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Thor by Walter Simonson #1-4
The Mighty Thor Omnibus
Considered by many to be the greatest run on Thor ever, Walt Simonson's classic tales of the God of Thunder are collected here-completely remastered from the original artwork and newly colored by Steve Oliffe! And there are too many timeless tales to count: The Casket of Ancient Winters! The death of Odin! The origins of Asgard! The sacrifice of the Executioner! Thor as a frog! The Mutant Massacre! Collecting: Thor #337-355, #357-369, #371-382; Balder the Brave #1-4
1192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1987
About the author
Walter Simonson
1,262 books167 followersWalt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.
He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.
He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
October 5, 2012
As related in my review of Langridge and Samnee's wonderful Thor: The Mighty Avenger , despite years of enjoyment of Marvel's superhero-verse, I held a marked wariness of the company's Norse pantheon. Thor and Odin and Loki and all the Asgardian menagerie seemed goofy and stilted, an artifact of an era of publishing when I imagined readers were happy to read corny BIF-BAM-POW comics. The Asgardians were garishly colourful and bizarrely spoke in a kind of false Elizabethan English. And worse: their adventures, from what I gathered, were far divorced from the mythological tales I had learned as a youth.
It was Walt Simonson who turned Thor into a viable character for me.
In the mid-'80s, I happened across Simonson's Thor via some crossovers with Simonson's wife's own series, Power Pack, and Claremont's New Mutants. I picked up the relevant issues of The Mighty Thor in order to get the full story, and while those issues weren't necessarily enough to instantly win me over, they gave me a foothold into Simonson's vision of Thor.11 Five years later, in rereading Power Pack to feed a nostalgia for my juniour high days, I pulled out the one or two issues of Thor I owned and reread them as well.
Though my portrait of Simonson's hero was drastically incomplete, I was intrigued. I then went ahead and picked up the rest of the series over several months (and visits to several comic shops). They were odd and exciting. I had a basic understanding of Thor's identity as Donald Blake and the fact that he would be returned to frail human form if he was separated from his hammer for too long. Simonson re-crafts the god of thunder right from the beginning of his run and almost immediately does away with Donald Blake, allowing Thor to be Thor for the duration of nearly fifty issues2 Beyond this trick allowing Simonson to focus on Thor's godhood, it also gives new readers an easier time of negotiating the character and his place in Marvel's mythology—primarily by eliminating the whole human swath of his (former) supporting cast. I mention this primarily to assure those who are unfamiliar with the hero outside his appearance in recent films that this omnibus edition of his adventures is as fine a place to start as any—if one is interested in reading the source material.3
So then, the Omnibus.
At 1192 pages, this collection is a behemoth of computer-coloured bombasticism. When it arrived in the mail, I showed it off around the office to people who had no interest in comics whatsoever. Universally, the reaction was of awe and interest. The production is really rather breath-taking to behold. Not only does the book weigh about eight pounds, but it's so very, very bright—the colours used are vibrant, and while markedly different from those originally used (more on this later), they stray far from the desaturated palettes that have governed so much comics production over the last decade. Simonson's Thor is an exciting, epic tale and Marvel's printing here never lets the reader forget that.
Simonson's writing is superb. The ideas that govern Marvel's Thor are from another era and not in-line with the sensibilities of contemporary audiences. Simonson defeats this problem perhaps effortlessly (at least it seems so) by giving all his characters overly dramatic monologues, which they happily trade back and forth as if in dialogue. Their language is ludicrously flowery and their verbal ticks would be clownish if it weren't for their identities as gods. Somehow all this over-writing works—the characters and their lives become fascinating and engaging, something worth the readers' time to pursue.
One of the glories of Simonson's run on the book is that the whole thing (nearly) reads as a single story. While that sort of thing happens much more often post-AD 2000, in the mid-'80s, such a long-running arc was pretty rare. The first chapter of this omnibus begins with a great and shadowy figure slamming down a tremendous flaming ingot (made from an exploded galaxy) onto an anvil. The sound that ingot produces as it makes first contact with the anvil is an ominous onomatopoeia4 that echoes across the universe: "DOOM!" It's a famous image from the era and recurs throughout the work while this particular piece of Simonson's saga works itself out. From there, story after story spins out, each the natural result of what came before. With few exceptions (and they seem to be publisher-mandated annoyances), nothing within the work stands alone.
Simonson also shows a wonderful knack for story beats. His narratives skip all over the place, with a page devoted to one character followed by two devoted to another followed by a half-page devoted to a third before returning to the first and then introducing a fourth. I'd say it was staggering to consider how he keeps so many narrative balls in the air while maintaining such a crisp story pace, but nowadays it seems like any number of worthwhile manga that hit American shores do the same. As well, Simonson seems happy to deliver several kick-ass moments per chapter—from charges against unbeatable foes to noble self-sacrifices to remembrances of those sacrifices to laugh-inducing come-uppances. Simonson the writer delivers.
But as much fun as Walt Simonson the writer is, it's probably Walt Simonson the artist who most viscerally turns Thor into a hero whose songs we want to learn. Simonson himself is on art chores for the first two-thirds of the book and when he bows out to keep strictly to the writing aspect, the book is poorer for the loss. It's not so much that Sal Buscema is a poor artist—it's more just that he's not Walt Simonson. (Simonson returns for the the big climax in the third-to-last chapter, and if that battle had been drawn by Buscema instead of Simonson, we'd be missing one of the greatest single chapters in comics history.) Simonson's art is rough and tumble, full of a kind of visual braggadocio. He makes these gods look as if they might actually be warriors. His design sense reveals a kind of dynamism that was largely missing from the era in which he worked (and isn't really apparent today either).
That I can unreservedly recommend this massive collection does not mean that there aren't issues with the work. After Buscema takes over on art, it seems like some of Simonson's writing spark wanes as well and I've always felt it difficult to be as invested in some of the latter stories. Another issue is due to a couple interruptive crossovers. In the aforementioned Power Pack crossover, the kids from Power Pack suddenly appear and are suddenly gone, and today's readers will probably have no idea who they are or what place they have in Thor's world. Even worse though, the primary McGuffin from Marvel's Secret Wars miniseries shows up having resurrected one of Thor's foes who had been killed earlier in the volume (the resurrection happens in another series and is not reproduced here). Later in the series, Thor gets shoehorned into participating in the X-Men event "The Mutant Massacre." And in another instance, occupying three bare panels, a costumed supervillain is unceremoniously murdered by a homeless person; it's part of the Scourge storyline running through Captain America's book at the time, but doesn't make any sense to readers without that kind of knowledge. These episodes are a shock to the system and a great argument against crossovers in the midst of ongoing stories. While the pagecount is already high, it would've been nice to have had some sort of explanation of these things—if this book is meant to be a kind of stand-alone omnibus.
The last diminishment to the book is a bit awkward: the re-colouring.
It's hard to be too upset about the recolouring job by Steve Oliffe and his company Olyoptics. If I hadn't seen the original work by Christine Scheele, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Oliffe is a good colourist and has done a fantastic job on other projects (notably, his work on Marvel Epic's edition Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira is just beautiful). I'm sympathetic with the problem facing Marvel in reproducing older works like these. They almost demand recolouring. Because of primitive, cheap printing methods and the poor-quality paper used before computer-colouring, straight reprints fair poorly on the higher-quality paper of today. Here's a comparison (click to see it enlarged and with better detail):
The first panel is a scan from the original issue of Thor #337. You can see that the colouring is made from little dots, but because the paper is low-quality the dots tend to bleed, creating a more uniform colour-effect. It was fine for the time, but when we update the print via the second panel to higher-quality paper (as Marvel did for the first volume of their Thor Visionaries series) the dots don't bleed and remain very distinguishable. The effect is jarring. Marvel addressed this problem in later volumes of their Visionaries series by having someone re-colour the book in a way that perfectly mimicked the original colours but did so at a higher resolution. Still, the style of colouring in those original Thor books, even if the resolution is upped, is still a relic from a former era, so Marvel commissioned Steve Oliffe to bring the book into a contemporary style (the third panel)—perhaps even one similar to what the original colourist might have used had the tech been available to her.
