery – The complete Collection.
Sif #1
In 2010, Kelly sue DeConnick made her marvel debut with this one-off, illustrated by Ryan Stegman, Tom Palmer, and Victor Olazaba. It’s a fun space romp as Beta Ray bill asks her to help him with the bio-mechanical virus-infected pirates that have taken over the Skuttlebutt.
Tackling Sif as a solo player was a challenge given how little had been made with her previously, but writing the off-beat comes as second nature to Kathryn Immonen, who made a name for herself in 2007 when she premiered as a writer with a Hellcat story. Partnered with cover artist Jeff Dekal and interior artist Valerio Schiti, the ten issues have a special look and feel.
In an interview at Comic book Resources, Immonen explained, “We talked at length about what this story could be and what her story could be, and it all came down to…one single question: what does she want? I think Sif, above all, wants to be a better warrior. She makes a lot of good decisions and things turn out perfectly!” Okay, that last part was sarcastic but she went on to add, “She wants to be a better warrior and she goes to find that thing that is going to help her do that.”
Sif has been Heimdall’s sister and Thor’s paramour or companion, but she needs to stand on her own and the stories in this collection go a long way towards becoming a better warrior.
Journey into mystery #649
We open with the five part “Stronger than Monsters” where Sif is intentionally infected with an ancient version of the Berzerker which finds her eradicated from Asgard and sent to Midgard where, yes, she encounters some of Thor’s occasional partner the remarkable Spider-Man. The witty story shows Immonen’s turn of character along with deep knowledge of the title’s history as she deals with Rorgg, King of Spider-Men (JIM #64) Gomdulla (#61), Emperor of Mars (#52), Spragg (#68), Gigantus (#63), and Rro (#58).
Still, you know this not your normal yarn when Sif hunts down the corpse-eating dragon Nidhogg. To wake it up, she hurls a human skull directly into his snout and shouts, “Wake up, Corpse Eater! I would talk with you!” That’s how you show character through action.
After all, she has entered the Cave of Aerndis in the hope of becoming a better warrior, one who could secure Asgard and the nine Realms, who could end the misery felt by Odin, Gaea, and Thor among others. Of course, this story shows you need be careful of what you wish for.
Journey into mystery #651
After all the mayhem is over, we have the one-part whimsical “A Child’s garden of Verses” with art by Pepe Lartaz.
We then swing into “Seeds of Destruction”, the four parter that saw the title conclude its run before any other Asgardian could be featured. picking up on the threads DeConnick left, Immonen brings back Beta Ray Bill. Sif has been tending to Gaea so when she and Bill’s girlfriend, Ti Asha Ra, are threatened, they team-up. While there’s action galore, the happiness here is Immonen’s dialogue which niftily balances Sif’s innocence with her warrior’s persona. Visually, Schiti has grown as an artist and this is a a lot of satisfying tale.
Journey into mystery #652
Neatly, Immonen tells two major arcs, one about death and destruction while the second is at the opposite end and fight for love and life. read in one sitting, this must be tremendously satisfying.
And if you want even a lot more Sif goodness, I recommend you read Keith R.A. DeCandido’s Sif: even Dragons have Their Endings, the middle part of his Tales of Asgard trilogy from Joe books (yes, it can be read as a standalone).
Purchase
Sif: journey into mystery – The complete Collection