ONCE UPON AN ASGARD

[MichaelDoran]

<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_t.jpg" width="175" height="266" border="0" alt="THOR no. 57 cover by Claudio Castellini" align="right"></a>December’s Thor #57 is taking a one-month respite from the usual 22-page paneled story. In its place - framed by a more traditional sequence by artist Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson - will be a series of pin-up pages by a roster of diverse creative talent, including some of the biggest names in comic books, accompanied by prose by the series’ regular writer Dan Jurgens.

The issue is not just a random sampling of spreads and pin-ups, however… “The structure of the issue is Volstagg telling a recent tale of Thor to a group of Asgardian children, out of an enchanted storybook that comes to life as he tells the tale,” explained series editor Tom Brevoort. “So the majority of the issue is presented as large single images and prose, but the images aren't pin-ups per se … they illustrate the story being told. It's a very different approach to a Thor story.”

“Volstagg’s story has a very mythical tone to it, one which adds to Thor's status in that regard,” added Jurgens. “To a certain extent, the readers get to see the story as the children envision it. The tremendous assembly of artists augments that effect and helps give the story something of a lyrical feel. It's all part of our ongoing effort to redefine the notion of who Thor is and what a Thor story can be.”

As to who those artists are exactly, according to the editor, the line-up includes Kaare Andrews, Philip Tan, Brian Haberlin, Michael Kaluta, Carlos Pacheco, Bill Sienkiewicz, Kyle Hotz, Dave Johnson, P. Craig Russell, Phil Jimenez and John Paul Leon.

<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_20.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_20_t.jpg" width="150" height="225" border="1" alt="THOR no. 57, pg. 20 by P. Craig Russell" align="left"></a>“We wanted a broad range of styles, and people who'd be able to bring some of their own personality to the images they were depicting,” Brevoort explained. “We were less worried about consistency than about individual vision, so we actively encouraged these guys to interpret the characters in their own ways, even if that meant that the size of Thor's chest-circles varied, or that his helmet wings looked different from image to image.

“This issue is really about storytelling, about myth, so we really wanted to get across the way the details of these tales would change over time, as they passed orally from one storyteller to another down through the centuries.”

As always, click on the sample images to open larger preview versions.

<p align="center"><a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_02_03.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_02_03_t.jpg" width="300" height="230" border="0" alt="THOR no. 57. pg. 2-3 by Philip Tan "></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_14_15.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_14_15_t.jpg" width="300" height="231" border="0" alt="THOR no. 57. pg. 14-15 by Bill Sienkiewicz"></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_18_19.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Thor57_18_19_t.jpg" width="300" height="231" border="0" alt="THOR no. 57. pg. 18-19 by Carlos Pacheco"></a></p>

[John Osen]

Thanks for a story about my all-time fav comic character. :D

[mojo]

Great news about marvel's greatest warrior! Keep up the good work Mike! It's nice to see that Marvel and Tom Brevoort are still paying some attention to their other non-top-ten titles. As a rabid Thor fan i'm definitely gonna be there for this one!!

[Icewing_X]

Thor is undoubtedly one of my least favorite characters, but I will admit that those pin-ups look spectacular.

~Icewing, definitely worth a look

[Dan20]

Jurgens has been doing a real great job on Thor recently. I wish Raney would have stuck around, though.
Anyways, Thor #50 was told in full-page panels as well. I see the difference, but it's not something totally new.

[Sean Walsh]

Jurgens' recent efforts on THOR, especially since the death of Odin story, have really reinvigorated my interest in the Mighty Thor. Not since Walt Simonson's run have I been more interested to read this book.

Of course, it's not as good as Walt's run (whatever could be? :p ), but it's dang good nonetheless...

Sean
:)

[ojcart]

Raney was the reason I started picking up this book again. well, when he is gone...I guess I will mark ANOTHER Marvel comic off my store pull list. Thanks again Jemasada for saing me more money!

[IanZL]

Nice. This book looks great. However didn't we just do a "pinup" book? I mean this story book tale is nice once in a while but is just overdone more then once a year

[grendel x]

Why not save something like this for an original GN ala the Alex Ross Treasury editions? I think it would probably work better and I for one would pick up a copy. Pin ups are ok, but not in a regular issue.

[nighthawk]

Check out the last page in Avengers#59.It shows that Thor is the man!

