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Essential Thor #5
Essential Thor, Vol. 5
Thor, God of Thunder, wields Mjoinir across the nine worlds to save lives and thwart evil men who imperil the Earth: the Absorbing Man, Demon Druid and Mercurio the 4th Dimensional Man and the greatest threats the universe has ever known: Mephisto, Xorr the God-Jewel, Ego the Living Planet, and Surtur, the Fire-Demon! Also featuring Asgardian favorites the Warriors Three, Balder, Helmdall, Odin and Sif!
Collects: Thor #196-220
Collects: Thor #196-220
528 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 1974
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78 people want to read
About the author
Gerry Conway
2,061 books89 followersGerard Francis Conway (Gerard F. Conway) is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics' vigilante the Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. At DC Comics, he is known for co-creating the superhero Firestorm and others, and for writing the Justice League of America for eight years. Conway wrote the first major, modern-day intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 15, 2016
Before Esad Ribic in recent years, John Buscema represented and still regard as the apex of art on Thor, especially during the Bronze Age of comics (1970-1985). Buscema draws Thor for most of the issues collected in this Marvel Essential volume and its a treat.
These classic stories may be reprinted in black and white but Buscema's art doesn't really need color to pop. In fact, removing the color helps the reader appreciate how immensely talented as an artist Buscema was.
These classic stories may be reprinted in black and white but Buscema's art doesn't really need color to pop. In fact, removing the color helps the reader appreciate how immensely talented as an artist Buscema was.
February 19, 2020
The artwork in this collection, mostly by John Buscema, is of a consistently high standard. I wish I could say the same for the stories. Gerry Conway skips from one half-baked idea to the next like a dizzy butterfly. It's a shame, as a lot of these ideas could have been great if given a little more space to unfold before racing on to the next thing.
Still, it was a nice nostalgic trip down memory lane re-reading these issues, as these stories were my introduction to Thor when I was a wee nipper, all those years ago...
Still, it was a nice nostalgic trip down memory lane re-reading these issues, as these stories were my introduction to Thor when I was a wee nipper, all those years ago...
December 31, 2021
It was fun. Sometimes it was a mess but when it was, it was a big fun mess.
August 19, 2014
A sort of the run of the mill collection of Thor, but done really well.
It generally has the same feel all the time: there's this big villain or cosmic event that will destroy Asgard/Sif/something Thor really likes or is morally obligated to defend. He makes with the hammer, he smashes it either quickly or slowly, it looks kind of cool in the process, cue the next thing.
The art was superb though. John Buscema and Sal Buscema are generally excellent, but here they outdo themselves. A great use of depth in drawing space and space stations, better character designs and use of visual effects.
Speaking of space, Gerry Conway improved the Thor mythos a little here, using different settings and ocassionally getting the Asgardians out of their comfort zones, trying new things. It certainly is an improvement over the Stan Lee style of acting like he's re-introducing mythology word for word to the world.
4/5 (close to 5, just seemed a lot like volumes 2, 3, and 4 of Marvel Essential Thor)
It generally has the same feel all the time: there's this big villain or cosmic event that will destroy Asgard/Sif/something Thor really likes or is morally obligated to defend. He makes with the hammer, he smashes it either quickly or slowly, it looks kind of cool in the process, cue the next thing.
The art was superb though. John Buscema and Sal Buscema are generally excellent, but here they outdo themselves. A great use of depth in drawing space and space stations, better character designs and use of visual effects.
Speaking of space, Gerry Conway improved the Thor mythos a little here, using different settings and ocassionally getting the Asgardians out of their comfort zones, trying new things. It certainly is an improvement over the Stan Lee style of acting like he's re-introducing mythology word for word to the world.
4/5 (close to 5, just seemed a lot like volumes 2, 3, and 4 of Marvel Essential Thor)
January 23, 2013
There is a lull in the middle, when Thor and friends are exiled to Earth, but the cosmic and Asgarian adventures on both sides of that are tons of fun.
