What do you think?
Rate this book
Thor Epic Collection
Thor Epic Collection, Vol. 1: The God of Thunder
Collects Journey Into Mystery (1952) 83-109.
The epic origin of Thor, God of Thunder! While vacationing in Norway, handicapped doctor Donald Blake discovers a gnarled cane. Upon touching this object Dr. Blake is transformed into Thor, son of Odin and prince of the Norse Gods! Cross the Rainbow Bridge into the eternal realm of Asgard, and meet Thor's royal family for the first time!
The epic origin of Thor, God of Thunder! While vacationing in Norway, handicapped doctor Donald Blake discovers a gnarled cane. Upon touching this object Dr. Blake is transformed into Thor, son of Odin and prince of the Norse Gods! Cross the Rainbow Bridge into the eternal realm of Asgard, and meet Thor's royal family for the first time!
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2014
29 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,566 books2,334 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 18, 2025
This one was yet another silly read. With all the simplicity of the dialogue, plot, storyline, and pretty much everything besides the artwork, which is why it gets another star, at the end this one is a chore to read for being the same as mostly every other series at the time.
October 7, 2016
Some silly stories from Journey Into Mystery issues 83 to 109. They aren't the best, and in places it feels like a re-write of some of the Iron Man stories from Tales Of Suspense, but they're worth a look. There are some pretty unmemorable villains here, most of them just B-grade villains from other series, but fans of Thor might be interested in reading more from his early days.
January 5, 2020
You can really see Stan Lee and Jack Kirby experimenting with form here
Though Thor starts with an unclear idea of where it’s going, the series quickly starts to merge Norse mythology with superhero tropes to fun effect. Narratively, there are some interesting stories cleverly told, with the story of Thor battling Cobra and Mr Hyde, both with powers amplified by Loki, inside a house built to be a death trap, while the life of Thor’s beloved Jane Foster hanging by a thread.
I also like Thor’s battle with Magneto, featuring a crossover with the X-Men in which the mutant superhero team is virtually unseen, and Thor’s battle with the Hulk, told by Thor as a flashback, the entire battle squeezed between the panels of Avengers #3.
If there’s a problem with the book it’s the characterization of Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest, and the love interest of Thor’s alter ego Dr Donald Blake. She’s a bland, one dimensional girlfriend character with frivolous thoughts, a far cry from the Jason Aaron characterization during her stint as Thor and more recently as the Valkyrie.
Kirby’s art is at times astoundingly gorgeous, but at other times seems rushed. Various inkers really highlight his work, others not so much.
Though Thor starts with an unclear idea of where it’s going, the series quickly starts to merge Norse mythology with superhero tropes to fun effect. Narratively, there are some interesting stories cleverly told, with the story of Thor battling Cobra and Mr Hyde, both with powers amplified by Loki, inside a house built to be a death trap, while the life of Thor’s beloved Jane Foster hanging by a thread.
I also like Thor’s battle with Magneto, featuring a crossover with the X-Men in which the mutant superhero team is virtually unseen, and Thor’s battle with the Hulk, told by Thor as a flashback, the entire battle squeezed between the panels of Avengers #3.
If there’s a problem with the book it’s the characterization of Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest, and the love interest of Thor’s alter ego Dr Donald Blake. She’s a bland, one dimensional girlfriend character with frivolous thoughts, a far cry from the Jason Aaron characterization during her stint as Thor and more recently as the Valkyrie.
Kirby’s art is at times astoundingly gorgeous, but at other times seems rushed. Various inkers really highlight his work, others not so much.
April 11, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, it contains comics from the 60s, which I don't particularly care for. They all seem to boil down to a monster of the week plot where the hero gets smacked around for a while until they have a "Of course! Why didn't I think of this before?" moment where they devise some convoluted plan to defeat the villain. Some of the stories from this era are even copied from one book to the next. For example, over in The Fantastic Four from this period there was a story about shape-changing aliens invading earth. After they were defeated, the remaining aliens that were left on Earth were changed into something harmless. Here, we get the same plot and the same ending (only in Thor the aliens were turned into trees rather than cows).
The heroes are also inconsistent in these silver age comics. Thor has powers ranging from time travel and magnetism to expertly throwing his voice. If the plot needs it, Thor can do it.
I can't hate on this volume too much, though, because it has some very important issues tucked away inside. We get the first appearances of Jane Foster, Loki, Mr. Hyde, Cobra, Grey Gargoyle, the Enchantress, the Executioner, Odin, Surtur, and Heimdal, to name a few. We also get our first glimpses of Asgard. these characters (and place) have since gone on to be used in some incredible comics and continue to be used to tell amazing stories to this day, over fifty years later.
It is also funny to see Thor getting constantly cock-blocked by Odin.
