Review by Lucy Braithwaite
The Tome: Immensely powerful and a warrior without peer, Thor is cast down to Midgard (Earth) by his father, the almighty Odin, to learn humility. Trapped in the frail mortal form of Dr. Donald Blake, when he strikes his cane upon the ground he is transformed into one of Marvel’s most powerful super heroes!
Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Thor brings together the very best tales from the character’s 60-year history, including some of his greatest and most pivotal moments.
Thine Review…
Have faith thou puzzled mortal! The veil shall soon be lifted!
Of all the books I could have taken from the shelves to read over winter, in fact, The Definitive Thor could easily have been the best. What better introduction to Thor than through Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Larry Lieber in 1962, with Journey Into Mystery #83? The art and drama grab you from the very beginning.
The Definitive Thor lives up to its name, reprinting some of the best of Thor over five decades. Despite the disparity of styles, as a book, I thought it flowed very well.
Along with the usual suspects, Loki, Odin etc, were some compelling characters I just wanted to read more of. Heimdal features strongly, as does my new favourite, Beta Ray Bill. A highlight for me was the rivalry between Sif and Lorelei.
My favourite in this collection? Thor #339, from 1984. I loved the blend of atmospheric art and writing by Walt Simonson.
Do not worry – this book does not disappoint on The Avengers action front, either! The Dan Jurgens and John Romita Jr story ‘In Search of Gods’ is included with The Mighty Thor #1, published in 1998.
The comics and covers are interspersed with creator bios, character bios and Nordic lore. A gem of a book to anyone familiar with Thor or new to his world. Available intact, but here at First Age Comics we’re offering it at a reduced price in the shop because I slightly dropped our copy (it’s as heavy as Mjolnir!). Thankfully, it’s still available new.
Enow!
Lucy Braithwaite
Lucy Braithwaite is co-owner of First Age Comics on Moor Lane, Lancaster | Find First Age on Facebook | Instagram | WhatNot
• Marvel Platinum Deluxe Edition: The Definitive Thor |First Published: July 2022 by Panini UK Ltd / Marvel | ISBN: 978-1804910030 | Collecting Journey into Mystery (1952) #83; The Mighty Thor (1966) #159, #200 and #337-339; The Mighty Thor (1998) #1-2 and 84-85; and Thor (2007) #3
• Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) | Buy it from Panini UK
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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