March 18, 2020
I'm not really as big of a fan of the cosmic Thor stories. The ones I adore are those that delve into Norse myth or are the run-of-the-mill tussles with super powered baddies. I'm not sure why that is. But I really hated Thor: The Dark World and if it wasn't for the humor and use of the Asgardian goddess, Hela, I probably would've hated Thor: Ragnarok too!
Speaking of Ragnarok. The end of Asgard occurs at least twice in this book. One sees the fall of Odin. The other occurrence is a reprinting of a classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby foretelling of the end of all things.
Gerry Conway, one of my all-time favorite Superman creators, pens all of the original stories. Some instances were very good. But Conway sends Thor and company into space quite a bit in this huge 500 page plus volume. So, it was difficult to enjoy this collection thoroughly.
I really got a kick out of the Marvel/DC crossover. Yes, 4 actual characters from the DC universe crossover into Marvel territory in a two-parter some 5 years before the Man of Steel will meet The Amazing Spider-Man. For some, this crossover might seem that much of a big deal. But if you were an avid reader of Justice League of America and The Brave and the Bold around 1968-1972, you'll get a kick out of the appearance of several minor but oh so import figures in DC history.
Oh, wait, now that I think of it, there were 5 characters who crossed over!
The art by Sal Buscema, his brother John , Len Wein and others was amazing stuff. It's interesting how much the characters change when crafted by other artists and yet they still manage to look iconic too!
An enjoyable read of Thor stories. However, it's just not my favorite collection of them either. With only 1 Marvel Essential collection of Thor stories, I am thinking that I am not going to ever get to the Walt Simonson era. I guess I am going to have to start looking for color collections or possibly start collecting Thor single issues in order to get to that and close out the Odinson's original series of tales.
Speaking of Ragnarok. The end of Asgard occurs at least twice in this book. One sees the fall of Odin. The other occurrence is a reprinting of a classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby foretelling of the end of all things.
Gerry Conway, one of my all-time favorite Superman creators, pens all of the original stories. Some instances were very good. But Conway sends Thor and company into space quite a bit in this huge 500 page plus volume. So, it was difficult to enjoy this collection thoroughly.
I really got a kick out of the Marvel/DC crossover. Yes, 4 actual characters from the DC universe crossover into Marvel territory in a two-parter some 5 years before the Man of Steel will meet The Amazing Spider-Man. For some, this crossover might seem that much of a big deal. But if you were an avid reader of Justice League of America and The Brave and the Bold around 1968-1972, you'll get a kick out of the appearance of several minor but oh so import figures in DC history.
Oh, wait, now that I think of it, there were 5 characters who crossed over!
The art by Sal Buscema, his brother John , Len Wein and others was amazing stuff. It's interesting how much the characters change when crafted by other artists and yet they still manage to look iconic too!
An enjoyable read of Thor stories. However, it's just not my favorite collection of them either. With only 1 Marvel Essential collection of Thor stories, I am thinking that I am not going to ever get to the Walt Simonson era. I guess I am going to have to start looking for color collections or possibly start collecting Thor single issues in order to get to that and close out the Odinson's original series of tales.
March 8, 2021
This book collects 25 months of Thor written by George Conway with art chores mostly by John Buscema. This itself is a bit interesting because of many of Marvel's 1970's Titles were constantly changing up creative teams, but this has a firm sense of continuity.
The stories mostly occur in Asgard, other mystical lands, and outer space. Even when he's on Earth, he's not really too much into traditional superhero fare. The closest he comes is the Absorbing Man who has some strong mystical powers at this point.
Also, unlike during most of the Stan Lee era, Thor is not alone. He's accompanied by an entourage including the Warriors Three, and at times Balder, and also Lady Sif, and later in the book he's joined by Odin once Odin gets over the issue that led him to (again) exile Thor over some disagreement.