The heroes are also inconsistent in these silver age comics. Thor has powers ranging from time travel and magnetism to expertly throwing his voice. If the plot needs it, Thor can do it.
I can't hate on this volume too much, though, because it has some very important issues tucked away inside. We get the first appearances of Jane Foster, Loki, Mr. Hyde, Cobra, Grey Gargoyle, the Enchantress, the Executioner, Odin, Surtur, and Heimdal, to name a few. We also get our first glimpses of Asgard. these characters (and place) have since gone on to be used in some incredible comics and continue to be used to tell amazing stories to this day, over fifty years later.
It is also funny to see Thor getting constantly cock-blocked by Odin.
Read
February 27, 2024No one will be making big budgets films of these terrible comics. Too simplistic, verbose, ableist, sexist, racist, and full to bursting of blatant USA vs communism propaganda. Seriously, did the US Government have someone hold a gun to Stan Lee's head while he was writing these story lines? The mechanics of Dr. Donald Blake becoming Thor was interesting in the first couple comics, but wore out their welcome by the tenth comic (which is where I DNF'd this book). In each new comic I'm left wondering how they're going to take away Mjolnir from Blake as Thor this time. If you're thinking of reading these comics, don't. Life is too short to spend it on garbage.
January 25, 2015
Oh dear - some early Stan Lee work holds up and some doesn't. I think the early Spider-man comics are still a treat to see but this collection shows that the EARLY Thor were very weak stories indeed. The problem is Stan seemed to still be trying to find a voice for the comic. I was all prepared to give this a 1 star but near the end it did get better. First and foremost because of the Tales of Asgard stories that were done at the end of the comic/. Thor has always been at his best when the stories embraced the North myths and were set in and around the characters of Asgard. When Loki starts to be a main villain. And these Tales of North Myth as retold by Kirby and Lee are a fun read. Also, near the end of the Thor stories he starts to become more Thor-like. Starting to talk a bit more like a God and less like an ordinary bloke from New York. We get to see the Enchantress and the Executioner - two primary villains for later adventures.
But at the start there are some very bland and uninventive stories you have to wade through first.
But at the start there are some very bland and uninventive stories you have to wade through first.
March 17, 2018
Other than the modern movies, and the (infamous) 1960s cartoons I saw as a child, I knew nothing about Thor. I bought this graphic out of curiosity and wasn't disappointed. After finishing this graphic novel I re-watched the Thor movies, and got a lot more out of them (so many little details I missed the first time around because I didn't know what to look for).
If you like the Thor movies, read this graphic novel. You won't be disappointed.
If you like the Thor movies, read this graphic novel. You won't be disappointed.
June 19, 2015
Somehow, Thor really works with the usual silver age style. Sure, the first half dozen issues or so it's clearly meant to be a copy of Superman, but once they start to focus in on the mythology aspect more, it's really quite good for 60s silver age... not just campy fun.
December 25, 2023
WARNING! Here be Potential Spoilers! Read on if you dare!
I've grown up with watching Marvel movies. The character of Thor, as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, has always been an interesting character (though his performances in recent productions have reeked badly...). So, I eventually bought the first volume of The Thor Epic Collection graphic novels and checked it out, though sadly not on Thursday, lol.
Before reading the classic comics by Stan the Man, I knew that Thor was written a bit different than how Hemsworth portrays him in the MCU. I know that his Thor is primarily based on the Ultimate Universe's Thor, but the original Thor Odinson of Marvel Comics is a lot different. And I was right.
I feel the closest comparison that I can draw with Marvel's Thor and the pantheon of characters of DC Comics is that he is much like Superman and Shazam. In these comics, Thor is an alter-ego of Dr. Donald Blake, who, after coming into the possession of a strange walking stick, finds himself able to transform into the Nordic God of Thunder from legend, much like Billy Batson can transform into Shazam. Much like Superman, he is super-powerful in many ways, though his powers come from magic and not alien physiology, as he is depicted in the MCU. Also, like Superman and Clark Kent in the Golden Age of DC, Thor/Blake can't reveal his real identity to the woman he loves, Nurse Jane Foster, who has no idea that the superhero she crushes on is the same person as the mild-mannered doctor she works with.
The other characters in this collection of comics are pretty interesting. Loki is a lot different than Tom Hiddleston's famous performance as him in the MCU. He's sleezy and slimy and sly, and there is no indication that he is Laufey's child in the original comics who was raised as Thor's brother. Odin himself is pretty impressive but is more of a Brian Blessed-like character than Anthony Hopkins' depiction. Jane Foster is a lot more pathetic and narrow-minded than the cool astrophysicist of the MCU. I know times were different and the depiction of women was different back then, too, but Jane is pretty one-dimensional in comparison to Natalie Portman's depiction of her.