As I said, there's nothing wrong with Oliffe's colours per se. It's just that they lack some of the marvelous invention of Christine Scheele's original work. Trapped by the severe limitations of the technology and budget Marvel was working with at the time, Scheele produced some incredible work. Here are two examples so you can compare Scheele's methods with Oliffe's (click to enlarge either).
[Oliffe's art is on the left and Scheele's is on the right.]
[Oliffe's art is on the left and Scheele's is on the right.]
Scheele's colouring on the Midgard Serpent is almost minimalistic, allowing the whitespace of the page to do so much of the work for her. Oliffe's is filled with colour but is somehow less grand—though without seeing the comparison, it'd be impossible to say Oliffe's was not good. In Scheele's work on the scene with the Executioner, she employs only flat yellows and oranges. The page is washed in a duochromatic kind of violence. Oliffe's use of gradients and more colours (returning blue to the Executioner's attire) robs the page of its original sense.
Ultimately, I'm not sure what the solution here is. While I found Oliffe's colours usually refreshing, I probably would have preferred a bit more fidelity to Scheele's work—after all, that was a big part of what was so incredible about the original experience.
Still, small problems aside, this Omnibus should satisfy old fans and newcomers alike.
Notes
1. Sadly, because these crossover issues were interruptions in Simonson's story (one, for instance, involved Secret Wars II's the Beyonder), they provided very little insight into the grand tapestry Simonson intended to convey.
2. There *are* a couple of delicious and notable exceptions.
3. Although, there is no Jane Foster save for a cameo appearance late in the volume. I’m not sure what happened to her, as I had always understood her to be a Big Deal to Thor. (Much like one might imagine Betty Brant was a big deal to Spider-Man had one only access to the Bakshi cartoons from 1967.) As Simonson’s run on the book spans chapters 337 through 382, I imagine that some writer along the way grew tired of the Thor/Foster lego and shuffled her off to married life safe from the clutches of Mr. Hydes or Absorbing Mans. In any case, Thor’s infatuation with the woman seems long past by the time chapter 337 rolls around.
4. Onomatopoeia figures prominently in Simonson’s Thor. So much so that his sound effects even take on the value of characters in their own right. Years after having read the original production of this story, it was sometimes Simonson’s visual use of sound that stayed with me.
_____________________
[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]
February 29, 2020
This is the definitive run on Thor and really the only one worth reading before J. Michael Straczynski rebooted the character. It's been gorgeously recolored, looking bright and exuberant.
September 13, 2018
This volume collects the entirety of Walter Simonson's run on Thor, plus the Balder the Brave miniseries. The first half chronicles the fire giant Surtur's forging of the sword Twilight and his attempt to bring about Ragnarok by destroying Asgard with it. The second half deals with the repercussions. It is truly epic and still reads today as a shining example of the comics form.
I don't want to talk too much about the story. There are numerous subplots and side plots and shorter stories going on as well.
Some creator-centered omnibus collections end up being a hodgepodge of odds and ends as series cross over into others and completism dilutes the writer's vision (the John Byrne FF volumes are a mess) but this one, like Frank Miller's Daredevil, showcases a mostly pure story, a genuine "graphic novel" from start to finish. I am particularly glad that pages from the execrable Secret Wars II were not included, although Jim Shooter's idiot god, the Beyonder, does make an appearance which results in a recurring character. I do not know whether this was an editorial decision, or something Simonson insisted upon, but I am thankful.
All the content in this volume has been recolored using modern technology. I have mixed feelings about this. I'm something of a purist and usually desire an exact reproduction (paper quality aside) of the old comics I remember. When I first opened this book, I was rather shocked. It looked so very different from what I remembered. But now having read the book straight through from start to finish, I have to admit it looks great. There are only a few places where the computer coloring seemed overdone to me, and I miss some of the interesting coloring choices Christie Scheele made in the original comics*, but for the most part it is really beautiful.
The second half of the book suffers slightly--only slightly--from some forced crossovers with other comics events at the time. In addition to the aforementioned Secret Wars II, there is also the "Mutant Massacre" in which Thor encounters the strangely familiar X-Factor (the original X-Men). These few issues don't add anything to the book, just a small bit of filler.
Unless you really hate Norse mythology, this run is a must-read. If you're not yet ready to invest in the omnibus, I believe smaller softcover collections are still available.
*Please see Seth T.'s excellent review--currently at the top of the page--for side-by-side comparisons of the old and new artwork.
I don't want to talk too much about the story. There are numerous subplots and side plots and shorter stories going on as well.
Some creator-centered omnibus collections end up being a hodgepodge of odds and ends as series cross over into others and completism dilutes the writer's vision (the John Byrne FF volumes are a mess) but this one, like Frank Miller's Daredevil, showcases a mostly pure story, a genuine "graphic novel" from start to finish. I am particularly glad that pages from the execrable Secret Wars II were not included, although Jim Shooter's idiot god, the Beyonder, does make an appearance which results in a recurring character. I do not know whether this was an editorial decision, or something Simonson insisted upon, but I am thankful.
All the content in this volume has been recolored using modern technology. I have mixed feelings about this. I'm something of a purist and usually desire an exact reproduction (paper quality aside) of the old comics I remember. When I first opened this book, I was rather shocked. It looked so very different from what I remembered. But now having read the book straight through from start to finish, I have to admit it looks great. There are only a few places where the computer coloring seemed overdone to me, and I miss some of the interesting coloring choices Christie Scheele made in the original comics*, but for the most part it is really beautiful.
The second half of the book suffers slightly--only slightly--from some forced crossovers with other comics events at the time. In addition to the aforementioned Secret Wars II, there is also the "Mutant Massacre" in which Thor encounters the strangely familiar X-Factor (the original X-Men). These few issues don't add anything to the book, just a small bit of filler.
Unless you really hate Norse mythology, this run is a must-read. If you're not yet ready to invest in the omnibus, I believe smaller softcover collections are still available.
*Please see Seth T.'s excellent review--currently at the top of the page--for side-by-side comparisons of the old and new artwork.
Read
July 24, 2022Awesome!
That's the best way to describe this massive tome of Thor's adventures in the '80's. You're going to have to be mighty to lift this thing, too; there's over 1000 pages of full color here! This is not lite reading, but it sure is fun!
You'll even see Thor get turned into a frog (my personal favorite)!
Don't miss it!
-Louis M.
That's the best way to describe this massive tome of Thor's adventures in the '80's. You're going to have to be mighty to lift this thing, too; there's over 1000 pages of full color here! This is not lite reading, but it sure is fun!
You'll even see Thor get turned into a frog (my personal favorite)!
Don't miss it!
-Louis M.
July 6, 2011
I am normally really suspicious when someone tells me that a run on any Marvel comic is better than the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby (or Steve Ditko or whomever) run (unless we're talking about Avengers, X-Men or Iron Man, which frankly didn't start off so great). I'm kind of a Lee/Kirby/Ditko fanboy, and the implication that their work is something other than perfect and unbeatable is sacrilege as far as I'm concerned. I always kind of chuckle when, for example, people say Bryne's FF is better than the original run. How could someone attempting to do an exact reproduction of the Lee/Kirby run possibly be better? No matter how well you do it, the retread will never top the original. Well, after reading this omnibus, I stand corrected.
I think what makes this the best Thor I've ever read is that Simonson almost completely tosses out the super-hero aspects of the title. This is more or less straight mythology...and these are new myths that can stand with the original Norse ones. And let's be honest, even in the Lee/Kirby days it was always more fun to read about the Destroyer almost taking out Odin on Asgard than it was to read about Thor fighting the Circus of Crime on Earth (ahem, Midgard).
