ON THE SPINNER RACKS July/August 1970

 NEAL ADAMS FILLS THE VACUUM LEFT BY KING KIRBY

If this Adams cover were to make you think that Thor had succumbed to another bout of Warrior Madness, you'd be wrong.

Loki and Thor appear together in a Marvel comic for the 51st time.

That's right! It's Stan Lee Comic Plot #23 (Villain/Hero bodyswap)

Thor fans get their first look at A(dam)sgard.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS July/Aug 1965

As a Sixties Thor fan this was the best you could hope for,  a Lee/Kirby/Colletta collaboration!

The first 3 pages once again showcases how well Thor relates with mortals

Loki appears for the 25th time
Jane Foster appears for the 35th time
A 1965 addition to Thor's Rogues Gallery, the Absorbing Man appears for the 3rd time.
The 16 page lead story and the 5 page Tales of Asgard back-up (with the first appearances of  Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun) are both the first installments of continued stories.

Not only is Thor on the cover of this Annual. He also appears on 5 pages.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Jul/Aug 1968

You could have easily assumed that this was a symbolic cover (or a no-scene-remotely-like-this-inside cover)

The Mangog saga Lee/Kirby seemed to be trying surpass their  earlier FANTASTIC FOUR Galactus trilogy. Instead of merely eating the Earth, it aimed to destroy the universe by unsheathing the  Odinsword. 

The four years Marvel paid Jack Kirby to hone his monster-designing  skills (1958-1962) was indeed money well-spent. 

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Jul/Aug 1966

THOR ANNUAL #2 was in the shops with 30 pages of new Kirby art.

It featured the third appearance of this easily reusable Lee/Kirby-conceived Thor opponent. The Destroyer is a more dramatic foe than a robot because it has to be animated by the lifeforce of  a living being..

Plus: In THOR #132, Thor encountered two iconic science fiction threats - 

a cosmic toll booth

and planet stealing aliens.

IN YOUR LCS 1 YEAR AGO TODAY

 
THOR ANNUAL #1 $4.99

(W) Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly (A) Ibraim Roberson (CA) Adam Kubert
Enter...MYTHOS! When M.O.D.O.K. - fueled by revenge and a refusal to ever again be someone else's pawn - seizes control of all of the Ten Realms but Asgard, Thor the All-Father must step in and regain control of the Ten Realms and the World Tree. But M.O.D.O.K.'s new, cosmic power proves to be a greater threat than Thor could imagine, and he'll need the inspiration of some beloved friends from Midgard to reclaim his realms and his awesome power.

GEORGE PEREZ VARIANT

DAVID MARQUEZ HELLFIRE GALA VARIANT 

IN YOUR LCS 6 YEARS AGO TODAY

AVENGERS #4 $3.99

(W) Jason Aaron (A) Ed McGuinness, Paco Medina (CA) Ed McGuinness
    How do the Avengers possibly defeat a crew of 2,000-foot-tall, nearly omnipotent Dark Celestials bent on annihilating the human race? While Thor and Hulk search for answers deep within the bowels of Old Asgard, we learn more about the untold history of Odin and his Prehistoric Avengers!

DEADPOOL #2 $3.99

(W) Skottie Young (A/CA) Nic Klein

   A strange and powerful being from outer space is coming to destroy Earth - but WHY? WHO CARES?! Deadpool is totally going to merc it dead! A silent Thor appears in 2 panels.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #13 $3.99 

(W) Matthew Rosenberg (A) Greg Land, Oscar Bazaldua (CA) Greg Land
   The Reavers are back, and they have a new weapon that only Havok knows about. It's going to take a ragtag group of X-Men to save a world that hates and fears them! But after his villainous turn, can any of the X-Men really trust him? Can he blame them? Havok! Beast! Dazzler! Warpath! Colossus! A silent Thor Odinson appears in 2 panels.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Aug/Sep 1965

 The 70th appearance of Thor
The 4th appearance of the Absorbing Man
(and his 4th cover appearance)

The Kirby/Colletta cover delivers what it promises. 13 of the 16 pages of the lead story depict Absorbing Man/Thor battle action.

Plus Loki makes his 26th appearance.

 

 

This solid issue concludes with the 22nd 5 page installment of the always-welcome TALES OF ASGARD backup.