As for the various other villains besides the occasional antics of Loki in this volume, they are all pretty-much your usual villain of the week appearances. Such villains depicted in this volume include:
- Skurge the Executioner, a hulking brute who is a bit more villainous than his portrayal in the Ragnarok movie.
- Amara the Enchantress, a sexy femme fatale from Asgard who is more than a match for Loki in both mental and magic manners.
- Surtur of Muspelheim, who is depicted much differently than he is in Thor: Ragnarok, also.
- The Tomorrow Man, a wannabe-Kang from the twenty-third century timeline who comes to the present to steal weapons to use to rule his pacifist future.
- The Cobra, a strange villain who oddly reminds me slightly of Kroenen from Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy. He gets bit by a radioactive cobra and gets the powers of a snake...sort of, and he uses them to be a criminal.
- The Grey Gargoyle, a former chemist turned professional thief who tries to challenge Thor with his ability to turn people temporarily into stone statues.
- Mister Hyde, a murderous con man who somehow is able to figure out the literary character of Henry Jekyll's infamous formula and uses it to become a monster with a hateful vendetta.
- The Radio-Active Man, a crazed scientist from the People's Republic of China who turns himself into a walking atomic bomb to defeat Thor.
- Merlin the Wizard, the very same wizard from the Arthurian legend who is revealed to be a mutant endowed with incredible powers.
The artwork is pretty similar to the Fantastic Four comics I read earlier this year, and while not as detailed as the artwork of comics these days, it still fleshes out the world of Marvel Comics. I also liked how later on in the volume, we get these little side-stories about various Norse legends that depict antiquated history of Earth, which gives it a slight Neil Gaiman feel, much like his classic novel of American Gods.
I will be interested to read a few more of these Epic Collections featuring Thor. Hopefully, we will discover what caused him to be sent to Earth/Midgard and be turned into Don Blake. I suspect Loki might have had a part with it...
May the Force be with You!
I've grown up with watching Marvel movies. The character of Thor, as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, has always been an interesting character (though his performances in recent productions have reeked badly...). So, I eventually bought the first volume of The Thor Epic Collection graphic novels and checked it out, though sadly not on Thursday, lol.
Before reading the classic comics by Stan the Man, I knew that Thor was written a bit different than how Hemsworth portrays him in the MCU. I know that his Thor is primarily based on the Ultimate Universe's Thor, but the original Thor Odinson of Marvel Comics is a lot different. And I was right.
I feel the closest comparison that I can draw with Marvel's Thor and the pantheon of characters of DC Comics is that he is much like Superman and Shazam. In these comics, Thor is an alter-ego of Dr. Donald Blake, who, after coming into the possession of a strange walking stick, finds himself able to transform into the Nordic God of Thunder from legend, much like Billy Batson can transform into Shazam. Much like Superman, he is super-powerful in many ways, though his powers come from magic and not alien physiology, as he is depicted in the MCU. Also, like Superman and Clark Kent in the Golden Age of DC, Thor/Blake can't reveal his real identity to the woman he loves, Nurse Jane Foster, who has no idea that the superhero she crushes on is the same person as the mild-mannered doctor she works with.
The other characters in this collection of comics are pretty interesting. Loki is a lot different than Tom Hiddleston's famous performance as him in the MCU. He's sleezy and slimy and sly, and there is no indication that he is Laufey's child in the original comics who was raised as Thor's brother. Odin himself is pretty impressive but is more of a Brian Blessed-like character than Anthony Hopkins' depiction. Jane Foster is a lot more pathetic and narrow-minded than the cool astrophysicist of the MCU. I know times were different and the depiction of women was different back then, too, but Jane is pretty one-dimensional in comparison to Natalie Portman's depiction of her.
As for the various other villains besides the occasional antics of Loki in this volume, they are all pretty-much your usual villain of the week appearances. Such villains depicted in this volume include:
- Skurge the Executioner, a hulking brute who is a bit more villainous than his portrayal in the Ragnarok movie.
- Amara the Enchantress, a sexy femme fatale from Asgard who is more than a match for Loki in both mental and magic manners.
- Surtur of Muspelheim, who is depicted much differently than he is in Thor: Ragnarok, also.
- The Tomorrow Man, a wannabe-Kang from the twenty-third century timeline who comes to the present to steal weapons to use to rule his pacifist future.
- The Cobra, a strange villain who oddly reminds me slightly of Kroenen from Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy. He gets bit by a radioactive cobra and gets the powers of a snake...sort of, and he uses them to be a criminal.
- The Grey Gargoyle, a former chemist turned professional thief who tries to challenge Thor with his ability to turn people temporarily into stone statues.