If your like big epic mythic cosmic space opera, this collection is for you. It's goofy and out there, but a pretty fun run of Thor stories for the most part.
The stories mostly occur in Asgard, other mystical lands, and outer space. Even when he's on Earth, he's not really too much into traditional superhero fare. The closest he comes is the Absorbing Man who has some strong mystical powers at this point.
Also, unlike during most of the Stan Lee era, Thor is not alone. He's accompanied by an entourage including the Warriors Three, and at times Balder, and also Lady Sif, and later in the book he's joined by Odin once Odin gets over the issue that led him to (again) exile Thor over some disagreement.
If your like big epic mythic cosmic space opera, this collection is for you. It's goofy and out there, but a pretty fun run of Thor stories for the most part.
July 12, 2024
Huge fun, but man is it exhausting!
Once it starts, this comic barely slows down for more than a page.
The rest is constant adventures, quests, fights, drama and a little romance.
From Asgard, to the far side of the galaxy, to New York, to hell, to Vermont, Gerry Conway hits the gas pedal and never takes his foot off.
Great art and some great, fun, cosmic ideas.
Nice to get to read some of the older stories I've seen referenced and just a fun time waster of a book.
Once it starts, this comic barely slows down for more than a page.
The rest is constant adventures, quests, fights, drama and a little romance.
From Asgard, to the far side of the galaxy, to New York, to hell, to Vermont, Gerry Conway hits the gas pedal and never takes his foot off.
Great art and some great, fun, cosmic ideas.
Nice to get to read some of the older stories I've seen referenced and just a fun time waster of a book.
September 12, 2025
This volume of ‘Essential Thor’ collects The Mighty Thor # 196-220, originally published between 1972-1974, according to the copyright notes. All the stories are written by Gerry Conway, who seems to have taken over a few of the company’s flagship titles after Stan Lee retired from active service. He also scripted ‘The Fantastic Four’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ at about this time. I seem to recall that Conway was a bit verbose when he first started in comics, giving the impression of a frustrated novelist, but he seems to have got over that by this stage.
The pencils are by John Buscema, inarguably one of the best comic book artists of the modern era. The first fourteen issues here are mostly full pencils by Buscema, usually inked by Vince Colletta. He’s an inker who has some detractors but I think his fine line style is oddly suited to these Asgardian epics. The later issues have ’layouts’ by Buscema and are finished by Don Perlin (inked by Colletta) or by Jim Mooney, who did his own inking. It usually looks nice because the beautiful pencil work of Buscema is difficult to spoil, though he would have disagreed.
All in all, this is pretty good stuff. Many of the old favourite villains come back to attack Thor and his friends, namely Mangog, Pluto, Mephisto, the Absorbing Man, Loki, Ulik and the Trolls. However, there are some innovations, too. The Ego-Prime storyline, in which a bit of Ego the Living Planet fits into a cunning plan by Odin, is good. There are also new enemies, such as Mercurio the Fourth-Dimensional Man and the Demon Druid in England. As usual, the England depicted is about thirty years out of date, with chaps in bowler hats and trilbies smoking pipes. Never mind, I expect we get America wrong, too. In the latter part of the book, there’s a long space-faring adventure featuring the Colonisers and some really big characters. This carries on the Kirby tradition of Thor being mixed up in Science Fiction settings.
There was a sly inter-company crossover with DC comics in which various comic creators are shown at a Halloween festival in Rutland, Vermont. This started in Amazing Adventures # 16, continued in Justice League of America # 103 and concluded in The Mighty Thor # 207.
Lee and Kirby are a hard act to follow but Conway and Buscema do okay. Old villains give a sense of continuity and there’s enough new stuff so it doesn’t all feel like a lazy rehash. Marvel’s ‘Essential’ volumes provide a lot of pages for your pound and though the lack of colour deters some, I personally quite like the black and white art. It makes it easier to see what the pencillers and inkers accomplished. Gerry Conway’s intelligent scripting and the lack of ‘adult’ material also means that these timeless classics could be useful for encouraging children to read, as well as providing a warm, nostalgic glow to old codgers like me.