While he's not quite Kirby (no one is), Simonson really nails it with the art too. His actual figures have always seemed a little sloppy-looking to me, but the guy is a master story-teller and his panels explode off the pages. There are only a few comic artists that can bring as much pure excitement as Simonson can.
To conclude, every comic fan should own this monster of a volume. This is in the top tier of the art form. Hell, I would even recommend it to non-comic readers as long as they have an interest in mythology; this could very well be the book that converts them. This omnibus is packed with badass moment after badass moment. Here are some of the badassest:
- Beta Ray Bill lifts Mjolnir
- The funeral of the last viking
- Odin's sacrifice
- The Executioner's last laugh
- What do you call a 6'6" fighting-mad frog?
- Hela's curse
- And more!
I think what makes this the best Thor I've ever read is that Simonson almost completely tosses out the super-hero aspects of the title. This is more or less straight mythology...and these are new myths that can stand with the original Norse ones. And let's be honest, even in the Lee/Kirby days it was always more fun to read about the Destroyer almost taking out Odin on Asgard than it was to read about Thor fighting the Circus of Crime on Earth (ahem, Midgard).
While he's not quite Kirby (no one is), Simonson really nails it with the art too. His actual figures have always seemed a little sloppy-looking to me, but the guy is a master story-teller and his panels explode off the pages. There are only a few comic artists that can bring as much pure excitement as Simonson can.
To conclude, every comic fan should own this monster of a volume. This is in the top tier of the art form. Hell, I would even recommend it to non-comic readers as long as they have an interest in mythology; this could very well be the book that converts them. This omnibus is packed with badass moment after badass moment. Here are some of the badassest:
- Beta Ray Bill lifts Mjolnir
- The funeral of the last viking
- Odin's sacrifice
- The Executioner's last laugh
- What do you call a 6'6" fighting-mad frog?
- Hela's curse
- And more!
December 19, 2017
The first issue of Thor I ever purchased was in 1983, from a bookstore in the mall, and it was issue #337. That just so happened to be the first issue after Walt Simonson took over the book.
Such sweet memories. My best friend in the fourth grade was obsessed with Thor. At that time I was a fledgling comic book illustrator and so was he. He was a better than me, and would produce page after page of Thor. One of Thor holding his hammer, another of Thor holding his hammer at slightly different angle, and some with Thor with his hammer in his belt loop, or maybe with his hammer in his other hand, you know, that sort of thing.
I moved away not long after, and it was at least a year later that I picked this issue up. My friend and I lost touch and there this was great joy I had in finally enjoying the same character – and I wasn’t able to share it with my friend. Soon, my sketchbooks were full of pictures of Thor and his hammer in all sorts of superhero stuff. Thor was my favorite hero within a couple of months of reading this title with this Simonson running the comic.
And the first year or so of the comic built up one of the most epic showdowns that I think had ever happened in comics at that time. I mean, it was so huge! Surtur, the great fire demon that was destined to destroy Asgard came. All the superheros on earth, the armies of Asgard, and the people of earth had to get involved in fighting Surtur’s demon hordes while Thor and his father stood up to Surtur himself on the rainbow bridge.
The Thor title built up to that over something like 15 issues. I read this in real time. Each month eagerly awaiting the next issue to see what would happen.
I ended up getting older and dropped the series at some point. Maybe another year after. I always intended on reading Simonson’s run in full at some point in life. Eventually. Then, when I got wind of this Omnibus coming out it seemed perfect timing.
Except, of course the price was ridiculous. Long story short, I didn’t realize that the going rate for this would actually go up after the initial run. I put it in my Amazon wish list and watched used copies only go up in value, at some point to around $300.
But I kept checking in. For YEARS I would check the price on this almost monthly, just seeing if it came down some.
Long story short, it did, somewhere around $99 around the time the last full trailer for the latest MCU movie (Thor: Ragnarok) was released.
The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) likes taking famous comic book runs and putting a version of them out into movies. I’d heard that the Thor movie was going to be a buddy-road-trip with Thor and the Hulk. I wasn’t expecting either Kirby’s Ragnarok storyline or Simonson’s to be adapted… but when I saw that image of Surtur about to be pounding on by the Hulk in trailer I nearly wet myself. They were at least going to do a version of this tale.
I enjoyed the movie, for whatever that’s worth.
In the end, I was fortunate enough to be reading this book right when the movie was released. The timing couldn’t have been better for me. I loved my stroll down memory lane, the storyline was not as epic upon reread as it was for me the first time, but there was years worth of material that I’d never seen before that I was able to read.
As it stands, while someone of a classic run, this is clearly still of the time (the 80’s!) that it written in. It was that transition period when Marvel was moving away from being for young readers and was trying to appeal to more of its adult aged fans. It wasn’t there yet, so plenty of the stories were odd. Like the plot line where Thor’s bones were made brittle and whenever he took a punch he would get something broken – he took the decidedly non-heroic tactic of running away when getting in over his head. A decidedly unThorlike way to behave. I mean, how many times has Spider-Man ended up fighting a hopeless fight when it would mean his certain doom? I dunno, maybe I didn’t read it right, but that sort of thing bothered me.
In all, great fun, and while not as great as some modern comics have become, I think this was a revolutionary run and worth reading.
Also - they recolored the original inks with modern coloring techniques. I really liked it. But it is NOT how it appeared in the original comics. I'm okay with that. Just be forewarned if you're a purist. If you are, I suppose the originals comics are available to read still, and other Thor collections have the unaltered coloring as well.
Oh, and another Also - I meant to talk about it some, but this was the largest Graphic Novel I've ever seen. It was nearly 1200 pages long. It took me months to read it all.
Such sweet memories. My best friend in the fourth grade was obsessed with Thor. At that time I was a fledgling comic book illustrator and so was he. He was a better than me, and would produce page after page of Thor. One of Thor holding his hammer, another of Thor holding his hammer at slightly different angle, and some with Thor with his hammer in his belt loop, or maybe with his hammer in his other hand, you know, that sort of thing.
I moved away not long after, and it was at least a year later that I picked this issue up. My friend and I lost touch and there this was great joy I had in finally enjoying the same character – and I wasn’t able to share it with my friend. Soon, my sketchbooks were full of pictures of Thor and his hammer in all sorts of superhero stuff. Thor was my favorite hero within a couple of months of reading this title with this Simonson running the comic.
And the first year or so of the comic built up one of the most epic showdowns that I think had ever happened in comics at that time. I mean, it was so huge! Surtur, the great fire demon that was destined to destroy Asgard came. All the superheros on earth, the armies of Asgard, and the people of earth had to get involved in fighting Surtur’s demon hordes while Thor and his father stood up to Surtur himself on the rainbow bridge.
The Thor title built up to that over something like 15 issues. I read this in real time. Each month eagerly awaiting the next issue to see what would happen.
I ended up getting older and dropped the series at some point. Maybe another year after. I always intended on reading Simonson’s run in full at some point in life. Eventually. Then, when I got wind of this Omnibus coming out it seemed perfect timing.
Except, of course the price was ridiculous. Long story short, I didn’t realize that the going rate for this would actually go up after the initial run. I put it in my Amazon wish list and watched used copies only go up in value, at some point to around $300.
But I kept checking in. For YEARS I would check the price on this almost monthly, just seeing if it came down some.
Long story short, it did, somewhere around $99 around the time the last full trailer for the latest MCU movie (Thor: Ragnarok) was released.
The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) likes taking famous comic book runs and putting a version of them out into movies. I’d heard that the Thor movie was going to be a buddy-road-trip with Thor and the Hulk. I wasn’t expecting either Kirby’s Ragnarok storyline or Simonson’s to be adapted… but when I saw that image of Surtur about to be pounding on by the Hulk in trailer I nearly wet myself. They were at least going to do a version of this tale.
I enjoyed the movie, for whatever that’s worth.
