Thor Omnibus [Hardcover]

J. Michael Straczynski (Author), Marko Djurdjevic (Illustrator), Olivier Coipel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 2010

Witness the return of Thor in a story only J. Michael Straczynski could tell! Returned to the pantheon of great Marvel heroes, the Asgardian God of Thunder is reunited with the mortal form of Dr. Don Blake. Together, they must recon with the legacy of the mythic Norse kingdom and the awakening of its immortal heroes--but in a world that may not want them back! J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5 creator, Changeling screenwriter) hits a grand slam with his reappraisal of the Thor mythos, a creative success on so many levels the glowing praise from fans and critics alike is becoming routine.

COLLECTING:

Fantastic Four #536-537, Thor #1-12 and #600-603, Thor Giant-Size Finale.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 520 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (December 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785140298
• ISBN-13: 978-0785140290
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 1.2 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J. Michael Staczynski was born in Paterson, NJ in 1954, from a lower-middle-class blue-collar family that moved 21 times in his first 18 years. He began writing in earnest and selling at the age of 17 and hasn't stopped since. He graduated San Diego State University with degrees in Psychology and Sociology.

As a journalist, he has written over 500 published articles for such periodicals as The Los Anglees Times, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Penthouse, Writer's Digest, San Diego Magazine, the San Diego and Los Angeles Reader and TIME, Inc. He has also published numerous short stories in Amazing Science Fiction Magazine, Pulphouse, and various anthologies.

As a television writer and producer, he has written over 200 produced episodes, including workj on The New Twilight Zone, Nightmare Classics and Murder She Wrote. He also wrote, created and produced the series Babylon 5, Crusade and Jeremiah.

Moving from TV to film, he wrote Changeling (directed by Clint Eastwood), Ninja Assassin (produced by the Wachowskis), provided the story for Thor (directed by Kenneth Branagh), wrote Underworld 4 (starring Kate Beckinsale), and has written numerous other films that are currently slated for production.

He has won the Hugo Award (twice), the Saturn Award, the Eisner Award, the Inkpot Lifetime Achievement Award, the E Pluribus Unum Award from the American Cinema Foundation, the Space Frontier Foundation award, the Ray Bradbury Award, the Christopher Award, and over a dozen others.

He was also nominated for a British Academy Award (BAFTA) for his screenplay for Changeling.

He writes ten hours a day, every day, except for his birthday, New Year's Day and Christmas Day.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but an ending would've made it even better., January 12, 2011

By 

Ben M. (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thor Omnibus (Hardcover)

***some minor plot spoilers may follow***

J. Michael Straczynski's run on "Thor" is mostly very good, especially at reintroducing what may be one of Marvel's lesser-known supporting casts to new readers. The story begins with Thor returning from the Norse afterlife, and setting up the mythical city of Asgard outside a small town in Oklahoma. As the rest of the Norse pantheon begins to return to their former selves, we're treated to some very entertaining interactions between the gods and the townspeople as they begin attending town meetings and eating at the local diner. It's all fun stuff, so much so that it's almost a shame when the larger plot kicks in and the real story gets set in motion. What's an even bigger shame is that the story doesn't have a real ending. Since comic book characters have existed for decades and will exist for decades more this isn't really a surprise, but most of the time the writer will still resolve the details of his own story while still leaving the door open for future writers. Straczynski doesn't seem to be able to do this. I've noticed a pattern in which he'll start writing a genuinely excellent story only to abandon it completely before bringing it to a logical and satisying fruition. It's extremely annoying, and more than a little unprofessional.

However, the artwork and presentation of this volume is top-notch. Olivier Coipel and Marko Djurdevic illustrate epic battles and small character moments with amazing skill, and the quality of their work really pops on the glossy, oversized pages. Marvel always does a magnificent job of reprinting their stories into these hardcover collections, and with this one they even included two issues of Straczynski's run on "Fantastic Four" where he planted the seeds of Thor's return a couple years before relaunching the series collected here.

This is a truly comprehensive collection, even though the writer should probably work on his attention span long enough to really finish what he starts.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally--a book that makes me care about Thor!, December 28, 2010

By 

Ace_of_Stars - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thor Omnibus (Hardcover)

Thor was one of many Marvel characters that I didn't give a hang about...and then I got to read the first part of this book.
JMS brings not only a sense of cosmic grandeur to the Thor universe, but also a sense of quiet humanity. The moments of Thor's solitude, his reconciliation with his and Asgard's resurrection, contrast well with the moments of slam bang action. The humor is great, and provides relief from the heavy drama of the main plot.
All of this is well and good, but what makes the book great is one simple thing: the story of a god exploring his humanity, and coming to accept that it makes him a better man.
All of the tropes of the Thor mythology are here: Loki and his (her?) treachery, the Warriors Three, Don Blake...
If, like me, Thor was never a favorite character of yours, I urge you to check this collection out. Yes, it's a hefty price, but it is worth every penny.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thor is back!, April 15, 2011

By 

Graphic Novel Enthusiast - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thor Omnibus (Hardcover)

This is the first Thor novel I've read and hopefully the movie will not dissapoint b/c this Thor graphic novel was fantastic. I'd read where Thor fought his grandfather months ago and wanted more, but couldnt remember an issue number or what book it might have been in. When purchasing this book and having the entire story laid out in front of me and I couldnt put it down. My only critisism would be the ending and that is probably due to the fact the writer wants you to continue following Thor, but it just kind of ended w/o much wrapping up.