[csGuy]

nice art! :cool:

[TTROY]

wow some of that art looks really great.... say what you will but the Thor comics has been as blessed in the art dept as the Hulk title...

Jurgens for 5 years has had a solid run on the title(wow 5 years already is that a current record on a marvel title??)

Woever they get surely has a tough act to follow.... as well as the memories of classic Buscema kirby and Simonson runs JRJ,Larsen,Kubert,Immonen and Raney for this version.... can't wait to see what is in store...keep up the great work Marvel... Thor is another example of what happens when a strong editor and edotorial direction makes a fill in not seem like a fill in.....(ala the crap we have recieving for years in the x-office)

[KingStalin]

[quote]Originally posted by ojcart:
<strong>Raney was the reason I started picking up this book again. well, when he is gone...I guess I will mark ANOTHER Marvel comic off my store pull list. Thanks again Jemasada for saing me more money!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Dude check your facts. Raney left becuase
DC offered him a big exclusive contract with money, security, and benefits. Joe and Bill had nothing to do with his leaving.

[Justice]

[quote]Jurgens for 5 years has had a solid run on the title(wow 5 years already is that a current record on a marvel title??) <hr></blockquote>

Just about. I guess he's tied with DeFalco and Olliffe on Spider-Girl (Tom's only not done one issue, and Pat's only missed a handful).

[Boink182]

Wow, this stuff looks awesome. I've been very happy with the Thor title lately. Pretty good stuff.

I think Bennet is a pretty good artist. Who needs Raney :D .

[MindTricked]

Thor has been one of my favorite reads the past few months. Every issue leaves me wanting more, and I really want to know where it's going. I can honestly say that I haven't been this juiced about Thor, whose book I'd never previously collected, since the initial 12-issue arc. Keep it up, Dan :)

[Joel Harris]

Sienkiewicz, Pacheco, Russell ... can't wait to see J.P. Leon's pic... awesome array of talent. But man,if only John Buscema could have partaken... :(

[minmin]

thor needs a shield....

[Billy]

Great lineup of artists. I'll flip through it, but Dan Jurgens does nothing for me. I hope fans of the book enjoy it.

[American Caesar]

Nice to see Claudio Castellini doing that lead-off image... he was one of my favorite cover-artists of the mid-90s, doing all those "FF Unlimited" covers.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Sounds good! But I wonder how long Thor will stay King of Asgard?

[Hdefined]

Hot damn, I'd surely buy this if I didn't loath the King of Asgard duds. oh well, good gimmick though

[Elayne Riggs]

[quote]Originally posted by michaelDORAN:
<strong>“This issue is really about storytelling, about myth, so we really wanted to...”</strong><hr></blockquote>

...not actually tell a story? :)

Heh, reminds me of the infamous Death of Superman lead-ins, where they went from four panels a page to two then to one. One-panel pages aren't all that conducive to storytelling. :) That said, I'm looking forward to this pin-up issue, Thor's one of my favorite characters too. And I'm really looking forward to the issue after that, which I've already read (at least the visuals) but can't wait to see in final!

- Elayne

[Joel Harris]

I'm guessing that would be the Davis issue, seeing as how you're friends? ;)

[John Osen]

[quote]Originally posted by Joel Harris:
<strong>I'm guessing that would be the Davis issue, seeing as how you're friends? ;) </strong><hr></blockquote>

and seeing how the inker is her husband! ;)

[beetle]

wow...thats all i can say.

[Jeremy Williams]

Posted by Elayne Riggs:

Heh, reminds me of the infamous Death of Superman lead-ins, where they went from four panels a page to two then to one. One-panel pages aren't all that conducive to storytelling.

Come one, i can just tell The Death of Superman was one of your favorite stories. :D ;)

[littlewolvie]

Great art and great stories told in the traditional Marvel way. This is a Marvel book I'm looking forward to every month. It's a pity Raney left, but Bennett is a worthy alternative. This guy has been underrated for years.
I've been very negative about a lot of Marvel's recent changes and ideas, but when something's good, you have to mention that too. And in my book, this fits as good. Keep it up!

[Elayne Riggs]

[quote]Originally posted by Jeremy Williams:
<strong>Come one, i can just tell The Death of Superman was one of your favorite stories. :D ;) </strong><hr></blockquote>

There was a story there? :) :)

Seriously, it was okay, but I didn't think it worked as well as it might have if Jurgens hadn't gone with the "only one panel per page" limitation.

- Elayne