In the end, I was fortunate enough to be reading this book right when the movie was released. The timing couldn’t have been better for me. I loved my stroll down memory lane, the storyline was not as epic upon reread as it was for me the first time, but there was years worth of material that I’d never seen before that I was able to read.
As it stands, while someone of a classic run, this is clearly still of the time (the 80’s!) that it written in. It was that transition period when Marvel was moving away from being for young readers and was trying to appeal to more of its adult aged fans. It wasn’t there yet, so plenty of the stories were odd. Like the plot line where Thor’s bones were made brittle and whenever he took a punch he would get something broken – he took the decidedly non-heroic tactic of running away when getting in over his head. A decidedly unThorlike way to behave. I mean, how many times has Spider-Man ended up fighting a hopeless fight when it would mean his certain doom? I dunno, maybe I didn’t read it right, but that sort of thing bothered me.
In all, great fun, and while not as great as some modern comics have become, I think this was a revolutionary run and worth reading.
Also - they recolored the original inks with modern coloring techniques. I really liked it. But it is NOT how it appeared in the original comics. I'm okay with that. Just be forewarned if you're a purist. If you are, I suppose the originals comics are available to read still, and other Thor collections have the unaltered coloring as well.
Oh, and another Also - I meant to talk about it some, but this was the largest Graphic Novel I've ever seen. It was nearly 1200 pages long. It took me months to read it all.
October 4, 2011
Perhaps the biggest book I own.
I enjoyed this. It does not have the nuances or gritty realism of some modern stories but it is nevertheless enjoyable and well told. I agree with everyone that points out that the author is more interesting in writing about Thor the mythical Norse person than Thor the comic book hero. And it is well done.
I enjoyed this. It does not have the nuances or gritty realism of some modern stories but it is nevertheless enjoyable and well told. I agree with everyone that points out that the author is more interesting in writing about Thor the mythical Norse person than Thor the comic book hero. And it is well done.
March 7, 2020
What an epic run, with many great and iconic moments!
April 18, 2016
A stunning and captivating story of the legend and honour of Thor.
Simonson really outdid himself here. As this is the omnibus all the colours have been rehashed with clearer lines and bold colours which really brings the story to life.
The story starts fast with the introduction of the warrior Beta Ray Bill. The story does not let off with introductions of Surtur, Loki, the frost Giants, Kurse, Malekeith, Hela queen of Hel, the Midgard Serpent (destined to end Thor's life) and many many more.
It's none stop action as Thor gets battered and tortured throughout, never getting a moments respite and forever holding his honour.
There is also a fantastic mini series dedicated to Balder the brave, which is probably my favourite part of this book.
Overall this is a must read and is not let down in anyway or fashion despite being made decades ago.
Timeless.
Simonson really outdid himself here. As this is the omnibus all the colours have been rehashed with clearer lines and bold colours which really brings the story to life.
The story starts fast with the introduction of the warrior Beta Ray Bill. The story does not let off with introductions of Surtur, Loki, the frost Giants, Kurse, Malekeith, Hela queen of Hel, the Midgard Serpent (destined to end Thor's life) and many many more.
It's none stop action as Thor gets battered and tortured throughout, never getting a moments respite and forever holding his honour.
There is also a fantastic mini series dedicated to Balder the brave, which is probably my favourite part of this book.
Overall this is a must read and is not let down in anyway or fashion despite being made decades ago.
Timeless.
January 12, 2020
Hear me out, MCU. Zac Efron as Balder the Brave....
March 10, 2019
It is a well founded collective opinion that Walter Simonson's run on Thor (which covered issues 337-355,357-369, 371-382, Balder The Brave 1-4) is the definitive one for the character. Simonson's knowledge and understanding of Norse mythology shines through his tight plotting and world creating.
Writing: Let's address the elephant in the room first. These comics were written and published in the 80s and dialogue reflects that. Characters tell what they do as they are doing it and vocally express their thoughts out loud. For me it didn't bother me as I contextualise what I read.
Diluted Shakespearean speaches of Asgardians fit nicely to their place in the (Marvel) world. Simonson nails the characters perfectly and writes pretty memorable and loveable cast of side characters such as Beta Ray Bill, Balder and Volstagg to name a few. Nobody speaks or acts out of character although I can't speak for the cameos from other Marvel franchises such as X-Men and X-Factor.
When it comes to the plot, the whole run can be split into two as Surtr Saga and its Aftermath. There are many one or two issue long arcs but they all contain to some extent a part of the big story. Which is the aspect I loved most about this run. With every passing issue you can see the effects of the previous arcs taking an important role. And of course Frog Thor.
Art: Simonson's art is just simply gorgeous. (By extent so is Sal Buscema's, who mimics the art style of Simonsons near perfectly). It's not realistic nor edgy. It's a mix between Jack Kirby's bold, vivid and powerful art and Steve Ditko's leaner and haunting art, in my opinion. This omnibus is newly colored which looks expressive and vibrant.
Synopsis: Come for the Thor, stay for the loveable and accurate characterisations and stories filled with mythos, heartfelt relationships and beatiful art. The definitive run, which all other runs try to measure up to.
You may as well call Simonson, "Mímir".
(P.S. only downside I can find with this book is the binding. It is prone to falling apart but that can be up to personal luck.)
Writing: Let's address the elephant in the room first. These comics were written and published in the 80s and dialogue reflects that. Characters tell what they do as they are doing it and vocally express their thoughts out loud. For me it didn't bother me as I contextualise what I read.
Diluted Shakespearean speaches of Asgardians fit nicely to their place in the (Marvel) world. Simonson nails the characters perfectly and writes pretty memorable and loveable cast of side characters such as Beta Ray Bill, Balder and Volstagg to name a few. Nobody speaks or acts out of character although I can't speak for the cameos from other Marvel franchises such as X-Men and X-Factor.
When it comes to the plot, the whole run can be split into two as Surtr Saga and its Aftermath. There are many one or two issue long arcs but they all contain to some extent a part of the big story. Which is the aspect I loved most about this run. With every passing issue you can see the effects of the previous arcs taking an important role. And of course Frog Thor.
Art: Simonson's art is just simply gorgeous. (By extent so is Sal Buscema's, who mimics the art style of Simonsons near perfectly). It's not realistic nor edgy. It's a mix between Jack Kirby's bold, vivid and powerful art and Steve Ditko's leaner and haunting art, in my opinion. This omnibus is newly colored which looks expressive and vibrant.
Synopsis: Come for the Thor, stay for the loveable and accurate characterisations and stories filled with mythos, heartfelt relationships and beatiful art. The definitive run, which all other runs try to measure up to.
You may as well call Simonson, "Mímir".
(P.S. only downside I can find with this book is the binding. It is prone to falling apart but that can be up to personal luck.)
October 23, 2022
At long last, it's finished!
Granted I've been reading a lot of other books at the same time, but it's still kind of embarrassing to take more than a year to finish even such a big comic omnibus.
Also, I know what you're thinking: "How dare you give this run anything less than five stars?" Okay, just hear me out...
Simonson is a fantastic writer and artist, and Sal Buscema's art is perhaps even better than Walt's. I really appreciated everything these creators introduced, such as Beta Ray Bill, Surtur smithing his new sword, Frog Thor, the cool armor that Thor wears toward the end of this run, the double-sized final issue itself, and probably many more things I'm forgetting. Trust me, there's nothing wrong with these stories per se.
So, why did I dock a star? Well, I guess entire arcs that take place largely on Asgard just aren't really my thing. I like Thor a lot as a character, but I guess I just prefer his adventures (whether solo or with the Avengers) to be either earthbound or cosmic.
I don't have any issue with understanding most of the Shakespeare-esque English used by all of the Asgardian characters, but I don't really need it either. I prefer when Thor is the only one who talks like that, because it sets him aside and makes him unique. I like it when he seems like a fish out of water. Also, many of the other Asgardians just aren't that interesting to me, even if they're written and drawn very well.
