Al Hartley

Like the other early iterations of the now classic Marvel superheroes, this volume of Thor’s early adventures is a mixed bag. For the most part, the stories rely on the conflict between Thor and his evil half-brother, Loki, who, while imprisoned in Asgard, has the ability to cause problems with his magic. Some of these stories are inspired; others, like the one where Thor gets knocked in the head in a certain spot that turns him evil, are not. The soap opera aspect that Stan Lee added to the genre is here in the unrequited love that Thor and his alter ego, Dr. Don Blake, have for his nurse, Jane Foster. Because Odin has ordered Thor never to reveal his true identity to a mortal, Thor/Blake cannot tell Foster his secret, and she, like so many others before her (I’m looking at you, Lois Lane), can’t figure out the tie between Blake and Thor. Other than Loki, the villains here are mostly forgettable.… (meer)

Disabled Dr. Donald Blake vacations in Norway and finds a walking stick in a cave, one that, once he handles it, turns into Mjölner and turns Blake into the Norse god of thunder, Thor. It's quite cheesy and the plots are super-hero-tastic, but it's really wonderfully enjoyable. I know being Swedish may have something to do with why I like Thor a little more than I ought to, but I don't care. Having Odin's big face appear in the sky with invaluable advice and having Loki come up with his loony schemes is just hilarious. For those who go for Kindle-versions, though, know that that edition contains 10 fewer issues than the equivalent paper-version.… (meer)

With the Fantastic Four breaking new comics ground and The Incredible Hulk making his uncertain way though his first abortive series, Marvel's growth continued at an increasing rate with 2 new superheroes making their debut in the same month. While Spider-Man would make his first appearance as a "one-off" feature snuck into the final issue of Amazing Adult Fantasy, Thor would rate his own continuing series immediately as the main feature in Journey Into Mystery.

This initial batch of stories is largely the work of prolific comic art genius Jack Kirby with Stan Lee and brother Larry Lieber handling the plots and scripts and Don Heck assuming the art duties toward the end of this volume.

Initially Thor is very much an earthly (or at least earthbound) superhero but the groundwork is laid early for the later mythic treatment of the character. The introduction of Thor's half-brother Loki and their father Odin would move the strip away from earth and onto a galactic scale.

Also included in this volume are the initial installments of Tales Of Asgard where Kirby would trial the mythic themes that would appear soon in the main series. Indeed these vignettes can also be seen as early experiments in the sword and sorcery genre which Marvel would capitalise on in the 70s. Even Kirby's post-Marvel work at DC - New Gods for example - would explore ideas laid out here in the mid 60s.… (meer)