- Mister Hyde, a murderous con man who somehow is able to figure out the literary character of Henry Jekyll's infamous formula and uses it to become a monster with a hateful vendetta.
- The Radio-Active Man, a crazed scientist from the People's Republic of China who turns himself into a walking atomic bomb to defeat Thor.
- Merlin the Wizard, the very same wizard from the Arthurian legend who is revealed to be a mutant endowed with incredible powers.
The artwork is pretty similar to the Fantastic Four comics I read earlier this year, and while not as detailed as the artwork of comics these days, it still fleshes out the world of Marvel Comics. I also liked how later on in the volume, we get these little side-stories about various Norse legends that depict antiquated history of Earth, which gives it a slight Neil Gaiman feel, much like his classic novel of American Gods.
I will be interested to read a few more of these Epic Collections featuring Thor. Hopefully, we will discover what caused him to be sent to Earth/Midgard and be turned into Don Blake. I suspect Loki might have had a part with it...
May the Force be with You!
April 15, 2025
Thor’s Earliest Adventures
From the same creators that brought us the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk comes another character whose addition to the Marvel Universe provides a fresh and exciting new world of possibilities, the god of thunder, Thor! This classic figure of world mythology is brought to life for the first time in this volume, recounting the son of Odin’s earliest adventures fighting aliens, foreign adversaries and many classic supervillains.
Stan Lee often stated in interviews that he was always looking for something new to bring to the superhero genre during Marvel’s initial boom of success in the early 1960’s. One idea that stuck out to him was to have a superhero who was a well established character in world mythology that most people were already familiar with. Believing that Greek mythology was already too oversaturated in mainstream exposure, Stan looked towards Norse mythology for a more unique inspiration and chose to adapt the heroic warrior who wields an enchanted hammer as his weapon of choice, Thor the god of thunder! But instead of straight up adapting the classic myths, Stan Lee and his artist Jack Kirby would take Thor and give him a unique spin as a superhero.
When a disabled physician named Don Blake finds himself in danger while visiting Norway, he stumbles upon a cave hiding an ancient walking cane. He soon discovers that he can use it to transform himself into the mighty Thor, while the cane itself becomes his magical hammer, a powerful weapon composed of mystical uru metal. Soon after discovering his newfound super strength and with the lightning and storms at his disposal, Don promises to use his secret alter ego to protect the innocents of Earth and fight against evil doers.
Anyone familiar with Marvel’s version of Thor will be surprised that certain aspects of the character are not set in stone quite yet in this volume, but about halfway through it begins to improve its prospects. The whole Don Blake/Thor dichotomy in which both personas are constantly switching between each other feels like a relic of older superhero stories, a trope that feels like an unabashed ripoff of DC’s Captain Marvel/Shazam. It adds very little to the character and it overly complicates our protagonist, like who is the “real” persona, Don or Thor?
As the series goes on, many writers will thankfully realize that Thor is an interesting enough character on his own to not rely on Donald Blake anymore to make him feel more relatable for readers. Jane Foster is introduced here as a love interest for both Don/Thor, a nurse assistant who frequently comes across as demeaning and patronizing towards Don regarding his feelings and abilities, making us question why in the world our hero is so devoted to her despite their tumultuous relationship. Jane will get her due in more modern stories, but here she’s borderline unbearable.
One thing this series does very well is introduce plenty of super villains that have surprising longevity, from fun C-Listers like Radio-Active Man, Cobra, Mr. Hyde and the Grey Gargoyle, to A-Listers that will become important for Thor and his stories like his half brother, Loki the god of mischief and the beautiful Enchantress alongside her devoted Executioner. Once the Tales of Asgard back up stories begin halfway through the volume, things really begin to pick up in terms of the books quality, expanding and exploring the world of Asgard and its many inhabitants like Odin, Balder the Brave, Karnilla and Lady Sif. They also introduce even more villainous characters that would end up becoming important later, such as Surtur, Ymir and even Hela, the goddess of death.
All the seeds of a great series are definitely planted here with Thor’s first volume, beautifully illustrated by the king of comics himself Jack Kirby, alongside many of Marvel’s other finest artists at the time. Stan Lee’s narration and voices he gives for these larger than life characters is typically bombastic but fun and even his brother Larry Lieber helps out with the series from time to time. In many ways, I would consider this series to be one of Marvel’s most underrated for how much it gets right, even with its periods of monotony early on. I recommend it if you already enjoy the Thor from his later stories or if you’re at all interested in seeing where Earth’s mightiest Avenger got his start!
From the same creators that brought us the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk comes another character whose addition to the Marvel Universe provides a fresh and exciting new world of possibilities, the god of thunder, Thor! This classic figure of world mythology is brought to life for the first time in this volume, recounting the son of Odin’s earliest adventures fighting aliens, foreign adversaries and many classic supervillains.