So, that's about it. Aside from my complaints, this is a great run. Is it the greatest Thor run of all time, as many have claimed? I dunno, I'll let you all know what I think when I've read some other complete runs of the character. I warn you, though - I'm a big fan of the Silver Age...
Granted I've been reading a lot of other books at the same time, but it's still kind of embarrassing to take more than a year to finish even such a big comic omnibus.
Also, I know what you're thinking: "How dare you give this run anything less than five stars?" Okay, just hear me out...
Simonson is a fantastic writer and artist, and Sal Buscema's art is perhaps even better than Walt's. I really appreciated everything these creators introduced, such as Beta Ray Bill, Surtur smithing his new sword, Frog Thor, the cool armor that Thor wears toward the end of this run, the double-sized final issue itself, and probably many more things I'm forgetting. Trust me, there's nothing wrong with these stories per se.
So, why did I dock a star? Well, I guess entire arcs that take place largely on Asgard just aren't really my thing. I like Thor a lot as a character, but I guess I just prefer his adventures (whether solo or with the Avengers) to be either earthbound or cosmic.
I don't have any issue with understanding most of the Shakespeare-esque English used by all of the Asgardian characters, but I don't really need it either. I prefer when Thor is the only one who talks like that, because it sets him aside and makes him unique. I like it when he seems like a fish out of water. Also, many of the other Asgardians just aren't that interesting to me, even if they're written and drawn very well.
So, that's about it. Aside from my complaints, this is a great run. Is it the greatest Thor run of all time, as many have claimed? I dunno, I'll let you all know what I think when I've read some other complete runs of the character. I warn you, though - I'm a big fan of the Silver Age...
July 14, 2019
Great read that ends up being more than the sum of its parts. When taking the reins of Thor, Simonson opted to go against the norms of the time and both wrote one continuous long form story and made Thor more Norse god and less superhero.
Throughout this behemoth collection, the build up and plot juggling undertaken is effective, particularly in the culmination of Act I with Surtur and the final arc which brings everything nicely to a close. Unfortunately, a portion of Act II is hurt by crossovers, narrative spinning wheels, and weaker art as Buscema's framing and backgrounds are particularly lacking when compared to the vibrant world conjured by Simonson's art. Still, the occasional weaker arc did not hurt the overall whole.
Additionally, the decision to tie Thor more closely to his Norse roots was a highly effective one--the Asgard plots are so much better than the Midgard ones as a rule--and the book reads as much like mythology as a Marvel comic... which brings me to the one thing that really bothered me: the treatment of its female characters. I honestly could not tell if this was to make the book more authentic to myths or just a byproduct of the 80s. The many women of this book are almost all motivated by one single factor- men. Nothing else matters but catching a man. It becomes a bit much. Hela's arc ends up as the one exception to this and her quest to avenge hurt pride ends up being a more refreshing motivator than it otherwise would.
Despite this, the triumphs of the storytelling on display here outweighs the awkwardness of the handful of flaws when taken as a whole 1,200 page collection. Well worth a read for Thor fans or comics historians.
Throughout this behemoth collection, the build up and plot juggling undertaken is effective, particularly in the culmination of Act I with Surtur and the final arc which brings everything nicely to a close. Unfortunately, a portion of Act II is hurt by crossovers, narrative spinning wheels, and weaker art as Buscema's framing and backgrounds are particularly lacking when compared to the vibrant world conjured by Simonson's art. Still, the occasional weaker arc did not hurt the overall whole.
Additionally, the decision to tie Thor more closely to his Norse roots was a highly effective one--the Asgard plots are so much better than the Midgard ones as a rule--and the book reads as much like mythology as a Marvel comic... which brings me to the one thing that really bothered me: the treatment of its female characters. I honestly could not tell if this was to make the book more authentic to myths or just a byproduct of the 80s. The many women of this book are almost all motivated by one single factor- men. Nothing else matters but catching a man. It becomes a bit much. Hela's arc ends up as the one exception to this and her quest to avenge hurt pride ends up being a more refreshing motivator than it otherwise would.
Despite this, the triumphs of the storytelling on display here outweighs the awkwardness of the handful of flaws when taken as a whole 1,200 page collection. Well worth a read for Thor fans or comics historians.
May 21, 2021
Hay autores que parecen haber nacido para escribir o dibujar a un personaje o cómic.
Claremont con los X-Men, Jim Lee con Batman, Tyirion con Mr. Miracle pero si hay uno que se volvió legendario fue Simonson que transformó todo el mythos y fue un cambio total para el personaje.
Este omnibus es una cátedra de inicio a fin. Lo más cercano es lo que Kirby dejó inconcluso con Fourth World, para que puedan tener una idea de la magnitud de la obra.
5/5
Claremont con los X-Men, Jim Lee con Batman, Tyirion con Mr. Miracle pero si hay uno que se volvió legendario fue Simonson que transformó todo el mythos y fue un cambio total para el personaje.
Este omnibus es una cátedra de inicio a fin. Lo más cercano es lo que Kirby dejó inconcluso con Fourth World, para que puedan tener una idea de la magnitud de la obra.
5/5
January 6, 2015
Thor has always been one of my favorite comic book characters, and I would say this collected run was the definitive story arc involving Thor. It introduced new characters and new villains to the 'pantheon' of Thor, it introduced storylines that changed the way Thor was viewed, it shook up 'Thor's World' because here, for the first time, another person/character other than Thor or Odin was able to wield Mjollnir.
I love this series. I love this run. For the most part, I do like what they have done with the artwork [recoloring it for this edition]. It has a flow that makes it hard to put down or set aside for the more mundane tasks of daily life. This storyline is a saga,an epic, and I truly enjoyed re-reading it again after so many years.
It truly was a hero's journey, as Thor faces many trials and tribulations throughout the course of this arc. He has to battle for the right to continue to wield his magic hammer; he faces another version of Ragnorak and the [potential] death of all that; he is forced to deal with the loss of his father Odin as well as the destruction of Asgarde; he must contend with his brother's schemes to take the throne of Asgarde as well as continual baiting of Thor; he travels to Hel and back to free innocent souls bound by Hela and Malekith. It is a wonderful mix of Norse mythology, science fiction, romance, horror, mystery, alien beings, physics, betrayal, life, death, heroes, villains, frogs, rats, mutants, love, humor, and continuing to press on. It even has a humorous spoof of Judge Dredd [in my opinion].
This will probably me one of my shorter reviews, but I truly did savor the reading of this tome. It brought back many fond memories of my reading this series. I had quit reading comics for a bit and when I started back up, I had started collecting Rom around the time this series was in full swing. So I was shocked to see a character with Thor's powers and abilities [including a hammer] yet was obviously an alien. This was my re-introduction to Thor and the 'new' mythology written about this Norse demigod. Needless to say, I never looked back once I started re-reading Thor.
This storyline was amazing. There was Beta-Ray Bill battling Thor and actually wielding Mjollnir. Thor and Bill battling to the 'death' over who would continue to wield the hammer. Bill asking Odin for help. Loki battling Surtur when all others were momentarily incapacitated. Loki, Thor, and Odin battling Surtur for the fate of the universe. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and 101st Airborne battling Surtur's forces alongside the Asgardian armies. Thor traveling to Hel and back to free those enslaved by Malekith. The introduction of Malekith and the Casket of Winters. Scourge. Scourge holding Gallenbru. Hela exacting her revenge on Thor by removing Thor's ability to die. Thor trying to press on despite his cursed broken bones never mending. His having to create a new suit of armor so that he could continue to function. Thor versus the Destroyer! The Destroyer destroying Hela's realm. Thor saving Loki's life. The classic issue of Thor battling Jormungand! Sif teaching Bill how to be 'human' and helping Bill regain his lost 'humanity' after having protected his people for so long. Thor and Superman bumping into each other in a SHIELD office building in NYC. I wish it could have gone on for twice as long as it did.
I think other authors have tried to reach the same scope, majesty, and sense of saga as this series in their stories about Thor, but few of them ever reach the heights of this series. It truly set a new standard of story-telling for this particular Norseman.
