By Chad Nevett

Did Steve or I ever discuss the credits for the issues in Everything Burns? I don’t think we did. One of us should since they’re rather interesting, something I can’t remember seeing before or since, honestly. I’m sure someone on some other superhero comic crossover surely replicated this idea, but, for the life of me, I can’t think of anyone who has. Every issue in the six parts of Everything Burns, on the credits page, treats it like the line from the first part’s credits page: “Being a dramatic narrative in multiple parts, wherein everything burns.” But, what’s unique, what’s so different is that, following that – and carried over in the five subsequent issues – is the following text:

“Played by Mr. Alan Davis, Mr. Matt Fraction, Mr. Carmine di Giandomenico, Mr. Kieron Gillen, Ms. Stephanie Hans and Mr. Barry Kitson.”

The two writers along with the four pencillers (or more in Hans’s case) of the six main parts, the prologue, and two epilogues are credited at the top of every issue of this event (though not the prologue or two epilogues, oddly). Unless you know your stuff or pay attention to the last names listed on the covers of the issues (which always include both Fraction and Gillen with the former listed first on Thor and the latter listed first on Journey into Mystery), you wouldn’t know who wrote or drew each issue. The issues have specific credits for the inkers, colourists, and letterers as those change (in Thor #21, they are Mark Farmer, Javier Rodriguez, and Joe Sabino, respectively), but the primary creators, as is usually thought by the general superhero comic reading public, are listed in every issue whether they worked on it or not.

As I said, it’s unique. It’s the sort of credit that you’d expect to see at the beginning of the trade paperback collection of this story, not in each issue where, usually, credits are more delineated. For this issue, Thor #21, a typical credit would probably go something more like “Story by Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen, Script by Matt Fraction, Pencilled by Alan Davis, Inked by Mark Farmer, Coloured by Javier Rodriguez, Lettered by Joe Sabino” or whatever version of that specific, every individual credited for their specific role in that specific comic. That’s normal. That’s what you expect in each single issue.

So, why do this?

One answer could be to highlight the collaborative nature of comics. Where does writing end and drawing begin when it comes to a comic? By its nature, it’s a blended art form where you can’t quite know who contributed what. Typically, writers are credited first, while pencillers come second, inkers third, then colourists and letters. By at least separating out the writers and pencillers and listing them all alphabetically by last name, there is no set hierarchy. They’re all at that same level of creating the comic that you’re reading. Writer, artist… no one is above anyone. Each role brings its specific strength to crafting a comic and you can’t separate them so neatly.

The same goes for crediting both Fraction and Gillen on the cover of each issue. Above, I indicated that the likely credit in most comics would be “Story by Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen, Script by Matt Fraction” for Thor #21, but, honestly, I don’t know if that’s true. Did Matt Fraction write the actual script for this issue by himself? Or did he and Gillen co-write issues? Or write scripts and have the other do some revisions before doing a final pass? Or certain pages? If you told me that Gillen wrote the final two pages of this issue that deal with Loki and Leah, leading directly into Journey into Mystery #645, I would believe you. So, who wrote this single specific comic?

Or, to answer my earlier question of “So, why do this?” with a question: who defeats Surtur in Everything Burns?

Everything Burns is a six-part crossover between Journey into Mystery (starring Loki) and Thor (starring Thor) wherein Surtur executes a grand plan to destroy literally everything in fire. “Everything burns” is what he says. His plan is complex and pulls on a variety of threads: some in Thor/Asgard’s long ago past and some in Loki’s recent past. In the end, despite the general sense of doom and hopelessness that all involved manage to instill in this story, Surtur is defeated. But, I ask, who defeats Surtur, Thor or Loki?

You can make various arguments for either, in my estimation. You could, if so inclined, even say that Odin is the one that actually ends the threat of Surtur. I would say that there is no way to answer that question as presented with its simplistic ‘or’ framing. Thor and Loki defeat Surtur (Odin is tool, in multiple ways) and trying to pick apart whose contributions were greater or more integral would be a fool’s game. The whole point of the manner in which Surtur is defeated is that the two Odinsons come together and blend their respective skills to make the other one better. Loki gives Thor more raw power and strength with which to smash Surtur in the face. Thor gives Loki a clever idea with which to weave mischief and trickery to save the day.

Who defeats Surtur, Thor or Loki, the brawn or the brains? Yes.

In my discussion of part 2 of Everything Burns, Thor #19, I ended the piece by making a grand statement about Thor and Loki’s relationship: “Loki spent so much time thinking that he had to be like Thor in order to impress him and win his love that he forgot that Thor’s love is unconditional. Thor so loved his brother that, when everyone would have gladly left Loki dead, he brought him back. Because he missed him. While everything burns around him, there’s one thing Loki’s managed to build that will never fail: his relationship with Thor. And that’s bigger and stronger than anything Surtur can make.”

That’s the central idea of this story, around which everything turns. Despite all of the drama built up around them, it’s all about the push and pull of Thor and Loki’s relationship, seeing how far it can be pushed and pulled without breaking, and that failure to break despite the stress, the seemingly betrayals, the paranoia, is what defeats Surtur.

Their collaborative efforts, their blending of their unique skills to the point where you can’t tell where one’s contributions end and the other’s begin… that’s what it’s all about, and it was spelled out to you on the credits of the first issue of the story.

 

Thor #21 “Everything Burns: Everything Burns”
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Alan Davis
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colourist: Javier Rodriguez
Letterer: Joe Sabino

 

Chad Nevett is a writer and critic who once wrote a book about Avengers Vs X-Men. When not pitting Marvel’s top characters into battle, you can find Chad on Twitter here!

 

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