Stan Lee often stated in interviews that he was always looking for something new to bring to the superhero genre during Marvel’s initial boom of success in the early 1960’s. One idea that stuck out to him was to have a superhero who was a well established character in world mythology that most people were already familiar with. Believing that Greek mythology was already too oversaturated in mainstream exposure, Stan looked towards Norse mythology for a more unique inspiration and chose to adapt the heroic warrior who wields an enchanted hammer as his weapon of choice, Thor the god of thunder! But instead of straight up adapting the classic myths, Stan Lee and his artist Jack Kirby would take Thor and give him a unique spin as a superhero.
When a disabled physician named Don Blake finds himself in danger while visiting Norway, he stumbles upon a cave hiding an ancient walking cane. He soon discovers that he can use it to transform himself into the mighty Thor, while the cane itself becomes his magical hammer, a powerful weapon composed of mystical uru metal. Soon after discovering his newfound super strength and with the lightning and storms at his disposal, Don promises to use his secret alter ego to protect the innocents of Earth and fight against evil doers.
Anyone familiar with Marvel’s version of Thor will be surprised that certain aspects of the character are not set in stone quite yet in this volume, but about halfway through it begins to improve its prospects. The whole Don Blake/Thor dichotomy in which both personas are constantly switching between each other feels like a relic of older superhero stories, a trope that feels like an unabashed ripoff of DC’s Captain Marvel/Shazam. It adds very little to the character and it overly complicates our protagonist, like who is the “real” persona, Don or Thor?
As the series goes on, many writers will thankfully realize that Thor is an interesting enough character on his own to not rely on Donald Blake anymore to make him feel more relatable for readers. Jane Foster is introduced here as a love interest for both Don/Thor, a nurse assistant who frequently comes across as demeaning and patronizing towards Don regarding his feelings and abilities, making us question why in the world our hero is so devoted to her despite their tumultuous relationship. Jane will get her due in more modern stories, but here she’s borderline unbearable.
One thing this series does very well is introduce plenty of super villains that have surprising longevity, from fun C-Listers like Radio-Active Man, Cobra, Mr. Hyde and the Grey Gargoyle, to A-Listers that will become important for Thor and his stories like his half brother, Loki the god of mischief and the beautiful Enchantress alongside her devoted Executioner. Once the Tales of Asgard back up stories begin halfway through the volume, things really begin to pick up in terms of the books quality, expanding and exploring the world of Asgard and its many inhabitants like Odin, Balder the Brave, Karnilla and Lady Sif. They also introduce even more villainous characters that would end up becoming important later, such as Surtur, Ymir and even Hela, the goddess of death.
All the seeds of a great series are definitely planted here with Thor’s first volume, beautifully illustrated by the king of comics himself Jack Kirby, alongside many of Marvel’s other finest artists at the time. Stan Lee’s narration and voices he gives for these larger than life characters is typically bombastic but fun and even his brother Larry Lieber helps out with the series from time to time. In many ways, I would consider this series to be one of Marvel’s most underrated for how much it gets right, even with its periods of monotony early on. I recommend it if you already enjoy the Thor from his later stories or if you’re at all interested in seeing where Earth’s mightiest Avenger got his start!
June 29, 2023
If you've read any other 60's Stan Lee comics then you know what to expect here. A lot of exposition, ridiculous stories and iconic characters. I find with most of Stan Lees work, his characters are awesome, but it stories can be a bit painful to read outside of his Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.
The issues that make up this volume consist of pretty much the same formula. Thor battles the villain of the month, somehow he loses his hammer and transfers back to his mortal identity of Dr. Don Blake, he gets his hammer back, and he defeats his villain with one of his hammers plethora of abilities. Sometimes, his hammer invents new abilities out of the blue to progress the plot. It even uses time-travel at some point.
As well as his monthly villain fight, he also constantly pines over his nurse, Jane Foster (his only supporting character who isn't a god), and laments that he can never be with her due to Odin forbidding him being with a mortal.
Despite the tedious storytelling, there are some great characters that are introduced. We get Thor's fellow gods: Loki, Odin, Balder, Heimdall, Enchantress and the Executioner are all introduced. There's also the introduction of some iconic villains in Surtur, Grey Gargoyle, Cobra and Mr. Hyde.
Another great part of this collection is that it includes the backup stories from Tales to Astonish which flesh out Asgard and it's residents. Each story is only 5 pages but has some nice world-building.
If you're a fan of Thor and want to see the beginnings of Asgard, the Norse Gods and his role in the Marvel Universe, then this is a good book to get. If you're just looking forward to some good Thor stories though, the 60's can be rough. Maybe get one of the later volumes instead.