I love this series. I love this run. For the most part, I do like what they have done with the artwork [recoloring it for this edition]. It has a flow that makes it hard to put down or set aside for the more mundane tasks of daily life. This storyline is a saga,an epic, and I truly enjoyed re-reading it again after so many years.
It truly was a hero's journey, as Thor faces many trials and tribulations throughout the course of this arc. He has to battle for the right to continue to wield his magic hammer; he faces another version of Ragnorak and the [potential] death of all that; he is forced to deal with the loss of his father Odin as well as the destruction of Asgarde; he must contend with his brother's schemes to take the throne of Asgarde as well as continual baiting of Thor; he travels to Hel and back to free innocent souls bound by Hela and Malekith. It is a wonderful mix of Norse mythology, science fiction, romance, horror, mystery, alien beings, physics, betrayal, life, death, heroes, villains, frogs, rats, mutants, love, humor, and continuing to press on. It even has a humorous spoof of Judge Dredd [in my opinion].
This will probably me one of my shorter reviews, but I truly did savor the reading of this tome. It brought back many fond memories of my reading this series. I had quit reading comics for a bit and when I started back up, I had started collecting Rom around the time this series was in full swing. So I was shocked to see a character with Thor's powers and abilities [including a hammer] yet was obviously an alien. This was my re-introduction to Thor and the 'new' mythology written about this Norse demigod. Needless to say, I never looked back once I started re-reading Thor.
This storyline was amazing. There was Beta-Ray Bill battling Thor and actually wielding Mjollnir. Thor and Bill battling to the 'death' over who would continue to wield the hammer. Bill asking Odin for help. Loki battling Surtur when all others were momentarily incapacitated. Loki, Thor, and Odin battling Surtur for the fate of the universe. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and 101st Airborne battling Surtur's forces alongside the Asgardian armies. Thor traveling to Hel and back to free those enslaved by Malekith. The introduction of Malekith and the Casket of Winters. Scourge. Scourge holding Gallenbru. Hela exacting her revenge on Thor by removing Thor's ability to die. Thor trying to press on despite his cursed broken bones never mending. His having to create a new suit of armor so that he could continue to function. Thor versus the Destroyer! The Destroyer destroying Hela's realm. Thor saving Loki's life. The classic issue of Thor battling Jormungand! Sif teaching Bill how to be 'human' and helping Bill regain his lost 'humanity' after having protected his people for so long. Thor and Superman bumping into each other in a SHIELD office building in NYC. I wish it could have gone on for twice as long as it did.
I think other authors have tried to reach the same scope, majesty, and sense of saga as this series in their stories about Thor, but few of them ever reach the heights of this series. It truly set a new standard of story-telling for this particular Norseman.
October 12, 2014
I'm glad I got this entire run in omnibus form. A collection of this grandeur should be collected in a form that's as heavy as Mjolnir itself. I'm also glad I got this version because every issue has the glorious recolouring that makes the stories very vibrant.
The art is definitely one of the main reasons you should pick this up. Simonson's style is perfect for Thor. Sometimes I just stared at one page for ages, the art just makes the stories feel larger than life. There were multiple times where I would just flip back to early issues, to soak in the art again.
That brings me to the only downside of this book: Simonson's need for exposition and explaining everything. The art is so powerful, but Simonson insists on drowning the page in text where it's not needed. It's still very old school in that fashion, but these arcs would've been even better if the art got more room to breathe. There are some instances where he does let the art speak for itself, like in the now classic #380.
Even though Simonson's writing itself isn't the best, his ideas are offbeat, creative and inject every issue with life. I can imagine Thor fans were surprised by some of the issues here, but in the best way possible. The Beta Ray Bill arc starts the run of perfectly, and he keeps going from there. I love how in a lot of ways, these 1100 pages tell one giant story. In the last issues, events from the first half still have consequences and repercussions. Simonson also plants seeds for future arcs early on, and then revisits them. There are no loose ends here, you'll get a full and satisfying story by the time you're done. Which will take a while, this is one gigantic book.
It's not surprising to see this run have a huge impact on the series and comics in general. Stellar art, ambitious stories, long arcs with real consequences, ... Simonson earned a lot of respect by writing ánd drawing most of this epic run. Buscema took over the art later, and sometimes you can't tell the difference.
This was my introduction to Thor, and I couldn't have asked for a better way.
The art is definitely one of the main reasons you should pick this up. Simonson's style is perfect for Thor. Sometimes I just stared at one page for ages, the art just makes the stories feel larger than life. There were multiple times where I would just flip back to early issues, to soak in the art again.
That brings me to the only downside of this book: Simonson's need for exposition and explaining everything. The art is so powerful, but Simonson insists on drowning the page in text where it's not needed. It's still very old school in that fashion, but these arcs would've been even better if the art got more room to breathe. There are some instances where he does let the art speak for itself, like in the now classic #380.
Even though Simonson's writing itself isn't the best, his ideas are offbeat, creative and inject every issue with life. I can imagine Thor fans were surprised by some of the issues here, but in the best way possible. The Beta Ray Bill arc starts the run of perfectly, and he keeps going from there. I love how in a lot of ways, these 1100 pages tell one giant story. In the last issues, events from the first half still have consequences and repercussions. Simonson also plants seeds for future arcs early on, and then revisits them. There are no loose ends here, you'll get a full and satisfying story by the time you're done. Which will take a while, this is one gigantic book.
It's not surprising to see this run have a huge impact on the series and comics in general. Stellar art, ambitious stories, long arcs with real consequences, ... Simonson earned a lot of respect by writing ánd drawing most of this epic run. Buscema took over the art later, and sometimes you can't tell the difference.
This was my introduction to Thor, and I couldn't have asked for a better way.
April 14, 2016
Oh man.. 1100 plus pages later and I've finally finished the comprehensive history of Thor. Covering almost every major storyline of his existence (Ragnarok, Thor Frog of Thunder, Beta Ray Bill, and the Midguard Serpent stuff) I feel like I am far more familiar with Thor than I am of my own children.
Art: Simonson handles about half of the issues, then it shifts over to Buscema. Both handle the duties very well... I wouldn't say I love the art but for early 80s Marvel comics, it's well done. The colors are great and the lettering is fantastic. If you're a fan of Simonson or Buscema, you won't be disappointed.
Book quality: Big, heavy and well bound. No issues here other than I eventually took off the dust cover while reading it as it's just too big to manage both.
Writing: This is where the book shined. From the very first issue, it's clear that Simonson has an idea as to what he's doing. I never felt that he was spitballing ideas or just 'rolling with it' (minus the enjoyable Frog of Thunder interlude). He had a clear, well thought out plan that spans characters across dozens of issues. While this may be commonplace nowadays, back when this was done it was almost unheard of. I knew that every character introduced, no matter how (seemingly) random, they would eventually play a role later in the book. Major kudos to Simonson for laying the groundwork and then following through with it. Also, bonus points to Jim Shooter and the editors over at Marvel allowing Simonson to execute.
Extras: There are some nice alternate covers in the back, a few sketches / early versions of panels. Typical Marvel Omnibus stuff.. not needed but a nice touch.
So, why am I giving this seemingly awesome Omnibus only four stars? Simply put, I really don't care so much about Thor and his fellow Asgardians . Thanks to this book (and Jason Aaron's superb OHCs) I now care more about them than before.. enough to compel me to read Straczynski's Thor but not enough to transform me into a Thorhead.
Art: Simonson handles about half of the issues, then it shifts over to Buscema. Both handle the duties very well... I wouldn't say I love the art but for early 80s Marvel comics, it's well done. The colors are great and the lettering is fantastic. If you're a fan of Simonson or Buscema, you won't be disappointed.
Book quality: Big, heavy and well bound. No issues here other than I eventually took off the dust cover while reading it as it's just too big to manage both.
