Post by Shiryu on Jun 24, 2008 17:25:35 GMT -5
Between one thing and the next, I've finally started to read the complete volume 1 of Thor from DVD. I'll post my comments as I read, a bit like I did for Avengers V1.
Anybody else with things to say feel free to add your thoughts too!
So, Journey into the Mistery 83-93 to begin with.
Like most books from the very very early Marvel Silver Age, the stories are good but nothing spectacular. I think I like them more than the early Avengers' ones, but not quite as much as Spider Man's. The art by Kirby is great (except one issue by a certain Al Hartley), but the stories are often goofy. In one issue Thor defeats his foe by rubbing his own hands against the hammer to create friction and start a fire, in another he helps to film a movie ^^
You can also see some typical Lee's elements. Thor hides his ID by using the blasts of light from the hammer when changing from Blake, or by having somebody else dress like Thor, or even by throwing away a mannequin garbed like him. Jane Foster acts a lot like Karen Page from Daredevil, being attracted by Blake but also despising his cowardice and dreaming of working for Thor (making him a new haircut, ironing his cape and polishing his hammer -_- You can see this is from the 60s ^^).
Most of the enemies are not seen again. A couple of vague alien races and A LOT of commies. I suppose this is typical from the time... in one issue it appears that a scientist has deserted to go beyond the iron curtain and his wife reacts as if he has confessed a triple murder, in another we see Chinese people living near enslavement, with a few still trying to help Thor and reminding him that there are still freedom liking people, and so on. It's clearly propagandistic, showing a bit of a black and white world, but since it was written during the Cold War I suppose it's to be expected.
Most interesting thing is that, in one issue, Thor traps the Radioactive Man in a vortex, sending him back to China. When the R.M. warns that he will land like a nuclear bomb, Thor replies that this is not his problem, implying that he doesn't really care if Chinese people die. This is rather far from the usual concept of the hero trying to save both friends and enemies that will develop later on. Luckily for everyone, the RM ends up landing on an empty mountain. On the other hand, twice Blake cures dying crime bosses, because it's "my duty as a doctor".
Luckily, in these issues we also get the first glimpse of Loki and the above mentioned Radioactive Man. They are both far from their most menacing selves, but still worth reading. It's amusing that, the first time that Loki manages to go on a rampage in New York, all he does is transforming cars into cakes and doing childish pranks ^^'
A few interesting things: in the first issue, Don Blake totally retains his personality when changing to Thor, simply experiencing his new powers and even testing them just like Peter Parker after the spider's bite. Then, very early, from JiM 84 or 85 I think, he already starts to behave like the mythological Thor, even travelling to Asgard and summonning Odin (who is very helpful in these first issues, does everything Thor asks him to and always praises him). There's no issue in which Blake/Thor discovers Asgard, he simply knows about it.
Also, Thor doesn't speak in his (once) normal old style english, but in a fairly normal one, and so do Odin, Loki and so on.
When Thor throws his hammer and doesn't touch it for more than 60 seconds, he reverts back to Blake, but the hammer doesn't change back to a stick. Also at first it's like the 60 seconds rule is not an enchantment as such, but simply Thor loosing his power source.
Thor's power are not well defined yet. Against the radioactive man he throws lightinings out of his bare hands, which is something I've never seen him doing in recent years. Also he is capable of time travelling, but I think that won't last after an encounter with Immortus at some point soon.
For some reason Lee must have thought that, being a doctor, Blake had to be a good scientist and inventor too. He is a bit of a Curt Connors / Tony Stark in the early issues, occasionally coming out with inventions or chemicals.
So, all in all some fairly enjoyable issues. Nothing mind blowing and the characters still have a long way to go, but the basics are here, the art is great and the stories, overall, fun. Moving straight into the next few issues now!
Anybody else with things to say feel free to add your thoughts too!
So, Journey into the Mistery 83-93 to begin with.
Like most books from the very very early Marvel Silver Age, the stories are good but nothing spectacular. I think I like them more than the early Avengers' ones, but not quite as much as Spider Man's. The art by Kirby is great (except one issue by a certain Al Hartley), but the stories are often goofy. In one issue Thor defeats his foe by rubbing his own hands against the hammer to create friction and start a fire, in another he helps to film a movie ^^
You can also see some typical Lee's elements. Thor hides his ID by using the blasts of light from the hammer when changing from Blake, or by having somebody else dress like Thor, or even by throwing away a mannequin garbed like him. Jane Foster acts a lot like Karen Page from Daredevil, being attracted by Blake but also despising his cowardice and dreaming of working for Thor (making him a new haircut, ironing his cape and polishing his hammer -_- You can see this is from the 60s ^^).
Most of the enemies are not seen again. A couple of vague alien races and A LOT of commies. I suppose this is typical from the time... in one issue it appears that a scientist has deserted to go beyond the iron curtain and his wife reacts as if he has confessed a triple murder, in another we see Chinese people living near enslavement, with a few still trying to help Thor and reminding him that there are still freedom liking people, and so on. It's clearly propagandistic, showing a bit of a black and white world, but since it was written during the Cold War I suppose it's to be expected.
Most interesting thing is that, in one issue, Thor traps the Radioactive Man in a vortex, sending him back to China. When the R.M. warns that he will land like a nuclear bomb, Thor replies that this is not his problem, implying that he doesn't really care if Chinese people die. This is rather far from the usual concept of the hero trying to save both friends and enemies that will develop later on. Luckily for everyone, the RM ends up landing on an empty mountain. On the other hand, twice Blake cures dying crime bosses, because it's "my duty as a doctor".
Luckily, in these issues we also get the first glimpse of Loki and the above mentioned Radioactive Man. They are both far from their most menacing selves, but still worth reading. It's amusing that, the first time that Loki manages to go on a rampage in New York, all he does is transforming cars into cakes and doing childish pranks ^^'
A few interesting things: in the first issue, Don Blake totally retains his personality when changing to Thor, simply experiencing his new powers and even testing them just like Peter Parker after the spider's bite. Then, very early, from JiM 84 or 85 I think, he already starts to behave like the mythological Thor, even travelling to Asgard and summonning Odin (who is very helpful in these first issues, does everything Thor asks him to and always praises him). There's no issue in which Blake/Thor discovers Asgard, he simply knows about it.
Also, Thor doesn't speak in his (once) normal old style english, but in a fairly normal one, and so do Odin, Loki and so on.
When Thor throws his hammer and doesn't touch it for more than 60 seconds, he reverts back to Blake, but the hammer doesn't change back to a stick. Also at first it's like the 60 seconds rule is not an enchantment as such, but simply Thor loosing his power source.
Thor's power are not well defined yet. Against the radioactive man he throws lightinings out of his bare hands, which is something I've never seen him doing in recent years. Also he is capable of time travelling, but I think that won't last after an encounter with Immortus at some point soon.
For some reason Lee must have thought that, being a doctor, Blake had to be a good scientist and inventor too. He is a bit of a Curt Connors / Tony Stark in the early issues, occasionally coming out with inventions or chemicals.
So, all in all some fairly enjoyable issues. Nothing mind blowing and the characters still have a long way to go, but the basics are here, the art is great and the stories, overall, fun. Moving straight into the next few issues now!
but I did read these same stories in the Thor Essentials a few months ago, so I'm very interested in your reactions. 
