Sunday 16 February 2014

THE MIGHTY THOR COVER GALLERY - PART ONE...


Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I've always liked THOR.  Or, to be more precise, I liked the "star-kissed" DON BLAKE concept of Thor, as opposed to the "casual creation" of an all-wise ODIN version. When ODHAMS PRESS reprinted the early Thor tales in FANTASTIC in the 1960s, I was hooked; when MARVEL reprinted them in SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY in the '70s, I was hooked again.  So, in the '80s, I was ripe for a publication devoted solely to reprinting tales of the titanically-talented Thunder god in his own weekly title.  After all, how could it fail?

Well, for a start, how about messing up the colour every issue so that it's almost never in alignment with the line-art, resulting in a kaleidoscope of visual chaos and confusion?  Then why not cut the Thor content by half and add a strip that doesn't really fit the mood of the mag, like CAPTAIN AMERICA?  Yeah, that ought to do it!  It was almost a relief to see Thor and the X-MEN titles merge around four months later, because it resulted in a mag akin to the late, lamented Fantastic from 16 years before.  It's just a shame they didn't add IRON MAN to the mix and revive Fantastic's name and logo - I'd have been as happy as a pig in - well, I'm sure you catch my drift.

But you can't fault Marvel's intentions - it was a good idea, even if it never quite caught on.  So, here's the first part of a look-back at the covers from a time when Britain had its very own Thor mag.  Will we ever see such a thing again?  You never can tell, but let's hope they do it right next time - if there is one.  (Are you listening, PANINI?)

Anyway, feel entirely free to record your readers' reminiscences in the comments section, and don't forget to come back for part two.  You'd kick yourself if you missed it, so see you soon (hopefully).  Excelsior!









6 comments:

Unknown said...

Another 80's Marvel comic I wasn't aware of sadly as Thor is one of my favourite Marvel characters (Issue 7 of the UK version shown here was the first US Thor comic I recall picking up - still have it) so I assume these then were from the John Buscema era and not Kirby?

Kid said...

The first three were Kirby, McScotty, switching to Buscema with #4. Shame they couldn't have got the colour right and that it didn't last longer.

John Pitt said...

As I recall it would make you reach for some 3D specs only to find they didn't work . but you had to love them for trying! I was disappointed at the merger , I wanted both titles to succeed ( and improve ). You always knew what was coming next when comics announce , " GREAT NEWS! NEXT WEEK........ "

Kid said...

The merger was a shame in one way, JP, but at least it got rid of Captain America and Devil Dinosaur from the individual comics. They just didn't seem to fit in my opinion.

John Pitt said...

Cap I didn't mind , but I agree about DD!

Kid said...

I don't actually mind DD per se, JP, but he just didn't fit the comic.



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