Writing: This is where the book shined. From the very first issue, it's clear that Simonson has an idea as to what he's doing. I never felt that he was spitballing ideas or just 'rolling with it' (minus the enjoyable Frog of Thunder interlude). He had a clear, well thought out plan that spans characters across dozens of issues. While this may be commonplace nowadays, back when this was done it was almost unheard of. I knew that every character introduced, no matter how (seemingly) random, they would eventually play a role later in the book. Major kudos to Simonson for laying the groundwork and then following through with it. Also, bonus points to Jim Shooter and the editors over at Marvel allowing Simonson to execute.
Extras: There are some nice alternate covers in the back, a few sketches / early versions of panels. Typical Marvel Omnibus stuff.. not needed but a nice touch.
So, why am I giving this seemingly awesome Omnibus only four stars? Simply put, I really don't care so much about Thor and his fellow Asgardians . Thanks to this book (and Jason Aaron's superb OHCs) I now care more about them than before.. enough to compel me to read Straczynski's Thor but not enough to transform me into a Thorhead.
August 15, 2011
If you know any long time comic fans they can tell you that there are some runs of a comic that are seem dated and a fun read when they come out but after you read it they just put it away. Or there are some runs that are classic and stick with you long after you read it. And then there is the third kind that not only stays with you but like a fine whiskey gets better with age with each read.
The third kind describes Walt Simonson's Thor Omnibus.
I was lucky enough to have read his run on The Mighty Thor when it first came out in the eighties. Having read it the Omnibus it just was even better than when I first read all those years ago.
Walt's writing(and art)is what makes his 4 year run on the book to be what many fans consider one the best runs since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's. When reading his story you can feel not only the love of the character but of the mythology of not only the Marvel Universe but of Norse Mythology.
Walt's classic run gave us Beta Ray Bill, the Fall of Odin, Balder The Braves classic tale of sorrow and redemption. And who can forget Thor Frog(yes I said Thor Frog)?
Along with Walt's superb writing there is also his superb art that brings each page alive with a life of it's own. You feel with his portrayel of Asgard and the other mytholical realms that he wasn't so much making up but drawing from some place real. And lets not forget another artist who helped with the art chores, Sal Buscema who art on several of the issues of Mighty Thor and Balder The Brave limited series(which is is included in this volume) was just as amazing as Walt's.
If your a fan of Thor's and have not read this incredible 4 year run then you need to pick up this Omnibus. It has everything you would expect from great comics, brilliant writing and amazing art.
The third kind describes Walt Simonson's Thor Omnibus.
I was lucky enough to have read his run on The Mighty Thor when it first came out in the eighties. Having read it the Omnibus it just was even better than when I first read all those years ago.
Walt's writing(and art)is what makes his 4 year run on the book to be what many fans consider one the best runs since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's. When reading his story you can feel not only the love of the character but of the mythology of not only the Marvel Universe but of Norse Mythology.
Walt's classic run gave us Beta Ray Bill, the Fall of Odin, Balder The Braves classic tale of sorrow and redemption. And who can forget Thor Frog(yes I said Thor Frog)?
Along with Walt's superb writing there is also his superb art that brings each page alive with a life of it's own. You feel with his portrayel of Asgard and the other mytholical realms that he wasn't so much making up but drawing from some place real. And lets not forget another artist who helped with the art chores, Sal Buscema who art on several of the issues of Mighty Thor and Balder The Brave limited series(which is is included in this volume) was just as amazing as Walt's.
If your a fan of Thor's and have not read this incredible 4 year run then you need to pick up this Omnibus. It has everything you would expect from great comics, brilliant writing and amazing art.
October 4, 2011
Yes, this is a collection of comic books. But it should be read as a novel. The character development, suspense, and surprises certainly rival most best-sellers. The scope of the stories is grand and beautiful as Thor deals with menaces ranging from street thugs to an ancient demon destined to destroy the nine realms. I try to describe tales like this without using the sadly overused term "epic," so I'll just say that the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack (by Basil Poledouris) ran through my head during much of it.
The art is quite good. Most of the book is illustrated by Simonson, with Sal Buscema gradually taking over throughout the second half. Their styles are similar enough that the story continues to flow very smoothly even when the art chores are switching back and forth. The new coloration is beautiful and maintains an old school feel.
My only complaint is that the first two thirds of the collection are so tightly knit and superb that for a short while the stories feel a bit more episodic and disjointed. However, the last several issues pick up the continuity and conclude various seeds sown throughout the earlier portions of the book.
I have never been a Thor fan, but Walt Simonson took full advantage of his long run and wove a tale worthy of a Norse god turned superhero. Recommended to anyone whose mind is open to comicbooks/graphic novels, and a must to anyone who enjoys comics as a long form story rather than 22 page episodes.
And one final note: as I suppose many people might be, I was initially a bit put off by the thought of Thor as a frog. I must say that this segment fits very nicely into the overarching storyline and is really one of the highlights of the book.
The art is quite good. Most of the book is illustrated by Simonson, with Sal Buscema gradually taking over throughout the second half. Their styles are similar enough that the story continues to flow very smoothly even when the art chores are switching back and forth. The new coloration is beautiful and maintains an old school feel.
My only complaint is that the first two thirds of the collection are so tightly knit and superb that for a short while the stories feel a bit more episodic and disjointed. However, the last several issues pick up the continuity and conclude various seeds sown throughout the earlier portions of the book.
I have never been a Thor fan, but Walt Simonson took full advantage of his long run and wove a tale worthy of a Norse god turned superhero. Recommended to anyone whose mind is open to comicbooks/graphic novels, and a must to anyone who enjoys comics as a long form story rather than 22 page episodes.
And one final note: as I suppose many people might be, I was initially a bit put off by the thought of Thor as a frog. I must say that this segment fits very nicely into the overarching storyline and is really one of the highlights of the book.
November 17, 2017
Walter Simonson is a good writer but I find that he only rarely displays his skill. More often than not he writes far too much. There are plenty of moments in Thor when some dialogue or thought bubble could have been cut out and the images would have told the story better. It's worth remembering that the most fondly remembered scene from Simonson's run-He stood alone at Gallerbru-had much less dialogue than the average Thor story and, indeed, less than the rest of the issue.
The art is expressive and memorable but I found the action scenes lacking. It seemed to me that Simonson (who also did the art for much of his run) was more interested in capturing the sense of a fight scene than in choreographing one. So characters exchange blows and the winner is whichever character yells the loudest about how great they are, armies are colored blobs clashing into each other, Thor sometimes uses his powers and says he's really serious this time but the only visual indication is his speech bubble, and it just stopped being fun after the 15th issue. Then there are problems with layout (it's hard to tell at first glance the order in which speech bubbles are meant to be read) and occasional art errors.
Where Simonson's writing shines is in his side characters, but while these are interesting and enjoyable they don't have enough screen time and Thor himself is a rather dull. I finished the first arc, read #362 and then dropped it.
The art is expressive and memorable but I found the action scenes lacking. It seemed to me that Simonson (who also did the art for much of his run) was more interested in capturing the sense of a fight scene than in choreographing one. So characters exchange blows and the winner is whichever character yells the loudest about how great they are, armies are colored blobs clashing into each other, Thor sometimes uses his powers and says he's really serious this time but the only visual indication is his speech bubble, and it just stopped being fun after the 15th issue. Then there are problems with layout (it's hard to tell at first glance the order in which speech bubbles are meant to be read) and occasional art errors.
Where Simonson's writing shines is in his side characters, but while these are interesting and enjoyable they don't have enough screen time and Thor himself is a rather dull. I finished the first arc, read #362 and then dropped it.
February 29, 2016
After listening to Rachel Edidin and Miles Stokes wax rhapsodic about this run time after time, I finally checked out the five part TPBs from the library late last year. I have very little experience with Thor and the Asgardian universe outside what I know from the movies, so this was my first real exposure to them.