The issues that make up this volume consist of pretty much the same formula. Thor battles the villain of the month, somehow he loses his hammer and transfers back to his mortal identity of Dr. Don Blake, he gets his hammer back, and he defeats his villain with one of his hammers plethora of abilities. Sometimes, his hammer invents new abilities out of the blue to progress the plot. It even uses time-travel at some point.
As well as his monthly villain fight, he also constantly pines over his nurse, Jane Foster (his only supporting character who isn't a god), and laments that he can never be with her due to Odin forbidding him being with a mortal.
Despite the tedious storytelling, there are some great characters that are introduced. We get Thor's fellow gods: Loki, Odin, Balder, Heimdall, Enchantress and the Executioner are all introduced. There's also the introduction of some iconic villains in Surtur, Grey Gargoyle, Cobra and Mr. Hyde.
Another great part of this collection is that it includes the backup stories from Tales to Astonish which flesh out Asgard and it's residents. Each story is only 5 pages but has some nice world-building.
If you're a fan of Thor and want to see the beginnings of Asgard, the Norse Gods and his role in the Marvel Universe, then this is a good book to get. If you're just looking forward to some good Thor stories though, the 60's can be rough. Maybe get one of the later volumes instead.
June 21, 2017
This is a collection of the very earliest Thor stories, which turn out to be rather later than I thought. Towards the end the Avengers and the X-Men show up. A lot of the plots revolve around Don Blake pining after his nurse Jane Foster (who is also interested in him), but not feeling like he can have a relationship with her, because Odin forbids it for Thor. The villains are not quite what I expected, with Mister Hyde, the Cobra, and the Grey Gargoyle showing up frequently, along with the expected Loki. One part I particularly liked was the backup Tales of Asgard stories, which at the beginning hewed closely to Norse mythology (enough to tell that the writers clearly went to the source material), but departed after a while. Some elements were missing (like Odin having one eye... and of course Thor not having red hair), but overall, it was interesting how much it resembled its source material, particularly for the era. This was an interesting read that is not much like modern Thor comics, but the length of this book was definitely epic for this era of comics, so reading it took a lot of time.
August 12, 2025
"Thor Epic Collection, Vol. 1: The God of Thunder" is a fascinating time capsule from Marvel’s early days, collecting the very first adventures of the God of Thunder from Journey into Mystery. These stories are brimming with the boundless creativity of the Silver Age — wild sci-fi plots, colorful villains, and a healthy dose of 1960s charm (and camp).
It’s a joy to watch the mythology of Asgard slowly take shape, from Thor’s earliest battles on Earth to his encounters with Loki, Odin, and other iconic figures. The mix of superheroics and Norse legend gives the book a unique flavor compared to other Marvel titles of the era.
That said, the storytelling follows the style of its time: narration-heavy, quick resolutions, and some dated characterizations. But if you can embrace the period tone, it’s both entertaining and historically significant — especially for fans wanting to see where Thor’s long saga began.
Overall, a worthy and enjoyable read for anyone interested in Marvel’s origins, even if it’s more a lightning spark than the full storm that Thor would later become.
It’s a joy to watch the mythology of Asgard slowly take shape, from Thor’s earliest battles on Earth to his encounters with Loki, Odin, and other iconic figures. The mix of superheroics and Norse legend gives the book a unique flavor compared to other Marvel titles of the era.
That said, the storytelling follows the style of its time: narration-heavy, quick resolutions, and some dated characterizations. But if you can embrace the period tone, it’s both entertaining and historically significant — especially for fans wanting to see where Thor’s long saga began.
Overall, a worthy and enjoyable read for anyone interested in Marvel’s origins, even if it’s more a lightning spark than the full storm that Thor would later become.
October 21, 2022
Classic 60’s comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The writing can be corny and there’s a lot of dialogue at times but I enjoyed this more than I expected.
The villains were fun but it feels like every other issue is just about Loki and his new scheme to best Thor.
This era is when Doctor Donald Blake taps his cane on the floor to turn into Thor. It can be repetitive and usually the villain finds a way to knock his hammer out but he figures out a way to beat them in the end of course.
While the dialogue is what you expect from the 60’s, it gets kind of old when they go into the “i’m in love with Jane Foster but I can never let her know and my dad will never approve” lol but I get it.
I truly enjoyed when they started adding Tales of Asgard about halfway through the Epic and goes more in depth into Thor’s history and about side characters.
Overall a good first experience getting to know Thor and his origin.
The villains were fun but it feels like every other issue is just about Loki and his new scheme to best Thor.
This era is when Doctor Donald Blake taps his cane on the floor to turn into Thor. It can be repetitive and usually the villain finds a way to knock his hammer out but he figures out a way to beat them in the end of course.
