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Tor #1
Tor, Vol. 1
Follows as caveman Tor is banished from his tribe and forced to wander, alone except for his simian friend Chee-Chee, battling evil and trying to understand the world he inhabits.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2001
60 people want to read
About the author
Joe Kubert
357 books57 followersJoe Kubert was a Jewish-American comic book artist who went on to found the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. His sons, Andy Kubert and Adam Kubert, have themselves become successful comic-book artists.
Kubert's other creations include the comic books Tor, Son of Sinbad, and Viking Prince, and, with writer Robin Moore, the comic strip Tales of the Green Beret.
Kubert was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.
Kubert's other creations include the comic books Tor, Son of Sinbad, and Viking Prince, and, with writer Robin Moore, the comic strip Tales of the Green Beret.
Kubert was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 4, 2017
I will save you some time and sum up all of the Tor stories in this volume: Tor meets an angry dinosaur. Tor beats up the angry dinosaur. Tor does a badass walk away from defeated dinosaur into the sunset.
I will echo other reviewers, however, and say that the artwork is pretty fantastic.
I will echo other reviewers, however, and say that the artwork is pretty fantastic.
December 26, 2007
I really enjoy Joe Kubert's artwork, and his two sons aren't too shabby, either. They definitely rival the Romitas and the Buscemas for family art teams. But you know there's a problem when the best thing you can say about a book is that the cover is really cool, and shows off Kubert's pencils well.
The idea is that Tor is a caveman living amongst the dinosaurs rather like Ka-Zar in the Savage Land (this is probably another case of Stan-Jack being influenced by others) and goes around playing noble savage with an annoying sidekick ala Jar Jar Binks. The story is told ala the horror comics of the time, with Kubert himself acting as narrator. The art is pretty, if not quite as good as his later work, but that's the only thing going on here. It wouldn't be too bad if there were just Tor stories, but we have the awkward concessions to 3-D going on in places.
And we also have two backup features that are absolutely terrible--Danny Dreams and the Wizard of Ugh. Danny was a boy who fell asleep in class and then claimed to be the cause of whatever they were studying that day. It isn't too bad, but it's also not very good.
The Wizard, however, is downright awful. A WC Fields parody waddles about conning people into thinking he is a wizard. It might have been okay as a 1-page feature, but they are far, far too long, and drag this collection down.
There are also some backup materials including some pitches for a Tor cartoon and a Tor comic strip. And both Kubert and Rascally Roy Thomas fill us in on the whole 3-D movement and the fact that the comic book industry has always been its own worst enemy.
As a fan of historical comics, I enjoyed seeing this. But if you're looking for more than that, you'll be disappointed. (Library, 12/07)
Trebby's Take: Probably not worth your time unless you are into comics history like I am.
The idea is that Tor is a caveman living amongst the dinosaurs rather like Ka-Zar in the Savage Land (this is probably another case of Stan-Jack being influenced by others) and goes around playing noble savage with an annoying sidekick ala Jar Jar Binks. The story is told ala the horror comics of the time, with Kubert himself acting as narrator. The art is pretty, if not quite as good as his later work, but that's the only thing going on here. It wouldn't be too bad if there were just Tor stories, but we have the awkward concessions to 3-D going on in places.
And we also have two backup features that are absolutely terrible--Danny Dreams and the Wizard of Ugh. Danny was a boy who fell asleep in class and then claimed to be the cause of whatever they were studying that day. It isn't too bad, but it's also not very good.
The Wizard, however, is downright awful. A WC Fields parody waddles about conning people into thinking he is a wizard. It might have been okay as a 1-page feature, but they are far, far too long, and drag this collection down.
There are also some backup materials including some pitches for a Tor cartoon and a Tor comic strip. And both Kubert and Rascally Roy Thomas fill us in on the whole 3-D movement and the fact that the comic book industry has always been its own worst enemy.
As a fan of historical comics, I enjoyed seeing this. But if you're looking for more than that, you'll be disappointed. (Library, 12/07)
Trebby's Take: Probably not worth your time unless you are into comics history like I am.
June 6, 2022
These comic stories are some of the best I've had the pleasure to read. Before I was done reading this volume, I went ahead and ordered the next two - that's how much I'm enjoying this.
It's comic storytelling by Joe Kubert at its finest. In the initial story writer Norman Maurer also takes part in the creation.
This volume is reprints of some stories originally published in 1953. But you don't need to know that to start reading and enjoying.
Tor is a prehistoric caveman character the author and artist take pleasure in using to illustrate our better human aspects, even in his long-ago savage world. They like showing us how these are brought out in day-to-day conflicts and epic battles to survive. The feeling is they identify with him, and maybe even envy some ways his life is simpler than ours. And they make us feel that way too.
It's comic storytelling by Joe Kubert at its finest. In the initial story writer Norman Maurer also takes part in the creation.
This volume is reprints of some stories originally published in 1953. But you don't need to know that to start reading and enjoying.
Tor is a prehistoric caveman character the author and artist take pleasure in using to illustrate our better human aspects, even in his long-ago savage world. They like showing us how these are brought out in day-to-day conflicts and epic battles to survive. The feeling is they identify with him, and maybe even envy some ways his life is simpler than ours. And they make us feel that way too.
March 7, 2010
A noble caveman, and his annoying monkey sidekick wander prehistoric earth, fighting dinosaurs, evil cavemen and occasionally rescuing a damsel.
Very episodic and Tor is a pretty flat character, but man, can that Joe Kubert draw! He captures that raw, primal feel of Tor and his world. While the series is scientifically inaccurate, Kubert's pictures make you believe in this world.
The monsters a awesome and there is a gritty, real feeling to it all.
Fun read and very pretty pictures.
Very episodic and Tor is a pretty flat character, but man, can that Joe Kubert draw! He captures that raw, primal feel of Tor and his world. While the series is scientifically inaccurate, Kubert's pictures make you believe in this world.
The monsters a awesome and there is a gritty, real feeling to it all.
Fun read and very pretty pictures.
October 9, 2012
Joe Kubert fans can find a few entertaining things in this reprint of post World War II caveman comics. Forwards by Joe Kubert and Roy Thomas put this comic in context and fill in some of the blanks for this EC Comics influenced volume. The Tor stories are charming while the Wizard of Ugghh and Danny Dreams features miss the mark. Still, an interesting look at comics in the 1950s.
February 20, 2017
5 stars for Kubert's artwork. 3 stars for the stories, which are a little basic, and for the scantity of material within the volume.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews