Finishing our mini-celebration of the X-Men’s 60th anniversary.
Here’s a fun page from X-Men First Class, featuring, as part of the story, Kitty a bit out of sorts in an underground drainage system. It’s here she learns the secret of Doc Blake’s cane and his transformation abilities into — well — the last panel tips us off, doesn’t it? (Of course, the cover was a giveaway, too.)
Clear and interesting storytelling, and a wonderful use of shadows and light, make this an exceptionally compelling page. (Once again, although the published page is fine, the original looks much better in black and white.)
It’s the Avengers vs. the Destroyer in this great action page from the first issue of the underrated reboot of the Thor mythos. Dan Jurgens wrote the series and John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson provided the visual storytelling for the launch.
Cool bonus feature: Both artists signed the page the year the issue was published.
Marvel definitely floundered after the Image exodus in 1991, but by the late 90s stated putting the comic book pieces back together as evidenced here and in the launch of the Marvel Knights imprint, produced by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti. The Ultimate universe came along a few years later, and the rest, as they say is history.
Legend has it that this is the “lost” original cover for Thor #405.
As the story goes, Ron sent the pencils to Marvel, and it was misplaced before Marvel could send it to Joe Sinnott for inking.
So Ron quickly redrew the cover and sent the replacement off just in time for deadline.
Eventually, this “first” original surfaced and Marvel returned it to Ron.
Ron ultimately sold it, and the purchaser had Bob McLeod finish it up.
I also think its entirely possible that Thor editor Ralph Macchio (or EIC Tom DeFalco) simply decided he wanted to change Thor’s positioning on the cover, which is pretty much the only material difference between the two versions.
Thor appears to be in more trouble in the published version, although that change could have come from Ron himself. (I like the figure positioning slightly better in the “original” version.)
It’s a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
Or, just a fun story, take your pick. Either way, it is a nice piece of cover art.
The actual published version with its original as well.
Rune Thor decks Ultimate Thor in the Secret Wars spinoff, “Thors.”
Chris Sprouse and Karl Story deliver a cool action splash from this series where members of the Thor Corps investigate the deaths of many, many Jane Fosters.
If you Google “Rune Thor,” you’ll find a close-up of this page used as the “bio-pic” on the Marvel Fandom Wiki.
Cool indeed.
Thor vs. Thor, the first time, courtesy of Walter Simonson from 1983 in the Wayback Machine. (With contemporary coloring.)
Sal Buscema gamely takes over the art chores on Thor, as Walter Simonson prepares to conclude his legendary run as writer/artist on the character. This is some of my favorite Sal Buscema art from this era. He manages to channel Walter’s art without aping it, while keeping core elements from his own style, and the results are terrific.
The issue, like all the Marvel comics that month, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the launch of the “Marvel Age Comics” with the original August 1961(November cover date) publication of Fantastic Four #1.
And speaking of anniversaries, it’s Thor’s 60th anniversary this year, so we still have a few more upcoming posts lined up to celebrate Marvel’s God of Thunder. (Of course, technically, the Thor legend is eon’s old, but, as always, we digress.)
Thor Artist’s Edition, Original Art Cover “Remarque” Limited Variant, 2011/2012& Sketch, 2012
Here are two terrific Walter Simonson Thor pieces with equally terrific “origin” stories.
First up: IDW Artist’s Edition Editor Scott Dunbier developed a unique concept with one of his earliest volumes — A blank cover that the artist could then draw on, making a limited amount of copies of the book true originals.
A challenge for the printer, but mission accomplished, at least with this volume.
Walter and Scott agreed on a price, and Walter drew approximately a dozen of these covers. I say approximately, because of some confusion about whether it was going to be 10 or 15 of them, and Scott ultimately chose to offer them privately to some well-known original art collectors in a addition to a handful of IDW’s senior management team. I have no recollection how many were actually ultimately created. And I’m not positive all the completed drawings were scanned.
(Yes, that is the way comics works sometimes, folks.)
In addition to the piece I own, I’ve seen about four others, and like this one, they are all terrific. The only challenge is figuring out a creative way to display one properly and safely. If anyone has solved that puzzle, feel free to chime in.
The second Walter piece is looser, but extra special. Walter generously drew it in my office after SDCC while I was tied up in a meeting elsewhere, with the plan to personalize my “regular” edition of the Artist’s Edition.
It was only after the art was completed that I noticed it was the book was damaged printer’s proof version, instead of my actual personal copy.
A bummer, certainly, but a solution presented itself with the help of a handy X-Acto blade. I removed the page, trimmed it to a more precise 11×17 size, and framed it.
Voila. Now I can view it all the time, instead of just upon opening the book.
As they say, it’s in the permanent collection.
It’s Thor’s 60th anniversary this year, so we have a few more posts lined up to celebrate Marvel’s God of Thunder. (Of course, technically, the Thor legend is eon’s old, but, as always, we digress.)
As discussed previously here, John Byrne does (or did?) some amazing commissions. The reason I’m not confident on my verb tense here is that I hear John stopped creating them when he put his artistic efforts behind his X-Men “fan-fiction” project.
One of most interseting facts about these commissions is that John has done them as large as 30×40. That’s slightly bigger than a movie poster!
This terrific one here is 20×30. I’m the second owner, as the first one sold his entire collection all at once. Right place, right time for me; I’m a big fan (no pun intended) of the Super-Skrull.
I commissioned Len O’Grady to color the piece for me, and he did a terrific job. If I recall correctly, we sent it over to JB, who approved it as well.
(And if my recollection were incorrect about that, it would not surprise me to hear about it. John is not shy about offering his opinion.)
Some of the many additional Byrne Fantastic Four commissions in the hands of fans and collectors.
The first appearance of the Super-Skull, followed by an issue of Thor where I first encountered him as a young Marvel reader.
Ron Frenz goes full on Jack Kirby (with perhaps a dash of John Buscema) with this wonderful Mangog splash from the second Thunderstrike (Thor — sort of) mini-series.
Just because the “Monster Age” at Marvel ended when the superheroes took over the publishing schedule (early 60s), that didn’t mean that Kirby stopped creating great monsters during the era.
In fact, the monsters had to be fiercer, meaner, and smarter — to provide antagonists worthy of our intrepid heroes.
Take Mangog here. His appearance typically means the end — of everything. Hence, Ragnarok. Stan and Jack introduced him in Thor 154 and 155 back in 1968 and he’s created havoc from time to time ever since.
As for Mr. Frenz? Another great looking effort, with terrific inks by Sal Buscema.
Sounds potentially a bit comedic. But if only “a bit”… I’m ok with that.
Thor Ragnarok mixed seriousness with humor as well. I like the film — and mass audiences responded to it very much— but it comes a bit close to camp in places.
Fingers crossed that a new film doesn’t cross that line that line completely.
I’m definitely intrigued to see Thor’s pal girlfriend Jane Foster take on the Thor role. (It’s already happened in the comics.) Might we have more than one Thor when the film ends?
Maybe. Chris Hemsworth has said he isn’t planning on going anywhere if he has anything to say about it, so who knows.
We can have more than one Thor. We have had at least a few in the main Marvel Universe. And throw in alternate realities, the multiverse, etc., and you have many, many Thors.
Case in point: This Secret Wars (2015) spin-off, appropriately titled Thors. The plot is too complex to cover in detail here, but in this pivotal splash on Doomgard, Jane Foster attempts to rally the other Thors to fight a common foe instead of each other.
See, she’s not only Thor — she’s now a leader among Thors.
And great art, as always, by the terrific team of Chris Sprouse and Karl Story.