I really, really enjoyed these. Simonson takes a character and a setting that could easily be pretty ridiculous and crafts tales of wonder that are truly epic in scope. There is textbook heroism and villainy. There is humor, pathos, action, adventure and immense satisfaction. The story spreads across dozens of issues. The action goes from the splendors of Asgard to the streets of New York City to the farthest reaches of space and back again. There's Beta Ray Bill, the noble warrior with the monster's face. There's tremendous ass-kicking by Sif and Skurge the Executioner. And Thor turns into a freaking frog.
I will admit that I got a bit bogged down in some of the denser exposition, but coming back to it after a day or two was easy.
Though I know very little about actual Norse mythology, I get the sense that this stuff comes pretty close. Though these are comic books, these are not superhero stories. Thor is a legend, and Walt Simonson has a pretty good claim to being one, too.
I really, really enjoyed these. Simonson takes a character and a setting that could easily be pretty ridiculous and crafts tales of wonder that are truly epic in scope. There is textbook heroism and villainy. There is humor, pathos, action, adventure and immense satisfaction. The story spreads across dozens of issues. The action goes from the splendors of Asgard to the streets of New York City to the farthest reaches of space and back again. There's Beta Ray Bill, the noble warrior with the monster's face. There's tremendous ass-kicking by Sif and Skurge the Executioner. And Thor turns into a freaking frog.
I will admit that I got a bit bogged down in some of the denser exposition, but coming back to it after a day or two was easy.
Though I know very little about actual Norse mythology, I get the sense that this stuff comes pretty close. Though these are comic books, these are not superhero stories. Thor is a legend, and Walt Simonson has a pretty good claim to being one, too.
April 6, 2020
3.25-3.5 stars. This is so hard to rate as there is so much here. Many adventures to be had here. Would have finished this sooner but I missed a weekend which is where I do the bulk of my reading. Anyway this is one that I have wanted to read for a few years now. Different videos I watch or people I have talked to all point to “Hey you need to check out Walt Simonsons run on Thor”. Feels good to finally have read it.
Good: Several fun adventures in this massive book. I like more than I didn’t. Some of my favs were the early battle with Malekith, the journey into Hel to free those souls and the battle to get back out. I loved the frog story where they were at war with the rats. Shout out to Ratso and Southside. Lmao!! The introduction of Beta Ray Bill and several others. Some entertaining stuff.
Bad: the old 70s-80s writing techniques. A lot of monologuing and over explaining things. Characters talking like no one ever talks just to explain things to the reader. Omg!! This made some of the issues a chore to get through.
But overall, yeah I liked more than I disliked. And if you are a fan of Marvel comics and/or Thor, I’d definitely say this is worth reading.
Good: Several fun adventures in this massive book. I like more than I didn’t. Some of my favs were the early battle with Malekith, the journey into Hel to free those souls and the battle to get back out. I loved the frog story where they were at war with the rats. Shout out to Ratso and Southside. Lmao!! The introduction of Beta Ray Bill and several others. Some entertaining stuff.
Bad: the old 70s-80s writing techniques. A lot of monologuing and over explaining things. Characters talking like no one ever talks just to explain things to the reader. Omg!! This made some of the issues a chore to get through.
But overall, yeah I liked more than I disliked. And if you are a fan of Marvel comics and/or Thor, I’d definitely say this is worth reading.
December 28, 2017
I can only echo the other five star reviews in saying that this omnibus is not only essential for anyone wanting a solid footing in the world of Thor comics, but it is also quite a ride!
This volume includes many things that even non-Thor fans have probably heard of. We get Frog Thor, Malekith, The origin of Beta Ray Bill, the Casket of Eternal Winters, Surtur and his sword Twilight, Hela, Destroyer Thor, jormungand, Loki, and so much more. Not only did Walter Simonson write some of Thor's greatest adventures, but his writing (and the art) is so epic that you might forget that you are reading a comic and think that you are reading about Norse myths!
If you are a Thor fan then you have likely already read this and should probably re-read it. If you want to know more about Thor then this is a great place to start. If you don't care about Thor either way but just love comics, then this is still an excellent volume to read. And, even if you don't read comics at all, pick up this omnibus and maybe you will become a fan.
This volume includes many things that even non-Thor fans have probably heard of. We get Frog Thor, Malekith, The origin of Beta Ray Bill, the Casket of Eternal Winters, Surtur and his sword Twilight, Hela, Destroyer Thor, jormungand, Loki, and so much more. Not only did Walter Simonson write some of Thor's greatest adventures, but his writing (and the art) is so epic that you might forget that you are reading a comic and think that you are reading about Norse myths!
If you are a Thor fan then you have likely already read this and should probably re-read it. If you want to know more about Thor then this is a great place to start. If you don't care about Thor either way but just love comics, then this is still an excellent volume to read. And, even if you don't read comics at all, pick up this omnibus and maybe you will become a fan.
July 8, 2013
Signori e signore, qui siamo di fronte ad un vero capolavoro del fumetto. Molto più degli stracitati "WATCHMEN" o "THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS", perché è semplice avere carta bianca e inventare tutto da zero o quasi in una mini di 12 (o di 4) che faranno storia a sè. Molto più difficile è prendere una serie mensile e portarla avanti per anni con storie veramente belle e disegni ottimi come ha fatto Walt Simonson negli anni 80. Insieme al Devil di Frank Miller ed agli X-Men di Claremont-Byrne questo è il vero capolavoro degli ani 80.
Anche quando Simonson cede i disegni a Sal Buscema (matite)e Geoff Isherwood (chine) la parte grafica resta molto buona. Ne risentono giusto i rumori onomatopeici, in cui Walt è maestro.
Anche quando Simonson cede i disegni a Sal Buscema (matite)e Geoff Isherwood (chine) la parte grafica resta molto buona. Ne risentono giusto i rumori onomatopeici, in cui Walt è maestro.
October 13, 2020
The first half to two-thirds of this are excellent: Beta Ray Bill, Surtur's effort to bring about Ragnarok (much better than the MCU version), and the last stand of the Executioner are all really solid action adventure epics, and Thor-as-a-Frog is a great palate cleanser change of pace.
Things after that are not quite at the same standard, either in terms of art or story. It's still pretty good, mind you; especially the couple of issues revolving around the Midgard Serpent, and the concept behind Hela's plot against Thor is a neat idea, but there's more 'routine comics stuff' going on.
Things after that are not quite at the same standard, either in terms of art or story. It's still pretty good, mind you; especially the couple of issues revolving around the Midgard Serpent, and the concept behind Hela's plot against Thor is a neat idea, but there's more 'routine comics stuff' going on.
April 4, 2016
The book is rather large - great for dropping on the heads of spiders or aggravating boyfriends... The artwork is excellent, although I have seen better colouring (sorry). It is kind of nice to see the earlier Thor comics, which makes this book a must-have for any fans. I also like the moments of humor. Overall, I would rate the collection a solid 4.8. Now I must find a safe place to put such a large book, lest certain people start getting ideas.
October 25, 2017
"Walter Simonson’s time as the writer on The Mighty Thor lasted from 1983 to 1987 and his is widely considered one of the all-time best collections of superhero stories."
Read the rest of Andrew's review on the library's blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...
Read the rest of Andrew's review on the library's blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...
June 22, 2019
Glad to have read this classic Thor run, Simonson uses alot of the old Mythology instead of your typical superhero tales, and i am glad because he knows his stuff. Beta Ray Bill, frog thor, Balder the Brave, this book has it. Even the by me some times must hated tie ins where pretty cool. This is a Marvel run that everybody should at least try.
September 23, 2011
Such a great story. I save reading this for when I become disillusioned with main stream comics. Always recharges my battery. Cartooning at it's best. Walt's storytelling is only topped by his beautiful and deceptively simple line-work.
February 1, 2013
Simonson's run on Marvel's Thor in the mid-'80s was groundbreaking and easily the best comics in the series, and this gorgeous, completely recolored hardcover is the best way to read them.
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