While the dialogue is what you expect from the 60’s, it gets kind of old when they go into the “i’m in love with Jane Foster but I can never let her know and my dad will never approve” lol but I get it.
I truly enjoyed when they started adding Tales of Asgard about halfway through the Epic and goes more in depth into Thor’s history and about side characters.
Overall a good first experience getting to know Thor and his origin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2023
By Asgard, thou hath ripped off the Man of Steel! Thor begins (in #83) like Superman with a hammer, with a red cape AND a helmet, who's a doctor instead of a reporter, who's in love with the girl from work, who has a scary, distant dad and a clever, but weaker nemesis. Kirby drifts in and out here, and he seems to deepen the love story (much to reader's chagrin), and the conflict it causes, every time he stops by, with Joe Sinnott and Don Heck stepping in half of the time with their more disposable villains.
In issue #97 (Kirby's), a few things happen: One, we get the debut of Tales of Asgard, Kirby's masterstroke that elevated his style, the mythology of the title, and the scope and ambition of the Marvel Universe at large. Second, we have Loki causing mischief as usual, but doing so in a way that actually obeys the will of Odin, which brings number three: From this point on, it is Odin, not Loki, who is the chief Antagonist of the Thor universe. This weird focus on paternal cock-blockery, much to the boredom of the young audience, seems to be the entire point of interest and inspiration for Kirby, which is fascinating for the adult reader.
By issue #101 the title becomes Kirby's artwork alone. The main strip is looking as good as the first Tales of Asgard, and the Tales of Asgard is looking more and more like the apex of Kirby's artistry. "Death Comes to Thor", the segment in which he first raises the hammer, is a highlight. Many of the main tales are silly or recycled, but having the narrative running in two directions breaks up the cycle enough to feel like it's moving, even if it turns out to be running, however largely, in place.
In issue #97 (Kirby's), a few things happen: One, we get the debut of Tales of Asgard, Kirby's masterstroke that elevated his style, the mythology of the title, and the scope and ambition of the Marvel Universe at large. Second, we have Loki causing mischief as usual, but doing so in a way that actually obeys the will of Odin, which brings number three: From this point on, it is Odin, not Loki, who is the chief Antagonist of the Thor universe. This weird focus on paternal cock-blockery, much to the boredom of the young audience, seems to be the entire point of interest and inspiration for Kirby, which is fascinating for the adult reader.
By issue #101 the title becomes Kirby's artwork alone. The main strip is looking as good as the first Tales of Asgard, and the Tales of Asgard is looking more and more like the apex of Kirby's artistry. "Death Comes to Thor", the segment in which he first raises the hammer, is a highlight. Many of the main tales are silly or recycled, but having the narrative running in two directions breaks up the cycle enough to feel like it's moving, even if it turns out to be running, however largely, in place.
September 18, 2023
FINALLY! It took forever for me to get through this book--NOT BECAUSE IT WAS BAD--no, and by the time that issue 98 of Journey Into Mystery was published, The Mighty Thor started to find his footing.
The first fifteen issues were just more of that same 50's B sci fi movie/comic shlock and most of them were written by Stan's brother, Larry, and his dialogue was often atrocious. Plus it was old fashioned.
By issue 98, the introduction of the Cobra, and Stan and Jack Kirby making the stories sing, The Mighty Thor became what I remember of those older comics.
Yea, there were still a few clunkers, but by the time the Tales of Asgard were added to the comic, the main stories became fun and wonderful.
So really 3 stars till issue 98 and 4 stars after that.
The first fifteen issues were just more of that same 50's B sci fi movie/comic shlock and most of them were written by Stan's brother, Larry, and his dialogue was often atrocious. Plus it was old fashioned.
By issue 98, the introduction of the Cobra, and Stan and Jack Kirby making the stories sing, The Mighty Thor became what I remember of those older comics.
Yea, there were still a few clunkers, but by the time the Tales of Asgard were added to the comic, the main stories became fun and wonderful.
So really 3 stars till issue 98 and 4 stars after that.
June 11, 2022
Gems include the debuts of Thor, Jane Foster, Loki & Heimdall the Faithful, Odin, Neri the handmaid of Frigga, Radioactive Man, Yggdrasill the World Tree, Human Cobra, Ymir, Mr. Hyde, Surtur, Agnar the Eagle King, Sif & Hela, Amora the Enchantress & Skurge the Executioner, Skord the Dragon, Balder the Brave, Agnar the Fierce, Vanna the air-sprite, Tyr the Archer & Honir the Hunter, Grey Gargoyle, Karnilla the Norn Queen, Sindri the Dwarf King, & Arkin the Weak & Knorda the Mt. Giant Queen, absurd anti-communist anti-Cuban & anti-Chinese racism, Loki discovers Thor’s secret, & Thor’s first meetings w/ Dr. Strange & Magneto
August 18, 2024
Honestly, I may be a bit harsh in this review, but this may have been the worst book I have read in recent memory at least. This felt like a huge chore to get through and I really didn't enjoy much of my way through it. It felt like the same story over and over, and it was almost always against the same villain in Loki. When it does dare branch out and use other villains it still follows the same story almost every time and it gets extremely boring and repetitive. I will eventually get around to giving the series another shot but for the time being I am good at not forcing myself to read any more.