The pencils are by John Buscema, inarguably one of the best comic book artists of the modern era. The first fourteen issues here are mostly full pencils by Buscema, usually inked by Vince Colletta. He’s an inker who has some detractors but I think his fine line style is oddly suited to these Asgardian epics. The later issues have ’layouts’ by Buscema and are finished by Don Perlin (inked by Colletta) or by Jim Mooney, who did his own inking. It usually looks nice because the beautiful pencil work of Buscema is difficult to spoil, though he would have disagreed.
All in all, this is pretty good stuff. Many of the old favourite villains come back to attack Thor and his friends, namely Mangog, Pluto, Mephisto, the Absorbing Man, Loki, Ulik and the Trolls. However, there are some innovations, too. The Ego-Prime storyline, in which a bit of Ego the Living Planet fits into a cunning plan by Odin, is good. There are also new enemies, such as Mercurio the Fourth-Dimensional Man and the Demon Druid in England. As usual, the England depicted is about thirty years out of date, with chaps in bowler hats and trilbies smoking pipes. Never mind, I expect we get America wrong, too. In the latter part of the book, there’s a long space-faring adventure featuring the Colonisers and some really big characters. This carries on the Kirby tradition of Thor being mixed up in Science Fiction settings.
There was a sly inter-company crossover with DC comics in which various comic creators are shown at a Halloween festival in Rutland, Vermont. This started in Amazing Adventures # 16, continued in Justice League of America # 103 and concluded in The Mighty Thor # 207.
Lee and Kirby are a hard act to follow but Conway and Buscema do okay. Old villains give a sense of continuity and there’s enough new stuff so it doesn’t all feel like a lazy rehash. Marvel’s ‘Essential’ volumes provide a lot of pages for your pound and though the lack of colour deters some, I personally quite like the black and white art. It makes it easier to see what the pencillers and inkers accomplished. Gerry Conway’s intelligent scripting and the lack of ‘adult’ material also means that these timeless classics could be useful for encouraging children to read, as well as providing a warm, nostalgic glow to old codgers like me.
October 10, 2020
I wasn't thrilled by the return of Mangog, the fight with him the last time already was stretched out longer than i liked. Thor vs Pluto also was a slight variation of the battle they had in volume 2. Thor fought Absorbing man so many times now that those fights seem to blend together. The ego prime story didn't make much sense and also came a bit soon after they showed him in volume 3.
What i want to say is that there were not many new concepts or ideas in this volume, a lot of things were more of the same. The times that i saw new ideas it was either really short or quite bad. Needless to say i didn't really like this volume. Maybe i would have enjoyed it more if i didn't read the ones that came before.
What i want to say is that there were not many new concepts or ideas in this volume, a lot of things were more of the same. The times that i saw new ideas it was either really short or quite bad. Needless to say i didn't really like this volume. Maybe i would have enjoyed it more if i didn't read the ones that came before.
November 8, 2014
Non il massimo, specie con la seconda metà, quando Gerry Conway prende completamente in mano le storie sostituendosi in toto a Stan Lee. Le prime storie sono decisamente buone, con un John Buscema ai disegni che, chinato da Vince Coletta, mantiene molto alto lo standard grafico. Purtroppo nella seconda metà le storie virano verso una fantascienza parecchio dozzinale, e non basta l'suo massiccio di comprimari a dare interesse alla narrazione. Neppure giova la sostituzione di Coletta con Don Perlin e Jim Mooney come chinatori di Buscema.
July 5, 2013
Thor goes intergalactic. Lots of Asgard stories with many villains. It's a lot of fun, even though it is still very action orientated. It definitely progresses the Thor and Odin dynamic. A good read.
August 8, 2013
High and miss at times, some adequate art from some of the greats with average story telling. I miss Jack.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews