Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus [Hardcover]

 

 

Create your own review

WOW! This recent Thor Omnibus from Marvel, needs little more review comments from myself. The bulk of the positive reviews read well enough below (yes, this Omnibus is near vintage Viking hammer-size). I'd just like to add that Amazon Canada delivered me a pristine copy in more than adequate packing. Oh yes, the price is certainly attractive enough when comparing prices elsewhere on the Internet. Once again, Amazon has suited all me needs.

I recently received my copy of the Simonson Thor omnibus edition and my jaw is still on the floor. I have many of the original comics, and reading them is like watching a movie on pan and scan VHS. Yeah, I can see that they're good, but... The omnibus edition is the blue ray version. The true miracle is the coloring, which explodes off the page. This new edition lifts Simonson's stories to a whole new level. It makes one want to shout "Excelsior!" again.

In the final days of a 1983 family vacation to California, on a whim I waltzed into a 7-11 corner store and snapped up a stack of Marvel comic books, among which was included Thor #336, whose letter page featured an in-house ad heralding the arrival of some guy named Walt Simonson in the next issue. Upon returning home and shortly discovering the existence of direct-sales comic book shops, issue #337 landed in my imagination with all the thunder of Beta-Ray Bill's hammer-blow obliteration of the old Thor logo! What a ridiculously opportune spot for a new comic reader to be inducted into fandom. Between this and John Byrne's concurrent run on "Alpha Flight", and the innovation of Frank Miller's "Ronin", and Alan Moore shaking things up on "Swamp Thing", I admit that my tastes were soon spoiled beyond my awareness, taking for granted that all comic books were just this good.

During later high school years, as I loaned out books to friends -- well, to literate friends at least -- in a bid to demonstrate to them that comic stories weren't all as childish as they cynically imagined, often (to some surprise) they would pan "mature" titles with lukewarm interest, but of Simonson's Thor they collectively enthused, "Do you have any more like this?" The tease of multiple running subplots regularly laced through Walt's stories had especially hooked their attention: "More??"

Yes, the viking legends are true: Simonson's contribution to Thor is simply the best there has ever been. I feel fortunate to have grown up on this material, and sadness for those who have not -- so much so that I had volunteered my collection to the role of a virtual public library, as relayed above! Walt's graphic style, grandly illustrated action and lyrical handling of pseudo-Shakespearian dialogue convincingly paint a world of ancient mythological conflicts spanning urban and exotic realms, all grounded in human interest of romantic dramas and scheming rivalries, stoked by touches of high comedy, scenes of self-sacrificing heroism and classical pathos. To my mind, this was the gold standard of epic fantasy-adventure visually realized long before Peter Jackson had directed CGI legions marching Tolkienian doom across the big screen.

There's also no debating that this Marvel edition is by a landslide the greatest Omnibus volume made available to date. Granted the equivalent of Imax presentation in this luxurious printing with glossy stock showcasing crisp new color by Steve Oliff's digital crew (over 1100 pages worth -- by Odin's elbow-grease!), these remastered images are vastly, shockingly improved, making the original dingy newsprint pamphlets look downright abusive by comparison. To readers familiar with those 1980's comics which additionally suffered from print artifacts like bleed-through, facing-page ink transfer, and margin-fed pinhole perforations in the cheap pulp paper (not to mention disruptive advertisements), the contrast here really leaps off the page when seeing the infamous "Thunder-Frog" issues rendered with mottled froggy sculpting in place of the boring old flat color limitations; or glorious Hubble-like dimensionality afforded to cosmic vistas; or Asgardian landscapes brought alive in rich green and gold; and none of the pica-dot eyesore that marred earlier four-color collected Simonson reprints. Holding the original issues side by side to the oversized wonder of these Omnibus pages, any former ambivalence will crumble beneath giddy, full-spectrum awe at the rising Ragnarok drumbeat of "DOOM!" Adding a generous 50-page bounty of bonus material, this book really does command a 6-star rating, as an earlier Amazon reviewer stated without exaggeration.

The only depressing news is that you'll have to pretend to find time somewhere to absorb this beautiful cinderblock-sized tome. Its weight perches there on my bookshelf, daunting, made all the more impressive when considering that its consistent storytelling quality was crafted to a grind of monthly publication deadlines. Covering a span of several years worth of Walt's work perfectly paired with John Workman's signature lettering, and the book's second half drawn in a fairly approximated style by Sal Buscema's versatile hand, it's as massive as an unabridged Webster's dictionary, or a copy of "Gravitation" (...physics nerd reference, ftw). Tackle it in small daily bites -- and bring your heavy-lifting elbow-grease, or borrow some from Odin!

A deserved side note on the superb paper quality: it's thick and proves happily resistant to picking up fingerprint residue -- no worries here about imprinting purple-blue oil smears if daring to touch black-framed pages (as disappointingly found with the flimsy paper in DC's "All-Star Batman & Robin" hardcover trade, or Marvel's "Daredevil: Born Again" 2009 glossy reprint, where my mildest tactile pressure actually lifted ink fresh off the page).

By the way, my Amazon shipment had none of the packaging issues cautioned by some (U.S.-based) reviewers. Delivered by standard free shipping on the book's release date, it arrived pristine in an adequately roomy box with airbag cushioning protecting all edges. I guess it depends on the packing habits of your friendly neighbourhood Amazon warehouse, though I would have been perfectly willing to spring for premium shipping in this instance.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny
This is one of the ten best series of all time in terms of writing and in terms of art. It is remarkable how well the art holds up after 25 plus years. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Michael Emond

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious book!
This is without a doubt the best omnibus Marvel has released thus far. The re-colouring is outstanding and the stories are still relevant and important today. A must buy!

Published 10 months ago by Brandon

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Marvel Omnibus Yet
I was never a big Thor fan. I read the JMS run, and watched the movie, but Thor always took a backseat to Spider-man, X-men, Iron Man, Captain America etc. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Brad Byrne

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate collection
The Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus is a must own for any comic book fan. If you are not a fan of Thor, you will be after you read this massive book. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Ed

5.0 out of 5 stars Best.Thor.Ever
Best run of Thor there ever was and likely ever will be. I like the modern ones very much but this is a true classic. In fact this is the best Omnibus period hands down. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Dungeon Master

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Runs Ever
I don't have this collection since I have the original comics; however, I would highly recommend it to anyone. Walt Simonsons really brought Thor back to life. Read more

Published 12 months ago by W. G. Holowka

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!