June 2, 2024
- My favorite Marvel character along with Daredevil. One of the best titles from that era?
- Super fun, although: With Kirby 😍 / Without Kirby 🤨
- The moment when the title goes supernova: Issue 101, when Kirby returns after some issues with his modern "angular" style. Storytelling and art skyrocket to another level.
- And when Chic Stone comes onboard to ink him in the Enchantress issue? MIND. BLOWN. Everybody talks about Joe Sinnott but we should talk more about the amazing Chic Stone.
- Tales of Asgard is the greatest backup in the history of backups.
3.5/5
- Super fun, although: With Kirby 😍 / Without Kirby 🤨
- The moment when the title goes supernova: Issue 101, when Kirby returns after some issues with his modern "angular" style. Storytelling and art skyrocket to another level.
- And when Chic Stone comes onboard to ink him in the Enchantress issue? MIND. BLOWN. Everybody talks about Joe Sinnott but we should talk more about the amazing Chic Stone.
- Tales of Asgard is the greatest backup in the history of backups.
3.5/5
July 29, 2018
#83-#100: Highlights include Loki turning cars into ice-cream and making Thor fly around while he sat on his back.
#101-109: I was really excited for the introduction of Amora! I love her costume design so much. As always Kirby's art is so cool and vibrant and really makes it a pleasure to read. Loki continuing to be mischievous is very fun although I do wish he'd come up with a plan other than kidnapping Jane Foster, he really seems to have an issue with her 🤔
#101-109: I was really excited for the introduction of Amora! I love her costume design so much. As always Kirby's art is so cool and vibrant and really makes it a pleasure to read. Loki continuing to be mischievous is very fun although I do wish he'd come up with a plan other than kidnapping Jane Foster, he really seems to have an issue with her 🤔
February 22, 2021
The "Tales of Asgard" backup tales elevate this book an entire star, because the tedious and utterly flat Don Blake-Jane Foster "romance" sure isn't worth many stars. The art's mostly good throughout, and spectacular often, and the creators come up with plenty of interesting twists and plots (although some of the "how does Blake get his cane back?" gimmicks got tiresome). The "Asgard" tales are all spectaculars and worth the cost of the book alone.
November 9, 2017
Titanic tales of tremendous theatre starring everyone's favourite thunder god, Thor! The Lee/Kirby team does it again with a little help from Joe Sinnott and Don Heck. Some of these silver age tales are just joyfully silly but the "Tales of Asgard" back-up stories help to deepen the epic scale and rich mythology we've come to expect from Thor comics. Good clean Marvel Age fun.
Read
October 15, 2020DNF'd on p. 78
Reading this was a lot of fun as a reader of more modern comics. However, I did have to put it down not because I wasn't enjoying it but because the intense hyper masculinity and femininity of all of the characters did start to get to me after a while to the point of pulling me out of the stories as I was reading.
Reading this was a lot of fun as a reader of more modern comics. However, I did have to put it down not because I wasn't enjoying it but because the intense hyper masculinity and femininity of all of the characters did start to get to me after a while to the point of pulling me out of the stories as I was reading.
September 10, 2020
Despite all its hokey-ness (Thor has a secret identity, the "lame" Dr. Blake which he transforms into if he is separated from his hammer for more than 60 seconds), it's incredible how the masters Lee and Kirby can build suspense in a 60 year old children's story.
July 6, 2022
It was obvious these comics were written in the 1960s. A little repetitive at times, but I felt like the issues got better throughout the collection. Interesting that Thor started off with an alter ego. (I didn’t love that.)
December 31, 2023
I've posted my review of Thor Epic Collection, Vol. 1: The God of Thunder on my blog (link here). It would be great if you checked it out!
November 4, 2019
Jack Kirby's art work was the most stimulating feature of this collection of early Thor. The stories themselves were fairly mundane and juvenile.
September 9, 2021
This was a fun read as a history of the character, but these comics are definitely dated and is not nearly as great as the later comics. Still a great value for the amount of issues you get.
March 11, 2023
A collection of the original Journey Into Mystery comic featuring Thor. Some good, some very dated.
August 10, 2023
The original Thor comics, 1962–1964, published in the Journey into Mystery series, issues 83–106
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews