My Boyfriend Thor just broke up with me. 
I should clarify that. By "My Boyfriend Thor" I mean the Marvel comic Thor: The Mighty Avenger and by "broke up with me" I mean got cancelled. But I feel like I just got dumped. I am angry, I am sad, and I am hurt.
Because I loved My Boyfriend Thor.
If you at all follow me on Twitter you know I have been evangelical about this book. Every opportunity I've had to talk about this book, I have. And I've gushed about it every time. I recommended to just about everyone I know. Including non-comic readers. I bought the Double Rainbow edition even though I already had the issues. I will buy the trade in December, not only for me, but for a few friends to give as gifts. As a comic reader, I did everything right. I did everything I could to support this book financially. The only thing I didn't do was articulate, in one place, what it was about the book that made it so very great. And while it may be too late, I'd like to tell just why I love My Boyfriend Thor.
My Boyfriend Thor is beautiful. It's not hyperbole to say that Chris Samnee has done amazing work on this title. There's a reason he's constantly appearing on the weekly Sketch Ups here on iFanboy. His characters are so expressive you often don't even need the word balloons to know what's going on. The "acting" in Thor: The Mighty Avenger is top notch. Chris is also a strong storyteller with great sense of pacing (and action). I expect we'll continue to see great things from him. And credit where credit is due, Matt Wilson's colors are bold and bright and fun – a perfect complement to the tone of the book.
My Boyfriend Thor is smart and witty and fun. There is a reason Roger Landridge is a perfect fit for the Muppets comics his writing at Boom!. He creates stories with an amazing balance between humor and adventure. And FUN dammit! An even greater feat, Mr. Landridge wrote an all ages book that could truly be enjoyed by anyone (even my cat liked it!). Thor: The Mighty Avenger reminded me very much of The Princess Bride, both classic tales of true love and high adventure. I read every issue of My Boyfriend Thor with a smile on my face, and each month is was the book I was most excited to read.
My Boyfriend Thor is important. As a comic book community, we talk a lot about digital comics and how they're the future of our medium. But the truth is, new readers are. All the technology in the word won't do us any good unless more people, and quite a few kids, start picking up comics. Thor: The Mighty Avenger is the first Thor book I ever picked up. Before this book, the only things I knew about Thor I learned from Adventures in Babysitting. I picked up Thor: The Mighty Avenger without a problem. There were no issues about continuity in Thor: The Mighty Avenger, no wondering what dimension Asgard was on, now drama about what event was hijacking the story, no fanboy baggage. The book is great for new comic readers and not at all intimidating. And the fact that Thor: The Mighty Avenger is an all ages book makes it even better for comics. Because digital or no, a younger generation is going to have to start picking up comics if the industry is going to survive. Not only does this book deserve to be on the shelves, this book needs to be on the shelves.
I suppose this is where I get all full of rage and start pointing fingers and yelling at Marvel for taking away my boyfriend. I do feel a bit like Jimski when it comes to new Marvel titles now. There's a bigger part of my that want to tell Marvel they should can both those Deadpool titles and keep Thor:The Mighty Avenger. But Marvel is in the business of selling comic books, and if comic books aren't selling, then business isn't good. I've been told that at its highest point, Thor: The Mighty Avenger sold around 20,000 copies and that it's currently selling about half that. There's only so much Marvel can do about that.
Does that mean it's our fault? Kinda, I guess. If a book is good, we, the comic reading masses, need to buy it. And we need to buy it in issues, instead of waiting for the trades. It's probably a good idea if we stop buying the books we're constantly whining about too. But then you do a search on Twitter for #savethorthemightyavenger and you see a whole different side of things. There is a strong audience here. Yes, it may be a small audience, but it's fiercely loyal. I have no doubt the first trade of Thor: The Mighty Avenger will sell quite well. I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up on The New York Times Graphic Books Best Seller List in December. All I can do is beg you all to buy it, since I know I will be buying several copies.
The Blue Lantern in me is hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, trade sales and Twitter memes will be enough to save this book. That it'll pull a Spider-Girl and come back from the brink. My Boyfriend Thor and I have spent five blissful months together, and I'm not going to let him go with a fight.
Ali Colluccio is completely heart-broken about her break up with Her Boyfriend Thor. She's been in her room, writing in her journal and listening to the Smiths.
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I’m definitely buying it in trade, so here’s hoping…
It was a great book. I’ll miss it. Just like all the other cancelled books I liked.
I’m gonna buy the trade for sure. And those out there who don’t want to see this book go should do the same. Sales are the only way to make a statement really. Also, having the next issue to come out rise in sales notably could help too.
It’s tough to lose a book that you love. It’s a very different feeling than losing a book that you enjoyed or losing a book that you thought was interesting. A book you love has you excited to go to the comic store every week, and after you’re done reading it, you spend the longest time laughing about it and thinking about what happened in the book for days. It’s a terrible feeling to lose it, I’m sure I’ll be on the floor bawling if X-Factor gets canned.
this is made of awesomeness and truth: "Before this book, the only things I knew about Thor I learned from Adventures in Babysitting."
Nothing has made my lazy non-comic-book-buying bum more jealous lately than the twitterati gushing about Thor every month. I was thiiiis close to doing something about it and I’m sorry. I should have bought it, or at least begged a copy from a friend so I could have added my voice to the throng.
I think an argument would stand that if Marvel are willing to auction off which of two Deadpool books gets cancelled, then well -they have both got to be selling pretty terribly. You have to wonder why they would keep either, sure it’s in the spirit of Deadpool to do something fun and crazy like this… but they both aren’t very good and clearly they both could be cancelled.
Even if Thor isn’t selling overly well, I’m surprised they didn’t hang onto it, just to try and win some awards with it – then again I’m also happy they are cancelling it at the end of an arc and now half way through
Nice article, and i totally feel your pain. I haven’t had this experience with comics yet, but with TV shows especially that were so awesome and cancelled waaay prematurely *cough*undeclared & Firefly*cough*
its a bit unfair to blame the trade waiters. The direct market (no returns esp.) is flawed not the customers. I wish i had the opportunity to pick up this book in issues…
Gah. I feel personally responsible for your break-up.
@MagnetGirl – it’s all YOUR FAULT!
😉
@ WonderAli- you have no idea how happy you made me by posting this article. It feels like when your high school crush tells you he’s in love with you and he moves the next day. I had to excuse myself at work and cried for a bit when I learned about Marvel pulling the plug. I had originally pre-ordered 1 copy of the trade but I’m now bumping that order up.
It seems that many, myself included, was waiting for this to come out in trade.
I’ve definitely found myself enjoying all-ages books better in trades, becasue I read them and then have an easier time passing them on to my niece and nephew, who enjoy flipping through a big (hardcover) book – It works the same way for the Oz books done by Scotty young (I tried getting them an issue when the second series started, and they said they’d rather have the book like for the first volume)
If trade sales for this go well, does anyone else feel that perhaps Marvel may decide to follow the vertigo style of making up their sales on the trades? At least for all ages books, where my experience shows the trades are more young kid friendly than issues are.
This shouldn’t even be in the all ages section. I think that’s a big problem. It’s just a good comic but is ghettoized by stores. It’s hard to find at my store and I have to remember to check for it every week in the kid section.
They should have a MA section with saloon doors and pink lighting for all the MAX-lite and Arrow Maiming comics that deluge the stands every week.
Though I don’t read Thor, this post makes me hope this book doesn’t go away.
P.S. Having met Ali in person, I must say that Thor is a very lucky man.
While it is a natural impulse, and it has its roots in something rational, I would like to see people stop blaming themselves for the cancellation of books like these. I would like very much more for people who work for comic book companies to stop strutting onto Twitter and blaming the readers. "See? Let this be a lesson to you. Should have talked more about the books you liked. Should have preordered the product three months in advance with little idea what it contained."
Do not internalize this insanity. Yes, it is entirely appropriate to think, "If only the book had been aggressively marketed." It is appropriate to think, "If only the book had been given a chance to grow." It is not appropriate to end either of those sentences with "by me."
You do not work for these people. It is not your job to sell their product, and it is not your fault when they fail. And I am tired of hearing otherwise, tired down to my very bones.
@Ali – Fantastic article. I’m so glad you and Paul got me reading this book and while I’m very sad to see it go I’m just glad I got to spend the time with it that I did.
@Jimski – Damn fucking right! For a company always pulling the ‘comics is a business’ line they do a shit job of marketing their new stuff.
great article Ali!
I own every issue of Thor: Mighty Avenger. I am going to buy the trade anyway as a sign of support. Remember, Spider-Girl was canceled multiple times only to have fan support bring it back. Its not over till its over, & this is not yet over.
@jminski–thank you for that does of reality…i wish we heard more of that kinda stuff
Damn, now I miss it and I wasn’t even reading it. Bring back Thor: Mighty Avenger… she needs a boyfriend.
Here’s the fallacy in the ‘we should organize and act like Spider-Girl fans’ argument. That is one book. Marvel has cancelled and-or shortened to miniseries length half a dozen of these in the past MONTH. Should we start a movement for each of those, including books that are essentially cancelled before any human being has a chance to read them? There are obviously conditions built into the system that is making it hard for these books to survive. Fans should not take the blame for that and frankly, people at Marvel telling *us* that it is our job to expand the comics-reading audience takes some big ones.
And to extend @ohcaroline’s argument — Spider-Girl was ONE book written by a FORMER MARVEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. Tom DeFalco has a lot more power in the industry than any of the writers on these swiftly-canceled books. The same for Claremont’s work — X-Men Forever didn’t last as long as it did because it had great sales. Ultimately, that industrial power has a lot more to do with anything than fan intervention, and it’s a fallacy to compare Spider-Girl to these recent books.
And to clarify — I wasn’t a reader of TMA, but I know it had a lot of ardent fans, and I’m sad on their behalf that it was cancelled. This is a good article, Ali, and you express what was great about the book really well. I just don’t want to see fans beating themselves up over it. If you bought the book, you did all you were supposed to do. Marketing is Marvel’s job, not yours.
Buy The first Thor: TMA graphic novel on amazon now!! Comes out in dec but it’s steadily making its way up the graphic novel sales rankings. Make a statement by supporting this book with your dollar! Buy a couple copies for stocking stuffers this year!
Sad face.
Wonderful article, Ali. Indeed, it felt like Thor was dating us all…
…
… gross.