The masterwork of Thor Masterworks This particular volume really deserves the Masterworks designation. This is the point that Jack Kirby perfected his artistic style and where Stan Lee's writing was at its very peak. This volume contains Thor 141-152. The first two stories are standalone classics where Thor battles Replicus and then the Super Skrull. The remaining stories are a multi-part epic of Thor being stripped of his powers and battling the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, Loki, The Wrecker, the Destroyer, Hela, and Ulik all with Sif and Balder at his side and Odin still trying to teach Thor a little humility. This volume also contains the last of the Tales of Asgard series, but does not include The Inhumans shorts that were printed in some of these issues.
These super high quality stories can be better appreciated as an adult. Thor was always a character I didn't get as a child - until they started showing the Marvel Super Heroes cartoons on TV. That's what got me hooked on Thor. The Super Skrull issue was the first Thor I ever bought as a child after seeing the cartoons so this volume aroused old memories with every cover of every issue. Even then, but especially now, the continuing storyline of Thor powerless on Earth has got to be considered one of the best runs of Lee/Kirby Thor ever printed. And Kirby's art looks so good. We just don't see this kind if thing anymore. It truly is special and can never happen again. Yes, the inks don't reproduce so well in these Masterworks, but that only minimally diminishes things.
It's a definite buy with no reservations. I honestly doubt that modern kids will like it. If they do, you know you've got exceptionally bright and thoughtful kids. Baby boomers will love this one. You truly can appreciate the genius that was going on when Marvel was publishing these and their success in the industry is richly deserved. This book is the proof.
Some of the best art in the history of comics The art in this book is from Jack Kirby's cosmic period, he has absolutely at the height of his superhero illustrative powers, and was preparing the ground for his later more expressive, abstract work. His pencils are quintessential superhero comics, though. He is also mostly responsible for the plots, with Stan Lee providing his sometimes good, sometimes abysmal, sometimes funny, sometimes trite, but always hyperbolic dialogue. As Jack's art grew even more dynamic, Lee started to push to try to keep up, at times filling panels with so many dialogue balloons that the letterer cannot put them in a seriated order that makes sense.
Kirby's later solo work would achieve a literary quality that is missing from these comics, though the art is astounding. Unfortunately, plots do not flow well, and though Kirby is exploring interesting themes and concepts, he is hampered by Lee's overwriting, and his own inconsistent characterization and uneven plotting. Plots often have more splash than substance, at times bombastic without being though provoking, are held together with only a thread of logical storytelling, are not always well paced, and are full of contrivances and flat climaxes.
Kirby explores interesting themes, though: what happens to a god when he loses his godhood? How does he live? What does he do for work? Kirby creates a bioverse, and Ego the Living Planet, taking the reader on an Asimovian through Ego's body. He shows us a battle between the Trolls and Asgard, exploring themes of power, justice, abuse, coersion, honor, loyalty, betrayal. All interesting stuff, beautifully rendered, but plots are full of holes. This group of stories also feature the degradation of the character of Lady Sif, who had started off as a strong, norse goddess, an amazon warrior, but becomes a simpering, whining, hand wringing, stereotypical fearful female waiting to be captured and held hostage.
The gender stereotypes, and lack of female characters, in these stories is hard to stomach. There are no other goddesses in Kirby and Lee's Asgard, no other females in Asgard at all, no Valkeries, no Freya.
But, my word, the art - Kirby's figures leap out of the page, and at the same time pages have great depth. The reader can feel the a hand right next to his face, and behind it see light years in the distance. Kirby's rendition of space and the bioverse are some of the most beautiful drawings of the cosmos you may ever see. His action scenes flow perfectly from panel to panel. Read a page, then go back and look at the page as one continuous flow of action - it's amazing.
Of course, it must be said that you are really not seeing Kirby's pencils in the Masterworks series, but rather tracings of them done by other artists. Marvel no longer has the original art, nor good stats. Instead, they hire artists who specialize in "reconstructing" art, redraw everything off the old comics.
But, if you're not a millionaire and can afford the original comic books, and you want to read these comics in color, the Masterworks series is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do it. And even traced, the Kirby magic shows through. Too bad Marvel can't be honest and forthcoming about their process, though. Marvel has not had a tradition of corporate responsibility, and unfortunately, that still holds true today. If that sort of thing bothers you, then you may want to look for these used.
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 6 collecting all the masterworks some are very hard to find, it is nice to know i can come to amazon to find the missing ones, this is a wonderful book and series worth collecting for reading or saving for your kids which is what i intend to do.
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