Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus [Hardcover]

Walter Simonson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2011 | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Thor

Considered by many to be the greatest run on Thor ever, Walt Simonson's classic tales of the God of Thunder are collected here-completely remastered from the original artwork and newly colored by Steve Oliffe! And there are too many timeless tales to count: The Casket of Ancient Winters! The death of Odin! The origins of Asgard! The sacrifice of the Executioner! Thor as a frog! The Mutant Massacre!

Collecting:

Thor #337-355, #357-369, #371-382; Balder the Brave #1-4

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1192 pages
• Publisher: Marvel; Combined volume edition (April 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785146334
• ISBN-13: 978-0785146339
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 3 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,795 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > Marvel
  • #51 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Fantasy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ragnarok & Roll!, April 14, 2011

By 

Aaron Stack "Book Worm" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus (Hardcover)

Let's get right to the point: This is without any question the finest Omnibus collection Marvel has issued since the program started over a decade ago. It all comes together, the creator ( Walt Simonson),the character (the Mighty Thor), & the reColoring (Steve Oliff and Olyoptics). It really is a challenge to describe how gorgeous this book is...I'll try.

The storyline itself maybe the best run featuring the Mighty Thor ever, only the classic Lee & Kirby run of the 60's compares in quality and length. Simonson pulls out all the stops bringing in old favorites ( Loki, the Executioner, and Surter) while simultaneously creating new ones ( Kurse, Malekith, and Beta Ray Bill). Simonson truly understood the epic scope and grandeur that a Thor comic deserves. His Thor runs reputation is truly deserved and easily stands the test of time for new readers. I could go on and on mentioning specific moments and characters but I think it would only diminish the surprises for the new reader and interfere with the rediscovery of the old time fans.

The Omnibus' presentation is superb to put it mildly. Logging in at almost 1200 pages the book is enormous in size and content. The bonus pages include approximately 50 pages of bonus artwork and pin-ups (this could be why this Omnibus does NOT include the letters pages but that is a minor loss). The original covers are all present but have the sales indicia and logos removed, while some might gripe about this I GREATLY enjoyed a look at the amazing covers without all the unneeded verbiage. The book lays flat and there is very, very minor if any gutter loss when viewing; nice work on the sewn binding!

Now for the most controversial aspect of the book: the recoloring/ remastering process. Please keep in mind that this opinion is coming from someone that owns all the original issues as released and purchased from the newsstand. I have reread these books numerous times and consider myself intimately familiar with the material. With all of that in mind I am happy to say that these books have NEVER looked this good!! It's like upgrading from VHS to Blu Ray and watching it on a 60 inch HD screen. It's that good. The colors burst off the page and the line work remains sharp! What more could you ask??

The only regret I have for this Omnibus is that Amazon will not let me give it 6 stars instead of 5. Job well done Marvel!

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful investment for Thor fans, April 24, 2011

By 

Jared Carlson - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus (Hardcover)

So, I've known for awhile that they make these enormous leather-bound books full of comics that are really goddamn expensive and heavy. What I didn't know is that I would ever want to buy one.

I just got into The Mighty Thor recently. I've always been a huge Norse mythology buff, which actually kind of kept me away from the comics -- the purist in me was offended by the fact that Thor was clean-shaven and blond and that Loki was Odin's stepson instead of his blood brother. I am not remotely embarrassed to admit that it's the upcoming Thor film that changed my mind. I've always wanted to see Norse mythology on the big screen, and I decided this was about as close as it was ever going to get to that, so I decided to read the most recent run of the comics, by the ubiquitous J. Michael Straczynski.

Needless to say, they're really good. But they're not quite like the comics in this book.

Ever since I got into Thor, I've been hearing a name murmured with awe amongst the fandom: Walt Simonson. Walt Simonson is to Thor what Frank Miller is to Daredevil. He may not have created the character, but he refined him and created some of his most epic, iconic stories. I knew I couldn't call myself a fan of The Mighty Avenger without reading his work.

I saw this book and decided, what the hell? I know I'll like it.

I was wrong. I love it. Immensely.

First of all, the art -- Walt Simonson is a damn fine artist in addition to his writing credentials, and the way he draws Thor is inimitable. His pencils hit the exact right balance between classic superheroics and classic mythology that make Thor comics so darn fun in the first place. For this Omnibus, they've also gotten a fresh coat of paint courtesy of Steve Oliff and Olyoptics's recoloring job. If you've seen the original colors, they were perfectly serviceable -- the problem is that back in the day, palettes were limited and schedules were tight and they had to make due with what they had, and nowadays they look somewhat dated. The fresh colors bring new life to the art -- the scenes of the cosmos are especially vibrant and vivid. They also highlight exactly how damn fine the original pencils and inks were to begin with.

The stories are, of course, classic. I love the way Walt handles Asgardian dialog -- much of it is hammy and anachronistically Shakespearian, but it's in a loveable, earnest way. The remarkable thing is that Walt never loses touch with who the characters are and they never feel any less real in spite of all the thee's and thou's -- no matter how many exclamation points appear in Balder's speech bubbles, you never stop sympathizing with his predicament. One scene of Balder's in particular (I won't spoil it, honest) nearly had me in tears.

Another thing I really enjoy about this book is how all the editor's notes and hooks for next month have been preserved. I know, that sounds kind of goofy, but I've been reading comics a long time and I miss the days before "writing for the trade" became the status quo. I've been reading it an issue at a time when I can, and sometimes it makes me feel like a kid again, eagerly awaiting when the next issue would be dropped into my mailbox.

At the end of the day, that's the real reason I'm so glad I dropped $70 on this book. It makes me remember why I started to love comic books so much in the first place. Every panel is a joy.

Thor is a god, but he's also a superhero. And, thanks to Mr. Simonson, he's found a place in my heart.

Tearing up a little here.

Alright, that's all for my nostalgia-tinted rant. Bottom line: if you love Thor, you'll be glad you bought this.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Thor epic ever told, April 15, 2011

By 

Dog Welder (Cinci, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus (Hardcover)

Walt Simonson's legendary run on The Mighty Thor was the best of all worlds. It combined the grand stature and wonder of the Lee/Kirby era (bringing back many characters from that memorable work) with Walt's own sense of epic storytelling combined deftly with bits of humor. The first three pages start the wheels turning on a story that has little to do with the first story arc ("The Saga of Beta Ray Bill") and won't be resolved until deep into Walt's run on the title. This sense of timing is something that modern comics greatly lack.

Additionally, Simonson is a large fan of the old Norse epic tales, and he goes to great lengths to incorporate actual Norse mythology into these stories to help maintain the epic feel of what's happening around Thor. And if you want epic, this tale has it all. "The Saga of Beta Ray Bill" starts it all off, and Thor will come into conflict with the death goddess Hela, Surtur (a being bent on destroying the entirety of the Nine Worlds), the machinations of Loki (who turns Thor into a frog at one point), and it all leads up to a final battle at the dawn of Ragnarok (the Norse myth for the end of the world) with the World Serpent, Jurmungand, who is destined to kill and be killed by Thor in one final, deadly blow that will begin the end of the world.

And it's not just about Thor. Simonson's attention to the minor characters of Asgard is also highlighted in these stories. This is a rich sense of storytelling long lost by the current creative staff at Marvel Comics. Simonson's 4-issue miniseries "Balder the Brave" is also included in these pages.

So, what about the book itself? It includes all of the stories that Simonson wrote and drew (Sal Buscema capably took over the art chores late in the run, with Walt returning for the battle with Jurmungand), all of the covers (without the titles, bar codes, corner art, etc.) and a 50-ish page sketchbook that includes work Walt completed for the house ads, the pages of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe for the Thor entries, and many other pieces. In short, this is every piece of artwork Walt completed that was commissioned by Marvel Comics. This also means that the book weighs in with nearly 1200 pages of material. The binding appears to be suitably strong for such a large book, and the paper, while not as good as that used for the DC Absolute Editions, is still of enough quality to make the artwork and colors leap off the page, which is a huge improvement on the near-newsprint quality paper comic books used during the 80s.

Please note that these pages have all been recolored by Steve Oliffe and separated at Olyoptics. While some might scoff that the artwork should not have been changed, Oliffe has made sure that the original feel of these stories is preserved while improving upon the print process. Simonson's thick line work (and John Workman's larger-than-life sound effect lettering) has never looked this beautiful.

Is this book worth the hefty price tag? Epically, yes. This is possibly the greatest run any creator has had on any title in the history of comics, all under one attractive cover. What's not to like?